STATE OF THE ARTS

Rutherford B. Hayes High School

Mentor: Jim Bibler

"This is a self-portrait. I wanted to create a facial expression only using the eyes. I also wanted to experiment with different color media. I chose colored pencil to practice and challenge myself."

Shaker Heights High School

Mentor: Kathleen Fleming

"As an artist, my art shows the true symbol of family. Whether in sports or through blood, family always sticks together through good and bad times. Especially in sports, with winning together or losing together, in the end, the team still loves each other just like a family. Being a part of the Shaker Heights Football team shows power and family. Between games and practices, the team always sticks together and helps each other out.  If a coach, player, trainer, or manager is stuck on something, needs help, needs to be brought back up, or anything, they always help out one another."

Andrews Osborne Academy

Mentor: Jessie Barbarich

Turpin High School

Mentor: Emily Casagrande-Pike

Pickerington High School North

Mentor: Clay Kessler

Charles F Brush High School

Mentor: Sarah Curry

"When creating portraits, I believe there is more to see than what meets the eye. In this piece I am exploring the stress of philosophical thoughts."

Arts & College Prep Academy

Mentor: Brooke Hunter-Lombardi

Hilliard Bradley High School

Mentor: Sally Ruffing

Saint Ignatius High School

Mentor: Jennifer Chronister

Milford High School

Mentor: Chris Lussen

Hilliard Davidson High School

Mentor: Jon Horn

“In my ceramic pieces I focus significantly on form and shape, I pull inspiration from classical Greek potters and pair those themes with modern angular forms. In this combination piece titled “Hands”, I utilized a ‘stack pot’ technique to form two large vases. The intention behind this display is to represent abuse through hand shapes on vases with heavy shoulders. I used large handles, inspired from greek amphoras, to stand for ears and give the vases a humanistic characteristic.”

Marysville High School

Mentor: Kelly Friend

The Wellington School

Mentor: Jaime Bennati

Westlake High School

Mentor: Will Wilson

"The objective of this piece is to emphasize the importance of not using substances as a coping mechanism. I feel it is a very real problem among young men and women. I'm a believer in the idea that people should seek help if they are struggling and not resort to drugs and alcohol. I felt the title "Last One" fit perfectly as the man depicted knows he's struggling but always picks up the lighter, lights the cigarette, and tells himself this is the last one. It creates a narrative beyond the actual art and furthers my message. I made sure to create a dark background in order to emphasize my focal point and help the flame stand out. By blending the edges of his figure with the black background, I’m able to create a cohesive image that really gives the effect of a strong light source."

Orange High School

Mentor: Dan Whitely

Logan Elm High School

Mentor: Heath Bennett

Saint Ignatius High School

Mentor: Clayton Petras

Thomas Worthington High School

Mentor: Kim Covell Maurer

Lakota East High School

Mentor: Linda Augustus

Wellston High School

Mentor: Eli Wagner

Saint Ignatius High School

Mentor: Juliana Burrows

"This drawing, Untitled,  depicts me dressing myself in the way that I often dressed at the time that I created this piece. This comes from a larger body of work that explores how my identity and my environment inform what clothing I wear and vice versa. Is an exploration of both drawing technique and personal taste in color and fashion."

Wellington School

Mentor: Shanon Smith

Twinsburg High School

Mentor: Rachel DiFrancisco

"This artwork symbolizes the delicate equilibrium between two distinct cultural worlds, highlighting the emotional journey of self-discovery and the sacrifices one must make in embracing both identities. Through the layering of Indian henna designs and colors of the American flag, complexities of navigating the intersection of two diverse cultural heritages are displayed."

Arts & College Prep Academy

Student Mentee: Eliott Sauer

"Started in 2010 this work reflected on being a 40 year old mom, wife, and graduate student who was carpooling to college with my parents every morning. That body of work explored my relationship with place (Columbus, Ohio) and contemplated first family relationships, including how to love addicted people, through raising silkworms. I revisited the work for this show, adding a self-portrait drawing and many more collage elements-layering on content from life experiences and thinking about my current self as a vessel and a conduit, focusing on my physicality, spirituality and in finding a sense of grateful contentment."

