IMPORTANT NOTE: These are the archived stories for Belmont News & Achievements prior to June 26, 2023. To see current stories, click here.

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CEMB Supports Partnership with West Texas A&M University

Through a partnership between Belmont University and West Texas A&M (WTAMU), the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business provides WTAMU students with the opportunity to take music business and audio engineering technology courses from Belmont as part of their music industry education.

Rush Hicks, chair of music business, and Cheryl Carr, associate dean for the Curb College, visited WTAMU facilities and met with administrators in support of the relatively new partnership.

Michaels Hosts Musical Fundraiser for Down Syndrome Association of Middle Tennessee

Professor of Occupational and Physical Therapy Dr. Natalie Michaels recently organized a musical fundraiser at the Hotel Preston to support the Down Syndrome Association of Middle Tennessee. Michaels hosts the event twice a year, and this year, she performed her own music and songs from Whitney Houston to Portugal the Man.

The event also featured Thomas Ebner from the Physical Therapy Department and Emily Hines. Belmont occupational therapy students Roya Rezadoost, Danielle Stelbaskey, Molly Schneider-Adams and Kayla Kennedy were also there to sing a few songs.

“It’s always wonderful to have our talented Belmont Students participate,” said Michaels. “Other performing musicians included Jim Martin, Rick Michaels, Max Hulan, and Paul Hulan. It was another fun night of music and dancing, all for a great cause.”

Museum Celebrating Renowned 20th Century Sculptor Frederick Hart to Open at Belmont

University selected as repository for Hart’s studio contents including sculptural works, artifacts, archives; multi-million-dollar art collection to be featured

Belmont University announced today the May 2019 opening of the Frederick Hart Collection, a permanent museum and repository of Hart’s work. Bob Chase, Hart’s publisher and president of The Frederick Hart Foundation, and Lindy Lain Hart, the artist’s wife, are donating more than 250 works to Belmont, including completed sculptures, works in various stages of development, molds, plasters, sculpting tools, artifacts and archival material. The new museum will be the largest permanent collection of Hart’s work available for public viewing.

In addition, a generous donation of Hart sculptures, including the full size Christ Rising, bronze, has been gifted to the Museum by passionate Hart patrons Lee and Pam Kennedy of Sarasota, Florida. Their timely gift adds to the importance of this undertaking.

American master sculptor Frederick Hart (1943-1999) created works that forever changed the national landscape such as Washington National Cathedral’s Creation Sculptures and Three Soldiers  bronze at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Hart was distinguished as the 2004 recipient of the National Medal of Arts along with other significant commissions, awards and achievements during his lifetime. His sculptural work was critically acclaimed as traditional in its adherence to the human figure, radical in its sensuality and innovative in its materials.

His gifts and influence are recognized worldwide. In 1997, Hart presented a unique casting of The Cross of the Millennium to Pope John Paul II in a private ceremony at the Vatican in Rome. When it was unveiled Pope John Paul II called this sculpture “a profound theological statement for our day.” Author Tom Wolfe noted, “Rick is — and I do not say this lightly—America’s greatest sculptor.”

Belmont University President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “Frederick Hart was a pioneer in his time, and the legacy and impact of his art is immeasurable. His work invites us to awaken to the divine forces in our world while keeping us grounded in the goodness, truth and beauty found in everyday life. To have so much of his work available for viewing on this campus is an invaluable gift, one that I believe will prove inspirational for our students and the broader community for generations to come.”

Belmont’s relationship with Hart’s work dates back nearly two decades. In 2002, Ex Nihilo, Working Model, cast marble (Washington National Cathedral’s Creation Sculptures) was donated to Belmont by long-time University benefactor Barbara Massey Rogers. The work is installed on the south exterior wall of the University’s Chapel, facing the lobby of the Ayers Academic Center.

