New sculptures coming to APSU’s Arts Quad on May 5
By: Dr. Andrea Spofford April 28, 2026
Brett Douglas Hunter’s “Dumpty Humpty,” at left, and Howard Russo’s “Twist,” at right (pictured from two angles), will be installed at APSU’s Arts Quad on May 5. | Contributed photos
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay’s Department of Art + Design, in collaboration with the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, is installing two new sculptures at 9 a.m. on May 5 in the Arts Quad, between the Trahern and Art + Design buildings. The public is invited to attend.
These sculptures, created by Brett Douglas Hunter and Howard Russo, will be on loan until 2028 thanks in part to a generous Arts Project Support Grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission.
APSU Assistant Professor of Sculpture Luke Warren will facilitate the installation, along with students from the sculpture studio.
About the Artists
Howard Russo is located in St. Charles, Illinois. His work can be seen in public places throughout the Midwest and Southeast. Russo’s primary medium is steel that is cut, bent, and welded into place. It is left unpainted to encourage rust for an interesting finish to the surface. His imagery is driven by the sphere form and its repetition in nature. A balance between positive and negative space is key to his work. You can learn more about Russo’s work by visiting him on Instagram.
Brett Douglas Hunter is a self-taught artist living and working in Nashville, Tennessee. Hunter has had solo exhibitions at kinder MODERN (New York), The Future Perfect (New York), Julia Martin Gallery (Nashville), Elephant Gallery (Nashville), and Infinity Cat (Nashville), and dozens of his fantastical works are on permanent display at Creature Camp (Nashville). Learn more about Hunter’s work by visiting him on Instagram.
About the Tennessee Arts Commission
The Tennessee Arts Commission was created in 1967 by the Tennessee General Assembly with the special mandate to stimulate and encourage the presentation of the visual, literary, music and performing arts and to encourage public interest in the cultural heritage of Tennessee.
The mission of the Tennessee Arts Commission is to cultivate the arts for the benefit of all Tennesseans and their communities. The vision is a Tennessee where the arts inspire, connect and enhance everyday lives.
The commission is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. Support the Tennessee Arts Commission by enrolling in the Tennesseeans for the Arts Specialty License Plate program.
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 the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts at APSU, contact Dr. Andrea Spofford at spofforda@apsu.edu.