Arts & College Prep Academy

Student Mentee: Eliott Sauer

"When I first started teaching high school there were always turkey vultures roosting atop the building. It occurred to me that people find scavenger birds unsavory, yet these useful birds had claimed the same space as myself and the myriad of misfit children who attend our diverse school. I created the bird as a vessel with a removable head, not fully knowing its purpose. Later learning that many cultures use red thread to symbolize ways people are bound together, I tied together student stories, creating the innards of the beast and binding me forever with the artists I have taught."

Milford High School

Student Mentee: James Stevens

"This zine and photo series explores the history and current status of the Cincinnati Skywalk. The Cincinnati Skywalk is a series of walkways, primarily indoors and elevated, that allows pedestrians to traverse downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1957, Cincinnati Director of Planning Herbert W. Stevens introduced the idea of "elevated skywalks" as a way to keep pedestrians safe from cars driving through downtown.The concept developed further in the 1960s and was built in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. In 2002, five years after it was considered complete, pieces of the skywalk started to come down."

Milford High School

Student Mentee: James Stevens

"These works celebrate the distinctive Cincinnati, OH yellow lamps through photographs backed by a single LED light. Known officially as “Island Lights” and often referred to as “Turtle Lamps,” these lights seems to be dwindling in number."

Milford High School

Student Mentee: James Stevens

"These works celebrate the distinctive Cincinnati, OH yellow lamps through photographs backed by a single LED light. Known officially as “Island Lights” and often referred to as “Turtle Lamps,” these lights seems to be dwindling in number."

Pickerington Local Schools

Student Mentee: Constantina Agganis

"My transition to digital work from traditional mediums was driven by the inquiry of my students as well as my own personal curiosity. For many years my focus has been in portraiture. Specifically of the faces I see everyday, my family. I have never settled into a particular style. I find my visual preferences to be very restless. I’m willing to change the media to fit the mood and setting of the particular subject. I believe this flexibility comes from my experience as an art teacher where I need to practice in several mediums throughout my day."

Saint Ignatius High School

Student Mentee: Paul Angert

"These illnesses described above are often represented as “monsters” that are both horrifying and beautiful in my work. They are fantastical, yet terrifying representations of the unseeable; a literal amalgamation of the muscles stolen from the host inflicted with the disease. Various lenses that define my own perception and representation are traced back through my own past with the visual language of horror film, mosh pits, and a fear of the hereditary, while the medium of block print allows me to physically carve into a material, while metaphorically incising into my own body of fears."

Saint Ignatius High School

Student Mentee: Paul Angert

"In my work, I look for ways to visualize and document degenerative mental and physical diseases such as Bi-Polar and Parkinson’s, transforming them into abstract portrayals of the diseases themselves, their effects, and those they afflict. At the time of my mother’s diagnosis of her Parkinson’s disease, medical imaging technologies had no means of finding the disease outside of its visible symptoms. This piece’s title: “Patient C”, elicits the obscurity of the illness that may be hiding within my own ancestral DNA, and the interplay it has between the visible and invisible manifestations of it."

Saint Ignatius High School

Student Mentee: Paul Angert

"When my mother was first diagnosed and as her symptoms began to set in, her tremors in her hands were some of the first signs of her Parkinson’s. The metaphorical monster here plays itself out in the form of a meathook (akin to a slasher film), but the anatomy here is still recognizable as a human body part, representative of the disease at this early stage, not yet turning into an abstract creature as those seen in my other works."

Orange High School

Student Mentee: Meira German

"My latest oil painting is part of an ongoing series inspired by "The Ecstasy of St. Theresa," infusing it with my unique interpretation rooted in Mannerism. The vibrant palette, channels the emotional and physical connection between heaven and earth. Vivid reds symbolize earthly desires, harmonizing with heavenly blues to convey the transcendent. Swirling forms and intertwined figures evoke movement, disrupting conventional boundaries. I invite viewers to experience their own connection to the profound and spiritual, where the terrestrial and celestial merge in a harmonious dance. This artwork is a celebration of art's enduring power within a larger series exploring spiritual vulnerability and existence."

