SEASON 16
EXHIBITS IN THE GALLERY
September 2019 - August 2020
| January 24 - February 21, 2020 | Preview Reception: Thursday, January 23, 7-9pm |
For this fourth exhibit period of our 16th season Manifest has created a very special set of exhibitions—the Five Themes Project. The project comprises five concurrent shows representing themes accumulated through a survey sent to the over 3,000 Manifest exhibition alumni* from our fifteen previous seasons, collated into clusters of overarching themes, and then re-vetted through a general public feedback process. The resulting five themes were the most popular or desirable for our audience to see in the gallery and were offered as calls-for-entry internationally. The resulting exhibitions are listed below in order as you will see them in the five galleries at Manifest on Woodburn Avenue in East Walnut Hills (Cincinnati, Ohio). The artwork included in each exhibit was juried by Manifest's standard process involving multiple professional volunteer jurors. |
main gallery
MUNDANE “The most interesting lessons often lie in the mundane—those aspects of everyday life that locals take for granted and tourists tend to overlook. ” – Esther Dyson
For this exhibit 105 artists submitted 421 works from 31 states and 4 countries including England, Israel, Sweden, and the United States. Twenty works by the following 16 artists from 15 states and England were selected by a blind jury process for presentation in the gallery and the Manifest Exhibition Annual publication. * For MUNDANE we would like to recognize the alumnus whose input generated the theme. Thanks go out to Mimi Sheiner (El Cerrito, CA), for contributing to the development of this exhibition concept. Presenting works by: Rob Anderson Malcolm Christhilf Susan Cohen Ryan Durrant Jason Ferguson Karen Hillier Joshua Huyser Marina Kassianidou Dale Knaak Liz Koerner John Lee Sean Lyman Rose Mansel-Pleydell Maddie Miller Cody Williams Stephen Wright
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Susan Cohen
Karen Hillier
Joshua Huyser
Liz Koerner
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drawing room
PERIPHERAL “Beyond the edge of the world there’s a space where emptiness and substance neatly overlap, where past and future form a continuous, endless loop. And, hovering about, there are signs no one has ever read, chords no one has ever heard.” Limitations inspire creativity. Edges—the periphery of awareness, skill, media use, capabilities, and concepts—form the mold that creative trailblazers attempt to define, expand, and break free of. In turn new edges are created, new limitations defined. This exhibit set out to examine how artists consider the concepts of boundaries, edges, or the 'peripheral' as it relates to their creative practice and the subject, content, or form of their work. For this exhibit 59 artists from 29 states, Washington D.C., and 5 countries including Australia, Guatemala, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and the United States submitted 218 works for consideration. Nine works by these 7 artists from 7 states were selected by a blind jury process for presentation in the gallery and the Manifest Exhibition Annual publication. * For PERIPHERAL we would like to recognize the alumni whose input generated the theme. Thanks go out to Sara Frantz (Los Osos, CA) and Kitty Schroeder (Cincinnati, OH) for each contributing to the development of this exhibition theme. Presenting works by: Marc Andreo Blake Brasher Bob Bruch Anita Cooke Maki Hajikano Josh Johnson Neal Rock
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Bob Bruch
Maki Hajikano
Anita Cooke
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parallel space
ENVIRONMENTAL “Despite all of our pretenses and fantasies, we always have been and will remain a biological species tied to this particular biological world. Millions of years of evolution are indelibly encoded in our genes. History without the wildlands is no history at all.” ― E. O. Wilson Environmental awareness has crept, like a dam springing a leak, for over a century now. It seems we wallow from the depths of denial and personal narrow radii to the heights of generational concern, selflessness, and bright clarity regarding the situation at hand. What a paradox to realize that in order to live we must destroy the only thing that could sustain us. Is humanity truly a virus, insane to the point of repeating the same mistakes over and over expecting a different result? How can art and design play a role in illuminating the bigger picture, galvanizing resolve, or illustrating the task or questions at hand? Rather than inciting shock, guilt, shame, or fear of climate change can art address emerging issues in Environmental Activism in ways that build on a common love, respect, and awe for the planet, and still make a difference? Can artists collaborate with scientific researchers and scientific data to bring compelling life and experience to ideas about the environment? What does our culture have to say about our world moving into the Anthropocene? For this exhibit 98 artists from 29 states and 6 countries including Australia, Canada, Finland, New Zealand, Spain, and the United States submitted 360 works for consideration. Twelve works by these 9 artists from 6 states and Canada were selected by a blind jury process for presentation in the gallery and the Manifest Exhibition Annual publication. * For ENVIRONMENTAL we would like to recognize the alumni whose input generated the theme. Thanks go out to Lindsy Halleckson (Minneapolis, MN), Cathy Carter (Auckland, New Zealand), Mimi Sheiner (El Cerrito, CA), Carol Boram-Hays (Columbus, OH), Kim Turner Young (Bowling Green, OH), Jennifer Cronin (Chicago, IL), Margaret Whiting (Waterloo, IA), Meg Lagodzki (Bloomington, IN), and Debra Small (Sacramento, CA) for each contributing to the development of this exhibition theme.
