Department of Art • YSU

09/08/2026

Step into the Student Project Gallery and explore an exhibition by Emily Drees, a senior Interdisciplinary Studio Art major! ✨

Emily’s multimedia display invites viewers to consider the spaces we create, consume, and leave behind. Her work explores, “how consumer driven spaces have become forgotten to time and how they will remain in stationary futures hereafter.”

Check out the exhibition, located in the lower level of the Bliss Hall basement, now through Friday!

Want to see your own work in the gallery? Students can sign up for two-week exhibition slots on a first-come, first-served basis. Sign-up sheets are available on the gallery door and open to all art students, as well as any student enrolled in an art course. 🐧

09/05/2026

Discover what’s possible at YSU’s Department of Art! ✨ Join us for YSU Art Day on October 21, 2026, and experience the people, programs, and opportunities that make the Department of Art special.

Prospective students and their families will have the opportunity to meet our expert faculty, participate in hands-on activities, hear from current art students, explore our facilities, and so much more!

Whether you’re interested in photography, graphic and interactive design, painting, ceramics, digital media, or printmaking, come discover how YSU’s Department of Art can help turn your passion for art into your career. 👏

➡️ Make sure you register by October 14! Learn more and register at ysu.edu/Art-Day

Pursue passion. Shape your future.Join us for a day of creativity and exploration at YSU's Art Day, hosted by the Department of Art on Wednesday, October 21, from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM in Bliss Hall on YSU's campus. This free event invites prospective students and their families to explore the Departme...

08/31/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the McDonough Museum of Art for our Fall Exhibition Opening Reception! ✨

From the iconic Kilcawley Print Collection, featuring works by some of the most prominent artists of the period, including Andy Warhol, to the inspiring multimedia sculptures and paintings featured in “Around Here, It’s Always Eternity”, there’s something for everyone to discover and fall in love with.

If you haven’t had a chance to experience these incredible collections yet, there’s plenty of time to explore them! Both exhibitions are on view at the McDonough Museum of Art Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Kilcawley Print Collection will be on display through December 12, and "Around Here, It’s Always Eternity" will be on view through October 24. 🐧

08/28/2026

What a great first week of the Fall 2026 semester!! 🐧✨ We kicked off the semester with our annual “Welcome Back” party, bringing our Department of Art community together to celebrate the start of a new academic year.

We’re so excited to see our students’ creativity and artistry grow throughout the semester! 🎨

08/27/2026

Three unique exhibitions are now on display at the McDonough Museum of Art and Solomon Gallery! 🐧

At the McDonough Museum of Art, “Around Here, It’s Always Eternity” is on view now through October 24. The exhibition explores landscape through the lens of ecological, social and political instability and features work by Bonny Leibowitz, Alice Pixley Young, Deborah Wasserman and Etty Yaniv.

Also on display at the McDonough Museum of Art through December 12, the Kilcawley Print Collection features limited-edition prints by some of the most influential and historically significant artists of our time, including Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg.

Over at Solomon Gallery, “All My Dreaming” by Chanda Weigel is on view now through October 2. Solomon Gallery is located on the second floor of Bliss Hall.

✨ Join us August 28 from 5:00–7:00 p.m. at the McDonough Museum of Art for the Fall Exhibitions Opening Reception! Admission is free and open to the public.

Stay tuned for more upcoming exhibitions throughout the semester!

07/14/2026

This past weekend, several CCCA alumni and students participated in the Summer Festival of the Arts at Youngstown State University!👏

It was wonderful to see their creativity on display and celebrate the arts with our community. We hope to see them back on campus soon! 🐧

07/10/2026

Downtown Youngstown's newest mural features the work of Christina Bunevich, a YSU Interdisciplinary Studio Art student! 👏

Selected through a competitive application process, Christina designed and painted three postcard-style letters in “Layers of Legacy,” Youngstown’s new America 250 mural, as part of a collaboration with lead muralist Patrick McGlone of Overall Paint Company, artists Daniel Madeleine and Willie Duck Jr., and the Economic Action Group.

Her contributions include the “S” featuring the Metropolitan Tower, the second “O” highlighting Youngstown’s cultural heritage, and the second “N” honoring the city’s steelmaking legacy and her family’s generations of work in the mills.

Christina credits her coursework in 2D Design, Graphic Design, Painting, and Printmaking, along with the mentorship of YSU’s Department of Art faculty, for preparing her for this opportunity.

Through "Layers of Legacy", Christina used her skills and creativity to honor Youngstown’s past, contribute to its future, and leave a lasting mark on the community.

07/08/2026

Recent YSU Interdisciplinary Studio Art graduates Sarah Sharber and Juan Marin are making a lasting impact on the Youngstown community through their work on the new Happy Place Sanctuary mural on the city's South Side. 👏🎨

Happy Place Sanctuary is a peaceful neighborhood space featuring fountains, flowers and meditative walkways designed for reflection and community. Sponsored by Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past, the mural adds a colorful new element to the sanctuary.

Under the mentorship of YSU art professor Dragana Crnjak, Sarah and Juan partnered with Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past member Lil Snider to transform a newly constructed fence into a vibrant work of public art.

Together, the mural and the sanctuary show the power of public art to create more welcoming and peaceful neighborhoods in Youngstown.

06/18/2026

This summer, three YSU art alumni are presenting exhibitions at the McDonough Museum of Art! 👏🐧

Laura Garvin is a designer and illustrator whose nostalgic, story-driven work inspires wonder in children and adults alike. “Sketches & Storyline: An Illustrator’s Creative Process” reveals the sketches and ideas behind her finished illustrations.

Crystal Beiersdorfer is a digital artist whose work explores technology, identity, and digital experience through a cyber-feminist lens. “ # inhale__ # exhale” invites viewers to slow down and engage with color, sound, and time in a more mindful and reflective way.

Sharon Dundee is a mixed-media artist who explores the resilience and shared experiences of the Midwest Rust Belt. “RUSTED ROOTS: Exploring Our Connection” reflects on the cultural bonds shared by those who grew up in the Rust Belt during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.

Explore Laura Garvin’s and Sharon Dundee’s exhibitions through July 18, and Crystal Beiersdorfer’s exhibition through July 24! ✨

06/11/2026

Another Art Educator Professional Development Workshop is officially in the books! 🎨🐧

This week, area art educators joined us on campus for a painting workshop! Through hands-on instruction, participants refined their painting techniques, discovered new approaches to the medium, and developed ideas they can bring back to their own classrooms.

It was inspiring to see so much collaboration and artistic growth throughout the day. Thank you to everyone who joined us!