Wellston High School

Student Mentee: Ryan Farley

"When I create work with the intention to help myself understand the world, I gravitate towards found objects and discarded objects. Fragments from the past gather in pockets, desk drawers, and the nooks of cars. These objects are neglected scraps or stored without a genuine need for them. By arranging these and then adding influential artists to the landscape I am reminded of the many moments that grew into now. It keeps me aware of others’ paths and helps hone a deeper connection to their experiences."

Turpin High School

Student Mentee: Charlie Clark

"Using pottery is a very intimate act and makes eating and drinking more enjoyable. Bundling my mugs in a pressed sweater texture gives the feeling of comfort."

Turpin High School

Student Mentee: Charlie Clark

"The study of sculptural forms on the pottery wheel. Three-walled cylinders, altered to portray the growth of natural forms."

Turpin High School

Student Mentee: Charlie Clark

"The study of sculptural forms on the pottery wheel. Three-walled cylinders, altered to portray the growth of natural forms."

Logan Elm High School

Student Mentee: Olivia Bright

"I wanted to do somethin unique with my sons senior portraits I took their senior years. One one side of the triangle is one son, and on the other side is the other son. I wanted to create a unique look that was eye catching."

Logan Elm High School

Student Mentee: Olivia Bright

"I wanted to create a piece that depicted the Old West with the Carpet Bagger in the midst. His Reptile look is a reflection of how these guys leached off the naïve and ignorant. The other people & poses reflect how many folks were very self-absorbent, wrapped in there stuff, that they missed the others around."

The Wellington School

Student Mentee: Kyla Hammond

"This piece is part of an ongoing series of ceramic forms. Each piece is dedicated to one female artist who I recently learned about for the first time or has had significant impact on my own practice as female artist. In addition, as an arts educator, a goal of mine is always to expand my knowledge and perspective of artists. This summer I read "The History of Art Without Men" by Katy Hessel and found it a main source of inspiration for this work."

The Wellington School

Student Mentee: Kyla Hammond

"This piece is part of an ongoing series of ceramic forms. Each piece is dedicated to one female artist who I recently learned about for the first time or has had significant impact on my own practice as female artist. In addition, as an arts educator, a goal of mine is always to expand my knowledge and perspective of artists. This summer I read "The History of Art Without Men" by Katy Hessel and found it a main source of inspiration for this work."

The Wellington School

Student Mentee: Kyla Hammond

"This piece is part of an ongoing series of ceramic forms. Each piece is dedicated to one female artist who I recently learned about for the first time or has had significant impact on my own practice as female artist. In addition, as an arts educator, a goal of mine is always to expand my knowledge and perspective of artists. This summer I read "The History of Art Without Men" by Katy Hessel and found it a main source of inspiration for this work."

Andrews Osborne Academy

Student Mentee: Avon Park

"As an artist my primary focus is in photography. I like to document events and preserve precious memories. I feel capturing love is a beautiful gift. I do mostly child and family photography, senior pictures, and some commercial work. I enjoy ceramics, printmaking and watercolor. For this particular photo, I had the opportunity to take my photography class to a dress rehearsal for Cleveland Ballet’s Carmen."

Andrews Osborne Academy

Student Mentee: Avon Park

"As an artist my primary focus is in photography. I like to document events and preserve precious memories. I feel capturing love is a beautiful gift. I do mostly child and family photography, senior pictures, and some commercial work. I enjoy ceramics, printmaking and watercolor. For this particular photo, I had the opportunity to take my photography class to a dress rehearsal for Cleveland Ballet’s Carmen."

Andrews Osborne Academy

Student Mentee: Avon Park

"As an artist my primary focus is in photography. I like to document events and preserve precious memories. I feel capturing love is a beautiful gift. I do mostly child and family photography, senior pictures, and some commercial work. I enjoy ceramics, printmaking and watercolor. For this particular photo, I was on a bike ride with my kids. We stopped to explore a little wooded area and found these wild mushrooms growing there."

