Allison Jarrett is the creator of Art School. She is a Nashville native and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies with a Concentration in Studio Art from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. After a stint working in media relations, Allison decided to pursue her love of art and teaching in New York City. She earned her Master of Arts in Art Education from New York University, where she developed an appreciation for teaching with contemporary art and learning from artists and makers working today.
Since returning home to Nashville, Allison has served as an adjunct instructor at Watkins College of Art, Design, & Film and a teaching artist for Watkins Community Education and the Watkins Pre-College Program. She is currently a teaching artist at Vanderbilt University's Sarratt Art Studios, where she teaches adult courses in pottery, as well as intensive fiber arts, pottery, animation, and printmaking courses for Sarratt's Summer Youth Art Institute.
Most recently, Allison served as the Art Instructor at Ironwood Academy, a college-prep homeschool tutorial program in Brentwood, Tennessee. She credits Ironwood for introducing her to the joys of working with homeschool students, and for inspiring her to create Art School as an alternative to traditional art education.
When she isn't teaching or hauling art supplies all over Middle Tennessee, Allison can be found creating artwork with just about anything she can find. She combines her love of graphic design, hand-lettering, and embroidery in her custom, hand-stitched artwork sold under the name Precious America. She also enjoys the challenge of creating custom and collaborative art installations for events, often using recycled or unconventional materials. Above all, Allison loves to make things, and loves sharing that joy of making with students of all ages and abilities.
