History of APSU Galleries
Galleries
The New Gallery
The New Gallery, also known as Clarksville's free contemporary art gallery, is a 1500 sq' white cube
contemporary art gallery operated by the Department of Art+Design on the campus of
Austin Peay State University, and features three to four curated exhibitions and one
juried student exhibition per academic year. The New Gallery brings in nationally
and internationally recognized contemporary artists for exhibitions, lectures, workshops,
class visits, and studio visits with students. The exhibitions and all corresponding
programming are free and open to the public, thanks to support from The Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts (CECA). Gallery hours are Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., and follow Austin Peay’s
academic calendar and inclement weather policy. Curator-guided tours of exhibitions
are available on request.
The Barbara Beach Gallery
The Barbara Beach Gallery is dedicated to students exhibitions. This includes senior capstone exhibitions and student Summer Research Award (sponsored by CECA - the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts) exhibitions. It is located on the 2nd floor of the Art+Design building - directly above The New Gallery.
The Living Gallery
The Living Gallery is a dedicated space for student creative research in the heart of the new Art and Design Building. This residency program accommodates ten dedicated student studios, providing the invaluable resources - time and space to make work, an exhibition space with which to exhibit those efforts, critical response from APSU’s robust Visiting Artist program, and regular opportunities for public viewing - all designed to foster high level independent creative research within the APSU Art and Design student community. It is located on the 1st floor of the Art+Design building.
<terminal> Gallery
The <terminal> gallery is a space sponsored by the Department of Art + Design and the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts at Austin Peay State University to showcase new media art. The gallery is an 80" 4k TV located on the 1st floor of the Art+Design building between The New Gallery and the Living Gallery.
University Art Collection + Jenkins Gallery
The Austin Peay State University Art Collection holds approximately 3,500 works spanning paintings, photographs, prints, sculptures, drawings, and historical objects. The collection features several distinct holdings, including the Mabel Larson Drawing Collection, the Robertson Photography Collection, and an exceptional Folk Art Collection. While roughly 1,000 pieces are installed across 12 campus buildings to integrate original art into the daily lives of the campus community, a primary highlight of the permanent collection is the Jenkins Gallery. Located on the second floor of the Morgan University Center (MUC Ballroom Lobby), the Jenkins Gallery serves as the active, dedicated home for the historic Ned and Jacqueline Crouch Folk Art Collection, showcasing an incredible variety of regional and outsider art forms.
Public Sculpture Loan Program
Launched in 2024 with support from the and the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts (CECA), the Public Sculpture Loan Program brings large-scale, outdoor sculptural works to the heart of campus. Located in the Arts Quad between the Art + Design and Trahern buildings, selected contemporary pieces are displayed for rotating 2-to-3-year loan periods. The program aims to create a dynamic, engaging environment that challenges traditional ideas about the role of public art in shared spaces. Each professionally executed work is chosen for its strong conceptual depth and visual impact, turning our outdoor campus pathways into an interactive, open-air gallery.
Closed Galleries
Trahern Gallery
Opened in 1974, the Trahern Gallery was a 1600 sq' art gallery with beautiful parquet
floors located in the Trahern Building, named after Margaret Fort Trahern. Under the
auspices of the Department of Art for decades, it showcased contemporary art created
by local, regional, and national artists. The Trahern Gallery closed its doors in
2016 in preparation for the construction of the new Art+Design Building and renovation
of the Trahern Building. The space that was the Trahern Gallery now serves as the
Margaret Fort Trahern Experimental Theatre, a black-box theatre utilized by the Department
of Theatre and Dance.
Gallery 108
Located on the ground floor of the Trahern Building in room 108, Gallery 108 served as APSU's Department of Art student gallery. It famously housed the senior solo exhibitions of students completing their BFA programs, with operating hours that varied by exhibition. The gallery closed in 2016 alongside the Trahern Gallery during campus renovations. Its role as the dedicated student exhibition space has since been taken over by the Barbara Beach Student Gallery.
Mabel Larson Gallery
Officially opened in 1994, the Mabel Larson Gallery was located on the first floor of Harned Hall—a historic building in the center of campus. This large, attractive gallery featured selections from the Austin Peay State University Permanent Art Collection, including unique sculptures by William Edmondson. Artworks in this gallery were changed periodically but maintained a longer display time than those in the Trahern Gallery. The gallery closed its doors when APSU consolidated its fine arts spaces, and the university's permanent collection is now displayed in pockets throughout campus and in the Jenkins Gallery.
Austin Peay Downtown Gallery
Operating through the 2010s, the Austin Peay Downtown Gallery was located off-campus at 116 Strawberry Alley in Downtown Clarksville. Managed under the university's Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts (CECA), it was strictly dedicated to exhibiting the diverse works of APSU faculty and alumni, frequently participating in Downtown Clarksville's First Thursday Art Walks. The university closed this satellite venue in the mid-2010s to centralize its professional art programming on campus at The New Gallery.