Presenting works by: Brooks Dierdorff Drew Etienne Howard Fullmer Lynne Miller Jones Chris Myhr Matt Roberts Kathleen Thum Margaret Whiting Dganit Zauberman
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Brooks Dierdorff
Chris Myhr
Margaret Whiting
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central gallery
WEATHERED “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” The Japanese concept of wabi-sabi includes the appreciation for the ingenuous integrity of natural objects and processes. Time wears all things. Literally taken weathering is an aspect of the elements, but not without time. Wind, rain, sun, fire, and ice, and even mechanical means, transform everything. Weathering then is the process by which things in our world, and the world itself, are in the process of always becoming. In appreciating such processes one becomes aware of the signs of surviving age, stress, life, the toll of an ordeal or accomplishment, and existence itself. Through weathering a compelling narrative unfolds. For this exhibit 128 artists from 34 states and 7 countries including Canada, China, Denmark, Israel, Italy, Japan, and the United States submitted 496 works for consideration. Eleven works by these 9 artists from 7 states and Italy were selected by a blind jury process for presentation in the gallery and the Manifest Exhibition Annual publication. * For WEATHERED we would like to recognize the alumni whose input generated the theme. Thanks go out to Clayton Cusak (Seattle, WA) and Jon-Erik Hem (Little Egg Harbor, NJ) for each contributing to the development of this exhibition theme. Presenting works by: Francesco Beretta Rima Day Jan Dickey Megan Hanley Julie Herman Karen Hunter McLaughlin Kristen Mitchell Kathleen Taylor Xuanyi Wang
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Rima Day
Megan Hanley
Kristen Mitchell
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north gallery
CHAOS “Invention, it must be humbly admitted, does not consist in creating out of void but out of chaos.” ― Mary Shelly The first and perhaps most common understanding of the word 'chaos' is that it is randomness, disorder, interference, or displacement. A more theoretical illustration is Chaos Theory, represented by the often over-simplified 'butterfly effect'—the concept whereby a butterfly flapping its wings in one place on Earth can cause a hurricane in some far distant location (underlying order in otherwise apparent disorder, revealed through cause and effect.) Whether simple, or elegantly complex, the idea of chaos lends itself to reflection on personal life, patterns and effects of civilization now and over time, and on existence within the broader Universe. And of course it applies itself nicely to pure visual art expression, discovery, and creation as well. For this exhibit 72 artists from 29 states, Washington D.C., and 3 countries including China, Germany, and the United States submitted 259 works for consideration. Ten works by these 10 artists from 8 states were selected by a blind jury process for presentation in the gallery and the Manifest Exhibition Annual publication. * For CHAOS we would like to recognize the alumni whose input generated the theme. Thanks go out to Amelia Vercauteren (Baltimore, MD), Elizabeth Runyon (Oxford, OH), Vanessa Rosalia Larsen (Aalgaard, Norway), and Sally Bousquet (Boston, MA) for each contributing to the development of this exhibition theme. Presenting works by: Dionisio Cortes Susan Czechowski Chris Flynn Ryan Howerton Sarah Jantzi Kristina Key Clive King Rob Kolomyski Bruce Riley Margery Thomas-Mueller
