News + Events in Art & Design

Thank you for visiting! Use the navigation menu above or the collapsed menu icon to access all information relating to the Department, Academic Programs, Student Resources, and the Todd Art Galleries.

Stay up-to-date on exhibitions and events.

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Exhibitions · Education · Engagement · Community

Connecting People, Programs, and What’s Happening Now.

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Express Your Interest

Curious about studying art and design at MTSU? Every creative path starts somewhere. Take the first step and share your interests.

A short survey for prospective Art and Design majors

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For applications and information for other scholarships available through Middle Tennessee State University, visit:

• MTSU College of Liberal Arts (CLA) Scholarships
• MTSU Undergraduate Scholarships

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Hours and Parking

Todd Art Gallery is located in the Todd Art Building, Room 224A, on the MTSU campus at 1301 E. Main St. in Murfreesboro. For GPS directions to the nearby Jones Lot, the recommended visitor parking area for the gallery, use 1512 Military Memorial, Murfreesboro, TN 37132.

During regular weekday hours, campus visitors must obtain a visitor parking permit or use an available pay-by-plate area. Permit information and pay-by-plate options are available through MTSU Parking and Transportation Services. Parking questions may be directed to parking@mtsu.edu or 615-898-2850.

Free Parking

Free parking for gallery visitors is available in the Jones Lot weekdays after 4:30 p.m. and throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday. Visitors must park in a valid, unrestricted space. ADA-accessible, reserved, metered, and other specifically designated spaces remain restricted as posted.

Gallery Hours

Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Saturday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.

The gallery is closed on federal, state, and university holidays; on home football game Saturdays; and on other dates designated for exhibition installation and preparation.

Fall 2026 Home-Game Closings: September 5, September 19, November 7, and November 28.

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Featured News & Events

Melissa Newman Builds Statewide Artistic Momentum

September 10, 2026

MTSU Art and Design instructor earns regional recognition while expanding her work across Knoxville, Nashville and Chattanooga

Her work is reaching another public audience through CHA Art Space at Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport. Established in 2021 by artist and curator Carrie Pendergrass in collaboration with the airport, the initiative presents rotating exhibitions in the baggage-claim area. The current installation, REMIND ME, features 12 regional artists responding to memory, sentiment and nostalgia. It remains on view through early November 2026.

The Chattanooga presentation holds a personal connection for Newman, who is originally from the city, while closely reflecting the recurring concerns shaping her studio practice.

Newman’s most expansive recent opportunity is her selection as one of 12 artists in the Arcade Arts 2026–27 Artist in Residence cohort in downtown Nashville. Located in the historic Nashville Arcade, the juried residency provides each artist with a rent-free studio for 10 months. Its programming combines sustained studio access with exhibitions, artist talks, workshops, demonstrations and professional-development opportunities.

Residents also participate in the monthly Second Saturday Art Crawl. Visitors can tour studios, meet artists, see works in progress and experience exhibitions throughout the Arcade and surrounding downtown arts district.

MTSU Art and Design is well represented in this creative community. Newman is joined in the 2026–27 cohort by Isaac Snyder, who earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art from MTSU in spring 2026. Charles Elwell, another MTSU Studio Art B.F.A. graduate, participated in the 2025–26 cohort. Their selections strengthen the department’s connection with one of Nashville’s most visible artist-centered initiatives.

Newman earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts degrees in painting from the University of Iowa. She completed a residency at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in 2006 and has taught Foundations and Painting at MTSU since 2008.

Together, these opportunities bring Newman’s work into conversation with artists and audiences statewide while demonstrating how a sustained studio practice can engage the public through competitive exhibitions, accessible civic spaces and long-term creative development.

Learn more about Melissa Newman and her work, Arcade Arts and CHA Art Space.

Art and Design Mural at MTSU

| August 25, 2025

This June, Art & Design students brought new life to campus during a three-week mural-making session led by Assistant Professor Kate Kinder. After pitching their designs, the class selected a concept by Rae Medlock, who reimagined historic hands from classical paintings within bold abstract shapes and vibrant colors. The result: a mural that connects past and present while energizing the Todd Building central stairwell space.

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Special Recognition for MTSU Department of Art and Design and TODDartgallery

| April 6, 2025

At the 2025 Tennessee Association of Museums Annual Conference in Knoxville, MTSU’s Todd Art Gallery (TAG) was honored with a Certificate of Commendation during the March Awards Dinner. This special recognition celebrates Perceptions of Reality, the Department of Art and Design’s most recent annual collaborative exhibition, curated by Dr. Barbara and Mr. Leroy Hodges. The exhibition uplifts the voices and visions of artists of color through powerful visual narratives and lived experiences across cultures and disciplines. Todd Art Gallery is grateful to the Tennessee Association of Museums for acknowledging the importance of this work and its role in fostering dialogue, representation, and community through the arts.

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Looking for more News & Events

There’s the Sketchbook— Part updates and part inspiration are all in progress. The space where announcements mix with behind-the-scenes, and the creative process stays in the spotlight.

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Selected student art and design work from The Department of Art & Design. Website icon design by Graphic Design students.