Professor Carl Matthews to Present Architecture and Design Network Lecture on Oct. 21 in Little Rock

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Carl Matthews, interior design department head and professor in the Fay Jones School of Architecture, will present a lecture Oct. 21 at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock.

LITTLE ROCK – Carl Matthews will present a lecture titled “Really Cool Digs” on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at the Arkansas Arts Center, 501 E. 9th St., in Little Rock. The lecture will begin at 6 p.m. in the center’s Lecture Hall, following a 5:30 p.m. reception.

Matthews is a professor of interior design and the head of the Department of Interior Design in the Fay Jones School of Architecture at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

This is the second lecture in the Architecture and Design Network’s 2014-15 series of public lectures. Matthews will examine the ways in which the media – television, film and advertising among them – use architecture and design to develop and project a particular image or mood. He will share a sampling of examples with his audience.  

As head of the Department of Interior Design, Matthews currently oversees the education of 110 interior design students and works with seven other interior design faculty members in the department. Following graduation, a majority of students likely will pursue careers in commercial design with a focus on corporate, healthcare and educational facilities, as well as hotels, restaurants and public spaces. Some past alumni have gone on to design for the theater, film and other areas.

As an educator, Matthews strives to create a link between academia and practice. Through his ongoing connections with professionals at major design firms, a number of the department’s students are able to serve a semester of required internship with them. Study abroad is also encouraged.

Prior to coming to the Fay Jones School of Architecture two years ago, Matthews taught at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He earned his Master of Science in Interior Design from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to teaching design, he provides instruction in historic preservation. His commercial experience includes his work at several top interior design firms. Currently, Matthews serves on the board of the Council of Interior Design Accreditation.

The 2014-15 Art of Architecture lecture series is sponsored by the Architecture and Design Network, a non-profit organization, with support from the Central Arkansas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the Arkansas Arts Center, the Fay Jones School of Architecture and community members.

The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, contact ardenetwork@icloud.com.