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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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Studio Art Alum Lecture Series featuring ’08 B.F.A. Alum, Ellen Dempsey

Join MTSU’s Department of Art and Design in welcoming 2008 BFA Alumna Ellen Dempsey. This lecture series seeks to connect current students to artists, designers and art-professionals who have received degrees from our department. This talk is open to the public, but is most relevant for students seeking information about building a life and career in creative arts.

 

 

@ellendempsey_studio on Instagram
http://www.ellensdempsey.com on the web
ZOOM Info:
https://mtsu.zoom.us/j/98549244471?pwd=K0RYM2hhM1k5N1orU1ZWTVZXODE5QT09
Meeting ID: 985 4924 4471
Passcode: 414038
Meeting ID: 985 4924 4471

Design and Print a Letterpress Poster via Zoom

Saturdays at Todd – Design and Print a Letterpress Poster via Zoom

Watch as Associate Professor, Kathleen O’Connell, designs and prints a letterpress poster. This event will be live broadcast over Zoom, with opportunities to ask questions throughout the process.

10 a.m.–1 p.m.—Saturday, September 26, 2020

Open to the public. Participants limited to 20. For further information and questions contact eric.snyder@mtsu.edu or kathleen.o’connell@mtsu.edu.

To Signup: Design and Print a Letterpress Poster

Signup Opens at 12 PM (NOON), Tuesday, September 22, 2020. Registered Participants Receive Meeting Login Information via Email from eric.snyder@mtsu.edu or Mobile Text on Friday, September 25.

Support the Tennessee Arts Commission’s (TAC) efforts at Cultivating the Arts in Tennessee at https://tnartscommission.org/, and TN TAC Specialty License Plates available at https://tnspecialtyplates.org/TAC-License-Plates.jpg

Tennessee Arts Commission Specialty License Plates

Signup Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0a4eaba62fa4fe3-virtual

Saturdays at Todd (S@T) Watercolor Portraiture Workshop via Zoom

MTSU Art and Design welcomes the return of Saturdays at Todd via Zoom with Professor Sisavanh Houghton guides you through a virtual workshop about Watercolor Portraiture.

Watercolor Portraiture Workshop

Saturday, September 19, 2020, 12 p.m.-3 p.m. via Zoom

Maya-Angelou-Workshop-Image.JPG

Signups will open at 2 p.m., Thursday, September 17, 2020. To participate: Watercolor Portraiture Virtual Workshop

Join Professor Sisavanh Houghton for a Zoom Workshop focusing on the Art of Watercolor Portraiture. In the celebration and recognition for the 100 years of Women’s suffrage, Sisavanh has chosen Maya Angelou, an award Winning American Poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist, as her photo reference. This workshop is for intermediate and advanced watercolorists. Professor Houghton will demonstrate and guide you through the techniques of mixing skin tones, building layers of color washes, block in hair, jewelry, and fabric. 

Sponsored in part by the Tennessee Arts Commission: https://tnartscommission.org/ Support the Commission’s efforts across Tennessee through the purchase of a specialty license plate: https://tnspecialtyplates.org/

“My Wish for you is that you continue. Continue to be who and how you are, to astonish a mean world with acts of kindness.” Maya Angelou

Open to the public. Participants are limited to 20. For further information, questions, materials pickup, and an image of Maya Angelou contact eric.snyder@mtsu.edu.

 

Pop Up Mural Event

We are excited to announce the Pop Up Mural Event, an event for all students that has been planned with COVID precautions in mind!

The Pop Up Mural Event is September 22 & 23 from 10 am – 3 pm on the sidewalk between Todd Hall and Davis Science Building. You will be painting 10 portable 5×5 wooden murals that each depict a career competency that will be important as you acquire a job post-graduation or attend graduate school and then advance in your career. In Spring 2020, Art Practicum students worked to design and create the murals based on competencies chosen with guidance by the Deans of our sponsoring colleges and a panel of students, faculty and staff. The art students have transferred the designs onto wooden puzzle pieces that you now have the opportunity to paint, bringing the skills and competencies developed in the disciplines of the Liberal Arts and Basic and Applied Sciences to life! At the event, you will also receive information about how you can develop these competences at MTSU and be the missing piece that today’s employers are seeking!