Lindy Lain Hart, wife of the artist, commented, “In the spring of 2004, Belmont University showcased the art and legacy of my husband with the largest exhibition at that time entitled ‘The Creative Spirit.’ This bold exhibition forged a powerful and enduring alliance which set the stage for the 2019 opening of The Frederick Hart Studio and Museum at Belmont University. I am personally grateful that we can expand and deepen the singular and major force of the Frederick Hart legacy. I consider Belmont to be gifting a national treasure to the University and Nashville.”

With architect ESa and R.C. Mathews Contractor, Belmont will begin renovations next month to recreate Hart’s working studio and provide display space for the collection. The first floor of the campus’s Lila D. Bunch Library—already home to the prestigious stringed-instrument collection, the Gallery of Iconic Guitars, and the Leu Art Gallery— has been selected as a synergistic location. These unique artistic endeavors will create a dynamic collective to further enhance the student learning experience, attract leading scholars to explore Hart’s artistic contributions and further awareness of Belmont’s pursuit of excellence in the arts.

Visitors to the Hart Museum will find they are surrounded by multiple mediums from mere sketches to completed works by Hart. Included will be an extensive presentation on Hart’s innovative use of clear acrylic resin, the medium Hart pioneered to cast figurative forms which he described as “sculpting with light.” This innovation led to a patent for the process to embed one clear acrylic sculpture within another. The museum will also focus on historical and biographical insights into Hart’s life, and experiences that shaped his ideals and his critical positioning of the importance of the human figure in the visual arts. The Museum is, in a very tangible sense, creating a sacred space for the viewer.

Robert Chase, Hart’s publisher and president of the Hart Foundation, added, “To have worked with [Frederick Hart], a man of such principle and purpose, who became my close friend and who created works of inestimable importance and value, was a great honor and privilege. Now, some years after his death, it seems urgent to offer historians and collectors of Frederick Hart’s work a more intimate view of his life, work and philosophy than has yet been made public.”

About the Frederick Hart Foundation

Formed in 2010, the Frederick Hart Foundation is a non-profit entity with the mission to preserve and perpetuate the ideals set forth by Frederick Hart regarding the ongoing purpose and mission of figurative art, its place within contemporary culture, its need for innovation through new technologies and materials, and its vital role in affirming our society’s ideals of truth, beauty and goodness.

 

 

Additional Frederick Hart Biographical Material/Notable Quotes  

Selected Public and Private Works:

The Creation Sculptures, Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C. 1974-1982

Vietnam Veterans Memorial bronze statue Three Soldiers, Washington, D.C.  1984

The Cross of the Millennium presented to Pope John Paul II in a private ceremony at the Vatican, Rome, Italy. 1997

Songs of Grace installed in the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia. 2005

Processional Cross for Pope John Paul II’s historic Mass on the Mall, Washington, D.C. 1979

James Earl Carter Presidential Statue, bronze, installed on the state capitol grounds, Atlanta, GA. 1994

Richard B. Russell Jr. Memorial Statue, white Italian marble installed in the rotunda of the Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 1996

Senator Strom Thurmond, portrait bust of the President Pro Tem of the United States Senate created for United States Capitol Building, Washington, D.C. 1986

Daughters of Odessa, three-quarter life-size bronze sculpture installed by His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, in his private garden at Highgrove. 1998

Lord Mountbatten, bronze portrait placed by His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, in his private garden at Highgrove. 1997

The Herald, commissioned bronze installed at Newington-Cropsey Foundation Gallery and Cultural Studies Center, New York. 1994

 

Selected Honors and Awards

Posthumous recipient of the National Medal of Arts, presented by the President of the United States to the artist’s wife Lindy Hart. 2004

Appointment to the United States Fine Arts commission by President Ronald Reagan. 1985

Honorary Doctor of Fine Art awarded by the University of South Carolina. 1993

Quadrennial Design Excellence Award for Three Soldiers from President Reagan. 1998

First annual Newington-Cropsey Foundation Award for Excellence in the Arts. 1998

Gold Line Congressional Tribute entered into The Congressional Record by Senator Strom Thurmond. 1999

Honorary Doctor of Fine Art from American University, Washington, D.C. bestowed posthumously. 1999

Board of Trustees, Brookgreen Gardens, one of the foremost American sculpture gardens. 1986

 

 

Selected Quotes:

National Medal of Arts citation

For his important body of work—including the Washington National Cathedral’s Creation Sculptures and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial’s Three Soldiers—which heralded a new age for contemporary public art.

