Details
Start Date
Tue, July 28, 2026 @ 10:00 AM
End Date
Thu, September 10, 2026 @ 3:00 PM
Location
The Cuyahoga Valley Art Center
EXHIBIT: 41st Annual Juried Exhibition
On Display: July 28 – September 10, 2026
LOCATION: CUYAHOGA VALLEY ART CENTER – GALLERY
The Cuyahoga Valley Art Center proudly presents its 41st Annual Juried Exhibition, a prestigious showcase celebrating the artistic excellence and creative diversity of our region’s practicing artist community. Featuring works across seven categories—Watercolor Media, Water-Based Media, Oil-Based Media, Dry Media, Mixed Media, 3-Dimensional Media, and Photographic Media—this exhibition highlights the exceptional skill found throughout our area. Admission is free and open to the public.
Gallery Hours:
Mon–Tue 10–3 PM | Wed 3–8 PM | Thu–Fri 10–3 PM | Sat 10–2 PM
A distinguished juror has selected standout artworks for display, awarding a $100 Best of Category prize in each of the seven mediums, along with Honorable Mentions. Visitors are also invited to participate in the People’s Choice Awards by casting their votes for the pieces that inspire them most. Voting is free and continues throughout the exhibition, with winners announced during the Artists Reception on Friday, August 28, from 5:30–7:00 PM.
The Artists Reception is a festive celebration open to all and offers a wonderful opportunity to meet the artists, enjoy refreshments and hors d’oeuvres, and purchase original artworks. This event also honors both juror-selected and People’s Choice award recipients, shining a spotlight on the outstanding creativity within our community.
“We are thrilled to showcase the immense depth of skills within our region’s practicing artist community,” shares Danielle Dieterich, Executive Director of CVAC. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to celebrate so many local artists.”
Don’t miss your chance to experience this remarkable exhibition in person.
Marketing Image Credit: Mary White, Clementines, Oil Based Media
Interested in submitting work to this exhibition? Visit: www.cvart.org/events/call-juried-26
Juror: Alexandra Nicholis Coon is CEO for the Massillon Museum and holds a BA in art history from Kent State University, an MA in art history through the joint program at the Cleveland Museum of Art and Case Western Reserve University, and a Collections Care Certificate from the Campbell Center for Historic Preservation. She has been with MassMu since 2001 and served as curator from 2003 to 2010. Coon served as board president for the Ohio Museums Association from 2017—2019, is on the boards of Aultman Hospital, Visit Canton, and Soroptimist International of Midwestern Region, and is an active member of Massillon Rotary and the museum committee for the International Women’s Baseball Center. Coon was honored to have been recently presented the American Alliance of Museums’ Advocacy Leadership Award in 2026, and the Ohio Museums Association’s Advocate of the Year Award in 2024. She was a graduate of Creative Ohio’s inaugural Advocacy Leadership Institute in 2025, and a graduate of Leadership Stark County’s 37th class. She has overseen five major capital projects for the Massillon Museum, the largest of which was a $6.2 million expansion completed in 2018. Coon loves taking photos, experiencing all that Ohio and the world have to offer, and advocating for community, placemaking, museums, the arts, and women and girls.