Saint Ignatius High School

Student Mentee: Jack Garrett

As the garden begins to die back, I started focusing on the creatures and insects that still come to visit it. Bees and beetles are abundant at this time of year, but this guy really intrigued me. As I was taking photos, he flew over and landed on a nearby flower leaf. For twenty minutes he sat there and modeled for me. I took as many images of him from as many different angles as I could before he flew off again. 

Looking closer through a macro lens at an insect we commonly think of as a pest, I found this fly to be quite beautiful. I was surprised by all of the rich colors, textures and components he was made of. 

Saint Ignatius High School

Student Mentee: Jack Garrett

My garden has become my favorite spot for photography, regardless of the season - It’s a place I have cultivated over the past four years. Although I have had many perennial gardens over the years, this is the first time I created a dedicated pollinator/butterfly garden. 

This image focuses on the marigold - a common flower I use to keep rabbits out of the garden. Every day I would walk past the marigolds not really appreciating them, until one day I decided to photograph them. A whole new world opened up to me - one that focused on the diversity and beauty of the marigold! I’ve taken thousands of images of marigolds, however this one really spoke to me… the tiny furled petals against the fully formed petals were very intriguing and beautiful to me. 

Saint Ignatius High School

Student Mentee: Jack Garrett

About four years ago my daughter brought home a monarch butterfly egg. For a month we cared for it and watched as it grew from egg, caterpillar, chrysalis to adult butterfly - it was something that the entire family enjoyed watching. After that experience, I started to really focus on creating a pollinator and butterfly garden. Since that first monarch egg, I have raised/released over 250 monarch butterflies. You can say that these little caterpillars have become my passion - my ‘summer job’. 

Last summer I learned that the monarch butterfly was officially designated as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Naturel, threatened by habitat destruction and climate change, sparking more of a desire to raise/release. Through photography - macro in particular - I am able to capture the beauty and intricacies of the monarch. I strive to give the viewer an experience they don’t often see and one that instantly captivates. 

Rutherford B. Hayes High School

Student Mentee: Alison Koehler

"I have a great love of abstract expressionism. This was the first drawing/painting for me with the goal of painting portraits and family portraits in an expressionistic style. I like being able to use color and distortion to find the personality of the subjects."

Hilliard Davidson High School

Student Mentee: James Tarrentine

"I enjoy the process of changing the surface of my work through carving the clay. First, very fluid and organically, much like brushstrokes and finally hyper focused with a more rigid style of line-work. My work is layered, much like my thought process. Loose and encompassing in its foundation and more refined and organized within the space guided by the form."

Saint Ignatius High School

Student Mentee: Sean O'Neill

"Observing my daughter, Penelope, float blissfully in the sun soaked pool with a lime green noodle captures what I see as a beautiful, relatable, and foretelling picture of childhood. Ever since becoming a mom, my artwork has been reshaped by my kids and the ways in which they shine a new light on life in both experience and reflection."

Shaker Heights High School

Student Mentee: Alyson Garfield

"After the Crossing is a photomontage incorporating several of my sketches and photographs to create a completed piece. This piece incorporates my transition from a toxic situation to my current location of a more bucolic peaceful place. As I navigated my current physical and mental health, I found solace in my woods. This work relates to my other photomontages that tell a personal story. I incorporate my diagnosis of MS and suffering from PTSD to share my story and how nature has helped my healing."

Shaker Heights High School

Student Mentee: Alyson Garfield

"Series ‘01-’09, explores my delayed diagnoses of Multiple Sclerosis. I created this piece showing the emotions and anxiety I felt not knowing what was happening to me physiologically. In 2001, I lost feeling in my dominant hand and arm. As each year went by I developed more symptoms, confused, and scared about what was happening to me. I decided to look for answers. As each year went by I developed new symptoms that added to my concern. Confused, and scared about what was happening to me, I decided to look for answers. In 2009 after several medical tests, multiple MRIs, a lumbar puncture, and hospital visits, I was given a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. My self-portraits, Series”01-’09,shows confusion and pain with my use of long exposure. Each gelatin silver print is framed separately to create a triptych. This piece relates to my other artwork by continuing my focus on MS and my healing.I have created several digital self portraits, often incorporating images and brain scans within my work."

