Mitzi Kirkland-Ives Archives - Reynolds College Blog

Department of Art and Design announces exhibitions at Carolla and Brick City galleries

August 10, 2026 by Reynolds College

From Aug.3-Sept. 18, Missouri State’s Department of Art and Design will host two new exhibitions highlighting Indigenous contemporary art.

“Linear Irregularities” is currently on view in the Carolla Arts Exhibition Center. “Crossroads” is housed in the Brick City Gallery. Both exhibits will also be on view during the First Friday Artwalk Sept. 4.

“These two shows are the start of a great year of programming for the art and design department,” said Dr. Mitzi Kirkland-Ives, department head. In addition to a robust exhibition schedule for the 2026-27 year, the department will also continue its Visiting Artists, Designers and Scholars series, she added.

Dr. Mitzi Kirkland-Ives appointed head of art and design department

April 27, 2026 by Lynn M. Lansdown

The Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (RCASH) is proud to announce the appointment of Dr. Mitzi Kirkland-Ives as head of the Department of Art and Design.

Kirkland-Ives has served as interim department head since August 2025. She joined Missouri State as an assistant professor in art and design in 2009. Specializing in art history, she earned her doctorate from University of California-Santa Barbara and has published multiple books and articles on the subject. Her latest book is “Hans Memling and the Merchants.”

RCASH Dean Shawn Wahl said he was thrilled Kirkland-Ives has joined the Reynolds College leadership team.

“Mitzi brings extensive leadership experience and continuity to the art and design department, one of the largest and most complex academic programs in the School of the Arts,” Wahl said. “She also possesses a broad set of advocacy skills that benefit students, faculty, staff and the arts community.”

Kirkland-Ives is looking forward to continuing her role as department head.

“The range of responsibilities is part of what makes the position so interesting to me,” she said. “The department is large and complicated, with a lot of moving parts in terms of facilities and programming and curriculum. Every day brings a completely new and interesting puzzle to crack.”

“I’m excited for the opportunity to think strategically and come up with creative solutions to help the students, faculty and staff achieve their goals,” she added.

Artist Janet Echelman to deliver public talk at Fox Theatre

April 8, 2026 by Reynolds College

Internationally recognized artist Janet Echelman will deliver a public talk about her work at 6 p.m. April 23 at the Historic Fox Theatre in Springfield, Missouri.

Head shot of Janet Echelman — Janet Echelman

Immediately after her talk, Echelman will sign copies of “Radical Softness: The Responsive Art of Janet Echelman,” edited by Gloria Sutton.

The Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities; the Department of Art and Design; Sculpture Walk Springfield; the History Museum on the Square and Bookmarx are co-sponsoring the event.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for not only the university community but also the greater Springfield community,” said Dr. Andrew Wasserman, assistant professor of art history. “As we think about the roles that art plays in society, the chance to hear from an artist directly gives all of us a chance to consider how we see and move through our local spaces.”

Art and design department enjoys successful student exchange program

February 18, 2026 by Reynolds College

For several years, Missouri State University’s Department of Art and Design has hosted students from Tainan National University of the Arts (TNNUA) in Taiwan while sending a Missouri State student to TNNUA.

For the Spring 2026 exchange, Yu An Lin and Melody Yu Hsiu Weng are studying in Missouri State’s art and design department. Lin works with ceramics, and Weng works with metalsmithing and jewelry.

Art and Design’s Chris Rodgers named to Teaching Artist Cohort

November 17, 2025 by Reynolds College

Artist-in-Residence Chris Rodgers, ceramics instructor in the Department of Art and Design, has been named to the Center for Craft’s Teaching Artist Cohort.

The cohort is a six-month program that offers professional and financial support to artists who are both educators and practitioners. The honor includes a grant that provides unrestricted funding of $10,000.

Rodgers was one of only 30 artists selected for the cohort.

As a member of the cohort, Rodgers also participates in mentorship and peer-to-peer learning activities. These activities help sustain studio practices while strengthening community engagement.

Rodgers’ recognition by the Center for Craft highlights the department’s faculty who merge creative research with hands-on teaching, said Interim Department Head Dr. Mitzi Kirkland-Ives. His participation in the Teaching Artist Cohort grant program, she added, reflects the ongoing dialogue between making and mentoring that defines the department’s studio culture.

Various ceramic artwork items displayed on floor — One of the preliminary stages of Rodgers’ “Illuminated by the Moon” installation in Longquan, China. Rodgers created these 26 ceramic sculptures while in residency at Longquan Wangou.

Grant impact felt immediately

According to Rodgers, the grant’s impact began with space itself. “The first thing I did after receiving the grant was to design and build proper studio furniture,” he explained. “I now have three large tables and a shelving unit that are exactly what I need. This change has completely transformed how I work.”

The redesigned studio has made it possible for Rodgers to focus on a new series of ceramic paintings, a body of work that blurs the boundaries between sculpture and painting. He plans to continue expanding this process by using colored clay and hand-made grog. This process reveals color from within the material rather than applying it to the surface.

“The result is a tactile exchange between form and color that invites viewers to see ceramics and painting in a new way,” he said.

Busy upcoming exhibition schedule

Rodgers will present his evolving ceramic paintings in a solo exhibition in Fayetteville, Arkansas in the spring of 2026. Two larger solo shows will follow in 2027 at the Lux Center for the Arts in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Missouri State’s Brick City Gallery. “These projects would not be possible without the generosity of the Center for Craft’s Teaching Artist Cohort ,” he said. “The experience has helped me build not only better tables but a stronger foundation for my future as an artist and educator.” [Read more…] about Art and Design’s Chris Rodgers named to Teaching Artist Cohort