News & Announcements
LSU College of Art & Design Announces Damien Mitchell and Nicholas Roberts as 2025 Open Experimental Studio resident artists
LSU College of Art & Design has selected two resident artists for the second year of its Open Experimental Studio. Designer and Assistant Professor of Industrial Design Damien Mitchell and LSU School of Art MFA ‘26…
Read Full StoryAllison Young Awarded 2025 LSU Alumni Association Rising Faculty Research Award
Allison Young, assistant professor of art history, has been honored with the 2025 LSU Alumni Association Rising Faculty Research Award. This distinguished recognition celebrates Young’s exceptional contributions to the field of art history and…
Read Full StoryMalcolm McClay Leads Interdisciplinary Team to Address ADHD Through Art
Malcolm McClay, Pliner professor of art/sculpture, was awarded an LSU Provost’s Fund for Innovation in Research “Big Ideas in Arts and Humanities” grant for $25,000 investing in the project Unwinding the Universe. The interdisciplinary…
Read Full StoryUpcoming Events
The School of Art combines the best of both worlds: the resources and faculty of a large liberal arts institution with the personal attention that comes in a close-knit community. As the largest art department in Louisiana and the fourth-largest major at LSU, the School of Art brings together more than 35 full-time faculty members and 500 undergraduate and graduate students to explore and embrace studies in art history, ceramics, digital art, graphic design, painting & drawing, photography, printmaking, and sculpture.
Our Work
See what our art students have been creating.
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All first-year art students practice core skills in two-dimensional design, which are applicable in every area of the School of Art.
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First-year students learn the fundamentals of three-dimensional design.
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Foundation drawing classes focus on the principles of observational and conceptual visualization.
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Beginning Ceramics students consider the fundamental aspects of material, technique, and process.
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Introduction to Painting presents basic studio practice and theory in painting. Students become familiar with traditional and modern materials and terminology by practicing value and color exercises involving simple forms and space.
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Basic Photography introduces students to photography as an art form with emphasis on the technical and conceptual concerns of the medium.
Featured Graduate
Ashten White
“I love working with other artists who see the world through their own unique perspectives. It creates an environment where ideas can grow, understanding deepens, empathy flourishes, and we can tackle meaningful challenges together.”
BA 2024 Ashten's StoryAshten White
BA 2024
Ashten White by the Julian T. White Atrium Memorial Mural.
Ashten White is a soon-to-be LSU graduate, who’s following the legacy of a trailblazing creative family. Her grandfather, Julian T. White, was an architect – the second Black licensed architect in the state of Louisiana, and LSU’s first Black professor.
Ashten, who is an artist majoring in the Bachelor of Art & Design (BA) and minoring in sociology, decided to return to LSU to finish her degree after exploring career opportunities. She was born in New Orleans but spent most of her formative years in Illinois and Texas.
“I decided to finish my undergraduate degree at LSU after taking a five-year break from school to pursue a career in music. When the 2019 pandemic impacted my work, I chose to move from Illinois to Louisiana, to be closer to family and build a sense of community at LSU.”
Before attending LSU, she attended the Art Institute of Houston to pursue a graphic design degree to improve her technical skills. “I decided to finish my degree in at LSU Art & Design to continue sharpening my skills and to explore new mediums and challenge my creativity.”
“I love working with other artists who see the world through their own unique perspectives,” she said. “It creates an environment where ideas can grow, understanding deepens, empathy flourishes, and we can tackle meaningful challenges together.”
Ashten has loved the LSU School of Art community events throughout her time on campus. “One of my favorite memories at LSU was walking in the Intro to 3D Design fashion show. For the show, art students were challenged to create wearable art that allowed us to express ourselves.”
“I made a corset called Unchained Legacies: A Sculptural Reflection of Freedom, made from keys and chains. This piece reflects on the struggles of those who fought for the freedoms we have today, while also addressing the ongoing social challenges that still need our attention.”
In addition to walking across the stage in December 2024, Ashten says, “I am excited to show my friends and family the art I have been working on in the Barnes Ogden Gallery on campus.”
LSU School of Art Fall 2024 Senior Showcase
“I feel truly blessed to have had a close, personal relationship with my grandfather, Julian T. White,” she shared. “His guidance continues to shape my life and the choices I make for the future.”
“As LSU’s first Black professor, I know he never sought the recognition he received from the university. Many of his former students have shared how deeply he cared for all of them, regardless of their age, race, or background. His kindness and civility have left a lasting impact on the LSU community. I hope the mural in the art & design building inspires students who may feel out of place, reminding them that they are exactly where they are meant to be.”
The LSU College of Art & Design commissioned the Julian T. White memorial mural to honor the university’s first African American professor. The college worked with The Walls Project and the White family to design the mural in the LSU Design Building atrium, installed in early 2020. The Design Building was renamed Julian T. White Hall in 2022.
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