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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.

  • Decoding a Civilization: Exploring Ancient Egyptian Life Through Art

    Lecture Presentation by Sara Abdoh

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  • Graphic Design Senior Show

    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…

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  • Student Scholarship Roundup

    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…

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  • Foundations Juried Art Show

    Foundations Juried Art Show

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

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  • Special Recognition for MTSU Department of Art and Design and TODDartgallery

    Special Recognition for MTSU Department of Art and Design and TODDartgallery

    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…

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  • Graphic Design BFA Seniors complete a Capstone Thesis Project 

    Graphic Design BFA Seniors complete a Capstone Thesis Project 

    Graphic Design BFA Seniors complete a Capstone Thesis Project 

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  • Graphic Design BFA Students participate in a Professional-to-Student Portfolio Review

    Graphic Design BFA Students participate in a Professional-to-Student Portfolio Review

    Graphic Design students meet creative industry professionals at The Department of Art & Design’s Portfolio Review. (above) Students work independently in studio space and collaboratively in a variety of methods and media to gain career-building skills and experience. (below)

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  • Special Recognition for MTSU Department of Art and Design and TODDartgallery 

    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…

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  • Common Grounds Artist Lecture Series

    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,…

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  • Sketch to DeStress

    Sketch to DeStress

    A Special MTSU Department of Art and Design, Todd Art Gallery Saturdays At Todd event. Presented by the College of Liberal Arts! For complete details and to join Zoom, visit, Questions: Douglas.Dabbs@mtsu.edu

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Communicated Commemorabilia: A Creative Project Exploring Christian Recovery

Eli Ward

October 28 – November 8, 2023
Closing Reception: November 7, 4:30-6:00 pm
Todd Art Building, 210 Student Gallery

This immersive exhibit reflects on the experiences of individuals in Christian recovery groups. As they heal, they tell stories of radical new identities,
intimate community, gradual change, empowering
practices, and novel perceptions of God. Communicated Commemorabilia depicts the
sacred symbols in these stories of healing.

———————————————
Eli Ward is a Religious Studies and Nursing student who loves art. He studies the intersections of health and religion and plans to pursue medical mission work. His art has been published and received local and national awards.

 

Celebrating Art Educators and Art Education Alumni

5 p.m., Thursday, November 16, 2023, at Todd Art Gallery, Todd Hall, Room 224A. 

Middle Tennessee State University College of Liberal Arts and the MTSU Department of Art and Design cordially invite you to Celebrate Art Educators and MTSU Art Education Alumni for their invaluable contributions to students. Also available on exhibition will be Job Skills of Tomorrow, a collaboration of king-size puzzle pieces from Middle Tennessee State University, its Colleges of Liberal Arts and Basic and Applied Sciences, and the Art Education program of the MTSU Department of Art and Design

Entitled Job Skills for Tomorrow, it includes the artistry of many hands from across campus and the broader community while showcasing essential skills through accompanying text that speaks to the gain students receive by studying the arts, humanities, and sciences. The text is from a list constructed from the World Economic Forum’s identification of the Top Ten Job Skills for 2020 in its Future of Jobs Report, with four additional pieces added from the 2025 list.

Enjoy the contributions made by local art educators with their exhibition of Job Skills of Tomorrow and MTSU Art Educator Debrah Sickler-Voigt’s new book STEAM: Teaching and Learning through the Arts and Design.

Fall Picnic

Fall Picnic

All students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the MTSU Department of Art and Design are welcome and invited to join us 11 a.m.–2 p.m., Saturday, November 11, 2023, on the Todd Hall patio adjacent to Peck Hall.

Free Food 

BYOB (Beverage)

Please RSVP to Noel.Lorson@mtsu.edu to confirm your participation.

Image: Noel Lorson

Chat with Kate Moore

KATE MOORE

ART PRODUCER ILLUSTRATION AGENT

http://www.k-moore.com/about

Join Professor Rodriguez to chat with art producer and illustration agent Kate Moore. Kate will educate us on her experiences as an agent and art producer in the advertising, editorial, and book illustration realms. Kate will also provide helpful information on how aspiring illustrators can procure illustration agents.

