APSU to host prerelease screening with acclaimed film studio Art21
By: Dr. Andrea Spofford October 1, 2025
Art21 will screen a selection of films from its 鈥淎rtists and the Unknown鈥 series at APSU this month, followed by a panel discussion. | Contributed photo
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. 鈥 The Department of Art + Design at Austin Peay State University and the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts (CECA) are hosting a screening and discussion with film studio Art21 at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15, in the Art + Design Building Room 120.
This free event is open to the public and includes a pre-release screening of a selection of films from Art21鈥檚 series Artists and the Unknown. Following the screening, the Department will host a panel discussion about issues raised in the films.
鈥淚 have been a fan of the Art21 series since it first came out,鈥 said Barry Jones, professor of art and design. 鈥淚t is incredibly exciting to be one of the few places in the country to have the chance to screen this new episode before it is available to the public.鈥
McLean Fahnestock, chair of APSU鈥檚 Department of Art + Design, noted that the event is a unique opportunity for APSU students and the Clarksville community.
鈥淎s a screening site for Art21, we are bringing innovative award-winning programming directly to our students in a theatrical environment,鈥 she said.
Art21 produces about the world鈥檚 most groundbreaking contemporary artists. In its signature style, Art21 captures the artist鈥檚 voice without narration through its flagship PBS-broadcast series, and digital short film series and Viewed annually by millions of people across the globe, the entire library of Art21 films is available to
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, 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.