Remember visiting an art exhibit, standing quietly in a large space with a handful of other aficionados, appreciating the work of creative people?
MTSU’s Department of Art and Design is bringing a bit of normalcy back to the community beginning Monday, Aug. 24, with the launch of “Biennial 2020: A Faculty Exhibition of Art and Design” in the university’s spacious Todd Art Gallery.
The free public exhibit, which will follow MTSU’s mask and social distancing requirements for all guests, features works by more than 20 faculty members representing many of the department’s core courses: Art Education, Foundations, Graphic Design, Illustration, and Studio Art.
“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,” says art education professor Paige Medlock, one of the faculty included in the exhibit.
“This exhibit intends to engage its viewers, whether they be university students or lifelong learners, in what we see as visual art’s cultural significance.”
The exhibit will conclude on Saturday, Oct. 17. The gallery is in Room 224A of Todd Hall, located in the heart of the MTSU campus at 542 Old Main Circle. A campus map is available at http://bit.ly/MTSUParkingMap, and directions and guest parking permit information are available at http://ow.ly/J63z30r1vaP.
Gallery hours are 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Monday–Friday and 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday.
The “Biennial 2020” exhibit will introduce new students to different art forms and interpretations and to their new professors and give returning students a glimpse into their professors’ ideas and talents, too.
“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,” said Eric Snyder, the longtime coordinator and director of the Todd Gallery as well as a veteran artist.
Along with Medlock, a partial list of this year’s participants includes professors Erin Anfinson, Michael Baggarly, Stefanie Cobb, Douglas Dabbs, Kimberly Dummons, Kelsey Duncan, Nicole Foran, Jarrod Houghton, Noël Lorson, Mark Mcleod, Jean Nagy, Kathleen O’Connell, Sisavanh Phouthavong-Houghton, Tony Rodriguez, Nicholas Satinover, Sheri Selph, Stephanie Simkin and Tanya Tewell.
For parking, directions or other questions, contact Snyder at 615-898-5532 or [email protected].
MTSU’s Department of Art and Design, which is part of the university’s College of Liberal Arts, offers undergraduate degree programs in art education, art history, visual arts, studio art and graphic design. It also regularly invites artists ranging from local to international fame to exhibit in the Todd Art Gallery, conduct workshops and lecture in classes.
MTSU begins its 109th academic year on Aug. 24 with its fall 2020 semester.
For more information about MTSU’s Department of Art and Design, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/art. MTSU’s College of Liberal Arts website is http://www.mtsu.edu/liberalarts.