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Kristina Key
Bruce Riley
Susan Czechowski
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| March 6 - April 3 | Preview Reception: Thursday, March 5, 7-9pm |
| April 17 - May 15 | Preview Reception: Thursday, April 16, 7-9pm |
| May 29 - June 26 | Preview Reception: Thursday, May 28, 7-9pm |
| July 10 - August 7 | Preview Reception: Thursday, July 09, 7-9pm |
| August 14 - September 11, 2020 (SEASON 16 FINALÉ) | Preview Reception: Thursday, August 13, 7-9pm |
——— END OF SEASON 16 ———
PREVIOUS SEASON 16 EXHIBITS:
| September 27 - October 25, 2018 (SEASON 16 LAUNCH) | Preview Reception: Thursday, September 26, 7-9pm Public Opening: Friday, September 27, 6-9pm |
main gallery + drawing room + parallel space
PAINTED 2019
At some point many generations ago society reached a level where ordinary people could spend a lifetime perfecting their ability to mix and apply paint, in extraordinary ways. Manifest established this exhibit as a permanent biennial project in 2013 to inaugurate our expanded gallery. PAINTED 2019 is the fourth biennial presentation of this survey of contemporary painting. PAINTED joins Drawn as a recurring gallery exhibition designed to complement our annual INDA and INPA (drawing and painting) publications. Every two years it launches our exhibition season by presenting a competitive group exhibition focused exclusively on painting. For this exhibit 167 artists from 35 states, Canada, Greece, Singapore, and Turkey submitted 682 works. Thirty-three works by the following 26 artists from 17 states were selected by a blind jury process for presentation in the gallery and the Manifest Exhibition Annual publication. Presenting works by: Erick Anderson Kim Anderson Shannon Cannings Gregory Carr Daniel Dallmann David Dorsey Hannah K Freeman Jason Lee Gimbel Susan Hoffer Donald Keefe Anne Lindberg Junyi Liu Perin Mahler Michael McCaffrey Armin Mühsam Mihee Nahm Martina Nehrling Isoko Onodera James Perrin Ron Prigat Erin Raedeke Robert Samartino Dana Saulnier Carol Stewart Lance Turner Dganit Zauberman
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Erin Raedeke
Jason Lee Gimbel
Dana Saulnier
Dganit Zauberman
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central gallery
AQUACHROME
The nature of the media itself represents a delicate and dictatorial transparency, fluidity, and a potential for expressive spontaneity. This not only makes it an ideal vehicle for contemporary art, but also one of training, intensity, philosophy, and play for any who practice it. Where an artist can easily dominate other painting media, forcing a will through viscous layers into a work of art like taming a wild horse, with watercolor there is dialog, compromise, and undeniable forthrightness. In this way the artist practicing watercolor works with a tiger in the room. *Along with watercolor, works in gouache, ink wash, and other similar media were accepted for consideration. For this exhibit 52 artists from 21 states, Washington D.C., and Brazil, Canada, and Poland submitted 209 works for consideration. Fifteen works by the following 9 artists from 6 states were selected by a blind jury process for presentation in the gallery and the Manifest Exhibition Annual publication.