Michael Novak, U.S. Ambassador, Educator and Author

The work of Frederick Hart is changing the world of art, vindicating the artist’s strong belief that with the new century would come changing tides in the style, form and direction of the arts.

 

J Carter Brown, Director Emeritus National Gallery of Art

Frederick Hart’s sheer virtuosity and talent put him in a category that few recent sculptors have attained….It takes years after an artist is gone to make a definitive judgment of their contributions.  But if anyone would make the cut, he should.

Although he has stated that innovation is not a priority for him, his pioneering use of Lucite© including a process that he has patented, is evidence that he is not an artist enslaved by the past.  I find the Lucite work of particular interest.

Bob Chase, President of Frederick Hart Foundation; Publisher of Frederick Hart works 

Hart believed that the cultural tides were changing and that the 21st century would bring a renaissance and an age of enlightenment. He determined to create sculptures that physically and spiritually reflected this and spoke to the transforming power of beauty. It is not surprise that at a time when the art world had largely spurned the human figure, Hart chose to champion it.

James Cooper, Founding Director of the Newington-Cropsey Cultural Studies Foundation; Publisher of American Arts Quarterly

At certain moments in history, one encounters a work of art that possesses the aesthetic, contextual, and moral strength to signal the start of a new era. The Creation Sculptures is such a work.  Within its forms lies the imagery and beauty to spark an American renaissance.

Donald Kuspit, Art Critic, Author

It is good to be inspired by art for a change, rather than to look ta art that betrays humanity… Hart’s restoration of the human figure, in all its wholeness and vulnerability. ..is an important moment in the aesthetic and social history of art.

Frederick Hart, Sculptor

(Art) must be an enriching, ennobling and vital partner in the public pursuit of civilization. It should be a majestic presence in everyday life just as it was in the past.

My feeling is that the artist’s greatest challenge is to make men see, as if for the first time. To alter and enrich man’s perception and conception of the world and himself. How? By seeing its Truth as it has never been seen before. This is to me the essential purpose and value of art.

Alumna Opens Cafe With a Unique Concept, the Mewsic Kitty Cafe

Belmont graduates go on to launch all kinds of careers, and for alumna and entrepreneur Maegan Young Phan, life as a young professional has come to mean opening her own cafe in Nashville. But her venture is not like the many traditional coffee shops filling the city. Her Cat Cafe, known as Mewsic Kitty Cafe, was opened in April 2018 and is Nashville’s first of its kind.

The concept, often called a cat-fe, is a twist on a traditional cafe that features friendly cats for customers to enjoy. Cat-fes have become popular concepts in recent years with new ones popping up in cities across the country. Customers are invited to pet, play and cuddle with cats while they enjoy a hot or cold beverage and a pastry. All of the cats at Mewsic Kitty are brought in through a partnership with Nashville Cat Rescue and are available for adoption.

Phan graduated from Belmont in 2007 with a degree in music business management and began her career in the music industry before following a new career path working for the Tennessee Language Center. Opening Mewsic Kitty Cafe was something she kept in the back of her mind for several years. “I came across an article about cat cafes in Japan,” she said. “I thought that was pretty much the best idea ever but doubted it would be doable in the US because of our health department laws. When “Pounce” opened in South Carolina, I was convinced a catfe would be possible in Tennessee.”

Maegan Phan headshot
Alumna Maegan Phan

Owning a business was always in the back of Phan’s mind as she took entrepreneurship classes while enrolled at Belmont. But deciding what type of business she wanted to open, in addition to lining up the beginnings of Mewsic Kitty Cafe, was not always easy. “It’s been a roller coaster,” Phan said. “We’ve faced tons of challenges; some self-inflicted and others were external. The community support, however, has been outstanding.”

