Details
Start Date
Fri, April 24, 2026 @ 10:00 AM
End Date
Thu, June 4, 2026 @ 3:00 PM
Location
The Cuyahoga Valley Art Center
Exhibit: Membership Exhibition
On Display: April 28 – June 4, 2026
Location: Cuyahoga Valley Art Center – Gallery
The Cuyahoga Valley Art Center proudly presents its 40th Annual Membership Exhibition, a milestone celebration honoring four decades of creativity, community, and artistic excellence. This beloved exhibition highlights the remarkable skills of CVAC’s member artists, showcasing a vibrant collection of paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and works on paper from its practicing artist community. 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
Visitors are invited to celebrate this special anniversary year by taking part in the People’s Choice Awards. Upon arrival, guests can pick up a ballot at the gallery entrance, vote for their favorite artworks, and help shine a spotlight on the artists whose work moves them most.
The People’s Choice Award winners will be announced during the Artist Reception on Friday, May 22, 5:30–7:00 PM. This festive evening offers a wonderful opportunity to meet the artists, enjoy refreshments and hors d’oeuvres, and purchase original works of art. Admission to the reception is free—all are welcome to join in the celebration.
“For forty years, this exhibition has been a cornerstone of CVAC’s identity,” shares Danielle M. Dieterich, M.A., Executive Director of CVAC. “It’s a time to honor our talented members and the community that has supported and inspired them. The People’s Choice selection gives everyone a chance to participate in recognizing the creativity that makes CVAC thrive.”
Marketing Image Credit: James W. Leslie, Mother’s Peace, Oil Based Media
JUROR: DAN LINDNER
For the first thirty years of Dan’s life, there was little indication of a future connection with art. Having always been interested in how things work, he pursued a career in science and spent forty-two years as a design engineer at a local tire company.
However, in Lindner’s early thirties, a visit to a friend’s home changed the course of his life. This friend, who was an artist, showed a painting he had done of his son. Gobsmacked, his visceral reaction to that piece made him wonder: could he learn to paint? Dan was hooked, and the rest is history.
Lindner has now been painting for over forty years. This journey has allowed him to see the world through an artist’s eye and has permanently altered his life for the better. Lindner is currently an Emeritus/Signature member of the Akron Society of Artists and a member of the Artists of Group Ten.
He has studied under a diverse group of artists, including Jack Richard, Margaret Kessler, Gary Godbee, Marc Moon, Dino Massaroni, Carolyn Lewis, Judith Carducci, Linda Tompkin, Jack Liberman, Judith Hertzi, Hal Scroggy, Betty Elliot, and Margret Stiles. Additionally, he has participated in workshops at the Seattle Academy of Realistic Art and the Sedona Art Workshop.
As a thirty-year Signature member of the Akron Society of Artists and a member of Oil Painters of America, Dan has exhibited in numerous shows and received several accolades. He was selected for the National Midyear Show at the Butler Institute of American Art and was a finalist in the 2013 Artist’s Magazine “Artists Over 60” competition.
Further information about Dan’s work can be found at www.DanLindnerArt.com
Featured Artists:
| Tom Baldwin | Wendy Freedman | Alexis Lower | Holly Timberlake |
| Dennis Balogh | Robert Goldthwaite | Tom Mayer | Richard Ulanowski |
| Donna Kensel Barger | Richard Martin Hahn | Susan McKay | Gwen Waight |
| Kay Bell | Olena Harpster | Leo Miller | Dale Warren |
| Todd Bergert | Sally S. Heston | Bonnie Morris | Mary White |
| Linda Brown | Jack Hickson | Mary A. Mosyjowski | David Whited |
| James Buckus | Barbara Himes | Roy Mowls | Richard Willett |
| Debrah Butler | Mary Lou Holly | Jeff Newhouse | Keith Wisdom |
| Lou Camerato | Bryan Howdyshell | Robert Nicoll | Johanna Yurak |
