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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.

  • Q&A Session 5: Foundations, Studio Art, and Visual Art

    Q&A Session 5: Foundations, Studio Art, and Visual Art

    The fifth informal summer Q&A with the Department of Art and Design faculty was held Tuesday, July 21, 2020, 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM CDT. The course areas of Foundations, Studio Art, and Visual Art were represented. Meeting Details: Tuesday, July 21, 2020, 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM CDT https://mtsu.zoom.us/j/91604848796  …

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  • Art and Design Summer Q&A Virtual Sessions via Zoom

    Art and Design Summer Q&A Virtual Sessions via Zoom

    Join the MTSU Art and Design faculty for an informal Q&A this Summer 2020! Please feel free to pop into any of the open meetings listed below. If you have questions about the format, please reach out to Associate Professor Nicole Foran at Nicole.Foran@mtsu.edu.  Q&A Session 1: Foundations, Drawing, Graphic Design, Art History,…

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  • Foundations of Digital Art and Design Zoom Virtual Meeting

    Foundations of Digital Art and Design Zoom Virtual Meeting

    Department of Art and Design, Associate Professor, Erin Anfinson invites you to join her for a Zoom meeting to discuss her course Art 1650 Foundations Digital Art/Design.  Thursday, July 16, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. CDT

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  • Natalie Patton Quiltessa

    Natalie Patton Quiltessa

    Video highlights Natalie Patton Quiltessa’s recent exhibit  in the 210 Gallery which was organized and curated by Art and Design students Ana Cannon, Chelsea Gardiner, and Shanice Scudder. Video courtesy of Web4U2

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  • Virtual Talk with Richard Goodwin via ZOOM

    Virtual Talk with Richard Goodwin via ZOOM

       Recently, MTSU Graphic Design Professor Tony Rodriguez and award-winning illustrator and product designer, Richard Goodwin conducted an in-depth talk on the toy industry. Richard spoke on the various strategies that he utilized as he made his way up the “toy design mountain.” Goodwin also unveiled his process of composing 2D and 3D model-refinement concepts…

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  • Arrowmont Windgate University Fellows Scholarships

    Arrowmont Windgate University Fellows Scholarships

    Applications for 2020 are closed, for information on 2021’s opportunities contact erin.anfinson@mtsu.edu.

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  • Dominique Ramsey: Illustrator and Character Designer

    Dominique Ramsey: Illustrator and Character Designer

    12 p.m.—Monday, March 2, 2020. MTSU Todd Hall, Room 348 This Google Hangouts chat will take an in-depth look into the artist’s personal process for award winning illustration and visual development. In other words, less talk, more illustration! Also, Ramsey will put together a two-hour LIVE character design illustration from start to finish in…

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  • Art and Design Work Sale to Support Department Scholarships

    Art and Design Work Sale to Support Department Scholarships

    While our November 5 and 6, 2019 sale has concluded you may still wish to peruse our fantastic art and design items remaining. Funds raised from each item sold support the Department of Art and Design’s Scholarships, their outstanding recipients, and participating artists. For a sampling of items in the sale visit: Scholarship Sale. For additional information…

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  • Study Abroad: International Watercolor Workshop

    Study Abroad: International Watercolor Workshop

    Art and Design congratulates Painting Professor Sisavanh Houghton for her approved Study Abroad proposal International Watercolor Workshop Study set for May 2020. Her itinerary includes Strasbourg (France); Basel (Switzerland); Salzburg (Austria); and Munich, Regensburg, and Wurzburg (Germany). All interested MTSU students should contact Sisavanh.Houghton@mtsu.edu. (3 credit hours for upper division studio class)

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  • Stones River National Battlefield Artist-in-Residence Program Opportunity

    Stones River National Battlefield Artist-in-Residence Program Opportunity

    Artist-in-Residence Program opportunity in Rutherford County at Stones River National Battlefield during 2020. Application deadline is October 31, 2019. Full details: https://www.nps.gov/stri/getinvolved/air.htm

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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.