The Tennessee Arts Academy (TAA) has announced The Bright School as its 2024 Arts Rich Elementary School of the Year.
This recognition distinguishes The Bright School as the top elementary school in the state of Tennessee for supporting arts education and acknowledges the vision of school founder Miss Mary G. Bright for creating a school that develops “the whole child.”
In its notification to Bright School about this award, TAA Foundation President Stephen Coleman said, “Your school's commitment to fostering creativity and expression among your students has been nothing short of inspiring.”
The selection process included an online application with supporting documents, a submitted video and an all-day school visit. Each part of the selection process included a panel of judges composed of 25+ retired educators, arts education professors, talented artists and performers, district arts supervisors and school administrators from Tennessee, Illinois, North Carolina, Kentucky and Florida. The entire process took place over several weeks during the spring of 2024.
A ceremony honoring Bright School will be held on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. CT at Belmont University.
Bright School’s commitment to arts education spans decades since its founding over 100 years ago. Miss Bright integrated fine and performing arts in her curriculum, including music, visual art, theater and “manual training” (woodworking), all of which are still part of the school’s curriculum today.
She once stated that Bright School would be "a happy place to which the children gladly come." It is - and the arts experiences we offer spark happiness and contribute to the academic achievement of our students.
- arts