| April Cameron | Bruce Humbert | Robert Palinkas | |
| Sharley Chang | Linda Hutchinson | Robert J. Putka | |
| Carol Clevidence | Tom Jackson | Brad Rice | |
| Jessica Corrigan | Judy Adams Jones | Joel Rogers | |
| Rob Crombie | Jim Jones | Renae Rotterschmidt | |
| Jody Crow | Terry Klausman | Julie Sheil | |
| C. Arthur Croyle | Carol Klingel | Mary B. Stauffer | |
| Britney Devaris | James W. Leslie | Marie Steele | |
| Bill Dowey | Jack Liberman | Carol J. Stevens | |
| George M. Erwin | Beth Lindenberger | Denny Stoiber | |
| Jeff Fauser | Leda Lisk | Jacqui Sukie |
Accepted Submissions:
Membership Exhibition 2026 PDF Version – CLICK HERE
| Full Name | City, State | Title | Medium | Price |
| Elaine Andrews | Tallmadge, OH | Compassion | Photographic Media | NFS |
| Tom Baldwin | Akron, OH | Varied Thrush | 3-Dimensional Media | NFS |
| Dennis Balogh | Broadview Heights, OH | Untitled | Mixed Media | $625 |
| Donna Kensel Barger | Strongsville, OH | Twins | Watercolor Media | $425 |
| Donna Kensel Barger | Strongsville, OH | Cheery Trees at Sunset | Watercolor Media | NFS |
| Kay Bell | Silver Lake, OH | Matilda | 3-Dimensional Media | NFS |
| Todd Bergert | North Canton, OH | Elephant and Cigars | Oil Based Media | NFS |
| Linda Brown | Hudson, OH | Jamaican Still Life | Watercolor Media | $250 |
| James Buckus | Munroe Falls, OH | Water Control | Photographic Media | $155 |
| Debrah Butler | Kent, OH | Prince Among Princes | Dry Media | $1,000 |
| Debrah Butler | Kent, OH | Huxley | Dry Media | NFS |
| Lou Camerato | Akron, OH | Seven Deadly Sins | 3-Dimensional Media | NFS |
| Lou Camerato | Akron, OH | No Kings, No Wars, No Ice | 3-Dimensional Media | NFS |
| April Cameron | Akron, OH | My Favorites | Water Based Media | NFS |
| Sharley Chang | Copley, OH | Man on the Desert | Dry Media | NFS |
| Carol Clevidence | Uniontown, OH | Portrait 1 | Dry Media | NFS |
| Jessica Corrigan | Akron, OH | The Sentinel | Watercolor Media | $1,650 |
| Jessica Corrigan | Akron, OH | Harvestman | Watercolor Media | NFS |
| Rob Crombie | Twinsburg, OH | Twisted Olive | Oil Based Media | $1,050 |
| Jody Crow | Cuyahoga Falls, OH | Morning in Crotona | Oil Based Media | $680 |
| C. Arthur Croyle | Cuyahoga Falls, OH | Yip, Yip, Yip | Oil Based Media | $400 |
| C. Arthur Croyle | Cuyahoga Falls, OH | The Mighty Mo | Water Based Media | $300 |
| Britney Devaris | Cuyahoga Falls, OH | Tea with Oysters | 3-Dimensional Media | NFS |
| Bill Dowey | Stow, OH | Spring Birch | Watercolor Media | $190 |
| George M. Erwin | New Franklin, OH | Family Resemblance | Water Based Media | $290 |
| Jeff Fauser | Kent, OH | Orb Sightings 1 | Mixed Media | $475 |
| Wendy Freedman | Akron, OH | Mateo | Oil Based Media | NFS |
| Robert Goldthwaite | Kent, OH | Deigo | Water Based Media | NFS |
| Richard Martin Hahn | Youngstown, OH | Il Poeta di Palazzo Vecchio | Photographic Media | $250 |
| Olena Harpster | North Olmstead, OH | Still Life Inspired by C. Korovin | Dry Media | $300 |
| Sally S. Heston | Broadview Heights, OH | Just a Bowl of Cherries | Watercolor Media | $450 |
| Jack Hickson | Barberton, OH | Peachy Keen! | Watercolor Media | $375 |
| Barbara Himes | Akron, OH | What Will the Neighbors Say? | Oil Based Media | $600 |
| Mary Lou Holly | Kent, OH | Shelly 2 | Dry Media | $150 |
| Bryan Howdyshell | Akron, OH | I am the Potter | Photographic Media | $60 |
| Bruce Humbert | North Canton, OH | Alaskan Wood Bison | Dry Media | $1,500 |
| Linda Hutchinson | Kent, OH | Sandbox | Oil Based Media | $300 |
| Linda Hutchinson | Kent, OH | Radishes | Oil Based Media | $300 |
| Tom Jackson | Stow, OH | Just Off Houston Street | Oil Based Media | NFS |
| Judy Adams Jones | Richfield, OH | Grapefruit Still Life | Oil Based Media | $125 |
| Jim Jones | Akron, OH | James | Water Based Media | $2,100 |
| Jim Jones | Akron, OH | Kit | Water Based Media | $820 |
| Terry Klausman | Akron, OH | Palisades | Dry Media | $400 |
