APSU to host Middle Tennessee Letterpress Symposium from March 4-5
By: Dr. Andrea Spofford February 13, 2026
A selection of work from artist-designers in the Middle Tennessee region, including a piece by Sarah Budeski (at top) and two small prints by Heather Moulder (at bottom).
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Department of Art + Design at Austin Peay State University and the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts (CECA) will host the Middle Tennessee Letterpress Symposium on March 4-5 in the Art + Design Building, with an accompanying exhibition in The New Gallery open now through March 20.
The free public symposium will feature letterpress and typographic demonstrations along with short evening lectures from artist-designers Heather Moulder, Cory Wasnewsky, Celene Aubry, and Kathleen O’Connell.
Registration is required for workshops as spots are limited, and the form can be completed here. Guests will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis and notified via email if their registration is approved.
Schedule of Events
Wednesday, March 4
Cory Wasnewsky and Heather Moulder will co-teach a demonstration/workshop using experimental and innovative printing techniques that apply found items.
Time: 12:20–2:20 p.m.
Location: Art + Design Room 104
Thursday, March 5
Kathleen O’Connell will lead a hand lettering demonstration/workshop.
Time: 11:10 a.m. - noon, 1-2 p.m.
Location: Art + Design Room 204
Thursday, March 5: A reception will be held for the Letterpress Exhibition in The New Gallery.
Time: Noon - 1 p.m.
Location: The New Gallery
Thursday, March 5: Celene Aubry of Hatch Show Print will have a letterpress demonstration/workshop.
Time: 2:20-4 p.m.
Location: Art + Design Room 104
Thursday, March 5: Cory Wasnewsky, Heather Moulder, Celene Aubrey, and Kathleen O’Connell will present their own works.
Time: 6 p.m.-7 p.m.
Location: Art + Design Room 120
Registration is required for all workshops and can be completed here.
More About the Middle Tennessee Letterpress Symposium
The Middle Tennessee Letterpress Symposium is a showcase for letterpress artists living and working in the region. Hatch Show Print, located in downtown Nashville, has been making letterpress show print posters for over 140 years while teaching and influencing many artists to expand the practice. Austin Peay State University’s own Goldsmith Press and Rare Type Collection was made possible in part by Hatch Show Print, and its legacy has created a unique history for the art form in Middle Tennessee.
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 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, Music, Theatre & Dance, and Creative Writing programs at APSU. CECA brings as many as 85 guest artists to Clarksville each year and presents up to 100 public arts & 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.
About the New Gallery
The New Gallery at Austin Peay State University is a 1,500-square-foot white cube contemporary gallery with 120 linear feet of wall space and 36 feet of movable wall space. Located in the Art + Design Building, The New Gallery hosts nationally and internationally recognized contemporary artists for exhibitions, lectures, workshops, class visits, and studio visits with students. Exhibitions in the gallery are free and open to the public. You can learn more about the New Gallery by visiting https://www.apsu.edu/thenewgallery/index.php.