‘ROOTED+RISING’ to spotlight APSU’s Department of Art + Design at Customs House
By: Sabrina Sanford October 20, 2026
The logo for the Department of Art + Design’s “ROOTED + Rising” exhibition, designed by APSU student Lily Goodowens.
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Austin Peay State University’s Department of Art + Design, in collaboration with the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts and the Customs House Museum and Cultural Center, will present ROOTED+RISING from Oct. 30 to Jan. 7 at the Customs House, along with a Nov. 7 reception.
The exhibition features the work of exemplary APSU students alongside faculty, showcasing the range, development, and skill within the Department of Art + Design. It emphasizes the connection between the legacy and future of APSU’s most visually impactful creative community.
ROOTED+RISING is curated by Professor Paul Collins and APSU student interns Emily Crosby and Sabrina Sanford. It allows APSU student artists to participate in all parts of a professionally curated museum exhibition, from curation and installation to press and media outreach.
“I am so excited to tell the story of the Department of Art + Design because it’s so new and still so true to what we’ve always been,” Collins said. “I’m excited to share our new directions and still give witness to our heritage alive and in action through hands-on mentor-based instruction. It’s just part of our DNA at the Peay.”
Professor Luke Warren sits with his work, “Tree House” (2026), which will be on display for the first time at ROOTED+RISING. It incorporates welded metal, wood, and mixed media. | Contributed photo
Sanford said the exhibition also highlights the uplifting culture within the Department of Art + Design.
“Working to curate the show has been such a privilege because I get to see the relationships between artists and artwork unfold in parallel with the student and mentor dynamics, which is a feeling we’re really trying to capture for the show,” Sanford said. “Every time you see someone involved with the show, what you get is pure encouragement, and it’s that way within the department even when there’s no show on. Everyone is just as excited to see their peers and students succeed as they are to have success themselves.”
About the Customs House Museum and Cultural Center
The citizens of Clarksville and Montgomery County have entrusted the museum with the collection, preservation, interpretation, and presentation of this area’s history, arts, and culture. From its inception, the museum has been committed to serving this diverse community. This commitment is reflected through a broad spectrum of services such as permanent exhibit installations; numerous temporary art exhibits; traveling science, crafts, and historical-themed exhibitions; multicultural presentations; music and theater performances; lectures; educational and enrichment activities for youth and adult audiences; and frequent family-oriented special events. The museum offers group tours to public school and homeschool students. The museum participates in multiple reciprocal membership programs, is a Museums for All and Blue Star Museum military family participant, and is a member of the Tennessee Association of Museums and the Southeastern Museums Conference.
The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center, its staff and volunteers have always been and will continue to be dedicated to the enhancement of the quality of life in Clarksville and Montgomery County.
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.
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.