Clarksville, TN – The Unbannable Library, a series of giant, interactive book installations aimed at combating censorship and commemorating Banned Book Week, will travel to New York City for the PEN America World Voices Festival from April 29th to May 2nd, 2026.
This project was led by Austin Peay State University (APSU) Professor Paul Collins and will be displayed in Union Square on April 30th from 10:00am to 5:00pm, and in Washington Square Park on May 2nd from noon to 6:00pm. APSU Department of Art + Design students Bowie Muñoz, Keyon St. Firmin, Marcellus Madeliene, and Juniper Winstead collaborated on a book titled We the People that will be included in the installation.
“The book made by APSU students [We the People] is one of the most powerful in the collection of almost 50 books,” Collins said. “I’m so proud of their effort and artistry, and I can’t wait to share it with the public in New York City.”
Additional support for the Unbannable Library came from the APSU Department of Art + Design, the APSU Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, and the Woodward Library, among others.
About the APSU Department of Art + Design
Established in 1927, the Department of Art + Design is one of the original departments at Austin Peay State University. Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, the department offers studies in animation, art education, art history, ceramics, drawing, digital media, graphic design, illustration, painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture. The department is housed in the College of Arts and Letters and consists of 19 full-time faculty for approximately 350 students.
Three on-campus galleries also support the art and design programs. In 2017, the department moved into a state-of-the-art building. The Department of Art + Design also houses the Goldsmith Press and Rare Type Collection, a remarkable collection of antique and vintage wooden letterforms.
To learn more about the department, contact McLean Fahnestock, department chair, at fahnestockm@apsu.edu.
About the APSU Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts
Since 1985, the Austin Peay State University Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts (CECA, or “seek-ah”) has been providing students, the Clarksville community, and the Middle Tennessee region with engaging experiences through the Art + Design, Creative Writing, Music, and Theatre & Dance programs at APSU.
CECA brings as many as 85 guest artists to Clarksville each year and presents up to 100 public arts and culture events annually, including concerts, exhibitions, artist lectures, master classes, artist residencies, and more. In addition, CECA provides the arts faculty at APSU with research opportunities to enhance their professional growth as well as numerous student scholarships each year to support APSU’s own emerging artists.
To learn more about the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts at APSU, contact Dr. Andrea Spofford at spofforda@apsu.edu.
