JANET LAWS
Janet has been teaching Visual Art at Brentwood Academy for 24 years. With a Master’s of Education from Lipscomb University and a Bachelor’s degree in graphic design from the University of Maryland, Janet is a dedicated artist and educator who loves sharing her passion for design. She takes every opportunity to impart her experience and enthusiasm for art to others. She enjoys creative problem-solving, presenting projects that drive her students to succeed, and fostering their creativity to aid them in finding their artistic voices. Janet is proud to have been named both the 2023 Middle Tennessee Region Art Educator of the Year and the 2021 Tennessee Secondary Art Educator of the Year.
Outside of the classroom, Janet is involved with the Tennessee Arts Academy as a long-time participant and Academy facilitator. She has spent many summers working art camps at Brentwood Academy, Appalachian Center for Craft, O’More School of Design, and the Young Scholars program. Janet has served as a board member of the Middle Tennessee Student Art Exhibition for many years, working as both a curator and judge. Janet has presented art workshops for the TAIS and TAA and serves as an AP Art and Design portfolio reader.
When not teaching or creating new pieces herself, this Maryland native loves spending time in her adopted hometown of Franklin, with her husband Bert and their family. She enjoys the beach, traveling, and opportunities to renew her soul with like-minded creatives in art and design workshops experiencing the camaraderie of sharing ideas and insights with other artists and educators.
JIM CHAPMAN
Art teacher and swim coach Jim Chapman is entering his 18th year at Brentwood Academy. Throughout his established career as an educator, Jim has taught every grade possible (even as an adjunct professor at MTSU) and has received numerous “Teacher of the Year” and “Coach of the Year” awards. Jim inspires his students. Coach Chapman’s students have won various local, regional, and national awards for art, while others have moved into the field of professional artists as photographers, graphic designers, architects, and video game designers.
Jim, himself, is also a professional artist, a “live” wedding painter, and a published illustrator boasting seven children’s books in print. What many do not know is Jim’s musical side. He grew up singing gospel music, which led to his winning a Dove Award for writing the “Southern Gospel Song of the Year” in 1991. In the mid-'90s, he joined the country group, 4Runner and toured with Tim McGraw, Brooks and Dunn, Kenny Rogers, Kenny Chesney, Reba McIntyre, Faith Hill, Toby Keith, Little Texas, Lee Greenwood, and more. When 4Runner disbanded, Jim went on the road as a backup singer for Loretta Lynn. Jim still does session work and sings background vocals with the Grand Ole Opry “Opry Background Singers.” Recently, 4Runner got back together and is making new music.
Jim is married to his lovely wife Yolanda, and they are blessed with eight children, four biological and four supernatural adopted from China. Jim also has six grandchildren located all over the country.
NAOMI PUGH
Naomi is a middle school visual art teacher and has been working at Brentwood Academy for the last four years. She holds a Master’s of Art Education from the Art of Education University and a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Freed-Hardeman University. Naomi has been passionately sharing her love of art by teaching for nine years in total.
When she isn’t inspiring students in the classroom, you can find her championing our student-athletes. Having played soccer at the collegiate level, she has continued her love of the sport by coaching our middle school girls' soccer and lacrosse teams. When she is not working, Naomi enjoys traveling, hiking, creating her own art, and reading.
