New to LSU: Meet Arne Flaten, Dean of the College of Art & Design
June 30, 2025
Arne Flaten
Before joining LSU as Dean of the College of Art & Design, Arne Flaten (Ph.D. Italian Renaissance Art History, Indiana University-Bloomington) was Head of the Rueff School of Design, Art and Performance, and Professor of Art History, at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.
Growing up in a diplomatic family, Dr. Flaten has lived and studied in various parts of the world, including Italy, France, Israel and Rwanda. Dr. Flaten publishes on topics ranging from Renaissance Europe, Digital Humanities and 5th century BCE Delphi to portrait medals and popular culture.
In addition to various articles and essays, he co-edited four issues of the The Medal (British Museum Press); two issues of Visual Resources: An International Journal of Documentation (Taylor & Francis/Routledge); an issue of Mediterranean Archaeometry and Archaeology; and two issues of Source: Notes on the History of Art (University of Chicago Press).
“LSU has a remarkable reputation and is a leader in the arts regionally and nationally. It’s an honor and a privilege to work with such talented faculty, staff, and students.”
— Arne Flaten, Dean of the College of Art & Design
He is author of Medals and Plaquettes 15th to 20th Centuries: The Ulrich Middeldorf Collection (Indiana University Press, 2012) and several forthcoming books on American Football Cards and the drawings and prints of Albert Paley.
Flaten’s research has been supported by the William J. Fulbright Commission (2x); the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts (CASVA) at the National Gallery of Art, Washington; the Samuel H. Kress Foundation (3x); the National Endowment for the Humanities USA (2x); the National Endowment for the Arts USA; the J. Paul Getty Research Institute; and the Renaissance Society of America, among others.
In 2013 Flaten was named the HTC Distinguished Scholar-Teacher at Coastal Carolina University, the University’s highest honor, and in 2014 he was elected to the European Academy of Science and Arts—Salzburg.
In additional to other regional, national, and international affiliations, Flaten is a program site reviewer for the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), serves on the Advisory Board of a2ru, and was elected to the Board of Directors for the International Council for Arts Deans (ICfAD).
Q&A
Why did you choose to come to LSU?
LSU has a remarkable reputation and is a leader in the arts regionally and nationally. It’s an honor and a privilege to work with such talented faculty, staff, and students.
What are your goals as the incoming dean of the LSU College of Art & Design?
I plan to continue the legacy of excellence of my predecessors. I hope to continue the Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture’s position of national prestige, to address facilities’ needs, to ensure the faculty get the support needed for innovative research and teaching, and to introduce new programs that will attract new Tigers from the region, the nation, and across the globe. With the faculty, I plan to craft a new strategic plan to establish the LSU College of Art & Design for prominence among the SEC and across the country.
What are you looking forward to?
That’s a tough one. I’m pretty much looking forward to everything…new people, new programs, new ideas, collaborative research opportunities.
What was your first impression of LSU campus?
Wow! Beautiful campus. We lived in South Carolina for over a decade, and we always loved the live oak trees. Here, those incredible trees are everywhere and are truly a defining feature of the campus. The blend of Palladian architecture with Modernist buildings, coupled with the live oaks, presents an impressive appeal to anyone coming to campus.
Any surprises?
Maybe the humidity, lol. Seriously though, not yet, but I’m pretty new….
Please share a few “fun facts” about yourself.
One of the rock bands I was in opened up for the Doobie Brothers at the House of Blues.
After college, I bicycled from Amsterdam to Tel Aviv to start a job as varsity soccer coach at my old high school.
Anything else you’d like to share?
I’ve been married to my college sweetheart, Rebecca, since 1992 and we had three daughters. Rebecca was a 3x All-American sprinter and has two master’s degrees.
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