OUR MISSION
Auburn University’s art museum advances research, outreach and instruction through its collections and programs in active and welcoming learning environments.
COVER: Frederick Arthur Bridgman (American, 1847–1928), Untitled , 1871, oil on canvas, 13 x 16¾ inches. Gift of Alan K. Zeigler, 2025.04
OUR VALUES
The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University, a cultural heart of an Alabama public research institution, is guided by a set of core values that serve its communities.
COLLABORATIONS + PARTNERSHIPS
ENGAGEMENT + LEARNING
INQUIRY + EXPERIMENTATION
STEWARDSHIP + GROWTH
BY THE NUMBERS
9 14 20 3,271 4,455 5,787 13,400
# of research-driven exhibitions
# of awards and academic presentations
student employees
objects in the university art collection
Auburn University students engaged participants engaged statewide museum visitors annually
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Cindi Malinick
Dear Friends,
For the 2024–25 academic year, we drew inspiration from a powerful and resonant theme: work itself. Rooted in the Auburn Creed , the tenet of work speaks to the dignity, discipline and purpose that define our university community. It’s a concept that connects generations of students, faculty and citizens—and it shaped our exhibitions, programs and partnerships as you will see in the pages within.
As a university art museum, our impact is measured not only in numbers but in how we qualitatively reflect Auburn’s mission of education, research and service. This year, we deepened student engagement through participatory experiences, interdisciplinary teaching and meaningful employment opportunities. We advanced creative scholarship and research by collaborating with artists, faculty and thought leaders in the museum and higher education fields. And we extended our reach across Alabama, connecting communities through art and dialogue.
Thank you for being a part of this work. Hard work. Incredibly impactful work. Your support and engagement contribute to a vibrant campus culture and an enriched Alabama.
On behalf of The Jule staff, and in gratitude,
Cindi
Malinick
Rachel Libeskind: The Golden Record
August 6 – December 8, 2024
Bill L. Harbert Gallery and Gallery C
Radical Naturalism: Daniel Newman
August 6 – December 8, 2024
Louise Hauss and David Brent Miller Audubon Gallery
“
We are able to experience things outside of ourselves, a unique perspective. ”
— Campus Visitor
People at Work
August 6 – December 8, 2024
Noel and Kathryn Dickinson Wadsworth Gallery and Chi Omega-Hargis Gallery
The Art of Work
May 23 – November 18, 2024
November 22, 2024 – June 1, 2025
Auburn University Research and Innovation Campus, Huntsville
John Augustus Walker: Historical Panorama of Alabama Agriculture
August 6, 2024 – July 6, 2025
Grand Gallery
Rodell Warner + Audubon + His Journals
January 21 – July 6, 2025
Louise Hauss and David Brent Miller Audubon Gallery
Kate Medley: Thank You Please Come Again
January 21 – May 25, 2025
Corridor Gallery
Showcase: Faculty Exhibition 8
January 21 – July 6, 2025
Bill L. Harbert Gallery and Gallery C
INQUIRY + EXPERIMENTATION
“
Rachel’s interest in the materials spurred us to support their digitization. I hope that Rachel’s engagement and exhibition, as well as the podcast, will bring more attention to these papers.
”
— Greg Schmidt, Head of Special Collections and Archives, Auburn University Libraries
Rachel Libeskind: The Golden Record reimagined NASA’s 1977 time capsule through a deeply personal lens. Drawing from Auburn University’s Special Collections, the artist incorporated first-person accounts and African American folklore to explore themes of memory, identity and preservation. These archival voices—some over a century old—shaped her sculptural assemblages, which evoked domestic, sacred and labor spaces.
Artist Rachel Libeskind with Greg Schmidt, Auburn University Libraries.
Radical Naturalism: Daniel Newman showcased the artist’s innovative collaboration with animals who paint, merging natural behavior with artistic expression. Drawing inspiration from John James Audubon’s detailed studies of wildlife, Newman reinterpreted Audubon’s legacy. The exhibition invited viewers to explore nature’s agency in art, challenging traditional boundaries between artist, subject and environment.
“
The main difference between working dogs and pets is that working dogs are highly motivated to perform certain tasks. If we think of the painting that dogs do as a task that they’re trained to perform, then we might expect that working dogs are more engaged in the painting and more motivated to do the task if they find it enjoyable.
— Dr. Lucia Lazarowski, research assistant professor and canine behavior expert, College of Veterinary Medicine
▶ Daniel Newman (American, b. 1978), Untitled (with Margaux), 2024, acrylic on canvas, 21 x 17½ inches. Museum purchase with funds provided by TenSeventyTwo: A Campaign for Collecting and Conserving Art.
