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“Figuratively Speaking: Art Inspired by the Reece Museum Permanent Collection” is now on display at East Tennessee State University’s Reece Museum through Sept. 22. A reception is planned for Saturday, Sept. 9, from 1-3 p.m.

“Figuratively Speaking” is an exhibition curated and organized by Lyn Govette, a local artist, curator and educator. Art teachers from Providence Academy and University School mentored the project, and it began with Govette selecting artifacts from the Reece Museum’s permanent collection that heavily feature or represent the human form. Students, grades 10 through 12, from both Providence Academy and University School created their own works of art inspired by these selected artifacts.

“One of my greatest pleasures as an artist is collaborating with other people to create art in the community, and it’s especially a privilege to be able to reach out to the youth of our community and offer them opportunities to display their creativity,” said Govette.

Portraying the human figure is more than simply reproducing a likeness of a person in a painting or sculpture, the museum said. It also captures and expresses the artist’s view of their subject. These emotive artworks can generate sorrow, amusement, identification, empathy or even adoration. Artists, said the museum, continue to find inspiration in the figures of dignitaries, royalty, heroes, deities, saints and people they personally know. The 32 students featured in this exhibition have followed this grand tradition by submitting their artworks of the human figure.

“This exhibition provides students with a museum experience, and it also allows us to share a unique selection of our art collection for young artists to engage with,” said Spenser Brenner, exhibition coordinator at the Reece. “The Reece has a proud history of working with local curators and educators to provide meaningful art experiences to the region, and we are happy to continue that legacy with ‘Figuratively Speaking.’”

The university is part of a vibrant arts community, hosting dozens of concerts and exhibitions each year.

The museum is a unit of the Center of Excellence for Appalachian Studies and Services, housed in the Department of Appalachian Studies. The Reece Museum is located on the campus of ETSU and is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

ETSU, Tennessee State working together in incredible partnership

The mission of the East Tennessee State University Honors College is to offer educational opportunities that will help students create remarkable stories. Many learn about these stories when students visit major cities or study abroad. 

But Dr. Carson Medley, assistant dean of the Honors College and director of Prestigious Awards, wondered: “What if instead of flying more than 4,000 miles and taking our students to London we took them through a few traffic lights down the road? Or down Tennessee’s I-40 from the heart of the Appalachian Highlands into the soul of Music City?”

This fall, ETSU and Tennessee State University will work together in an incredible partnership.

The Why Not Win Institute will help facilitate the initiative that will give Nashville-based students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the Appalachian Highlands and, conversely, allow ETSU students to experience a larger city.

“We hope to bridge the gap between different student experiences and promote synergy among diverse communities,” said Medley.

For five days in October, TSU will host a combination of nine ETSU Honors students and three Roan Scholars – including SGA president Trent White – during TSU’s Homecoming week. 

ETSU students will attend classes with TSU Honors students, fostering a unique opportunity to experience the academic environment and cultural nuances of another institution.

The experience will be capped off by riding on a float through the streets of Nashville in one of the city’s longest parades in route to the Homecoming football game. 

Students from both universities will also get to meet with Larry Thornton, who wrote the book “Why Not Win?” and served as a commencement speaker at ETSU’s fall commencement ceremonies. 

Next spring, ETSU will host the TSU students for a week. 

The I-40 Project (named after the interstate highway that connects the Appalachian Highlands and Nashville) aims “to dismantle perceived differences and foster a deeper understanding of similarities and serve as a guiding example for other schools facing similar circumstances,” according to Medley, who said he hopes this project is just the first stop down I-40.