| Carol Klingel | Wadsworth, OH | Remember this Day | Water Based Media | $875 |
| James W. Leslie | Akron, OH | The Early Rise | Oil Based Media | $875 |
| Jack Liberman | Akron, OH | Autumn At Hale Farm | Oil Based Media | NFS |
| Beth Lindenberger | Akron, OH | Microcluster | 3-Dimensional Media | $625 |
| Leda Lisk | Cuyahoga Falls, OH | Prado Red Depicted | Watercolor Media | $1,200 |
| Alexis Lower | Cuyahoga Falls, OH | Nicolette 5 | Photographic Media | $400 |
| Tom Mayer | Mogadore, OH | Claude | Watercolor Media | NFS |
| Tom Mayer | Mogadore, OH | Do You Think We Can Save It? | Watercolor Media | $350 |
| Susan McKay | Akron, OH | Garden | Oil Based Media | $450 |
| Leo Miller | Ravenna, OH | Paulie Wants Wine | 3-Dimensional Media | $300 |
| Leo Miller | Ravenna, OH | Scrapyard Bouquet | 3-Dimensional Media | $350 |
| Bonnie Morris | Uniontown, OH | Pachyderm | Mixed Media | NFS |
| Mary A. Mosyjowski | Akron, OH | The Princess Has Logged Off | Oil Based Media | $1,200 |
| Roy Mowls | Munroe Falls, OH | Coastline | Water Based Media | $750 |
| Jeff Newhouse | Akron, OH | Oranges Jar | 3-Dimensional Media | $75 |
| Robert Nicoll | North Canton, OH | Ellie | Dry Media | NFS |
| Robert Palinkas | Avon Lake, OH | Jaguar + Clouds | Photographic Media | $200 |
| Robert J. Putka | Cuyahoga Falls, OH | Summer Sun in the Butterfly Garden | Water Based Media | $900 |
| Brad Rice | Lodi, OH | Allen Ginsberg | Water Based Media | $800 |
| Joel Rogers | Hudson, OH | My Domain | Water Based Media | $1,600 |
| Renae Rotterschmidt | Wadsworth, OH | Autumn Forest Path | Watercolor Media | $150 |
| Julie Sheil | University Hts., OH | We’ll Let the Fireflies Lead the Way | Mixed Media | $225 |
| Mary B. Stauffer | Uniontown, OH | Hello from the Greenhouse | Watercolor Media | $450 |
| Marie Steele | Fairlawn, OH | Dramatic Sunset | Oil Based Media | $350 |
| Carol J. Stevens | Medina, OH | Winter Thaw | Mixed Media | $800 |
| Denny Stoiber | Silver Lake, OH | Feed Mill | Watercolor Media | $300 |
| Jacqui Sukie | Akron, OH | Entangled | Photographic Media | $175 |
| Jacqui Sukie | Akron, OH | Time Flies | Photographic Media | $175 |
| Holly Timberlake | Cuyahoga Falls, OH | Sweet Rest | Watercolor Media | $850 |
| Richard Ulanowski | Stow, OH | Reflection in a Reservoir | Photographic Media | $350 |
| Gwen Waight | Peninsula, OH | Domestic Still Life | 3-Dimensional Media | NFS |
| Dale Warren | New Franklin, OH | Amish Plowing Field | Oil Based Media | $1,400 |
| Mary White | Akron, OH | Swallowtail Jig | Oil Based Media | $1,250 |
| David Whited | Silver Lake, OH | Burrowing Owls | Photographic Media | $150 |
| Richard Willett | Tallmadge, OH | Georgia On My Mind | Dry Media | NFS |
| Keith Wisdom | Cuyahoga Falls, OH | Miss | Mixed Media | $1,000 |
| Johanna Yurak | Hudson, OH | Peppers | Watercolor Media | NFS |
*Participants: If you see an error, please give us a call so that we can correct it asap. 330-928-8092
Juror Awards:
| WATERCOLOR MEDIA | ||
| BEST OF CATEGORY
Jessica Corrigan |
“This painting is an excellent example of how an artist can make a strong artistic statement without having to resort to high chroma colors to do so. The artist lets value do the heavy lifting!”
– Juror, Dan Lindner |
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| HONORABLE MENTION
Donna Kensel Barger |
“This delicate painting masterfully conveys the fragile essence of the subject. I just wanted to stand there and take it all in.”
– Juror, Dan Lindner
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| HONORABLE MENTION
Donna Kensel Barger |
“To stand out from the pack, this type of subject depends on creating a convincing sense of light. The light is spot on in this piece for sure.”
– Juror, Dan Lindner
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| WATER BASED MEDIA | ||
| BEST OF CATEGORY
Jim Jones |
“If you are nearby, the artist’s striking use of color, meticulous detail, and expressive depiction of the subject are sure to draw you in and invite you to fully appreciate the work.”