Shaker Heights High School

Student Mentee: Alyson Garfield

"The Chase is another photomontage incorporating several of my photographs to create a piece showing the race and ultimately chase of daily life. What am I running from or towards?"

Marysville High School

Student Mentee: Katie Hammersmith

"In this particular piece, as in most of my recent paintings, I have been drawn to creating an otherworldly surreal narrative. I try to create images that at once seem simple, but also magical. My artwork is most often influenced by the natural world. This painting is meant to illustrate a connection between the figure and the forest. Highlighting the essential sacred power of reciprocity: To gather and to give back. Gathering Light is a tribute to the work of Remedios Varo, whose surreal paintings typically feature a character, usually female or androgynous, encountering or interacting with supernatural forces. I am intrigued by the way Varo captures her imagination in her visionary dreamscapes."

Worthington City Schools

Student Mentee: Providence Ottiwu

"Marking Days examines issues of protection vs. oppression. Made during Covid lockdown, this piece thinks uses the aloe plant and protective casings to symbolize healing and containment."

Worthington City Schools

Student Mentee: Providence Ottiwu

"The Way Out examines issues of protection vs. oppression. Made during Covid lockdown, this piece uses the strength and resiliency of 'delicate' orchids to symbolize the quandaries of navigating a pandemic."

Lakota East High School

Student Mentee: Roman Mohr

"I was inspired by the art of Georgia O'Keeffe and painted this painting with my class as inspiration. Most all of my work is based on organic forms and inspiration from the surroundings of my every day life. As an artist my pieces are types of personal narratives usually based on my hardships and revivals. The egg symbolizes revival and sustenance as well as the beauty in simplicity."

Twinsburg High School

Student Mentee: Vani Modi

"This sculpture delves into the intricate realm of thought, translating the intangible into tangible form. It manifests the ephemeral nature of ideas through abstract shapes and textures, inviting viewers to contemplate the unseen. Each curve and crevice represents the complexity of the human mind, capturing the fluidity of thought as it flows and evolves. Through the tactile nature of clay, I seek to bridge the gap between the conceptual and the concrete, inviting observers to explore the depths of their own cognition in this evocative, abstract exploration of the mind's inner landscape."

Twinsburg High School

Student Mentee: Vani Modi

"My sculpture blends slip casting and handcrafting methods, reflecting my personal voyage of artistic discovery and development. It signifies my dedication to being a lifelong learner and pushes my artistic limits, welcoming imaginative ingenuity into my work. With this sculpture, I engage in a perpetual dialogue between artist and medium, exploring fresh horizons and deepening my understanding of the ceramic art form."

Twinsburg High School

Student Mentee: Vani Modi

"Crafting this cohesive pottery set has been a significant milestone in my artistic journey as well as my teaching journey. It represents the culmination of my dedication and skill, resulting in the finest set I've created to this date. When I share this set with my students they are impressed with my abilities. It fills me with pride, serving as a reminder that with unwavering commitment and continual improvement, I can reach new heights in my pottery craftsmanship and continue to inspire young minds to appreciate the arts."

Hilliard Bradley High School

Student Mentee: Isabella De La Cerda

"This work titled “Sedona'' was inspired by the beauty and serenity I found in a recent trip to Sedona, Arizona with my family. Whereas a family we found much beauty in the red rocks and the calmness of their surroundings. I enjoy looking for inspiration in nature and then incorporating it into my work. It might be searching for the right piece of driftwood on Lake Erie to use as a handle on a ceramic form or an interesting bark pattern to be used as texture. I find my work becoming a lasting scrapbook of moments in my life."

Charles F Brush High School

Student Mentee: Danny Sudberry

"This series of work explores commonalities between women with a gap of 50 years or more. The women depicted in this body of work were found in magazines published before the Roe v. Wade ruling and after it was overturned. Now that women’s reproductive autonomy lacks federal protection, I wonder whether women have been sent back 50 years? I feel the experiences of my generation of women and our push for more relevance and equality being erased. Among the old and new magazines, I began looking for similarities and differences between the depictions of women. I question what those differences are or if there are any to be found. Are any women better off than they were 50 years ago? Has there been growth and progress for women? If so, in what areas? And, for which women? What are the common threads? By juxtaposing 50-year-old images of women with modern ones, I provide a space for the women to communicate. I wonder what they would say. I ask the audience to envision their interactions. 