INQUIRY + EXPERIMENTATION
The Auburn Forum for Southern Art and Culture highlighted how object-making—across art, craft, design and architecture—serves as a form of research and pedagogy. Through presentations and dialogue, scholars and practitioners examine the intersections of place, access and instruction in creative education. The Forum celebrated the South’s rich legacy of craft schools and artistic traditions, fostering a deeper understanding of how teaching and making are inherently connected.
Presenters included Randi Evans, PhD, manager of public practice and community partnerships, The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, Auburn University; Michelle Millar Fisher, The Ronald C. and Anita L. Wornick Curator of Contemporary Decorative Arts, Museum of Fine Arts Boston; Andrew Freear, director, Rural Studio, School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, Auburn University; Maura E. Lucking, PhD, assistant professor, School of Architecture & Urban Planning, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee; and Kyes Stevens, founder and director, Alabama Prison Arts + Education Project, Auburn University.
“
For us, I think craft is built in… It's a social responsibility. It's out of respect to ourselves and our neighbors that we want to do it the best we possibly can and turn over every leaf in the book to find out.
”
— Andrew Freear, director, Rural Studio
◀ Michelle Millar Fisher, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, presents her research on craft schools.
Maura E. Lucking, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Andrew Freear, Auburn University.
Kyes Stevens and Randi Evans, Auburn University.
The Jule collaborated with the University Program Council to host its annual Night at the Museum, offering an immersive afterhours experience for first-year students. The event blended art, music and community, inviting students to explore exhibitions, engage with creative activities, and connect with campus culture in a vibrant, welcoming museum setting. The festivities are part of the university’s First 56 initiative, which promotes healthy habits during the fall semester.
“
Being surrounded by diverse forms of art and artists from all walks of life has taught me more than any classroom ever could.
”
— Madie Champion �25, student guide, College of Engineering
Auburn University students line up to enter The Jule ahead of the Fall 2024 Night at the Museum.
▶ Students photograph themselves in Rachel Libeskind: The Golden Record during 2024's Night at the Museum.
ENGAGEMENT + LEARNING
The student employment program offered 20 undergraduates hands-on experience in visitor services, operations and museum education. Students gained valuable skills in communication, public engagement and problem solving. These roles foster confidence, professionalism and a deeper appreciation for the arts, preparing students for careers and life beyond Auburn.
“
I’ve grown
confident in my ability to communicate my knowledge effectively and developed a deeper appreciation for the power of cultural institutions to educate.
— Katelyn Zeevald, student guide and 2025 Student Employee of the Year, College of Liberal Arts
◀
Student Guide Kaden Holbrook discusses an object with Auburn University students at The Jule's annual Night at the Museum event.
Student Guides Alex Dudley, Katelyn Zeeveld and Kate Hoppe examine an object in Showcase: Faculty Exhibition 8
picture. And that's one of the things I love a lot about this process, is that you also become part of the scene, and especially in some of my work, when I'm photographing the landscape, the viewer also becomes part of the land.
”
— Binh Danh, associate professor, San Jose State University, San Jose, California of Human Sciences
and place. Known for his daguerreotypes of national parks and chlorophyll prints, Danh’s art invites reflection on American landscapes and belonging. The $25,000 award supports his continued exploration of 19th-century techniques and contemporary themes. During his residency, he visited with students in the College of Liberal Arts and President Christopher B. Roberts.
▶ Binh Danh describes his chlorophyll printing process.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Cindi Malinick, executive director of The Jule; artist Binh Danh; Bert Smith and J'Anne Smith Rawson, The Julia and Albert Smith Foundation; Guin Robinson '86, chair of The Jule Advisory Board.
“ This experience has reinforced my passion for using nonprofit work as a tool for social change, and I plan to continue contributing by elevating voices that need to be heard. ”
— Naomi Taylor �25, student guide, College of Human Sciences
Over the past year, The Jule facilitated intergenerational workshops through five exhibitions produced in Hale County and Florence, Alabama as part of the museum’s outreach initiative, Museum in Motion . At each engagement, community participants worked with the Mt. Willing quilters and museum staff to embroider names—either names found in the Alabama Baptist Church archives or names from personal histories.
◀ Reverend Dale Braxton shows a finished block at a workshop in Hale County.
Christy Barlow, The Jule's assistant director for education, enagagement and learning, helps student guides Madison Champion and Naomi Taylor with their quilting blocks.
“
They love to capture people’s faces and smiles, but this created a space for them to capture another facet of that person’s experiences.