Presenting works by: Mark Adkins Andrew Arkell Carrie Callihan Steven Elbert Janet Gorzegno Pauline Goldsmith Reuben Negron Julio Suarez Tanzanight
Aquachrome was last presented as part of our painting biennial in 2017. We were pleased then to announce its reinstatement as a permanent element of the biennial, and look forward to showcasing and documenting works of watercolor and related media, alongside the wider spectrum of painting, every two years. |
Mark Adkins
Reuben Negron
Steven Elbert
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north gallery
STAY AND REMAIN Joe Morzuch is an observational painter currently residing in Starkville, Mississippi. In addition to his studio work, he is an Assistant Professor at Mississippi State University where he teaches courses in foundations, painting, and drawing. In 2006 he received his MFA from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He has taught at the college level for the past 15 years and actively exhibits his work nation-wide. Of his work the artist states: "As a still life painter, I am interested in the visual and communicative potential of objects that are cast off, discarded, and over-looked. Inherent to the genre is an engagement with the mundane, domestic, and every-day, as well as the notion of an arrested visual experience. These subjects, their intrinsic intimacy, and the process of working from life are rich with pictorial and conceptual possibilities... I am concerned with the subjective nature of perception, and the challenge of translating visual information into paintings that speak of their own making as both image and object... Time is the purview of still life painting, with its charge to hold fast as a reminder of the impermanence of all things, and is reflected in the title of this exhibition. Stay and Remain is a plea, referring to the act of painting, the endurance of objects, absence, love, and loss. There is something in the attempt to arrest a moment—to present an arrested moment through an accumulation of moments observed and painted—that feels necessary but also paradoxical. This work, with its forms suspended between coalescence and fragmentation, was made in an effort to reflect that paradox.” This exhibition is one of 6 selected from among 149 solo proposals submitted for consideration for Manifest’s 16th season.
Listen in on a podcast interview with Joe from 2014:
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| November 8 - December 6 | Preview Reception: Thursday, November 7, 7-9pm |
main gallery + drawing room
TRANSCENDENCE tran·scend tran·scend·ence
Something many artists strive for in their work throughout their careers—a going beyond ordinary. But what about work that addresses the idea of Transcendence as a subject, rather than an aspect of the ambition, dedication, and rigor of the artist themselves? How does visual art represent, either through subject, form, or content, a notion which, in some form or another, underlies much of human introspection and civilized activity since our earliest days as a species? For this exhibit 83 artists submitted 292 works from 29 states, Washington D.C., and 8 countries, including Canada, Denmark, England, Puerto Rico, Russia, Singapore, Ukraine, and the United States. Twenty works by the following 13 artists from 8 states, Canada, and Denmark were selected by a blind jury process for presentation in the gallery and the Manifest Exhibition Annual publication. Presenting works by: Helmut Amann Cameran Ashraf Camilla Augustinus Kevin Dotson Richard Ferncase Hannah K. Freeman Eric Heffington Pamela Martinez Clive Moloney Laura Noel Holly Pennington Snail Scott Jennifer Wilson
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Laura Noel
Jennifer Wilson
Eric Heffington
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parallel space
LIGHT “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” ― Plato
For this exhibit 63 artists submitted 213 works from 27 states and 4 countries, Canada, England, Germany, Russia, and the United States for consideration. Nine works by these 6 artists from 5 states were selected by a blind jury process for presentation in the gallery and the Manifest Exhibition Annual publication.
Presenting works by: Cecile Baird Jenn Gulgren Heather Hartman Joseph Holsapple Maddie Miller Erin Schaefer
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Erin Schaefer
Maddie Miller
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central gallery
UMBRA Jess Holz (b. 1985) creates artworks which give the viewer a peek into invisible worlds, as well as a chance to reflect on the influence of scientific visual culture on our collective imagination. She has just received her MFA in Art+Technology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; previously she has worked in several labs and imaging facilities, gaining valuable technical experience with a number of microscopic imaging techniques. The discrepancy between what can be perceived by eye and what is imaged has fostered her fascination with perceptual systems along with the optical properties of materials. Jess actively exploits this in photography and installation. Of her work the artist states: "The wilderness has long symbolized unknown beasts and dangers, but it has also been a therapeutic place, a place to meet God. As a landscape, my work encapsulates the awe and terror associated with the sublime of the Romantic tradition—however, the sublime is associated with vast, expansive spaces. My work asks the question, what of the ‘tiny sublime’? This body of work is titled Umbra, after the darkest part of a shadow, since the worlds that I am imaging are not illuminated by light. These alien landscapes are, in fact, microsculptures incorporating insect and plant fragments, imaged by scanning electron microscopy. Lit with electricity instead of light, the sculptures present as post-apocalyptic wilderness, with radiant glowing forms and seemingly unstable dark areas, all rendered in excruciating detail. The monstrous forms inhabiting these scenes appear massive and immense, but in reality the entire landscape is less than half a centimeter across.” This exhibition is one of 6 selected from among 149 solo proposals submitted for consideration for Manifest’s 16th season.
