KENT, Ohio — Adam Nathaniel Furman, a London-based designer and artist celebrated for his vibrant approach to space, color and identity, will visit Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ for a lineup of events this March as part of the Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist Series.
Furman will visit campus to lead a design workshop with architecture and fashion students in collaboration with Kent State's Sue Hershberger Yoder, professor of fashion design, and Kristen Mimms Scavnicky, assistant professor of architecture. The workshop will culminate in the creation of a large-scale gateway installation, accompanied by an exhibition of works by Furman, Hershberger Yoder and Mimms Scavnicky in the Lawrence R. and Sandra C. Armstrong Gallery at The John Elliot Center for Architecture and Environmental Design. The gateway, which will integrate bold color, ornament and cultural narratives, hallmarks of Furman’s international portfolio, will serve as a central feature of the School of Fashion’s 2026 Fashion Week. Furman’s visit reinforces Kent State’s commitment to cross-disciplinary learning and socially engaged design.
Furman will deliver the “Productive Exuberance†lecture at 5:15 p.m. on March 30 in The John Elliot Center for Architecture and Environmental Design’s Cene Lecture Hall followed by an engaging conversation with Â鶹¾«Ñ¡faculty Sue Hershberger Yoder, Kristen Mimms Scavnicky, Ebrahim Poustinchi and Andrea Sosa Fontaine. The evening concludes with the exhibition opening and reception outside the Armstrong Gallery.
All events are free and open to the public; no registration is required. The exhibition will remain on public display until June 26 and will be temporarily relocated from April 27-May 2 to be incorporated into the School of Fashion’s&²Ô²ú²õ±è;annual Fashion Week events.
Furman’s multidisciplinary practice spans architecture, interiors, public art and ceramics, blending historical references with contemporary culture to create immersive, visually dynamic spaces. Furman has exhibited widely at some of the world’s most respected cultural institutions and design events. His work has been shown at the in London, the and the . Internationally, he has exhibited during Milan Design Week and at major design biennials and festivals. Furman has been recognized for projects that challenge minimalist conventions while celebrating craftsmanship and materiality. In addition to his design work, he is an educator and writer, contributing to conversations around architecture, identity and the decorative arts.
Prior to Furman’s lecture at Kent State, , located in Hudson, will host a Meet & Greet Reception with Furman from 5-7 p.m. on March 24 at 53 First Street, Hudson, OH. Presented in collaboration with , the gathering offers an opportunity for members of the regional arts community to connect with Furman ahead of his Â鶹¾«Ñ¡programming. Guests will have the chance to meet the artist and learn more about his work and upcoming projects. Light refreshments will be provided. The event is free and open to the public.
In addition, he will participate in a public moderated artist talk alongside Hershberger Yoder and Mimms Scavnicky from 7-8 p.m. on March 26 in the Akron Art Museum’s auditorium. The free community program invites attendees to explore Furman’s global perspective on exuberance in contemporary design. Registration is requested, as space is limited. Register for free tickets at .
The Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist Series
Since 2001, the Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist Series has presented guest artists respected in the field of theatre, dance, visual arts, music and architecture, including such noted artists as Tony Award winner Stephen Schwartz, the composer of “Wicked,†“Into the Woodsâ€&²Ô²ú²õ±è;and more; “Next to Normal†actress and Â鶹¾«Ñ¡alumna Alice Ripley; the Grammy-winning Emerson String Quartet; postmodern minimalist artist Richard Tuttle; artists and fashion designers Ruben and Isabel Toledo; the internationally acclaimed dance company Ballet Florida; actor, dancer and arts advocate Ben Vereen; and the renowned Limón Dance Company, just to name a few.
The Schroth series was established by Cecile Draime and her late husband, Max, of Warren, Ohio, to honor their dear friend Thomas Schroth (1922-1997). A noted regional architect, Schroth designed the Butler Institute of Art’s Trumbull museum in Howland, Ohio, as well as numerous other award-winning projects. Schroth spent his life in Niles, Ohio, as a prominent architect and inveterate collaborator in the artistic life of the Mahoning Valley and Northeast Ohio. A world traveler, he saw human creativity as a window framing human experience. The Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist Series brings diverse views through that window to the Â鶹¾«Ñ¡campus and community.
The Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist Series is presented jointly by Kent State’s College of Architecture and Environmental Design and the College of the Arts. The events are always free and open to the public.
For full event details and ticket information, visit www.kent.edu/artscollege/thomas-schroth-visiting-artist-series.
# # #
Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ College of the Arts Media Contact:
Jen Crabtree, jcrabt13@kent.edu
Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ College of Architecture and Environmental Design Media Contact:
Kristy Antrobius, kantrobi@kent.edu
Lecture and Conversation
Cene Lecture Hall, The John Elliot Center for Architecture and Environmental Design
132 S. Lincoln Street, Kent, OH
Lawrence R. and Sandra C. Armstrong Gallery Hours
8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday
Akron Art Museum
Museum Auditorium
1 South High Street, Akron, OH
Peg’s Gallery
53 First Street, Hudson, OH