”
— Angela Powell, program coordinator, College of Liberal Arts’ BraveHeart Center for Place and Purpose
◀ Hailey Spratlin, Everything has its Place , 2024 Spratlin's photograph was chosen by Medley from among other community response participants for display at The Jule. Spratlin is a young adult member of the Braveheart Center for Place and Purpose, an outreach initiative that serves individuals with disabilities.
Photojournalist Kate Medley visited the Auburn campus and community as part of Thank You, Please Come Again , a photography exhibition documenting the evolution of the American South through the lens of gas stations, convenience stores and quick stops that serve up food—and the people who run them. The Jule organized a community response featuring photography selections from the College of Liberal Arts’ BraveHeart Center for Place and Purpose, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in University Outreach and the City of Auburn’s East Samford School, encapsulating a cross section of the loveliest village on The Plains.
Seventh graders participate in the Auburn Studio Project with DSLR cameras supplied by The Jule.
37 OUTREACH CONNECTIONS
• College of Education:
Department of Curriculum and Teaching
Elementary Education Summer 2025 Enrichment Camp
• Auburn University Student Affairs
Office of Student Involvement
University Program Council
Studio 5 Art History Association
• College of Architecture, Design and Construction: School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture
• College of Veterinary Medicine:
Auburn Chapter of the Student American Veterinary Medical Association
• College of Human Sciences:
Department of Consumer and Design Sciences
Auburn Early Learning Center
Global Studies in Human Sciences
• Honors College
• Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning
• College of Liberal Arts:
Department of Art and Art History
Department of History
Department of Sociology, Anthropology & Social Work
Department of English
Department of Philosophy
School of Communication and Journalism
Braveheart Center for Place and Purpose
• University Outreach:
Auburn Youth Programs' Creative Writing
Studio Summer Camp
Center for Educational Outreach and Engagement
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Outreach Global
• Kreher Preserve & Nature Center: Woodland Wonder Nature Preschool
• Office of Audit, Compliance and Privacy
• Auburn Alumni Association: Woman's Club of Auburn
Assistant Professor of Interior Design Georges Fares and his students worked with The Jule to imagine an outdoor pavilion project.
• Alabama Department of Archives and History
• Auburn City Schools:
Auburn High School
Auburn Early Learning Center
Ogletree Elementary
Richland Elementary
Creekside Elementary
Woodland Pines Elementary
Yarborough Elementary
East Samford School
Dean Road Elementary
Wrights Mill Road Elementary
Cary Woods Elementary
Pick Elementary
• Project Horseshoe Farms
• Safe House Black History Museum
• Sumac Cottage
• Newbern Library
• Alabama Art Education Association (AAEA)
• Classical Conversations (LaGrange, Columbus, Opelika)
• Southern Preparatory Academy
• Alabama Virtual Academy
• Discovery Christian School
• Thompson High School
• Springwood School
• Smiths Station High School
• Smiths Station Freshmen Center
• Alabama Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)
• Southeastern Association of Museum Directors
• Riverside Heights Baptist Church
• Girls Scouts of Southern Alabama
• City of Auburn:
Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center
Auburn Public Library
• Florence Arts and Museums
• Project Threadways
• J.P. Powell Magnet School
• Jackson State Community College
Boys and Girls Clubs of East Alabama
Kate Medley visited with students from East Samford School.
The painting that graces our report cover is by Frederick Arthur Bridgman (18471928). Born in Tuskegee, Alabama, Bridgman achieved international acclaim in the 19th century for his richly detailed depictions of North African and Middle Eastern life. This gift not only complements our existing Bridgeman painting, View of the Town Amalfi, Along the Amalfi Coast , but also supports the goal of growing our collection with works by artists connected to Alabama. This gift expands our representation of Southernborn artists with global legacies, inviting critical engagement with the complexities of Orientalism in art history. Bridgman’s work offers a valuable lens through which to explore themes of cultural encounter, representation and the impact of American artists abroad.
FREDERICK ARTHUR BRIDGMAN (American, 1847–1928)
▲ View of the Town of Amalfi, Along the Amalfi Coast , n.d., oil on canvas, 52 x 64½ inches. Museum purchase made possible by Fred D. Bentley Sr. by exchange, 2006.06
FREDERICK ARTHUR BRIDGMAN (ON THE COVER) Untitled , 1871, oil on canvas, 13 x 16¾ inches. Gift of Alan K. Zeigler, 2025.04
A powerful print by Richard Mock, The Wolf and the Hunger (1983), gifted through the Kentler International Drawing Space founded by Auburn alumna Florence Neal '76, joins the museum’s collection of works on paper. Known for his bold, satirical linocuts that appeared in The New York Times and beyond, Mock’s work brings a sharp political edge and graphic intensity that will resonate across disciplines.