Notable Clientele:

As an art producer, Kate has worked with clients like Hasbro, Crown Royal, Royal Caribbean, Wright Watchers, Smartwater, Panera, Budweiser, the History Channel, HBO, Apple, and more!

When? October 31, 3 p.m. CDT

Where? Todd Hall, 3rd floor, Room 333

Hosted by Assistant Professor of Art and Design Tony Rodriguez

For Questions, contact Tony.Rodriguez@mtsu.edu 

MTSU FALL ART EXHIBIT

MTSU FALL ART EXHIBIT featuring Claudia V. Caldarola

7–9 p.m., Friday, October 27, 2023

Todd Hall, Room 210

Food and Refreshments

Guests who dress in costume (for Halloween) can participate in a raffle to win a canvas print of the artist’s work.

Everyone is invited to attend | Free parking after 4:30 p.m. in the Jones Hall parking lot

Art and Design Open Advising

Art Open Advising

Join faculty from the MTSU Department of Art and Design along with CLA Advising for this open scheduling two-day event.

Todd Hall, Room 354, Wednesday and Thursday, October 25 and 26, 2023

1–3 p.m. Wednesday and

11 a.m.–1 p.m. Thursday

No Appointment Needed

Avoid Priority Registration Rush

Sponsored by the MTSU Department of Art and Design with CLA Advising

Questions: Jennifer.Tweedie@mtsu.edu 

 

 

Common Ground Lecture Series with Elise Hathaway

Join Art and Design Assistant Professor of Illustration Tony Rodriguez as he guides Zoom attendees through the next Common Ground Artist Lecture Series with Illustrator and Visual Development Artist Elise Hatheway.

With over a decade of experience in the animation industry, Hatheway currently resides in Dallas, TX, and recently concluded movie work with Netflix on “Thelma the Unicorn.” Her other film credits include “Maya and the Three,” “Lego Movie 2”, “Book of Life,” “Free Birds,” and “Rock Dog.” Additionally, she has worked with several award-winning studios, including Disney, Warner Bros, Animal Logic, Reel FX, Gaumont Animation, and Tangent Studios. Currently, you can find her working at Paramount Animation on Spongebob Squarepants.

If you’d like to participate in this call with Elise, contact tony.rodriguez@mtsu.edu by Thursday, April 13, 2023, for meeting links.

Common Ground is an ongoing series that highlights exciting and inspiring success stories from artists with diverse backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences.

Elise-Hathaway-ArtImage.jpg

Still from Netflix’s Maya and the Three by Elise Hathaway

UCDA Design Award Student Winners!

Congratulations to our UCDA Design Award student Silver and Excellence winners!

From the University & College Designers Association (UCDA): A wide range of talent was represented among the entries, and the judges evaluated 775 print and digital entries, awarding 151 awards—13 Gold Awards, 27 Silver Awards, and 111 Awards of ExcellenceThese annual awards honor the best work in educational design—in print, digital, illustration, photography, and student competitions. These coveted awards are judged by a hand-picked panel of peer jurors composed of designersdesign educators, photographers, and illustrators working in or doing a significant portion of their work for educational institutions—they understand the environments you create. https://www.ucda.com/awards/

Award: Silver

Ben Moss
Vital Frontline

Award: Excellence

Ellen Everett

Poetry People Campaign

(Senior Capstone Project)

Award: Excellence

Maggie Strahle
Facing Home – Book Design and Book Promo

Award: Excellence

Cassidy Bidwell

The Hallow Social Exhibit

The judges also selected additional pieces to receive an Honorable Mention. Congratulations to these students as well!

Although not part of the UCDA Design Awards Show, the judges felt several of our entries should receive recognition:

Award: Honorable Mention

Cassidy Bidwell
ARTEMISIA / french cuisine + absinthe lounge

Award: Honorable Mention

Jania Boddie
DEFIANT: How the Black Skateboarding Community
has Influenced Fashion and Culture

Award: Honorable Mention
Evangelina Stephens
Better Bean: Cocoa for Change

Award: Honorable Mention
Evangelina Stephens
Into the Wilderverse – Campaign to bring new visitors to the National Parks

Winners will have their work displayed and recognized at the UCDA’s conference in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, in October and receive a certificate after the conference. If you see these students around, please congratulate them. And thank you for all you have done to contribute to their successes.