ARTISTS INVITED: The Cleveland Museum of Art Announces Juried Group Exhibition at Transformer Station

Cleveland (January 20, 2026)—In celebration of its 110th anniversary, the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) announces a call for artist submissions for Lake Effect: Artists from Cleveland Now, a juried group exhibition celebrating the vibrant creative community of Greater Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. 

Lake Effect honors the region’s long-standing legacy as a center for artistic innovation and excellence. Drawing inspiration from the museum’s historic May Show—an annual exhibition that for decades championed regional artists—the exhibition reaffirms the CMA’s deep roots in the community and its enduring role as a source of inspiration for artists and audiences alike. As the museum looks toward its next century, Lake Effect celebrates the artists who have shaped its past while envisioning new creative possibilities for the future. 

Selected artworks will be presented from July 9 through November 22, 2026, at the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Transformer Station, a dynamic hub for visual and performing arts located in Ohio City’s Hingetown neighborhood. 

Eligibility 

The exhibition is open to artists who live and/or work in Northeast Ohio, including Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, and Summit counties. Applicants must be 18 years of age or older. Artists working in all media are encouraged to apply, including painting, sculpture, photography, video, installation, textile, ceramics, and mixed media. Both individual and collaborative proposals are welcome. Submitted works must have been completed within the last five years. 

Selection Process and Awards 

Submissions will be reviewed by a curatorial jury composed of Cleveland Museum of Art curators and museum professionals. Selection will be based on artistic excellence and feasibility of installation.  

In addition, three micro-grants of $1,000 each will be awarded to selected artists. 

Timeline 

Call Opens: January 20, 2026  
Submission Deadline: April 24, 2026  
Selection Notifications Sent: May 1, 2026  
Exhibition Dates: July 9–November 22, 2026  

For submission requirements and to apply visit  

https://lakeeffect-artists-fromclevelandnow.artcall.org (opens in a new tab) 

Lake Effect: Artist from Cleveland Now is a presentation of the Cleveland Museum of Art at Transformer Station. All exhibitions organized by the Cleveland Museum of Art are underwritten by the CMA Fund for Exhibitions. Principal annual support is provided by Michael Frank and the late Pat Snyder, the Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation, the John and Jeanette Walton Exhibition Fund, and Margaret and Loyal Wilson. Major annual support is provided by the late Dick Blum and Harriet Warm and the Frankino-Dodero Family Fund for Exhibitions Endowment. Generous annual support is provided by two anonymous donors, Gini and Randy Barbato, Cynthia and Dale Brogan, Dr. Ben and Julia Brouhard, Brenda and Marshall Brown, Gail and Bill Calfee, the Leigh H. Carter family, Dr. William A. Chilcote Jr. and Dr. Barbara S. Kaplan, Mary and Jim Conway, Joseph and Susan Corsaro, Ron and Cheryl Davis, Richard and Dian Disantis, the Jeffery Wallace Ellis Trust in memory of Lloyd H. Ellis Jr., Leigh and Andy Fabens, Florence Kahane Goodman, Martha H. and Steven M. Hale, Janice Hammond and Edward Hemmelgarn, Linda Harper, Robin Heiser, the late Marta and the late Donald M. Jack Jr., the estate of Walter and Jean Kalberer, the late Mrs. Nancy M. Lavelle, Eva and Rudolf Linnebach, William S. Lipscomb, Bill and Joyce Litzler, the Roy Minoff Family Fund, Lu Anne and the late Carl Morrison, Mrs. Peta and the late Dr. Roland Moskowitz, Jeffrey Mostade and Eric Nilson and Varun Shetty, Sarah Nash, Courtney and Michael Novak, Tim O’Brien and Breck Platner, Dr. Nicholas and Anne Ogan, William J. and Katherine T. O’Neill, Henry Ott-Hansen, the Pickering Foundation, Frank and Fran Porter, Christine Fae Powell, Peter and Julie Raskind, Michael and Cindy Resch, Marguerite and James Rigby, in memory of Dee Schafer, Betty T. and David M. Schneider, Elizabeth and Tim Sheeler, Saundra K. Stemen, Paula and Eugene Stevens, the Womens Council of the Cleveland Museum of Art, and Claudia Woods and David Osage. 

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About the Cleveland Museum of Art 

The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) is renowned for the quality and breadth of its collection, which includes more than 66,500 artworks and spans 6,000 years of achievement in the arts. The museum is a significant international forum for exhibitions, scholarship, and performing arts and is a leader in digital innovation. One of the foremost encyclopedic art museums in the United States, the CMA is recognized for its award-winning open access program—which provides free digital access to images and information about works in the museum’s collection—and is free of charge to all. The museum is located in the University Circle neighborhood with two satellite locations on Cleveland’s west side: the Community Arts Center and Transformer Station. 

The museum is supported in part by residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture and made possible in part by the Ohio Arts Council (OAC), which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts. The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically. For more information about the museum and its holdings, programs, and events, call 888-CMA-0033 or visit cma.org.