Featured Artists: (PDF All Accepted Submissions)
| Tom Baldwin of Akron, OH | Leah Kolesar of Cuyahoga Falls, OH |
| Dennis Balogh of Broadview Heights, OH | James W. Leslie of Akron, OH |
| Janet Baran of Medina, OH | Carolyn E. Lewis of Cuyahoga Falls, OH |
| Michael Barath of Canton, OH | Jack Liberman of Akron, OH |
| Donna Kensel Bargar of Strongsville, OH | Dan Lindner of North Canton, OH |
| Dan Beaver of Copley, OH | Leda Lisk of Cuyahoga Falls, OH |
| Stephanie Beckley of New Philadelphia, OH | Alexis Lower of Cuyahoga Falls, OH |
| Todd Bergert of North Canton, OH | Scott Lukens of Wadsworth, OH |
| Margaret Berrodin of Akron, OH | Ruth Matthews of Wauseon, OH |
| Linda Brown of Hudson, OH | Dennis McCabe of Richfield, OH |
| Lou Camerato of Akron, OH | Jordan McConnell of Cleveland, OH |
| April Cameron of Akron, OH | Jacqueline Meredyk of Sagamore Hills, OH |
| David Cebula of Akron, OH | Ja Miller of Akron, OH |
| Jessica Corrigan of Akron, OH | Mo Mosyjowski of Akron, OH |
| Patrick Dougherty of Akron, OH | Mickey Muckelrath of North Canton, OH |
| Kathryn Elias of Chippewa Lake, OH | Marina Neyman of Solon, OH |
| Jeff Fauser of Kent, OH | Robert Nicoll of North Canton, OH |
| Victor Fowler of Hudson, OH | Kimberly Ovalle of Twinsburg, OH |
| Lynne Fruscella of Strongsville, OH | Robert Palinkas of Avon Lake, OH |
| Brandon Gleisinger of Cuyahoga Falls, OH | Cynthia Patton of Willoughby, OH |
| Robert Goldthwaite of Kent, OH | Donald E. Peoples of Akron, OH |
| Carol Hapanowicz of Sagamore Hills, OH | Maria Polk of Lakewood, OH |
| Olena Harpster of North Olmsted, OH | Robert J. Putka of Cuyahoga Falls, OH |
| Sophia Herbert of Mantua, OH | Brad Rice of Lodi, OH |
| Wendy Hess of Akron, OH | Joel Rogers of Hudson, OH |
| Sally Heston of Broadview Heights, OH | Michael Sienerth of Stow, OH |
| Jack Hickson of Barberton, OH | William Smith of Stow, OH |
| Florence Hite of Cuyahoga Falls, OH | Carol J. Stevens of Medina, OH |
| Mary Lou Holly of Kent, OH | Alicia Telzerow of Mayfield Heights, OH |
| Linda Hutchinson of Kent, OH | Carol Tomasik of Norton, OH |
| Jackie Jeromin of Chagrin Falls, OH | Christopher Triner of North Canton, OH |
| Alexandria Joliat of Cuyahoga Falls, OH | Nancy Rowe Trube of Macedonia, OH |
| Jim Jones of Akron, OH | Jana Volkmer of Hudson, OH |
| Judy Adams Jones of Richfield, OH | Gwen Waight of Peninsula, OH |
| Tricia Kaman of Chagrin Falls, OH | Dale Warren of New Franklin, OH |
| Nora Keenan of Cleveland, OH | Rick Williams of Medina, OH |
| Terry Klausman of Akron, OH | Helen Wilson of Akron, OH |
| Carol Klingel of Wadsworth, OH | Steve Windham of New Franklin, OH |
| Robert Knapp of Uniontown, OH | Keith Wisdom of Cuyahoga Falls, OH |
*If you see an error, please call the Front Desk so that we can correct it ASAP. 330-928-8092
Juror Awards:
| WATERCOLOR MEDIA: This category will include any media for which water, not oil nor polymers, are used as the binding agent, with the resulting artwork considered to be a watercolor. Mediums such as; watercolor paints, watercolor pencils, watercolor markers, and watercolor pastels are all included within this category, even if utilized together in one image. Acrylic and Tempera paints are not applicable within this category. | ||
| HONORABLE MENTION
Rick Williams |
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| HONORABLE MENTION
Jack Hickson |
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| BEST OF CATEGORY
Cynthia Patton |
Juror Comments: “The precision with which the roses were painted makes their softness almost palpable. Set against the kind of marbled background makes them appear to project off the surface of the paper.” – Alexandra Nicholis Coon |  |
| WATER BASED MEDIA: This category will include any media that is water-based, such as acrylic paints and tempera paints. | ||
| HONORABLE MENTION
Robert Knapp |
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| HONORABLE MENTION
Kathryn Elias |
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| BEST OF CATEGORY
Stephanie Beckley |
