Details

EXHIBIT: 41st Annual Juried Exhibition
SUBMISSION DATES: July 24, 10-3 pm & July 25, 10-2 pm
EXHIBIT DATES: July 28 – September 10, 2026
LOCATION: Cuyahoga Valley Art Center – Gallery

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Be part of one of CVAC’s most anticipated annual traditions by entering the 41st Annual Juried Exhibition, a prestigious showcase celebrating the creativity and technical excellence of our region’s practicing artists. This juried exhibition invites artists to submit their strongest work across seven categories: Watercolor Media, Water-Based Media, Oil-Based Media, Dry Media, Mixed Media, 3-Dimensional Media, and Photographic Media.

An esteemed juror will review all entries, select the works to be included in the exhibition, and award a $100 Best of Category prize in each category, along with Honorable Mentions. Beginning July 28, gallery visitors will also cast their votes for the People’s Choice Awards, culminating in the announcement of category winners during the Artists’ Reception on Friday, August 28, 5:30–7 PM.

Drop-Off Dates:
• Friday, July 24, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
• Saturday, July 25, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Entry Fee:
• $30 for CVAC Members (up to two entries)
• $35 for Non-Members (up to two entries)

Artists may submit up to two works during take-in. Early submissions may be arranged by contacting the CVAC front desk.

This exhibition is a celebration of artistic vision, skill, and individuality—and a wonderful opportunity to share your work with the wider community. We look forward to seeing your creative contributions to this long-standing CVAC tradition.

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Please Review the Prospectus: 2026 41st Annual Juried Exhibition PROSPECTUS

This is a juried exhibition— the juror will determine which works are accepted and select all additional awards. Please review the prospectus guidelines for complete details.

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Image Credit: Mary White, Clementines, Oil Based Media

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CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS:

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.

WATER-BASED MEDIA:  This category will include any media that is water-based such as acrylic paints and tempera paints.

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.

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).

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.

3-DIMENSIONAL MEDIA: This category will include any work that occupies space through the dimensions of height, width, and depth.

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.

*The final decision regarding category placement will be left up to the juror.

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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.