LSU Vet Med first artist-in-residence creating art incorporating veterinary materials

July 18, 2022

On June 1, the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine embarked on an artist-in-residence program; this is the first time this has ever been done at a veterinary school in the U.S. The inaugural artist is Shelby Prindaville of Sioux City, Iowa. Prindaville’s residency runs from June 1 to July 31, 2022 and will culminate with a public art exhibition at the veterinary school.

Prindaville, the first artist-in-residence at a veterinary school in the U.S., has taken the brave approach of incorporating stains, dyes, paper, and other materials used by clinicians and researchers at LSU Vet Med into her paintings. She has completed two paintings so far and is working on several more pieces. She has breathed new excitement into our school, allowing scientists to see the beauty of their work through the eyes of an artist.

“I couldn’t be more excited that LSU Vet Med is spearheading a program that will generate a visual legacy rooted in four noble missions. Art is an avenue for teaching, discovering, healing, and protecting, and our new program offers an innovative and lasting way to express various aspects of what we do. We are very fortunate to welcome Shelby Prindaville as our first artist,” said Oliver Garden, BVetMed, PhD, LSU Vet Med dean.

Artists-in-residence will generate multiple pieces of art, and each artist will leave one work of art to remain in LSU Vet Med’s permanent collection. Prindaville will give a public lecture sponsored by the LSU School of Art, College of Art & Design, immediately preceding her exhibition opening on July 25. This event is cosponsored by the LSU College of Art & Design. Event details will be announced soon.

Prindaville, who earned her MFA at LSU and now serves as Art Department chair and associate professor of art at Morningside University, has successfully completed numerous residencies nationally and abroad.

“I am extremely honored to be chosen as the inaugural artist in residence. I am an interdisciplinary artist combining science and a wide range of art disciplines to better connect with a broad audience. I develop bodies of work that aim to capture a sense of place or atmosphere,” Prindaville said.

While other veterinary schools have commissioned art or invited filmmakers to campus for a one-time project, this trailblazing residency program will host a different artist-in-residence at the veterinary school each year. Artists will represent multiple genres such as watercolor, photography, sculpture, filmmaking, poetry, and more. In future years, artists will be selected from an applicant pool. The application process will be announced in the coming months.

To view Prindaville’s art, go to shelbyprindaville.com.

For more information about LSU Vet Med’s new Artist-in-Residence program, contact Sandra Sarr at sarr1@lsu.edu.

Photo: Shelby Prindaville working in her studio in the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine.

About LSU Vet Med: Bettering lives through education, public service, and discovery

The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine is one of only 33 veterinary schools in the U.S. and the only one in Louisiana. LSU Vet Med is dedicated to improving and protecting the lives of animals and people through superior education, transformational research, and compassionate care. We teach. We heal. We discover. We protect.

ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM ANNOUNCING SECOND ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE CHARLIE RAUH Shelby Prindaville's Other Work

Shelby Prindaville, Inaugural Artist-in-Residence

Shelby Prindaville in her LSU Vet Med studio.

Fortification

Prindavile's mixed media painting of a Mississippi kite, entitled “Fortification.” Color is derived from PVP Prep Solution (betadine, a topical antiseptic) from ZooMed and AcuZone smokeless moxa-rolls used to warm acupuncture points in Integrative Medicine. She also uses cornstarch to activate and change the color of the PVP Prep Solution and acrylic on a basswood panel, 20x20x1.5” in size.