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Araan Schmidt’s ‘Cracked Earth’ brings outdoor art back to APSU

By: Dr. Andrea Spofford April 2, 2025

Araan Schmidt, at left, is the artist behind “Cracked Earth,” APSU’s first outdoor public sculpture since 2018. Also pictured is Luke Warren, APSU assistant professor of sculpture, who facilitated the installation. | Photo by Herzel Sireci

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University’s Department of Art + Design, the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, the College of Arts & Letters, and the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics have installed a new publicly accessible sculpture, Araan Schmidt’s Cracked Earth, on the campus’s Arts Quad. 

The sculpture is located just outside the Art + Design building in front of the entrance to The New Gallery. Its installation was facilitated by Assistant Professor of Sculpture Luke Warren, Gallery Director & University Permanent Collection Curator Michael Dickins, and Director of Landscape and Grounds Wes Powell. Additional participants included APSU student volunteers as well as students from Colorado Mesa University.  

“Over the years we have increased our public art offerings on campus, and this is the first outdoor public sculpture we’ve installed since 2018,” Dickins said. “It will hopefully be the first of many as we re-envision the university campus into a public sculpture park.” 

Community members gather to see the installation of Araan Schmidt’s “Cracked Earth” on APSU’s Art Quad. The Department of Art + Design hopes to continue adding public sculptures to the space. | Photo by Luke Warren

Members of the public were able to view the installation between 8 a.m. and noon on March 29, and the fully installed sculpture Cracked Earth is now on display. 

Warren thanked several people for making the project possible: Dickins; Powell; Dr. Andrea Spofford, director of the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts; Dr. Karen Meisch, dean of the College of STEM; Dr. Buzz Hoon, dean of the College of Arts and Letters; and APSU President Dr. Michael Licari. 

“I’m thrilled to announce the installation of the first public sculpture in the Art + Design commons on APSU’s campus,” Warren said. “Together, we have brought in the incredible sculptor Araan Schmidt's piece, Cracked Earth, as the inaugural installation in this space. We hope this marks the beginning of many public sculptures on APSU’s campus, further enriching the cultural landscape of both the university and the greater Clarksville community in meaningful and contemporary ways.” 

To learn more about sculpture at Austin Peay State University, contact Warren at warrenl@apsu.edu. To learn more about the University Permanent Collection, contact Dickins at dickinsm@apsu.edu.  

About Araan Schmidt

Araan Schmidt attended the Kansas City Art Institute in Kansas City, Missouri, where he received his bachelor's degree in 2004. In 2006, he was awarded a graduate school fellowship at the University of Minnesota, where he later received his master's degree in 2008. He is currently an associate professor of sculpture at Colorado Mesa University; his recent past professional positions include sculptor in residence at Binghamton University, visiting professor at Alfred University, and full-time lecturer at Bowling Green State University.  

Schmidt has been awarded the Open Studio Artist Fellowship at Franconia Sculpture Park in Franconia, Minnesota and exhibits nationally and internationally in locations from Burchfield-Penney Art Center in Buffalo, New York to Pedvale Open Air Museum in Sabile, Latvia. Learn more about Schmidt’s work

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, Creative Writing, Music, and Theatre & Dance programs at APSU. CECA brings as many as 85 guest artists to Clarksville each year and presents up to 100 public arts and 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. To learn more about CECA contact Dr. Andrea Spofford at spofforda@apsu.edu.