APSU welcomes animator Erick Oh for CECA Visiting Artist Speaker Series

By: Michael Dickins September 11, 2024

Animator and Oscar-nominated director Erick Oh, known for his short film “Namoo,” will deliver a free public lecture at APSU this month.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University’s Department of Art + Design, with support from the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, is welcoming animator and Oscar-nominated director Erick Oh to continue the 2024-25 CECA Visiting Artist Speaker Series.

Oh will deliver a free public lecture for all ages at 6 p.m. on Sept. 24 in Heydel Hall, located in the Art + Design Building Room 120. 

“We’re honored that Erick Oh is visiting Austin Peay during his hectic production schedule to share his creative work with our students – and the Clarksville community,” said Michael Dickins, chair of the Department of Art + Design’s CECA Visiting Artist Speaker Committee. “As an artist and former Pixar animator, his work combines new media craftsmanship and exquisite storytelling.”

One of Oh’s most notable works is his narrative poem, Namoo, which won several Official Selection awards from SXSW, Sundance, Tribeca Film Festival, and Hollyshorts. An ode inspired by his grandfather’s death, it follows the journey of a budding artist from start to end - one that comes to life as a 2D animated and virtual reality experience.

“During his visit, Oh will host a Q&A session with our APSU animation students,” Dickins said. “This is a great opportunity for our students to hear directly from an artist working in the field, learn some insights into the industry, and acquire professional development skills. Giving our students this unique one-on-one contact is exactly what the CECA Visiting Speaker Series provides our students and is what sets APSU apart from other institutions.”

For more on this free public lecture, contact Dickins at dickinsm@apsu.edu. To learn about future CECA Visiting Artist Speaker Series events, visit https://www.apsu.edu/art-design/galleries/visiting-artists.php.

About Erick Oh

Erick Oh is a former Pixar animator and an Oscar-nominated filmmaker based in California. His films have been introduced and awarded at numerous film festivals, including Academy Awards, Annie Awards, Annecy Animation Festival, Zagreb Film Festival, SIGGRAPH, Anima Mundi, and more. With his background in fine art at Seoul National University in Korea, and film at UCLA, Erick became an animator at Pixar Animation Studios from 2010 to 2016.