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Lake Effect: Artists from Cleveland Now
Tags For: Lake Effect: Artists From Cleveland Now
- Special Exhibition
A Juried Art Exhibition Celebrating 110 Years of the Cleveland Museum of Art
Thursday, July 9–Sunday, November 22, 2026
Location: Transformer Station
Free; No Ticket Required
Lake Effect, 2026. Peter Kratcoski. Courtesy of the artist
About The Exhibition
In honor of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s 110th birthday, the CMA invites artists from the greater Cleveland area to submit their art for a juried group exhibition titled Lake Effect: Artists from Cleveland Now. This exhibition celebrates the creativity of artists connected to Northeast Ohio, highlighting the region’s legacy as a hub for artistic excellence. Recalling the May Show—the museum’s annual exhibition that for decades celebrated regional artists—this exhibition highlights the rich artistic history of Northeast Ohio and the museum’s long role as a destination and inspiration in the community. As the Cleveland Museum of Art looks toward its next century, Lake Effect honors the artists and audiences who have shaped its past while imagining a vision for the future. Selected artworks will be exhibited at the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Transformer Station, a vibrant center for the visual and performing arts located in Ohio City’s Hingetown neighborhood, in the summer of 2026.
For submission information and to apply, visit https://lakeeffect-artists-fromclevelandnow.artcall.org (opens in a new tab).
For questions, please contact cleartistsnow@clevelandart.org.
Call For Submissions
FAQ
Submissions close at the end of the business day on April 24, 2026. Artists can expect to hear if their work has been chosen in early May.
Yes, participants must be current residents of one of these seven counties (Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, and Summit) to be eligible.
The selected counties are considered the CMA’s service region, the part of the Cleveland metropolitan area traditionally and most frequently served by the museum.
Being a career artist isn’t a requirement. Artworks are judged by the quality of the work itself. We recommend creating a version of your CV that balances experiences outside the art world with anything related to art as a personal endeavor (such as workshops, community events, etc.) that you’ve participated in.
No. There is no specific theme for this exhibition. Artwork selection is based on artistic excellence and feasibility of installation.
“Feasibility of installation” refers to how complicated, or straightforward, it is to display an artwork. For example, an artwork that would require special machinery to install or an installation artwork that would involve building modifications would likely not be suitable for this exhibition. Similarly, an artwork that contains living or unprocessed biological materials may not make ideal candidates.
The maximum height or width of any component is not to exceed 8 feet (96 inches). It is recommended that no artwork weighs over 70 pounds.
Please keep in mind that, if selected, you are responsible for transporting your art to Transformer Station and delivering it into the building.
If selected, the Lake Effect team will reach out with dates and times that Transformer Station is open to receive artwork drop-offs. It is be the responsibility of the artist to bring their work to Transformer Station (1460 West 29th Street, Cleveland, OH 44113) and into the building. At this time, all art is expected to be display ready (e.g., is framed, has hanging hardware, rests or stands, and so on, as applicable).
At pickup, all art will already be deinstalled by the CMA. It is the artist’s responsibility to claim their work and remove it from Transformer Station during the set time frame communicated by the Lake Effect team.
Sponsors
Lake Effect: Artists from Cleveland Now is a presentation by 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, Robert M. Kaye, Jane and Doug Kern, 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.
The Cleveland Museum of Art is funded in part by residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.
This exhibition was supported in part by the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts.