Midsouth Sculpture Alliance Members Exhibition
Todd Art Gallery (TAG) presents FICTION: 2026 Mid-South Sculpture Alliance Members Exhibition from Wednesday, October 14, through Saturday, November 7, 2026. The exhibition continues an ongoing partnership between Art and Design and the Mid-South Sculpture Alliance (MSA), bringing nationally recognized contemporary sculptors to Murfreesboro. A public reception is scheduled for Saturday, October 17, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Todd Art Gallery.
Selected through a competitive, juried process, Fiction brings together 14 professional artists from across the Mid-South and the United States, celebrating a diversity of contemporary sculptural practice and the innovation, craftsmanship, and conceptual depth that define today’s three-dimensional art.
Juried by Nashville sculptor and educator Thomas Sturgill, the exhibition explores the role of narrative in sculpture: how artists build imagined worlds through material, form, and space. Rather than telling straightforward stories, the work invites viewers to question perception, embrace ambiguity, and complete the story themselves. “For thousands of years, sculpture has served as one of humanity’s earliest storytelling traditions,” About the exhibit, Sturgill wrote, “Whether
rooted in mythology, history, fantasy, or personal experience, sculpture has the remarkable ability to communicate narratives that transcend language while inviting viewers to complete the story themselves.”
Exhibiting Artists include Jason Brown, Emily Budd, Thomas Cornell, Brenden Deasy, Jonathan Durham, Gabi Madrid, Mark Mcleod, Greely Myatt, Stacey Rathert, Natalie Thedford, Patrick D. Wilson, and Jason Tanner Young.
Visitors can expect a wide range of sculptural approaches, from traditional materials to experimental processes, in works that are intellectually engaging, visually compelling, and rich in personal interpretation. Located within MTSU’s nationally accredited Department of Art and Design, the gallery provides exhibiting artists with a place in an active learning environment that fosters classroom dialogue, professional networking, and community engagement well beyond the gallery walls.
The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. Todd Art Gallery is in the Todd Art Building, Room 224A, on the MTSU campus at 1301 E. Main St. in Murfreesboro. For GPS directions to nearby visitor parking, use 1512 Military Memorial, Murfreesboro, TN 37132. Campus visitors can obtain a visitor parking permit or use an available pay-by-plate parking 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. Gallery hours are Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., and Saturday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. The gallery is closed on federal, state, and university holidays; and on home football game Saturdays; other dates are designated for exhibition installation and preparation. For exhibition information, contact Eric V. Snyder, Coordinator of Exhibitions and Engagement, at ToddArtGallery@mtsu.edu or 615-898-5532, or visit art.mtsu.edu.
About MSA FICTION Juror Thomas Sturgill
Thomas Sturgill is a dynamic interdisciplinary artist and educator whose roots in historic Pound, Virginia, helped shape his creative vision. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in sculpture from the University of Tennessee and a Master of Fine Arts from Carnegie Mellon University. Through solo and collaborative projects exhibited nationally and internationally, Sturgill explores the complex and often unexpected relationships between people and objects.
A founding member of the artist collective Pulled Resources, Sturgill is an assistant professor of sculpture at the Watkins College of Art at Belmont University in Nashville. His thought-provoking work invites curiosity and connection, transforming familiar objects and everyday encounters into extraordinary experiences.
About the Todd Art Gallery
The Todd Art Gallery presents exhibitions and programs that connect the MTSU community and the public with contemporary art, design, scholarship, and creative practice. Through faculty, student, regional, national, and international exhibitions, the gallery advances the Department of Art and Design’s commitment to learning, engagement, and artistic discovery.