For Phan, one of the best parts about owning Mewsic Kitty Cafe is getting to interact with and see others interact with the cats. Not only do people experience a unique cafe environment, but they also get to spend time with loving and playful cats. People who visit the cafe thoroughly enjoy it, so much so that Phan recalls one young guest saying his visit to the cafe was the best day of his life.

“To be able to bring that kind of simple, pure joy into people’s lives, especially when so much of life can be so needlessly complicated. That is a blessing,” Phan said. “And we get to do that while helping cats find warm, loving forever homes.”

To learn more about Mewsic Kitty Cafe or to book a reservation, visit their website here.

Belmont Community Donates Boxes for Operation Christmas Child

Members of the Belmont community came together for the sixth year in a row to collect presents to donate to children in need around the world. Operation Christmas Child (OCC), the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind, exists to ensure that children around the world receive a special Christmas blessing — a shoebox full of ‘wow’ toys, hygiene items and school supplies. Faculty, staff, students and alumni spent the past few months packing their own boxes to be delivered worldwide.

Groups and departments across campus participated, encouraging each other in friendly competition to gather the most boxes. The Office of Alumni Relations, among others, hosted a packing party where alumni, staff and students gathered together, bringing their collected items and finalizing their boxes.

Vice President of Spiritual Development Dr. Todd Lake said the opportunity to participate in OCC is one way Belmont can share Christ’s love during the Christmas season. “Every year our students, faculty and staff fill hundreds and hundreds of shoe boxes with toys and hygiene items which are shipped—along with 12 million other shoe boxes—to indigenous church partners in third world countries who distribute them to poor children in their communities. This is one small way we at Belmont live out our mission to be a blessing to others.”

Belmont Featured in The Knowledge Review for Sustainability Efforts

Belmont University was featured as the cover story of The Knowledge Review’s August 2018 issue as one of the 10 Best Green Schools in America. Understanding the need to take care of God’s creation as more than a cause, but a charge, the article highlights Belmont’s numerous sustainability and conservation efforts on-campus, in the community and beyond.

The Knowledge Review’s August edition features schools that are dedicated to educating students to be environmental leaders of tomorrow and helping them protect the earth.

“Belmont constantly seeks ways of increasing its efforts all while educating students through their sustainability committee and environmental club, as well as work done through the university’s environmental/biology department including volunteer work, research in local wooded areas and streams, planting trees and more,” the article states. “Belmont is constantly striving to find new ways to engage their sustainability commitment throughout its campus.”

The cover story recognizes Belmont’s countless conservation and sustainability initiatives, including many LEED certification, campus green roofs, composting system, geothermal heating and cooling, receipt of the Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award and more.

Belmont University President Bob Fisher was featured in the article as “the Watchful Eyes overseeing Belmont’s nurturing.”

It goes on to say, “Under his leadership, Belmont’s enrollment has more than doubled in 15 years and the university’s energy efficient sustainable approach has resulted in energy cost increase of only 30% despite a campus square footage increase of more than 70%.”

Belmont’s Corporate Challenge Team Participates in Winter Warm-Up 6K

The Belmont University Corporate Challenge Team placed 1st in the “A” Division at the 12 South Winter Warmup 6k footrace on December 1. The 10-member Belmont faculty team competed against some of Nashville’s largest employers including Nissan, Genesco, Regions Bank and Bridgestone-Firestone. The 12 South Neighborhood Association’s annual event began in 2012 with 12- and 6k races staged before the neighborhood festival on the first weekend in December. This year’s race attracted over 600 runners.

Left to right: Leigh Ann Bynum, Kendall Shultes, Edgar S. Diaz-Cruz (All College of Pharmacy)

The beneficiaries of proceeds from the event were Hands on Nashville and the Waverly Belmont Backpack Program. Hands on Nashville connects volunteers to critical issues facing the Middle Tennessee community such as hunger, homelessness and environmental issues. The Waverly Belmont Backpack Program offers a weekend supply of nutritious meals and snacks for students completely free of charge to needy community members.