Juror Comments: “This painting radiates—nearly literally—something joyful. The warmth emanating from the haloed woman, a sort of goddess figure in a meditative state, can almost be felt. And there is an illustrative, graphic quality about this painting giving it a narrative strength that feels very engaging and leaves us wanting more of the story.” – Alexandra Nicholis Coon |  |
| OIL BASED MEDIA: This category will include any media that uses oil as its binder such as oil paints, oil pastels, oil-based markers, etc. | ||
| HONORABLE MENTION
Todd Bergert |
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| HONORABLE MENTION
Leda Lisk |
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| BEST OF CATEGORY
Jana Volkmer |
Juror Comments: “The subject of this oil portrait arrests the viewer with his gaze. His posture is comfortable, so he puts us at ease in conversation with the painting in a way that draws us in for a closer look. Volkmer’s tender rendering in spite of the dramatic lighting demonstrates her skill with the medium.” – Alexandra Nicholis Coon |  |
| DRY MEDIA: This category will include media that is dry such as graphite, charcoal, pastels, colored pencils, Conté crayon, silverpoint, etc., and media that uses a fluid solvent or carrier such as marker, pen, or ink (alcohol ink). | ||
| HONORABLE MENTION
Leah Kolesar |
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| HONORABLE MENTION
Olena Harpster |
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| BEST OF CATEGORY
Terry Klausman |
Juror Comments: “The patterning and use of negative space in the composition is visually stunning; combined with the fact the medium is colored pencil, which demands a patient hand, this drawing’s organic sensibility in spite of the rigid lines made it a standout.” – Alexandra Nicholis Coon |  |
| MIXED MEDIA: This category will include any work that combines traditionally distinct visual art medias such as work that might include both paint, ink, and collage. | ||
| HONORABLE MENTION
Jordan McConnell |
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| HONORABLE MENTION
Mickey Muckelrath |
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| BEST OF CATEGORY
Christoper Triner |
Juror Comments: “This study of birds as both singular creatures and as mates, as mothers and hunters, or as suitors, as dependents and siblings, as well as a study on the various states of their habitats as being in process, in chaos, and empty, is a beautiful analogy for the cycle of life as a parent. It is also compositionally beautiful, and all the elements exist harmoniously within its simple box frame. ” – Alexandra Nicholis Coon |  |
| 3-DIMENSIONAL MEDIA: This category will include any work that occupies space through the dimensions of height, width, and depth. | ||
| HONORABLE MENTION
Victor Fowler |
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| BEST OF CATEGORY
Alicia Telzerow |
Juror Comments: “The delicate stalactite features suspended between the otherwise dense and heavy-looking glass, with its beautifully striated variations, is really mesmerizing. It’s amazing to consider the way glass can behave so differently and still coexist so gracefully in a sculpture like this one.” – Alexandra Nicholis Coon |  |
| PHOTOGRAPHIC MEDIA: This category will include any lens-based media, including but not limited to images made by film, scanner, screen-capture, digital camera, and any means of mobile photography. CVAC invites photographers working in all mediums, styles, and schools of thought to participate. Experimental and mixed techniques are welcome. Only 2-D work is eligible for this category. | ||
| HONORABLE MENTION
Robert Palinkas |
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| BEST OF CATEGORY
Jacqueline Meredyk |
Juror Comments: The richness and depth of contrast within this image is haunting. The fact that every vein of the orchid is visible, and that it looks frozen in mid-dance gives it an eerily beautiful quality. That the artist elected to print the image so large also magnifies the ghostly image, which adds to the mystique and power of the photograph.” – Alexandra Nicholis Coon |  |