Director of DreamWorks’ ‘Home’ and ‘Over the Hedge’ to speak at APSU Oct. 7
By: Dr. Andrea Spofford September 29, 2026
Tim Johnson, an American animator and producer who directed and co-directed several features for DreamWorks. | Contributed photo
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University’s Department of Art + Design, with support from the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, will host animator and former DreamWorks director Tim Johnson for a free public Zoom lecture, “Your Left Brain is a Nag,” at 4 p.m. on Oct.7 in Heydel Hall, Art + Design Room 120.
Johnson is best known for directing the DreamWorks animated films Antz, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, Over the Hedge, and Home. He is an experienced animator, producer, and film/television director.
“Living a creative life is the most rewarding path a person can follow in life and in a career,” Johnson said. “Using examples from my 45-year career in animation, I’ll share some tips about unlocking your voice and liberating your creative right brain from that killjoy left brain.”
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 Scott Raymond, department chair, at raymonds@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.