The Belmont runners turned in some impressive times including Haskell Murray (22:10—5th place overall) and Kendall Shultes (27:45—3rd place overall).

Featured Image (left to right): Eric Tarr (CEMB), Tom Bagwell (CTCM), Andy Miller (Math and Computer Science), Jonathan Thorndike (Honors Program), Steve Guthrie (CTCM) and Haskell Murray (College of Business); not pictured: Tim Stewart (Service-Learning)

‘CMA Country Christmas’ Set to Air Dec. 10 on ABC

The ninth-annual “CMA Country Christmas” will air Monday, Dec. 10 at 8 p.m./ET (7 p.m./CT) on the ABC Television Network. The event was recorded live in September in the Curb Event Center on Belmont’s campus with a number of students enjoying the performances and working backstage on the production.

Iconic entertainer Reba McEntire, who returns as host for a second year, will also perform during the holiday music special. Joining Reba are legendary acts and country favorites including Tony Bennett, Dan + Shay, Brett Eldredge, Amy Grant, Diana Krall, Dustin Lynch, Martina McBride, Old Dominion, Brad Paisley, Michael W. Smith, Lindsey Stirling, The Isaacs and Brett Young, taking the stage for a night filled with Christmas classics and festive one-of-a-kind collaborations.

CMA partnered with Balsam Hill, beautifully realistic Christmas trees and décor, to decorate the “CMA Country Christmas” stage. “CMA Country Christmas” is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer, Paul Miller is the Director and Jon Macks is the writer.

But “CMA Country Christmas” isn’t the only place to see Belmont University students contributing their talents to the holiday season. A presentation of the 2017 “Christmas at Belmont” special performance, which featured world-renowned musician Sheryl Crow as guest artist and more than 700 students, faculty and staff musicians from the School of Music, will be re-broadcast on PBS on December 21 at 8 p.m. and on Christmas Day, December 25, at 11 p.m. Check local listing for additional broadcast times. 

About the Country Music Association
Founded in 1958 and celebrating its 60th Anniversary in 2018, the Country Music Association is the first trade organization formed to promote a type of music. In 1961, CMA created the Country Music Hall of Fame to recognize artists and industry professionals with Country Music’s highest honor. More than 7,400 music industry professionals and companies from around the globe are members of CMA. The organization’s objectives are to serve as an educational and professional resource for the industry and advance the growth of Country Music around the world. This is accomplished through CMA’s core initiatives: the CMA Awards, which annually recognize outstanding achievement in the industry; CMA Fest, which benefits the CMA Foundation and music education and is taped for a three-hour network television special, “CMA Fest”; and “CMA Country Christmas.” All of CMA’s television properties air on the ABC Television Network.

Nursing Student Receives 2018 CASA Light of Hope Award

Hailey Brooks, a junior nursing student at Belmont, recently received the 2018 CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocate) Light of Hope Award which honors those who have been “lights of hope” to children and youth in the community through advocacy and making a difference.

Brooks grew up in East Tennessee and entered foster care at the age of 15. She serves as a member of the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth where she was appointed by Governor Bill Haslam.

Involved in other foster care advocacy positions for years, Brooks has served as a Youth Villages peer advocate and as part of the Department of Children’s Services Children’s Advisory Council. She is also a Jim Casey Fellow and the youngest thus far to be given the role.

Brooks is committed to spreading light on both the good and the bad areas of foster care and making positive changes in the system, particularly by increasing foster youth college attendance.

Belmont Alumnus Appears on NBC’s ‘Chicago Fire’

Raffeal Sears, a Belmont commercial voice performance alumnus, appeared on Chicago Fire on November 14.

In 1992, Sears began his career in acting in a Pizza Hut commercial promoting Big Brothers Big Sisters. He played the part of little brother to former Kansas City Chiefs Derron Cherry. Since the commercial, Sears knew acting was his calling.

For the past 25 years, his career has included parts in several theatre productions and voice overs. He went on to earn his MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana Campaign through the Professional Acting Training Program.