To help us plan, we would like for you to let us know you are coming and provide an estimated time of when you will participate. You can sign up here or by pasting the link below into your browser window:

http://bit.ly/popupmuralevent

Masks will be provided for those who do not have one with them, and social distancing will be observed.

Don’t miss this chance to start working on your career skills and contribute to these pieces of art that will remain on campus for years to come!

For questions, email Lucy Langworthy at lucy.langworthy@mtsu.edu.

 

Seeing Your Creative Practice through an Entrepreneurial Lens

Seeing Your Creative Practice through an Entrepreneurial Lens

Presented by the College of Liberal Arts, and the Department of Art and Design

1–2 p.m.—Wednesday, September 23, 2020

https://mtsu.zoom.us/j/95628172683?pwd=ck5jL1A4LzcwZGRMU2ljdVZhYzJnUT09

Meeting ID: 956 2817 2683
Passcode: 465523

Artistry and entrepreneurship might not seem to go together, but historically, a large portion of artists are self-employed, a.k.a. Entrepreneurs. To help artists develop the business side of their creativity, the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville created Periscope: Artist Entrepreneur Training. This year-long professional development opportunity for working artists is designed as a transformative experience to spark the moment when their career starts to take off.

In this webinar, you’ll hear from artists who’ve completed Periscope training and used the knowledge they gained to advance their creative careers. They’ll share their experiences going from students to professional artists, why they chose entrepreneurial training, and what they’ve learned since completing the curriculum. You’ll walk away with an understanding of how artists use real-world entrepreneurial skills to leverage the value they offer clients and collectors to create a living and a life doing what they love.

Participating artists: 

Erin Connally | Illustrator | www.erinconnally.com, Danny Broadway | Painter | www.dannybroadway.com/, Patty McAvoy | Graphic Designer | www.pattymcavoydesigns.com/, Keavy Murphree | Ceramics | www.keavymurphree.com/ 

Saturdays at Todd Workshops Update

Covid-19 and Art and Design Activities and Events

Todd Art Gallery, 210 Gallery, and Glass Gallery are open for your viewing per in-place campus precautions. Exhibit receptions and other group events are canceled until further notice. 


 Saturdays at Todd are going virtual for the semester. Watch for a variety of opportunities. Materials for each workshop will be available to you in Todd Hall, Room 212 or by curbside with appointment made through 615-898-5532.

Watch Here for Upcoming Updates!

Please note:

What about other events on campus?

All on-campus events postponed until further notice (including official university events, student events, non-University or external events, co-sponsored events and university-sponsored events). Art Exhibits are available for viewing with applicable Covid-19 precautions in place.

For additional information:  MTSU Coronavirus Updates 

Patrick Foley Lecture

MTSU Department of Art and Design Patrick Foley Lecture Via Zoom, 11 a.m.—Friday, November 6, 2020

Patrick Foley (AKA Patrick4D) is a 3D Generalist based in Atlanta, GA, working primarily in the AD field. Coming from a background in Film as a Director of Photography, he swapped over his knowledge of lighting and composition to the 3D Space. Foley’s works range from hyper-realistic product recreations to abstract still lives.
Notable Clientele: Adidas, Microsoft, Reebok, Crocs, Nvidia, and Acer
Contact Tony.Rodriguez@mtsu.com for a link to the lecture.

Bob Rissetto Lecture

MTSU Department of Art and Design Bob Rissetto Lecture Via Zoom, 1 p.m.—Friday, September 18, 2020

Bob Risetto is a veteran 2D artist, illustrator, and animator with over 20 years of experience in the field, and he’ll be popping into the MTSU College of Liberal Arts this fall 2020. Professor Tony Rodriguez, leader of the Zoom event, met Risetto through the most recent published Ghostbusters art book. Printed by Blood and Insight Editions, it is a must-see as is his other work for composing vector-based imagery. Join us for the chat!
Notable Clientele: Scientific Games, Nickelodeon, Galleries 1988, High Voltage Software, Sock Puppet Studio, and WMS Gaming.
Contact tony.rodriguez for a link to the lecture.

