ODU Art Department

10/22/2026

Come and support our artists!

'mother', a group art exhibition curated by AERYN, is on view October 14–23 at Old Dominion University's Hixon Student Gallery and Barry Arts Building Rotunda.
Featuring 13 artists working in painting, sculpture, and mixed media, the exhibition explores motherhood through different perspectives on love, grief, care, identity, and resistance.

Rather than defining motherhood through a single experience, mother creates a space for something to emerge. The works invite viewers to consider the expectations placed upon us, the things we carry, and the emotions that often go unspoken, including feminine rage.

At its heart, 'mother' is an invitation to look closely, ask questions, and spend time with work that deserves our attention.

Closing Reception: Thursday, October 22, 7–9 PM
Location: Hixon Student Gallery, 1029 W. 47th Street, Norfolk, VA
Exhibition: October 14–23, 2026
Venues: Hixon Student Gallery and Barry Arts Building Rotunda, ODU

10/12/2026

09/18/2026

Barry Arts Building Rotunda, Old Dominion University

Reception: October 8, 7-9 PM

Date: September 30 - October 8, 2026

Location: Barry Arts Building Rotunda

Address: 4600 Monarch Way Norfolk, VA 23508

An exhibition of works by Michael Edgar, Fleeting Moments explores the tension between nature and humanity, and the precarious push-and-pull between the two worlds. The selected works capture figures that on the surface appear to be feral animals; however, beneath the surface, they are reflections of the human psyche, captured in moments of loneliness and uncertainty as they face an unpredictable future in a fleeting world.

Michael Edgar is a senior painting and drawing major whose paintings explore themes of environmentalism and the human condition, blurring the line between the world of animals and that of humans. His paintings feature lush greenery and evocative animal figures, often contrasted with artificial structures

09/08/2026

“Dante's Dance Club reimagines the afterlife as equal parts medieval morality play, horror spectacle, and nightclub. Drawing from Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy, biblical ideas of sin, and contemporary culture, the exhibition transforms eternal damnation into an immersive, tongue-in-cheek display of humanity's flaws.

Aurelius Greene presents paintings that interpret the seven deadly sins while considering the complexities of contemporary morality. Rather than dividing humanity neatly into the saved and the damned, his paintings explore the ambiguities and anxieties that define modern life.

Aliya Head contributes a cast of femme demon dancers inspired by the realms of Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso, alongside characters from her own imagination. They are sinners and saints, tempters and guides, occupying every point between heaven and hell.

The exhibition culminates in an opening that transforms the gallery into an immersive dance party, blurring the line between exhibition, theater, and celebration. Visitors will be immersed in a vision of inferno where they become participants rather than spectators.

Like Dante's epic itself, our vision of the afterlife is intentionally loose, irreverent, and delightfully inconsistent. If hell is built from human desires, fears, and failures, perhaps the closest thing it has to redemption is a dance floor.”

07/22/2026

Ana Colbert

The Complexities of Muses

Visual Studies Capstone July 23-28, 2026

These works present a modernized exploration of how female muses can be portrayed. Throughout the centuries male artists have shown female subjects in their own image, which results in them being rendered in a fetishized fashion. This showcases women in a way that provides comfort and embraces their unique qualities.

Ode to Maar, 2026, Acrylic on Canvas. North side of the hall

Tahiti 2026, 2026, Acrylic on Canvas. South side of the hall.

05/14/2026

We’re excited to share Envisioning Revolution: Individuals in Action — an interdisciplinary collaboration between ODU Art and the Library of Virginia.
Taught by Assistant Professor Kyle Kogut, the course brought together 7 undergraduate and graduate students to work with newly digitized petitions from 1776–1786, researching and creating artworks inspired by the real individuals behind these historic documents. Through drawing, painting, and mixed media works, students explored the lives and voices that shaped early American democracy.
As part of the course, students traveled to conduct research and experience historical collections and sites firsthand, helping inform the development of their work.
The exhibition opens June 13, 2026, as part of the statewide VA250 commemoration.
Congratulations to all of the student artists involved! We’re proud to see this work shared with a broader public audience.
Learn more: https://www.lva.virginia.gov/events/exhibitions/envisioning-revolution
Work Info:
"Driftwood – A portrait of Sue" by Jane McKlveen
"You May Ravage - You May Not Conquer: Mary Webley and the Burning of Norfolk" by Mary Lewis
"Free, Yet Still Property: A Portrait of Billy" by Teresa Mitchell

05/06/2026

What a way to close out the semester 🎉

Join us this Thursday for a night of celebration across three exhibitions:

✨ Spring 2026 Senior Exhibition
📍 Gordon Galleries | 6–8 PM
🏆 Awards Ceremony at 7 PM

🪵 ARTS 495 Wood Studio Student Show
📍 Barry Rotunda | 5–7 PM

🌸 Between Us — Kamahria Jones
📍 Barry Art Building

Come support our students, celebrate the graduating seniors, and recognize this year’s award recipients. You’ve made it to the finish line—now it’s time to enjoy it.

04/16/2026

In A Million Years - featuring works by: Tamia Anderson, Valentina Copeland, Meredith Brown, Ashton Clark, Michael Edgar, Vincent Feagins, Rell Greene, Wilmesha Griffin, Aeryn Jeffery, Krystal Johnson, Ashley Rue, Jacob Shea, Devon Wallington, Isaiah Bradshaw.

Reception: April 23, 6-8pm Date: April 21- April 30, 2026.
Hours: Mon-Sun from 9am-10pm Location: James A. Hixon Art Studio
Address: 1029 W 47th St, Norfolk, VA 23508. Room 2002 (second floor).

Featuring works by students in the Techniques in Abstraction class, In A Million Years references the timeless quality that unites each of their responsive focused practices. Central themes in the exhibition include topics such as: identity, racial politics, history, religion, memories, and environmentalism. Each artist in this exhibition questions what it means to exist, resist, and create for a future, past, and present we can hope for.