About

Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, APSU’s art + design program offers studies in drawing, digital media, graphic design, illustration, painting, photography, ceramics, printmaking, sculpture, and art education. The Department is housed in the College of Arts and Letters and consists of 16 full time faculty for approximately 275 students. Three on campus galleries also support the Art & Design programs. The Department of Art + Design recently moved into a new art and design building. The Department of Art + Design also houses the Goldsmith Press and Rare Type Collection, an exceptionally large collection of wood letterforms.

Vision Statement

The Department of Art + Design aspires to provide an accepting environment that empowers students to ask quesitons, think critically, take risks, and develop intellectual and creative curioustiy which fosters the growth of knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary for a meaningful, productive life and work in a global society.

Education Goals for an APSU Art & Design Major

 To facilitate this vision, each student should demonstrate:

• The fundamental skills necessary to implement a concept through technique, material, or discipline-specific strategies;
• The development of a personal style or vision as executed across a variety of media, ideas, and creative activities through critical making and critical analysis;
• The writing and communication skills necessary to effectively translate their personal style into a focused, relevant conversation about the student’s own work and the work of others;
• A basic knowledge of significant works and movements in the canon of world art and design, which includes both formal and iconographic content;
• Advanced comprehension of focused topics in art and design history as a context for the student’s professional creative practice;
• Professional practices within the creative economy.

Diversity Statement

The Department of Art + Design at Austin Peay State University is committed to an active, intentional, and ongoing engagement to foster diversity. Providing diverse voices and viewpoints is essential to achieving our mission and vision of educating informed global citizens. We welcome all people, regardless of age, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, political views, or veteran status and we seek to safeguard the safety, dignity, and well-being of all people. We encourage and accept expressions of diversity in all of its forms.