Nathan Florence
Artist in Residence
EMAIL »
801.517.2147
EDUCATION
• B.A. in Art, Swarthmore College
• M.A. in Arts Education, Utah State University
At Judge he is best known as the father of Paul Florence ‘22. Besides that, Nathan, (known by most students as Mr. Flo) has been teaching art to students of all ages for over 20 years. He has taught mostly in Middle and High School, but also adult education classes at museums and in creative workshops around the world. His art can be found in private and public collections around the world and he directed the award winning documentary Bright Spark: the Reconciliation of Trevor Southey, which is currently in national broadcast rotation on PBS.
In the teaching studio Mr. Flo’s approach is that learning art is an inherently complicated process and, indeed, the process itself is more important than the product for the actual learning. A sense of humor is essential. Students learn to stick with a problem and fail in order to succeed. He believes that we study art to communicate ideas and learn to see better in a visually overwhelming world. He creates an emotionally and physically safe environment for self expression and discovery.
Outside of school Flo is an avid trail runner and outdoor enthusiast. He plays guitar and sings with his band Third Class Relics (which is a reference to the bench in the Judge front office) and loves traveling with his family.
