etsuartanddesign

Chance Taylor, adjunct faculty and ceramics technician in our department, is featured in the May 2026 issue of “Ceramics Monthly” as part of the Emerging Artists section! His work and writing are included on pages 51 and 64. Congratulations, Chance! #ETSU #etsuartanddesign #ceramicsmonthly

In the new Special Topics course “Visual Archives of Asia” this semester, students participated in a guided tour of the Archives of Appalachia, where archivist Ryan Bernard introduced them to the processes through which photographic materials are collected, identified, cataloged, and organized within a special collection. Paired with Dr. Yi Liu’s broader course emphasis on the historical, cultural, and political significance of photography and archive, the visit provided students with firsthand exposure to the materiality of photography, encouraging them to think critically about photographs not simply as images, but as material artifacts embedded within systems of knowledge, memory, and visual culture.

Congratulations to all the undergraduate art students and MFA students Alysen Matthews @alysenmatthewsart and Haeden Willis @haeden_willis_art , who received awards tonight. Congratulations also to this year’s Outstanding Graduate Student, William Arrowood @w_arrowoodphoto , whose many contributions to the department were recognized by faculty.

Join us for “Connection”, the Graphic Design BFA Spring 2026 Senior Exhibition. The opening reception is downtown tomorrow night, May 1, 2026, from 6–8 p.m. at ETSU Tipton Ashe Gallery. The show will feature work from nine graduating graphic design seniors: Sophie Beach, Lacey Church, Alison Condon, Zoe Hartsock, Camille Kurle, Ava Martin, Allysa Patterson, Elizabeth Rowe, and Ana/Adreas Sifuentes. We look forward to seeing you at the show!

Now on View: Spring 2026 BFA Senior Exhibition A reception will be held on Thursday, April 30 from 5 - 7 PM. This event is free admission and open to the public. Each spring semester the Reece Museum partners with ETSU’s Department of Art & Design to host capstone exhibitions for select student artists. These artists work with Art & Design faculty and staff to prepare a body of work for exhibition. Reece Staff assist students in the preparation and installation of their work. This semester, student artists Kamden Davis, Hannah Hardin, and Victor Sanchez occupy one of the gallery spaces of the Museum. About the program: Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) in Studio Art is appropriate for the student who desires to be a professional artist. Students may specialize in a particular area of emphasis including ceramics, drawing, extended media, fibers, graphic design, metalsmithing, painting, photography, printmaking, or sculpture, or they may choose to study a variety of studio areas. "Spring 2026 BFA Senior Exhibition" is on display at East Tennessee State University's Reece Museum through May 22. The Reece Museum is open and free to the public Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 4:30 pm #reecemuseum #seniorexhibition #art

Through the support of a MBMSOTA grant, Professor Perrott and Professor Reaves were able to host designer Brad Vetter, @bradvetter , on campus April 7th and 8th. Vetter was asked to demonstrate his unique letterpress/printmaking process, involving laser cut blocks. While at ETSU, Vetter gave a public lecture, demonstrated laser cutting and print processes to students, printed with multiple classes, and did studio visits with Art and Design graduate students. His demo/workshop combined technology in the Printmaking area with the technology in the Digital Material Studies area. Vetter, who is from Louisville KY, has extensive letterpress knowledge and experience, working with major clients including Mumford & Sons, Chris Stapleton, and Jason Isbell. He also runs a printshop, studio, and gallery called Friend of Mine, @friendofmine.lovesyou . #etsu #etsuartanddesign

The Reece Museum and ETSU Department of Art & Design would like to invite you to the opening reception of the "Spring 2026 BFA Senior Exhibition" on Thursday, April 30, from 5 - 7pm. The reception is celebrating the art of three Bachelor of Fine Arts seniors, with a collection of each student's work on display in the gallery. The artists Hannah Hardin, Victor Sanchez, and Kamden Davis will be present to discuss their artwork during the reception at the Reece Museum. The exhibit will remain on display through May 22. The Reece Museum is free and open to the public Mon-Fri from 9am - 4:30pm. #ReeceMuseum #ETSU #painting #MixedMedia #Photography #ceramics #drawing

The ETSU Student Ceramic Association @etsu_sca recently hosted visiting artist @lisaorrpottery for a public, come-and-go two day event in the ceramics studio, located in the Art Annex. Attendees had the opportunity to observe demonstrations, ask questions, and learn more about ceramic processes in an open and welcoming environment! Thank you to @lisaorrpottery for sharing her time and knowledge, and to everyone who joined!

Sage Perrott, Associate Professor of Printmaking, and Mindy Herrin-Lewis, Professor of Jewelry/Metals, presented at the Research and Creative Activity Symposium on March 12th. Organized by Dr. Eric Sellers through the Office of Research and Creative Activity, the symposium featured presentations by faculty on current research in the College of Arts and Sciences at ETSU. Sage Perrott and Mindy Herrin-Lewis were each awarded a Summer Research Grant. The funds from these grants were used to support their separate research. Sage Perrott presented “Screens & Zines & RISO Machines: Producing a Collection of Creeps,” and Mindy Herrin-Lewis presented “Gilded to Glass: Expanding Micro-sculpture with Enameled Elements.”

We’re wrapping up our Graduate Feature Series with first-year MFA candidate Gage Shrout! Originally from Blue Springs, Missouri, Shrout earned his BFA from the University of Missouri in 2024. Through photography and installation practices, he captures different portrayals of human experiences, particularly focusing on the complexities of relationships between people and media consumption. This post concludes our Graduate Feature Series! #mfa #etsu

We are continuing our Graduate Feature Series by highlighting first-year MFA candidate Chunru Zhang! Chunru Zhang is an artist whose practice explores emotional states through materials and process. Her work focuses on vulnerability, restraint, and the quiet weight of unspoken feelings, often shaped by personal experience and cultural context. With a background in printmaking and visual communication design, she combines traditional techniques such as copper plate etching with contemporary approaches, incorporating materials like fiber, paper, and cast forms. Her work often reflects subtle emotional tension, including tears that are held back, pressure that slowly builds, and moments of inner conflict. Through repetitive marks, layered surfaces, and tactile contrasts between softness and hardness, she creates images that mirror the instability of human emotion. Zhang’s work invites viewers to slow down and look closely, creating space to notice and understand emotions that are often hidden or ignored. Follow along to see one more graduate highlight! #etsu #mfa

Public/Private: Recent work by ETSU Foundations April 3 – 26th Fischman Gallery 133 N Commerce St, Johnson City, TN 37604 Opening Reception: Friday, April 10th, 6:30 – 9 PM This exhibition brings together work by ETSU foundations art students examining the tensions between our public and private selves, our expectations of public figures, and the challenges of living authentically in a culture shaped by constant surveillance.