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north gallery
DARK “Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness.” ― Anne Frank
For this exhibit 103 artists submitted 359 works from 30 states, Washington D.C., and 5 countries, including Canada, England, Israel, Poland and the United States for consideration. Seventeen works by these 15 artists from 11 states were selected by a blind jury process for presentation in the gallery and the Manifest Exhibition Annual publication. Presenting works by: Andrew Arkell Susan Bryant Jacob Crook Donovan Entrekin Donald Furst Alexandra Gataeva Kenneth Hall Joseph Kameen Jordan Kornreich William Linthicum Andrew Mullally Elsa Munoz Ron Prigat Lisa Rickard Duat Vu
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Jacob Crook
Kenneth Hall
Elsa Munoz
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| December 13, 2019 - January 10, 2020 | Preview Reception: Thursday, December 12, 7-9pm |
main gallery + drawing room
TIME BOMBS “Present fears are less than horrible imaginings.” – William Shakespeare
Where is the fuse, the key or trigger? How can we detect and diffuse such intense energy-pockets bent on total destruction? Anxiety and fear are like a virus. Perhaps the solution is to acknowledge, examine, and then contain and discard them. Maybe art can help with this by providing an encapsulation of the subject, something that safely externalizes the issue, providing release. And maybe Time is the key... Manifest invited artists from around the world to submit works for consideration which in some way address the theme of anxiety or impending disaster. For this exhibit 124 artists submitted 421 works from 30 states, Washington D.C., and 3 countries, including Canada, England, and the United States. Twenty-three works by the following 18 artists from 14 states were selected by a blind jury process for presentation in the gallery and the Manifest Exhibition Annual publication.
Presenting works by: James Allen Jane Barrow Heather Lee Birdsong Beth Blake Donna Garcia Kevin Haran Nick Hewlett Devan Horton Zach Mory Mary Nees Melissa Nunez Anna Pamasa Deborah Rockman Gary Schmitt Jovan Karlo Villalba Stephen Winiecki Anderson Wrangle Manuel Zamudio
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Heather Lee Birdsong
Jane Barrow
Kevin Haran
Melissa Nunez
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parallel space
BUG-INSECTUM “As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.” The number of insect species on our planet is believed to be between six and ten million. While spiders are not insects, our exhibit is titled in order to include them (of which there are estimated to be 35,000 different species), as well as any other similar creature one may call a 'bug'. For many people, bugs are notorious. They freak people out, even the ones that don't readily sting, bite, or infect. Some do massive damage to people, other animals, homes, and each other. But by and large they are the dominant denizens of this planet, mysterious and ubiquitous. Perhaps we are lucky they tolerate us at all. This show honors them, both in all seriousness and in light-hearted play. After all, without them we'd likely not be here at all. Manifest invited artists to submit works which in some way address the theme of Bugs, including any and all insects, spiders, and similar creatures large and small, real or imagined. For this exhibit 81 artists from 34 states and Washington, D.C. submitted 271 works for consideration. Eleven works by these 9 artists from 9 states were selected by a blind jury process for presentation in the gallery and the Manifest Exhibition Annual publication.
Presenting works by: Matthew Dercole Robert Long Benjamin Montague Dale Marie Muller Steve Nyktas Shelby Shadwell Madeline Rile Smith Amber Tyler-Elliott Chris Woodman
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Matthew Dercole
Amber Tyler-Elliott
Shelby Shadwell
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central gallery
ONE 10 CELEBRATING A DECADE OF PROVIDING THIS AWARD TO ARTISTS MAKING EXCEPTIONAL ART! The Cartographer Late in the day, near a great murder of crows, He quietly said, I asked what of his family? He replied, they are waiting for me, in the heart of the cave.
