Nash Academy of Animal Arts

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Always on the literal and figurative cutting edge of grooming trends, Vivian Nash, owner of IJA and the Nash Academy, is a participant in the new reality series "Extreme Poodles," on TLC. This show has garnered so much attention, and created so many opinions on the world of extreme grooming, that it is a "must see" series. In the series, four of the world's best extreme groomers compete, with their Poodles, for a cover shot on Groomer to Groomer Magazine, going all out in the process in their canine creations. Vivian Nash will be representing IJA, the International Judges Association for Dog Grooming Competitions, on the show. She is the IJA Head Judge and Team Director and oversees the judging of the Creative Classes for IJA, and will have her work cut out for her as these groomers compete. "Extreme Poodles" has been featured on such diverse television shows as the Today Show, Nightline, and Fox News, and has ignited a heated debate about extreme grooming itself. Whatever your feelings, it is worth tuning in--as TV Guide says about the show, "prepare to have your mind blown."
Read more about Extreme Poodles on TLC!
John Nash, 1951-2009
On December 17, 2009, the grooming industry and the world suffered a tremendous loss when John Nash passed away after a lengthy and courageous battle with cancer. The many facets of John's personality are almost too numerous to describe—he was gentle and kind and great fun, but he also had a rapier wit and strongly held beliefs that were always on the side of the humane and the compassionate, for both humans and animals. He had a lightness about him, making him absolutely delightful, but at the same time he knew exactly what he wanted, and could communicate that clearly and succinctly, so that he could get what he wanted—anyone who works at the Nash Academy can attest to that. More than all of this, though, John was a thinker and an innovator—John's mind was always looking for something new and better, always unsatisfied with the status quo.
John revolutionized dog grooming training, inventing it in the first place at the Nash Academy, first in New Jersey and then in Lexington, refining it, bringing it online. He started foreign exchange programs, so that students could experience other cultures and other techniques. He began to develop encyclopedic online tools to provide a common, international language for dog groomers worldwide. John was a communicator, and he saw no reason why the dog grooming industries shouldn't have their own, established language and means to communicate clearly, both for the good of the pet, and for the professionalism of the business that he loved. The great love story of Vivian and John Nash has to be mentioned, as they were soul-mates and workmates and visionaries together. Vivian was there, 100%, for John every minute—the two of them really did seem to be one entity, with a single purpose.
The world is a much worse, duller, sadder place without his brightness to light the darkness. John Nash will be sorely missed for a very long time.
Memorial contributions are suggested to the Nash Brighton Project, www.nashbrighton.com

"Groom School" (2004) pilot compliments of Creative Street Media Group. Watch more on our YouTube channel.