Sarah Curry: 1973-present 

Roe v. Wade: 1973-2022"

Charles F Brush High School

Student Mentee: Danny Sudberry

"This series of work explores commonalities between women with a gap of 50 years or more. The women depicted in this body of work were found in magazines published before the Roe v. Wade ruling and after it was overturned. Now that women’s reproductive autonomy lacks federal protection, I wonder whether women have been sent back 50 years? I feel the experiences of my generation of women and our push for more relevance and equality being erased. Among the old and new magazines, I began looking for similarities and differences between the depictions of women. I question what those differences are or if there are any to be found. Are any women better off than they were 50 years ago? Has there been growth and progress for women? If so, in what areas? And, for which women? What are the common threads? By juxtaposing 50-year-old images of women with modern ones, I provide a space for the women to communicate. I wonder what they would say. I ask the audience to envision their interactions. 

Sarah Curry: 1973-present 

Roe v. Wade: 1973-2022"

Wellington School

Student Mentee: Simone Crosby-Wallace

"This painting is part of a series of imagined portraits that are primarily process-based, in that I do not have a specific person in mind when I start the painting but one tends to emerge as I work. With this painting, I was preparing to take a group of students to Rome and I think I had Caravaggio on my mind, with the dark background and the curled locks."

Wellington School

Student Mentee: Simone Crosby-Wallace

"This diptych of imagined portraits is loosely based on a type of couple’s portraits you might see from the Renaissance, such as ‘The Duke and Duchess of Urbino’ by Piero della Francesca. I find the stiffness and the isolation of these really fascinating. The subjects here are a Yeti-esque couple who are a bit looser in their pose and are meant to be connected by the flowing background."

Wellington School

Student Mentee: Simone Crosby-Wallace

"This painting was completed at a residency in Cleveland around the time that their baseball team was in the process of finally getting rid of their ridiculously racist logo. It is not meant to be a commentary on this, it was just an image in the zeitgeist of that time period. This is another imagined portrait, perhaps of someone holding on to a regrettable but sentimental past."

Thomas W. Harvey High School

Student Mentee: Julie Moran Teran

"Photography has always been a passion of mine. I enjoy focusing on the use of line within my images which allows me to move the viewers eye throughout the artwork."

Thomas W. Harvey High School

Student Mentee: Julie Moran Teran

"I enjoy photographing landscapes along with cast shadows. Most of my pieces play with natural light and color."

Westlake High School

Student Mentee: Kenan Alsabony

"Porcelain Rabbit is summed up with the tag line, "Sometimes old things must be broken to make way for new things." Here I mix styles and media, a common theme in my work. The rabbit, painted realistically in oil paint is on a dynamic acrylic background drawing inspiration from graffiti art. Inside the rabbit, illustration designs featuring low brow style and themes are found while super flat, outlined colors spill out of the broken porcelain body. I have always been interested in blurring the line between fine art, illustration, and other "low" forms of art."

Westlake High School

Student Mentee: Kenan Alsabony

"Sharks and Other Sea Creatures is a celebration of the diversity of life and the value that diversity brings in all it's myriad forms. The main creatures, the sharks, and a bizarre mix of kabuki and canned hams, each with unique features that distinguish it while having universal characteristics that unite them all. I love the diversity of life because I believe it is the perfect reminder of the idea that our differences are what make us stronger together. In addition to the weird and wonderful creatures of the sea, I am drawing inspiration from video game art. This art form is filled with weird and creative solutions to the problems faced in the early days of computer art. This asthetic has remained with us as a cultural fossil of a time when people did amazing things within the limitations of computing. Part of this nod to gaming comes from the use of isometric design. This solution to rendering 3 dimensions 2 dimensionally was borrowed from mechanical drafting and had a huge influence on games and the way people engaged in the digital space. By using techniques inspired by game art I am once again able to blend "low" art with fine art by painting these images on canvas."