Damon Mohl (b.1974) is a filmmaker and interdisciplinary artist. His work bridges drawing, painting, collage, and sculpture with digital technology to create experimental as well as narrative-based films and works of art. He received his BFA in drawing and painting from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia and his MFA from the University of Colorado, Boulder. With a focus on filmmaking, his graduate thesis film was nominated for a Student Academy Award in the experimental category. He exhibits his work nationally, and internationally his films have screened in over thirty countries. He is currently serving as an assistant professor of art at Wabash College in Indiana. ABOUT THE $5000 MANIFEST PRIZE We respect the creative principle of reduction (the blind jury process) as it is employed to achieve an essential conclusive statement for each exhibit we produce. This is what has led to the high caliber of each Manifest exhibit, and to the gallery's notable following. We believe competition does inspire excellence. Therefore we determined eight years ago to launch the Manifest Prize in order to push the process to the ultimate limit—from among many to select just ONE work. Manifest's jury process for the 10th Annual Manifest Prize included multiple levels of jury review of 873 works by 192 artists from 41 states, and 12 countries including Australia, Canada, England, Georgia, Germany, Israel, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, Ukraine, and the United States. The jury consisted of a total of 17 different volunteer jurors from across the U.S. Each level of the process resulted in fewer works passing on to the next, until a winner was reached. The size and physical nature of the works considered was not a factor in the jury scoring and selection. It should be noted that the winner and finalists, 11 works, represent the top scoring 1% of the jury pool. The winner represents the top one-tenth of 1% of the jury pool. The winning work will be presented in Manifest's Central Gallery from December 12, 2019 through January 10, 2020. It will be accompanied by excerpts from juror statements and the artist's statement. The Runners-up: The Artists of the Ten Runner-up / Finalist Works: Tamie Beldue (Black Mountain, North Carolina), Patty Carroll (Chicago, Illinois), Tatana Kellner (Kingston, New York), Damon Mohl (Crawfordsville, Indiana), Saritdikhun Somasa (Johnson City, Tennessee), Kelsey Stephenson (Edmonton, Canada), Duat Vu (Springfield, Missouri), Victor Wang (St Louis, Missouri).*
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north gallery
10th Annual TAPPED
The relationship between artists and their current or former instructors can be a powerful one. Even when this bond is left unstated, we carry our professors' voices forward in time as we mature as artists and people. We eventually realize that the instruction given by our teachers during our relatively brief careers as students continues to expand within us. We realize that the learning they inspired (or insisted upon) is a chain-reaction process that develops across our lifetime. All of us who have been students carry forward our teachers' legacy in one form or another. And those who are, or have been teachers, bear witness to the potency of studenthood. Out of respect for this artist-teacher bond, and in honor of instructors working hard to help artists tap into a higher mind relative to art and life, Manifest is proud to celebrate a decade of presenting TAPPED, an annual exhibit that presents paired works of art by current or former artist/teacher pairs. For this exhibit 77 artists submitted 260 works from 33 states for consideration. Sixteen works by these 16 artists from 12 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Virginia, were selected by a blind jury process for presentation in the gallery and the Manifest Exhibition Annual publication. The artists are listed in pairings to illustrate their teacher/student relationship (past or present). Works on view will include paintings, drawings, and photographs. The exhibition layout is planned so that each pair of artists' works will be shown side-by-side or in close proximity. Visitors will be able to enjoy the variety of types of works while also considering the nature of influence between professor and student. It is worth noting also that a number of the artists in the 'former student' category are now themselves working as professors.
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Manifest's 16th season is funded in
part by a grant from the Robert H. Reakirt Foundation, PNC Bank, Trustee. This season's programming is also supported by an impact grant
from ArtsWave, by a sustainability grant from
the Ohio Arts Council, and through the generous contributions of individual supporters who care deeply about the visual arts.
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