NSA Students Celebrate World’s Best Art Show
And Learn About the Art of Glass Blowing

Suffolk, VA April 30, 2009- Opening this week, the Chrysler Museum of Art, the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia and the Virginia Arts Festival will once again collaborate to create a landmark event for Hampton Roads: Art of Glass 2. Energized by the resolute support and hard work of volunteer community leaders, Art of Glass 2 will present exhibitions by several of the finest glass artists in the world. The art will amaze, delight, inspire….and educate!

It is with this in mind, that Nansemond-Suffolk Academy is pleased to announce their collaboration with the Chrysler Museum and the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts (SCCA). This wonderful exhibit will be incorporated in both the Lower and Upper School curriculums and will offer a plethora of hands-on activities, demonstrations and field trips - all while exposing NSA students to the wonderful world of glass.

There will be an array of opportunities for students to be exposed to glass during their last trimester of classes. Chrysler Museum’s traveling Hot Shops (the industry lingo for the rooms where hot glass is formed) will offer students in all grade levels an opportunity to learn about the magical properties of glass through live, narrated, demonstrations directly on the NSA campus. These Hot Shops, or mobile studios, will also give students a first-hand view of how glass artists shape stunning works into beautiful glass masterpieces.

Additionally, students will investigate the history and art of glass through their science, chemistry and physics classes and many groups will be touring the exhibits at Chrysler Museum, SCCA, and the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia. During these tours, students will be viewing the works of several contemporary glass artists as well as the private collections of local area residents. Each tour will be conducted in small group sizes and will include an art-making project for student participants. Furthermore, eleven students and several members of the NSA faculty will be able to share their own enthusiasm for beautiful glass, as they have been diligently taking classes to train as docents for the exhibit. These trained volunteers have been given a once-in-a-lifetime experience to learn first-hand about the art of glass blowing while giving public tours and assisting with the educational programs for the museum.

Mr. Colley W. Bell III, NSA’s Head of School remarked, “There is no question that the Hampton Roads region is fast becoming an artistic hamlet for glass artists and collectors. To host a glass blower on our campus is truly a gift for our children and families. NSA is thrilled to partner with the Hampton Roads art community as fine arts are a very important part of our educational mantra at NSA.”

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