The Dodd at 100
The Lamar Dodd School of Art is turning 100!
In honor of our founding in 1927, the School of Art is planning a year-long celebration during the 2027-2028 academic year, which UGA has also named “The Year of the Arts!”
Several special exhibitions, lectures, and gatherings are in the works, including a “Back-to-Dodd” birthday weekend for all retired and current faculty, students, friends, and alumni, scheduled for Feb 18 – 21, 2028.
Other events include:
- a year-long, rotating exhibition of prominent studio alumni
- a current faculty exhibition at the Georgia Museum of art
- an archival exhibition at the Jackson Street building related to the School history
- a special birthday edition of the Visiting Artist and Scholar Series
- and much, much more!
Because you are an important part of Athens’ vibrant art scene and an integral part of our history, we wanted you to know about our plans to celebrate this milestone as soon as possible.
As we shape this centennial year, we would especially welcome your ideas in a few areas:
- potential exhibitions or programs
- partnerships or collaborative events
- ways to highlight alumni, faculty, or community impact
- archival materials, stories, or histories connected to the School
If you’re interested in contributing or brainstorming with us, please reach out to a member of our Centennial Planning Committee
Centennial Committee Contacts
Exhibitions and Visiting Artists: Rachel Waldrop, Isabelle Wallace, Melissa Harshman
Community / Outreach: Mary Pearse, Francis Oliver, Mary Stanley
Events: Mary Stanley, LeeAnne Kraus, Grace Mercer
PR / Marketing: Isabelle Wallace, Jennifer Crenshaw, Francis Oliver, Melissa Harshman
Development: Grace Mercer, Lynn Tran, Joe Peragine, Melissa Roberts
Special Projects: Rachel Waldrop, LeeAnne Krauss, Michael Marshall, Catherine Truman
Crafting History: Textiles, Metals, and Ceramics at the University of Georgia
Mildred Pierce Ledford, the department’s inaugural chair
Lamar Dodd
Delve into the History
-
The Inside Story of the Athens Music Scene — Garden & Gun, June/July 2026, Tommy Tomlinson
- How did the college football town spawn the B-52s, R.E.M., and Widespread Panic, to name just a few? The maestros and misfits who led Athens’s rise to one of the world’s most influential and improbable music towns tell all
-
Crafting History: Textiles, Metals and Ceramics at the University of Georgia — Georgia Museum of Art, 2018
- For more than a century, the University of Georgia has provided students with opportunities to study craft particularly textiles, metals and ceramics. This book (which accompanies the exhibition of the same name, on view at the museum February 1 – April 29, 2018) tells the story of a small department that began in home economics under the direction of women interested in practical applications of art and design, and now exists in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences as the Lamar Dodd School of Art, named for its long-time director. It features work by more than 30 faculty members who contributed to craft education at UGA (including Earl McCutchen, Frances Stewart Higgins, Glen Kaufman, Robert Ebendorf, Gary Noffke, Ron Meyers, Andy Nasisse and Ed Lambert). Through their work, it traces the history of studio craft in the United States and the cultural forces that shaped it. Authors Ashley Callahan, Annelies Mondi and Mary Hallam Pearse contribute nine chapters that trace the history of the program from the 1920s to the present, copiously illustrated in color.
Last updated: June 2, 2026