APSU’s 58th Annual Juried Student Exhibition open now through April 29
By: Dr. Andrea Spofford April 10, 2026
APSU students’ artwork is displayed during last year’s Annual Juried Student Exhibition, a professionally juried event emulating real-world art shows.
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University’s Department of Art + Design, with support from the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, is hosting the 58th Annual Juried Student Exhibition from April 13-29 in The New Gallery, with a reception at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29. This exhibition is free and open to the public during The New Gallery’s hours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.
This competitive juried show honors the department’s outstanding student artists for their hard work and creativity throughout the past academic year. It is professionally juried from outside Austin Peay, emulating the practice of real-world art shows. It allows students to participate in a professional exhibition where a qualified juror selects artwork and artistic merit awards.
The Department of Art and Design, along with the jurors, will select a winning artwork for the APSU Permanent Collection.
This year’s juror is Cesar Rivera, a San Antonio native and award-winning communication designer with over 50 honors from leading organizations, including Graphis, AIGA, and AdFed. A U.S. Army veteran, Rivera holds associate degrees from San Antonio College and both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communication design from Texas State University.
He currently serves as chief design officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where he leads the CDC Visual Design Branch in delivering expertise across visual communication, data visualization, and campaign design, and sits on the American Institute of Graphic Arts National Board of Directors. Prior to this role, Rivera built a diverse career working with major brands, running his own design studio, co-founding the AIGA San Antonio chapter, and teaching in higher education. To learn more about Rivera, visit his website here.
“The students produced a unique body of work that represents the Department of Art + Design’s commitment to craft and creativity,” says Rivera. “The work chosen highlights different areas of study and symbolizes the critical thinking, risk-taking, and creative curiosity needed to succeed in today’s very competitive creative industries. The hope is for the show to inspire visitors to explore what is possible through art + design.”
This year’s exhibition features 55 works from 45 student artists chosen from 222 submissions. Selected artists include: Macie Addley, Brooke Allen, Avery Beck, Ginger Bertoni, Jazlin Bishop, Madiline Briggs, Gracie Brock, Breana Cashman, Delilah Chacon, Marlee Chaney, Hannah Chales, Emerson Cleghorne, Isabel Fortine, Lily Goodowens, Lauren Gray, Jenea Hall, Zella Hamilton, Willow Hardester, Naomi Hundt, Ashlee Knowlton, Cheyenne Korenich, Oliver Lambert, Alexandria Ledger, Brianna Lopez, Annika Lowe, Amelia Mackin, Sydni MacPherson, Karalina Medeiros, Melodie Moen, Victoria Nave, Mack Netherton, Eren Nichols, Emma Pack, Annalee Parker, Jennifer Pryor, Eden Reece, Jocelyn Rivera, Samantha Rosencrants, Jordan Sasmore, Emily Shelton, Julianna Smith, Keyon St.Firmin, Veronica Vielma, Abby Vlach, and Dayanara Williams.
For more information, contact Gallery Director Jaroslava Prihodova at prihodovaj@apsu.edu.To learn about future CECA Visiting Artist Speaker Series events, visit https://www.apsu.edu/art-design/visiting-artist/index.php.
About the Department of Art + Design
Established in 1927, the Department of Art + Design is one of the original departments at Austin Peay State University. Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, the department offers studies in animation, art education, art history, ceramics, drawing, digital media, graphic design, illustration, painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture. The department is housed in the College of Arts and Letters and consists of 19 full-time faculty for approximately 350 students. Three on-campus galleries also support the art and design programs. In 2017, the department moved into a state-of-the-art building. The Department of Art + Design also houses the Goldsmith Press and Rare Type Collection, a remarkable collection of antique and vintage wooden letterforms. To learn more about the department, contact McLean Fahnestock, department chair, at fahnestockm@apsu.edu.
About the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts
Since 1985, the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts (CECA, or "seek-ah") has been providing students, the Clarksville community, and the Middle Tennessee region with engaging experiences through the Art + Design, Creative Writing, Music, and Theatre & Dance programs at APSU. CECA brings as many as 85 guest artists to Clarksville each year and presents up to 100 public arts and culture events annually, including concerts, exhibitions, artist lectures, master classes, artist residencies, and more. In addition, CECA provides the arts faculty at APSU with research opportunities to enhance their professional growth as well as numerous student scholarships each year to support APSU's own emerging artists. To learn more about CECA, contact Dr. Andrea Spofford at spofforda@apsu.edu.