– Juror, Dan Lindner
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| HONORABLE MENTION
George M. Erwin |
“This artist has created a palpable sense of mystery in this work. The painting draws you in with harmonious colors and just enough detail in the grouping of shapes to keep the viewers’ attention.”
– Juror, Dan Lindner
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| HONORABLE MENTION
Carol Klingel |
“In this work we are shown a classic example of the power of shadows. The artist represents things seen directly but also things only represented by their shadow. Additionally, for impact the artist entertains the viewer by allowing the image to extend beyond the conventional frame boundaries.
– Juror, Dan Lindner
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| OIL BASED MEDIA | ||
| BEST OF CATEGORY
Mary White |
“The artist has performed a miracle here. The viewer gets a sense of motion and can almost hear the music being played. All this happens on a flat 2D surface with just some oil paint, applied with artistic skill.”
– Juror, Dan Lindner
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| HONORABLE MENTION
Rob Crombie |
J“This is a strong, colorful, captivating, impressionistic rendition of a grove of old olive trees. Though the trees are old they are still full of energy!”
– Juror, Dan Lindner
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| HONORABLE MENTION
Wendy Freedman |
“This portrait painting, of a young child, is a tour de force of classical painting skills. The rendering of the figure, color usage, and costume detail are impressive.”
– Juror, Dan Lindner
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| HONORABLE MENTION
Tom Jackson |
“The artist has revealed the ‘je ne sais quoi’ of an otherwise ordinary scene. He masterfully accomplishes this by leveraging the effects of sunlight, shadow and shapes!”
– Juror, Dan Lindner
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| DRY MEDIA | ||
| BEST OF CATEGORY
Debrah Butler |
“There is no doubt this drawing shows that the artist has mad drawing skills! Beyond that fact, the title of this piece, gives the viewer a hint to look closer to appreciate the full story.”
– Juror, Dan Lindner
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| HONORABLE MENTION
Terry Klausman |
“I was compelled to take a closer look at this relatively small image and was rewarded with an interesting display of color and shape relationships.”
– Juror, Dan Lindner
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| HONORABLE MENTION
Richard Willett |
“The artist created dramatic light filtering in from a window in this black and white drawing of Georgia O’Keeffe. She is one of the most significant artists of the 20th century Having read her autobiography, I felt this drawing captured some of the essence of Georgia’s personality.”
– Juror, Dan Lindner |
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| MIXED MEDIA | ||
| BEST OF CATEGORY
Jeff Fauser |
“The color and arrangement of shapes immediately attracted my eye to this work. Then when I tried to contemplate what the image represents, my mind went to what we used to call UFOs, now referred to as UAP (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena). Isn’t it amazing how artists can take us on these mental journeys?”
– Juror, Dan Lindner
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| HONORABLE MENTION
Bonnie Morris |
“In this small unassuming work, the artist left this viewer with a strong sense of the vulnerability of these animals in a world that doesn’t properly value their existence.”
– Juror, Dan Lindner
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| HONORABLE MENTION
Dennis Balogh |
“This works strength derives from the artist’s nuanced use of color and shape in the background to accentuate the musician’s performance.”
– Juror, Dan Lindner
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| 3-DIMENSIONAL MEDIA | ||
| BEST OF CATEGORY
Lou Camerato |
“This assemblage of a stringless violin makes a powerful statement about the current unease that grips our country. The seven pipes symbolize self-inflicted exit wounds draining our nation’s spirit.”
– Juror, Dan Lindner
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| HONORABLE MENTION
Gwen Waight |
“The historical objects displayed here by the artist serve as a powerful metaphor for domestic life. Through their careful arrangement, the viewer is reminded of the enduring nature of these objects and the shared experiences, particularly for individuals who have utilized them in everyday life.”
– Juror, Dan Lindner
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| HONORABLE MENTION
Beth Lindenberger |
“I find it hard to put into words, but I was just fascinated by this little gem when I first saw it on the table!”
– Juror, Dan Lindner
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| PHOTOGRAPHIC MEDIA | ||
| BEST OF CATEGORY
Alexis Lower |
“This award-winning color photograph stands out and draws attention from afar. Back lit lighting, rich color and angular pose, combine to reward the lucky viewer.”
– Juror, Dan Lindner
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| HONORABLE MENTION
Bryan Howdyshell |
“This black and white image says a lot. I have wondered about what it feels like making pottery. This image immediately conveys what I imagine to be the joyous process of getting down and dirty with soft wet clay!”
– Juror, Dan Lindner
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| HONORABLE MENTION
Elaine Andrews |
“This photograph exquisitely captures the special bond between humans and our four-legged companions, from an unusual point of view!”
– Juror, Dan Lindner
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