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Steven Elbert – Monochromia

On View November 21, 2024 – January 16, 2025 | Steven Elbert shares, “The exhibition is entitled ‘Monochromia,’ which features works in various media such as Painting, Drawing, Printmaking, Conventional Photography and Pinhole Photography. The pieces shown are all monochromatic in color, but not necessarily black and white, reflecting how I often work to create imagery. Work without full color can be more powerful because it is direct and simple.”

Sharone Putter – Workscapes (2014-Present)

On View November 21, 2024 – January 16, 2025 | Sharone Putter says of her work, "My art highlights worksites and nondescript events by the side of the road. Areas peripheral to the subject matter are semi-abstracted, bringing the narratives into prominence while retaining the potentiality inherent to the unfinished under-construction scenes. Hand painted enameled elements are attached strategically to the artwork, affecting the pictorial space and the narrative. At times, the elements serve to restrict access. At others, they invite us to take a closer look. The viewer of the artwork gains a shift of perspective regarding the mundane events, which, in turn, validates my decade-long engagement with the fleeting vistas and reinforces my commitment to the work.”

Kirsta Niemie Benedetti – Where Life Is Precious Life Is Precious

Where Life Is Precious Life Is Precious seeks to capture the vibrancy and value of incarcerated women through the medium of portraiture and interactive storytelling installations. Through the art, the artist aims to peel away the stigmatization and preconceived notions that often shroud those behind bars, emphasizing the inherent worth and dignity that every person possesses.

Returning Artists Guild – Home Free: Ohio Artists Envision Prison Abolition

Home Free: Ohio Artists Envision Prison Abolition explores the conditions, creative expression, and aesthetic practices of Ohio artists directly impacted by the criminal legal system and who are uniquely positioned to interrogate mass incarceration as a means to safety, justice, and rehabilitation. The Returning Artists Guild (RAG) is a network of more than thirty currently and formerly incarcerated artists in Ohio and across the United States. Its mission centers the artistic practice, processes, and nurturing of RAG artists, and develops platforms necessary to build public support for ending mass incarceration.

Guided Gallery Tour with The Returning Artists Guild & Kirsta Niemie Benedetti

Join our exhibiting artists in an informative and in-depth tour of their exhibitions, Home Free: Ohio Artists Envision Prison Abolition, and Where Life Is Precious Life Is Precious

This will be an opportunity for patrons to be in conversation with the artist about the work as they tour the exhibition.

A World Reimagined: The Work of Abolition 

The McConnell Arts Center is proud to host A World Reimagined: The Work of Abolition. This program promises to be an informative and thought-provoking evening with the founding members of the Returning Artists Guild, Kamisha Thomas and Aimee Wissman, along with artist Kirsta Niemie Benedetti and organizer Safear Ness, as they discuss the movement and work to create lasting alternatives to punishment and imprisonment. They will be joined by Jess Bain, who has recently been released from Ohio Reformatory for Women, and is a participant in Kirsta Niemie Benedetti's portrait project.

2025 Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition – Regional Show of Region 1

The Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition, now in its fifty-fifth year, is dedicated to the educational and artistic advancement of our talented young people in the state of Ohio. The exhibition is open to all of Ohio’s 1,112 high schools, both public and private, chartered by the State of Ohio Department of Education. Our purpose is to provide all budding young artists of the state with opportunities to advance their talent, whether that be through scholarships or simply experiencing the process of entering their work in a competition. The exhibition is a valuable incentive for our young people; it encourages an appreciation for the arts throughout Ohio and reflects the fine quality of art instruction and talent which exist in our state.

Hassan Qureshi – In Contrast

Hassan Qureshi is a Columbus based artist with experience in painting, drawing and Arabic calligraphy. He believes all artists are storytellers, and his form of storytelling is through painting. Although his subject matter varies, he is currently exploring hyper-realism in wildlife and endangered species.

Hassan has exhibited his work in multiple galleries throughout the states and has held solo exhibitions as well. Most recently, he’s completed two large scale murals in Columbus that incorporate wildlife and abstraction.

As an artist, Hassan believes in the capacity to challenge oneself to think differently and therebyfinding new perspectives. To be innovative, one must constantly be willing to push their limits, as that is what he is currently trying to do with his hyper-realistic work. His goal is to inspire his audience into falling in love with the natural world and the animals that live in it.

Emily Morgan – Flourishing

Emily Morgan (a.k.a. Lovely But Dead) is a collage artist based in Columbus, Ohio where she finds endless inspiration in the vibrant and diverse artistic community. WIth a deep love for detail and composition, she specializes in creating captivating images that evoke both curiosity and emotion. Her thought-provoking works captivate the senses, as viewers immerse themselves in the harmonious dance between the organic and abstract. As the founder of the Columbus Collage Collective, Emily finds joy in sharing her creative process with others and is dedicated to fostering a sense of community through art.

Kathy McGhee – Printed Landscapes

Kathy L. McGhee works at the Columbus College of Art & Design.  There she a professor in fine arts, and Area Coordinator of Printmaking.  She teaches introductory, intermediate and advanced printmaking. McGhee, who has shown her work both nationally and internationally, is a practicing printmaker who has had her work published in Printmakers Today. McGhee received the Greater Columbus Arts Council’s International Residency Award in 2005 and traveled to Germany. In 2010, she was a participant in the Xi’an International Printmaking Workshop held at Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts in China, and in 2012, she received an international residency through the Ohio Arts Council.  In 2019, she was an artist in residence at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and also at the Badlands National Park, South Dakota.

She has a BS in plant biology, Ohio State University, 1997; BFA in drawing and painting, Ohio State University, 1997;  MFA in printmaking, Ohio State University, 2000.

Said Oladejo-lawal – My Voice and Dance

I am Said Oladejo-Lawal. I was born in Lagos, Nigeria. I live in Columbus Ohio, with my wife and two children.

My father was a contractor who specialized in painting and decorating houses and exposed me to some intricacies of design and decoration. My dad would often regale the rest of the family with stories of how as a toddler, I would roll in paint whenever he took me to work.  My Dad inspired me to paint, and I started drawing from an early age. I made efforts to project senses out of stick figures and tried to express a distinct sense of emotions when necessary.

I studied painting in Nigeria and graduated 1995 from the prestigious Yaba College of Technology Lagos.  I also graduated with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, United States of America in 2012.

My journey through art so far has taken me through many of the media available for use. I started with pencils, crayons, then oil and moved on to photography, watercolor, pastel and now acrylic.  I always use my themes to explore the hidden part of our daily lives. I enjoy expressing emotions and feelings because they are the essence of who are, even though we mostly think they are mundane. I like music, dance and the feelings associated with them...

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