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.

MTSU Art and Design | April 12, 2025
A Lecture Presentation by Sara Abdoh, Spring 2025 Visiting Professor

MTSU Art and Design | August 16, 2025
A Quick Reference Guide to the Department’s Student Scholarships

MTSU Art and Design | April 10, 2025
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…
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 us through his career as an illustrator and inform students of the various opportunities available for young and emerging illustrators to engage via the Illustration Academy and Visual Arts Passage.
When? Friday August 30, 2024, at 11 am. Where? Contact Tony.Rodriguez@mtsu.edu for the Zoom link.

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, 11:30am
Where? 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 a short film titled ‘Lucid’
– Book cover illustrator on Chance Calloway’s ‘Pretty Dudes’
More on Instagram at MTSU Illustration

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 Studio Art, Graphic Design, and Art History. The Spring 2024 Symposium involves students presenting their research to faculty, campus, fellow students, and the public, allowing for discourse, feedback, and evaluation.
Don’t miss this opportunity to witness these promising artists and art historians as they showcase their research insights and best work of their Junior and Senior years.
For further information, visit: www.mtsuartanddesign.com.

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 Principle of Thirds, Power of Leading Lines, Symmetry, and Balance. In addition, we will discuss the principles of negative space, depth of field, and cropping for visual flow. By understanding the guidelines of composition, you will have a clearer understanding of what draws the viewer’s eye to the subject.
Gale Stoner Bio
Gale Stoner began photographing landscapes in the mid-sixties while stationed in Duluth, MN. Gale, a self-taught photographer, has been highlighted in the international publication Photoshop User magazine and KelbyOne Insider Column, and his image of Old Faithful at sunrise was published in Outdoor Photographer magazine. One of Gale’s images was selected for the cover of the 2019 Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce Visitors Bureau guide booklet. Gale has served as the 2018-2019 Photographer Laureate for the City of Murfreesboro Cultural Arts Department. In 2020, Gale was commissioned by the Chamber Visitor’s Bureau to produce images for the Safely Travel Project. Gale enjoys sharing his skills in group and one-on-one fine art photography classes.
This Workshop is Free and Open to the Public. Registration is Required to Participate. The total number of participants will not exceed 30.
REGISTRATION at Saturdays At Todd: Gale Stoner | Photography (signupgenius.com)
Register BEFORE the session begins. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee spaces for those who are not registered.
Driving Directions: 1512 Military Memorial, Murfreesboro, TN 37132-0025.
For additional information, parking, and other questions, contact eric.snyder@mtsu.edu or call 615-898-5532.


Questions: alaina.miller@mtsu.edu 

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 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!

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 process.
The MTSU Department of Art and Design invites you to a Glass Mosaics Saturdays At Todd workshop guided by Art Educator Dr. Paige Medlock.
10 a.m.–1 p.m., Saturday, November 4, 2023, MTSU Todd Hall, Room 205
Participants will be provided with all materials.
This is FREE and Open to the Public Workshop geared toward Art Educators, General Educators, High School Students, MTSU Students, Alums, and Artists. Everyone interested is encouraged to participate.
Professional Development Certificates are available to all participating teachers.
REGISTRATION
Register BEFORE the session begins. Unfortunately, due to spacing, anyone not registered before the workshop will not be permitted to participate.
For additional information and other questions, contact eric.snyder@mtsu.edu or call 615-898-5532.
FREE PARKING is available in the Jones Hall lot adjacent to Todd Hall. DRIVING DIRECTIONS: 1512 Military Memorial, Murfreesboro, TN 37132-0025.

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.
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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.

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.