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Here, we blend the bold and the in-between — milestones, insights, and sparks of what’s next. It’s the creative space where ideas unfold in real-time.

  • Biennial Symposium

    Biennial Symposium

    Department of Art and Design Faculty #MTSUart @MTSUart Wednesday, February 5 – As a concluding event to the department’s Biennial 2024, faculty from the various areas of Art and Design reflected on their work from the exhibition and, more broadly, on their artistic motivations and philosophy with a strong component of Q&A for an invigorating…

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  • BIENNIAL 2024: A Department of Art and Design Faculty Exhibition

    BIENNIAL 2024: A Department of Art and Design Faculty Exhibition

    #MTSUart @MTSUart Biennial 2024 Poster, Images, top to bottom, left to right: Ambrose Prince, The Sheep Man; Joshua Lynn, Bubble; Nick Satinover, Time is a Distance 8; Sisavanh Phouthavong-Houghton, Fields of Red Anemone Blooming; Kim Dummons, A Conversation Across Time, Posthumous Collaboration with John T. Scott; Kathleen O’Connell, Character Flaw: Denial, Blissful Ignorance, Worrier; Kelsey…

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  • Biennial 2024

    MTSU Art and Design proudly presents Biennial 2024: An MTSU Art and Design Faculty Exhibition. This showcase resides in the Todd Art Gallery in Todd Hall, room 224A, and is open until December 14, 2024.

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  • John English

    Join Assistant Professor Tony Rodriguez and Illustration legend, John English for 2 hours of conversation over Zoom. John English is an illustrator and the founder of Visual Arts Passage and the director of the ever-prestigious Illustration Academy, the birthplace of many of today’s modern day illustration masters. In this Zoom session, John will walk…

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  • Justin Benford

    Justin Benford

    Join Assistant Prof. Tony Rodriguez and Justin Benford for a character design talk and LIVE digital painting demonstration over Zoom (or attend in-person in room 337) When? Monday October 7, 11:30amWhere? Todd, room 337 Email Tony.Rodriguez@mtsu.edu for Zoom Link Benford’s credentials:– Character designer and illustrator at Ripple Effects– Art director and artist on…

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  • MTSU Department of Art and Design Senior Symposium

    MTSU Department of Art and Design Senior Symposium

    Please join us this Monday – Wednesday, April 8 – 10, 15, 2024, Todd Hall, Room 204. Complete schedule and times available at MTSU Senior Symposium – Schedule (google.com) The MTSU Department of Art and Design’s Research Practicum and Symposium are essential components of the academic evaluation process for Art & Design majors studying…

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  • Saturdays At Todd: Gale Stoner | Photography

    Saturdays At Todd: Gale Stoner | Photography

    Introduction to Composition This course is designed for beginning and intermediate-level photographers; even the experienced photographer may learn a tip or two. We will look at the fundamentals of the creative elements of photography. You will be introduced to principles and techniques that will create visual interest. The discussion of composition will include the…

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  • Rachel Mindrup | Portrait Painter

    Rachel Mindrup | Portrait Painter

    Rachel Mindrup | Portrait Painter Noon – Friday, April 12, 2024 Via Zoom Rachel Mindrup is an Associate Professor of Drawing and Painting at Creighton University where she is also the Richard L. Deming, MD Endowed Chair in Medical Humanities. Hosted By Alaina Miller & Sheri Selph Email sheri.selph@mtsu.edu by April…

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  • 2024 Award of Excellence Recipient

    2024 Award of Excellence Recipient

    During the Tuesday, March 19, Awards Dinner of the Tennessee Association of Museums, the MTSU Department of Art and Design’s Todd Art Gallery was awarded a 2024 Award of Excellence for the collaborative effort involving the traveling exhibition, Crafting Blackness: Black Bodies Making Form. As a collaborative, East Tennessee State University’s Curators Karlota Contreas-Koterbay, Karen…

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  • Stained Glass Mosaics with Dr. Paige Medlock

    Stained Glass Mosaics with Dr. Paige Medlock

    November 4, 2023,  10 a.m.–1 p.m. Todd 205 Ages 10+ (students under 18, please register with an adult) Max 12 participants GLASS MOSAICS with Dr. Paige Medlock Images: Left, a young student working in Glass Mosaics; Center, left, Dr. Paige Medlock; Center, right, Art Educators showing off their skills; Right, Glass Mosaics…

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Graphic Design Senior Show

The Town of Lexicon Lane Welcomes You

@mtsuseniorshow | April 10, 2025

MTSU Graphic Design Capstone, the town of Lexicon Lane, welcomes you!

