CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Department of Art + Design, with support from The Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, is pleased to host internationally recognized artist, Cassils, to continue and incredible 2020-21 CECA Visiting Artist Speaker Series season.

“I am so excited to be able to host Cassils at Austin Peay,” said Michael Dickins, chair of the Visiting Artist Speaker Committee. “Cassils is such a powerhouse artist and has gained international recognition for a rigorous engagement with the body as a form of social sculpture. Their work is challenging, engaging and deeply personal, and has always dealt with what it means to be human. Their recent work puts a spotlight on human rights and immigration.”

Cassils’ free lecture will be via Zoom at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13. Registration is required at https://bit.ly/2GP74yq.

“Cassils was scheduled to visit campus last April as part of our 2019-20 season, but due to COVID, the event was rescheduled for this season and is now being held virtually,” Dickins continued. “Though I always enjoy bringing these artists to Clarksville, I am excited to be able to open up our renowned speaker series to the rest of the world. Hosting the artist talks via Zoom webinar, we are no longer limited by the seats in the lecture hall. All of our events have always been free and open to the public – now we’ll be reaching a larger audience.”

Cassils will also visit Art + Design’s senior capstone class to discuss professional development on Oct. 14 via Zoom. This will be a unique opportunity for our students to directly engage with nationally recognized artists.

Cassils is a transgender artist who makes their body the material and protagonist of their performances. Cassils’ art contemplates the history of LGBTQI+ violence, representation, struggle and survival. Cassils’ work investigates historical contexts to examine the present moment.

Drawing on conceptualism, feminism, body art, gay male aesthetics, Cassils forges a series of powerfully trained bodies for different performative purposes. It is with sweat, blood, and sinew that Cassils constructs a visual critique around ideologies and histories.

To learn more

For more on Cassils and their work, visit www.cassils.net.

For more on this lecture, contact Dickins at dickinsm@apsu.edu.

For future CECA Visiting Artist Speaker Series events, visit https://www.apsu.edu/art-design/exhibitions-speakers/visiting-artists.php.

All events are free and open to the public.