2025-2026 Exhibitions

Soulaf Abas: New Beginnings

Soulaf Abas’s painting depicting a dramatic scene of a landscape engulfed in vivid hues of orange and red, suggestive of a fire or explosion. Dark smoke billows upwards, dominating the upper portion of the canvas against a muted blue and gray sky. The foreground features textured, earth-toned brushstrokes that resemble dry, barren terrain. The use of thick, impasto techniques provides a sense of movement and chaos, reflecting the artist's emotional response to turmoil.

August 25 - October 3, 2025

Soulaf Abas was born and raised in Damascus, Syria. She received a BFA (2008) and MFA (2013) from Indiana State University. Abas is a painter and printmaker who makes images that are translations of internal and external landscapes. Some are from memory, some from observation, and others are interpretations of emotional experiences.

Her work has received numerous awards and grants and has been exhibited in exhibitions across the globe. Abas was the first New Gallery Artist-in-Residence. She spent the month of July using the New Gallery as her studio and many of the works in her exhibition were created during her stay.

Events:

Clarksville’s First Thursday Art Walk:
August 25, 2025, 5:00-7:00PM, The New Gallery
Artist Lecture:
September 25, 2025, at 6 p.m. in AD 120
Reception/Gallery Talk:
September 26, 2025, noon – 1:30 pm. in the New Gallery

Press Release

Stacey Holloway: Through Thick and Thin

Stacey Holloway's artwork that features a detailed sculpture mounted on a wall, depicting the head of an elephant with large, textured ears and a prominent trunk. The sculpture is designed in a dark, matte shade, giving it a lifelike appearance. The elephant's trunk is extended downwards, holding a vintage-style lantern adorned with metal chains. The lantern emits a warm yellow glow that casts soft shadows on the wall, creating an atmospheric effect.

October 20 - December 5, 2025

Stacey Holloway received her MFA from the University of Minnesota in 2009, her BFA from Herron School of Art and Design/IUPUI in 2006, and has been living and working in Birmingham, Alabama since 2013. She currently serves as the Associate Professor of Sculpture at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In addition to teaching, Holloway is an active national mixed media artist, sculptor, and fabricator that works within a variety of media including drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, and interactivity. Through the exploration of storytelling and ethology, she creates work that communicate a universal societal connectivity.

Holloway has exhibited throughout the Midwest, South and East Coast in galleries such as Wayfarers, Brooklyn, NY; FM Gallery, Chicago, IL; Gallery 924 at the Arts Council of Indianapolis, IN; and Huntsville Museum of Art, AL. Holloway has received distinguished awards such as the 2021 Visual Arts Fellowship through the Alabama State Council on the Arts, the 2017 SECAC Artist’s Fellowship and the 2010 Efroymson Contemporary Arts Fellowship through the Central Indiana Community Foundation in Indianapolis.

Events:

Artist Lecture: October 28 AD120
Gallery Talk: October 29 AD101 – The New Gallery

Press Release

Middle Tennessee Letterpress Symposium and Exhibition

The image is a promotional poster with a bold, graphic design featuring black and red text on a white background. At the top, the words "MIDDLE TN LETTER PRESS" are prominently displayed in large, blocky, black letters with a textured red background that includes star shapes. To the right, there is a black square with "THE NEW GALLERY" in small white text inside. Below, the poster announces a "SYMPOSIUM" in bold, uppercase black letters, followed by a list of names: Heather Moulder, Cory Wasnewsky, Kathy O'Connell, and Celene Aubry in red, capital letters, each separated by small star symbols. To the right, in a vertical orientation, there are two red boxes with dates and times listed in black text. Below, "EXHIBITION FEB 9 - MAR 20" is displayed in a distressed black font with "RECEPTION MAR 5 NOON - 1" in red beneath it.

February 2 - March 20, 2026

The Department of Art + Design at Austin Peay State University is excited to host a Middle Tennessee Letterpress Symposium and accompanying exhibition. The Middle TN Letterpress exhibition will be featured in the New Gallery in the Department of Art + Design from Feb 2 through March 20, 2026, with art by regional artists/designers focused in letterpress and typography. The symposium will feature artist lectures and demonstrations from Kathleen O’Connell, Celene Aubrey, Cory Wasnewsky, and Heather Moulder on Wednesday, March 4 and Thursday, March 5, 2026. All demonstrations and lectures are open and free to the public. Pre-registration will be required for attending the demonstrations.

Events:

Symposium: March 4 and March 5, 2026
Exhibition: Feb 2 - March 20, 2026 at The New Gallery
Gallery Talk/Reception: March 5, 2026, noon-1:30pm

Press Release

58th Annual Juried Student Exhibition

The Department of Art and Design, with support from the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, is hosting the 58th Annual Juried Student Exhibition at The New Gallery. The winning works, announced during the closing reception, will be added to the APSU Permanent Collection, solidifying the student's place in the school's artistic legacy.

On View from April 13–29, 2026
The New Gallery | Free and Open to the Public

Closing Reception
The New Gallery | Wednesday, April 29th 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Award Ceremony begins at 6:00 p.m.

“The students produced a unique body of work that represents the Department of Art + Design's commitment to craft and creativity.” Cesar Rivera, Juror

About the Exhibition

Art gallery with various artworks, sculptures, and a mannequin wearing a colorful vest. The student exhibition reveals a creative change across campus. Selected works from students in other majors and concentrations demonstrate tangible outcomes not only from art- and design-focused classes but also from their own personal creative activities outside the classroom. The final collection, comprised of artwork from art majors, non-traditional students, and non-art majors alike, displays that imagination, innovative abilities, and creative spirit celebrate the dedication of the faculty at APSU.

A modern art gallery with various framed artworks and a digital display. The juror for this year’s rendition, Cesar Rivera, selected 56 works from 45 student artists from 222 submissions. "The students produced a unique body of work that represents the Department of Art + Design's commitment to craft and creativity," Rivera says. "The work chosen highlights different areas of study and symbolizes the critical thinking, risk-taking, and creative curiosity needed to succeed in today's very competitive creative industries. The hope is for the show to inspire visitors to explore what is possible through art + design."

About the Juror

Cesar Rivera's headshot Cesar Rivera, a San Antonio native and award-winning communication designer whose work has earned more than 50 honors from leading organizations, including Graphis, AIGA, and AdFed. A U.S. Army veteran, Rivera holds associate degrees from San Antonio College and both bachelor's and master's degrees in communication design from Texas State University.

He currently serves as chief design officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where he leads the CDC Visual Design Branch in delivering expertise across visual communication, data visualization, and campaign design, and sits on the American Institute of Graphic Arts National Board of Directors. Prior to this role, Rivera built a diverse career working with major brands, running his own design studio, co-founding the AIGA San Antonio chapter, and teaching at the higher education level.