April 19–26 | MTSU Todd Art Gallery, Todd Hall, Room 224A

Opening April 19, 2025, 1–4 p.m.

See the artwork of Quinn Allen • Bri Anderson • Joy Blohm • Luke Byrum • Zach Byrum • Chloe Carter • Jamie Cruz • Linden DeGira • Madison Eddins • Blue Gallegos • Maricella Guerrero • Savanah Harden • Sarah Kestila • Chalandra Livingston • Mo Marler • Kim Ortiz • Ella Putnal • Chris Reynolds • Kiera Riordan • Hailee Seng • Laney Smith • Lane Stephens • Tonyara Wilson • Anna Wright

Capstone instructors: Associate Professor Sheri Selph and Lecturer Stephanie Simkin

Student Scholarship Roundup

A spirit of giving that defines an initiative.

@MTSUArt | April 9, 2025

Join the MTSU Department of Art and Design for our bi-annual event each fall and spring semester. Explore a collection of donated artwork at Todd Hall, perfect for personal use or gifting. Contributions are encouraged with suggested donation amounts for each piece. Proceeds support the Art and Design Student Scholarship Program and participating student artists.

Scholarship Roundup – !0 a.m.–4 p.m., Tuesday – Friday, April 22–25, 2025. Todd Hall, Second Floor adjacent to the main stairwell.

Foundations Juried Art Show

Here’s a glimpse of the exceptional work on view!

Special Recognition for MTSU Department of Art and Design and TODDartgallery

2025 Tennessee Association of Museums Certificate of Commendation for Perceptions of Relity
2025 Tennessee Association of Museums Certificate of Commendation for Perceptions of Relity

At the 2025 Tennessee Association of Museums Annual Conference in Knoxville, MTSU’s Todd Art Gallery 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.

Special Recognition for MTSU Department of Art and Design and TODDartgallery 

2024 Award of Excellence Recipient

During the Tuesday, March 19, Awards Dinner of the Tennessee Association of Museums, the MTSU Department of Art and Design’s Todd Art Gallery was awarded a 2024 Award of Excellence for the collaborative effort involving the traveling exhibition, Crafting Blackness: Black Bodies Making Form. As a cooperative, East Tennessee State University’s Curators Karlota Contreas-Koterbay and Karen Sullivan and the Tipton and Slocumb Galleries share this award with Tennessee Craft, Tennessee State University’s Hiram Van Gordon Gallery, and MTSU. We are most grateful for this special recognition to our Curators, fellow exhibition spaces, the artists of Black Bodies Making Form, and the Tennessee Association of Museums!

Common Grounds Artist Lecture Series

presented by the Middle Tennessee State University Department of Art and Design

Find Past Lectures on our Common Ground YouTube Channel

This lecture series, presented by Middle Tennessee State University’s Department of Art & Design, highlights specific voices from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences. MTSU instructors handpick all guest lecturers, and although topics vary, content is always art-related.


Ruben Castillo via Zoom

Artist and Educator

Castillo investigates themes of intimacy, queerness, archival history, and the body using various media, including printmaking, drawing, installation, sculpture, and video. His most recent imagery is drawn from photographs and documents, seeing the ordinary as a site for transformation.

Sonia Dixon via Zoom

MTSU Alumna, U.S. Army Major, and Cultural Heritage Preservation Specialist

Sonia Dixon is a Doctoral Candidate in Art History at Florida State University, focusing on visual culture and identity in the late antique eastern Mediterranean. An MTSU alumna, she holds a BA in Art History and an MA in Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies. Sonia is also a Major in the Army, serving as a Battalion Executive Officer and Heritage and Preservation Officer, specializing in cultural heritage preservation.