CALVIN "RED DOG" LIVINGSTON (American, 1970–2012)
▲ Untitled , n.d., paint on tin. From the Collection of Justice Mark Kennedy and Peggy Wallace Kennedy, 2025.05.05.09
RICHARD BASIL MOCK (American, 1944–2006)
◀ The Wolf and the Hunger , 1983, edition: 47/55, printed by Grin Graphics, screen print with glitter, 29 ⁹∕₁₆ x 33⅝ inches. Gift of Kentler International Drawing Space, 2025.09
These untitled works by Calvin "Red Dog" Livingston are part of a significant gift to Auburn from the collection of Justice Mark Kennedy and Peggy Wallace Kennedy. Livingston is a distinctive Southern artist, born in 1970 in Tuskegee, Alabama. Drawing inspiration from his cousin Charlie Lucas, Livingston's work is characterized by its raw energy, vivid colors and unconventional materials—often incorporating tin, plywood and found objects collected from abandoned structures in rural Alabama. This gift, part of a remarkable art collection built by the Kennedys over many decades, empowers The Jule to tell new stories about the American South, expanding access for scholars studying the history of art in Alabama and enriching the Auburn student experience for years to come.
$75,000 AND ABOVE
City of Auburn
$50,000 AND ABOVE
Dr. and Mrs. Matthew Scott Phillips
$25,000 AND ABOVE
ALFA Foundation
Dr. Michael Brian Williams and Dr. Patricia Wade Williams
$10,000 AND ABOVE
Dr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Chase
$5,000 AND ABOVE
Drs. Charles M. Hendrix and Rebecca Compton Hendrix
Kohnken Family Foundation, Inc. (Mr. and Mrs. Brian Lewis)
Dr. Barbara Pitts Larkin and Mr. Tom Larkin
Dr. Gerald S. Leischuck
Mr. Guin Robinson and Mr. Tim Parker
$2,500 AND ABOVE
Mrs. Janet Zickfield Burns
Dr. Lynn Barstis Williams Katz
$1,000 AND ABOVE
Dr. Joseph A. Aistrup and Dr. Shelley Ann Aistrup
American Endowment Foundation (Mr. and Mrs. Michael Byron Zeeveld)
Mrs. Whitney Wood Bailey and Mr. Stephen Bailey
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence L. Brantley
Mrs. Frances Pick Dillard
Ms. Mary C. Dixon
Mrs. Sally Q. Gates
Mrs. Margaret A. Gluhman
Mrs. JoAnne J. Hecht and Mr. Robert G. Hecht
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Lee Henderson
Mrs. Paula Hereford and Mr. William Hereford
Mr. David E. Housel and Mrs. Susan M. Housel
Dr. and Mrs. Richard Jaeger
Dr. and Mrs. James Jenkins, Jr.
Mr. David Randall Johnson and Mr. Phillip M. Rhodes
Colonel and Mrs. David S. Johnson
Dr. Edward E. Kern III, M.D.
Mrs. Erwin D. Key
Mr. and Mrs. Harald F. Lassen III
Mr. Robert Neil Lauder
Mr. and Mrs. William S. Lewis
Honorable Ted Little
Dr. David L. Martin and Dr. Catherine R. Perricone
Mr. and Mrs. Michael W. O'Neill
Dr. and Mrs. David B. Paradice
Dr. Stuart B. Price, Jr.
Honorable and Mrs. John Edward Rochester
Ms. Teresa E. Rodriguez
Dr. Peter Schwartz
Dr. and Mrs. Charles Herbert Shivers
Dr. Samia I. Spencer
Mr. and Mrs. Robert St. Jean
Mrs. Peggy Stelpflug
The Cliboca Foundation (Mrs. Barbara C. Swift)
The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, Inc. (Mrs. Phyllis Day Davis and Mr. Thomas L. Davis)
Mr. George Clinton Thompson
Dr. and Mrs. Donald Davis Thornbury
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Tucci
Mr. Rick Nathaniel White
Ms. Jane Luster Williams
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Mitchell Wood III
Mrs. Lyn Woodham
Mr. Alan K. Zeigler
PLANNED GIFTS
Ms. C. Jaimee Adams
Mr. Martin Moss Freeman
Mr. Lee Kirkland
Mr. Preston Phillips, Jr. and Mr. Charles Forthofer
GIFTS-IN-KIND
Alex Katz Foundation
Mrs. Patricia Plumlee Disque and Mr. James Disque
Ms. J. Maisie Glenn
Ms. Marguerite Steed Hoffman
Mrs. Peggy Kennedy
Kentler International Drawing Space (Mrs. Florence Neal)
Ms. Loni Parker
Mr. Samuel T. Rost
Mr. Thomas J. Scott, Jr.