Biennial 2020 MTSU Art and Design Faculty Exhibition

Biennial 2020 MTSU Art and Design Faculty Exhibition
The MTSU Department of Art and Design announces an exhibition of selected works by faculty members entitled Biennial 2020: A Faculty Exhibition of Art and Design. Scheduled in the Todd Art Gallery, Todd Hall, Room 224A, the exhibit opens the department’s upcoming fall exhibit calendar and will be in place August 24–October 17, 2020.
Representing the department’s course areas of Art Education, Foundations, Graphic Design, Illustration, and Studio Art, which includes Ceramics, Painting, Print Media, and Sculpture, the Biennial showcases an outstanding fusion of art from Art and Design’s many components. A partial list of participants includes Erin Anfinson, Michael Baggarly, Stefanie Cobb, Douglas Dabbs, Kimberly Dummons, Kelsey Duncan, Nicole Foran, Jarrod Houghton, Noël Lorson, Mark Mcleod, Paige Medlock, Jean Nagy, Melissa Newman, Kathleen O’Connell, Sisavanh Phouthavong, Tony Rodriguez, Nicholas Satinover, Sheri Selph, Stephanie Simkin, and Tanya Tewell.
The exhibit is multi-purposed in its presentation. At its most basic level, it introduces the artwork of newer faculty to Art and Design students. More broadly, it serves as an update to the ever-evolving artistry of the department’s more senior professors so that art students, the campus community, and the public alike have the opportunity to witness an exceptional and expressive statement of contemporary visual art at MTSU.
As a focused student endeavor, this exhibit intends to engage its viewers, whether they be university students or life-long learners in what Dr. Paige Medlock, Art Education, sees as visual art’s cultural significance, …[It] creates a space where viewers can pause, reflect, and shift the way they see themselves, their context, the artwork, the artist’s context, and potentially allow a new perspective to shed light on thinking and being in the world.
Biennial 2020: A Faculty Exhibition of Art and Design is free and open to the public with applicable campus Covid-19 policies in place. Gallery hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., and Saturday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
For parking, directions, or other questions, contact 615-898-5532 or eric.snyder@mtsu.edu.

MTSU Professors Art Show at Murfreesboro City Hall Celebrates Women’s Suffrage

A Special Thank You to the City of Murfreesboro and the Murfreesboro Pulse!

By Murfreesboro Pulse Staff

MTSU Art professors Erin Anfinson, Kathleen O’Connell, Kimberly Dummons, Nicole Foran, and Sisavanh Phouthavong will be featured at the Rotunda of Murfreesboro City Hall from July 28 through Sept. 10.

 

Aug. 18, 2020, marks the 100-year anniversary of the passage of a woman’s right to vote. The City of Murfreesboro is hosting these five prominent female artists in celebration of the historic anniversary.

 

Erin Anfinson is an associate professor of art at Middle Tennessee State University where she teaches drawing, design, and digital art courses in the Foundations program. Her encaustic-infused paper works and animated films are often inspired by an interest in science, conservation, natural history, and narratives of ecosystems in flux.

 

Kathleen O’Connell is a tenured associate professor at MTSU where she teaches print media. Her education includes studies in printmaking, book arts, sculpture, and drawing.

 

Kimberly Dummons is an associate professor of art and design at MTSU. Her work is included in several collections, and she has a public sculpture, commissioned by the City of New Orleans, Buddy Bolden, located in Louis Armstrong Park.

Nicole Foran is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Art and Design at MTSU. Her mixed-media artwork investigates memory, moral reasoning, and identity.

 

Sisavanh Phouthavong is a professor of painting in the Department of Art and Design at MTSU. Currently, her body of work is inspired by the nonprofit organization Legacies of War mission statement: “to raise awareness about the history of the Vietnam War-era bombing in Laos and advocate for the clearance of unexploded bombs.”

 

The Rotunda is open to the public from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday through Friday and is located at 111 W. Vine St., Murfreesboro.

 

 

For more information on this and other art exhibits at Murfreesboro City Hall, contact Deb Hunter at 615-801-2606 or dhunter@murfreesborotn.gov.