Ms. Micki Beth Stiller
Mr. Alan K. Zeigler
ENDOWMENTS
The Milton and Helene Alexander Endowed Fund for Acquisitions
The Art Changes Lives Collections Endowment
The Auburn Award for Advancing American Art Endowed Fund for Excellence in Memory of William Collins Smith
The Elizabeth A. and Thilo D. Best Endowed Fund for Excellence
The Carlisle Endowed Fund for Museum Administration
The Dunlop Family Endowment for Museum Acquisitions
The Robert Ekelund and Mark Thornton Endowment for Museum Acquisitions
The Grisham Endowed Fund for Museum Administration
The Millie and Andy Gosch “Silver Dollar” Endowed Fund for Excellence
The Mamie Hardy Memorial Endowment
The Joan Cousins Hartman Fund for Museum Administration
The Dr. Charles M. Hendrix and Dr. Rebecca Compton Hendrix '11 Endowed Fund for Excellence
The Netty Murphey Jordan Museum Endowment
The Honorable Henry Mark Kennedy '73 and Peggy Wallace Kennedy Endowed Fund for Excellence
The Betty Coston Lassen '54 Endowed Fund for Excellence in Education
The Gerald and Emily Leischuck Endowment for Museum Aquisitions
The Williams-Mason Endowed Fund for Excellence
The Louise Hauss Miller Audubon Endowment
The Dr. Douglas and Anita Nielson Endowment Fund for Excellence
The Janet L. Nolan Director of Curatorial Affairs Quasi Endowment
The Martin-Perricone Endowed Fund for Excellence
The Sigma Lambda Kappa Delta Endowed Fund for Exhibitions
The Susan Phillips Quasi Endowment
The Albert J. Smith, Jr. Endowed Assistantship
The George C. and Nancy S. Thompson Endowed Fund for Excellence
The Margaret Johnson Tillman '48 Endowed Fund for Excellence
The Jule Collins Smith Advisory Board Endowment Fund
The Jule Collins Smith General Excellence Endowment
Naomi Taylor, student guide, discusses Showcase: Faculty Exhibition 8 with a visitor.
THE JULE'S ADVISORY BOARD
The Jule reports to the University President through Business and Administration. Board members are recommended for appointment by museum leadership and are confirmed through these channels. Board members voluntarily serve as advocates, advisors and fundraisers.
Guin Robinson '86 (CHAIR) Robert “Bo” Lauder '84 (VICE-CHAIR)
LEFT TO RIGHT: Honorable John E. Rochester, former Alabama First Lady Patsy Riley and Guin Robinson.
LEFT TO RIGHT :
David Randall “Randy” Johnson '83
Judy B. King
Barbara Pitts Larkin
Stan Lewis '05
Michael O’Neill '74
Honorable John E. Rochester '77
Katherine Samford Smith '17
Mary Dixon Torbert
Foster L. Ware III
Rick White '87
Whitney Wood Bailey '05
. AWARDS .
2025 CASE Award Bronze Marketing Initiatives
“Student Awareness Campaign”
- WINNER -
2025 CASE Award Bronze Engagment “Student Awareness Campaign”
- WINNER -
The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) is the global nonprofit association dedicated to educational advancement and championing education to transform lives and society. Its annual Circle of Excellence awards recognize outstanding work in advancement services, alumni relations, communications, fundraising and marketing around the globe.
2024 SEMC Gold Award for Media Production
“The Jule Museum Podcast”
- WINNER -
2024 SEMC Gold Award for Publication Design: “2023-24 Calendar”
- WINNER -
2024 SEMC Bronze Award for Media Production
“Auburn Forum for Southern Art and Culture” Livestream
- WINNER -
2024 SEMC Bronze Award for Exhibition Design
“Black Codes”
- WINNER -
2024 SEMC Bronze Award for Media Production
“The Jule at 20”
- WINNER -
The Southeastern Museum Conference (SEMC) is a regional association of museums, museum staff, independent professionals and corporate partners, including standalone and academic museums across the southeastern continental US, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. In addition to facilitating inter-museum connections and collaborations, SEMC's annual awards recognize those organizations excelling in their work from exhibition design to marketing.
