EXHIBITION OPENING ThursDAY, JUNE 26, 5:30–7:30 PM

AWARD CEREMONY 6 PM

79th Ohio Annual Exhibition

About the Ohio Annual Exhibition

In 1942, the Zanesville Art Institute held the first annual May Show of Arts and Crafts for artists in and around Zanesville. More than seven decades later, this annual exhibition continues at the Zanesville Museum of Art as the Ohio Annual Exhibition. This highly anticipated exhibition, the eligibility for which has been expanded statewide, recognizes the extraordinary fine art and fine craft created in the Buckeye state and celebrates the museum’s commitment to discovering, encouraging, and recognizing Ohio’s finest artists and artisans.

In its 79th year, this competitive, juried exhibition welcomed submissions from all Ohio artists, in all stages of their career. In 2025, over three hundred artists vied for the opportunity to exhibit their work at the museum and earn the title Best in Show.

Each year we look forward to presenting a stylistically and thematically diverse exhibition that captures the essence of Ohio’s vibrant visual arts scene. The people, places, and customs found in each unique region of the Buckeye state inspire its artists and the ZMA is in the fortunate position of recognizing and fostering this creativity.

Meet The Artists

Meet the Juror

The guest juror for the 79th Ohio Annual Exhibition is Charlotte Gordon. Gordon is the Artistic Director of the Southern Ohio Museum and Cultural Center in Portsmouth, Ohio, the Mayor of this city, and a former Curator for the Springfield Museum of Art in Springfield, Ohio. Gordon holds a Bachelor of Fine Art from Tulane University’s Newcomb College of Art, and a Master of Art in Museum Studies from Southern University of New Orleans, focusing on collections management and creative community building. Gordon is deeply committed to art and its impact on community. The Southern Ohio Museum and Cultural Center is currently undergoing a multi-million-dollar expansion and renovation to exhibit and house its 25,000 object collection.

Awards

The ZMA’s Executive Director and the 79th Ohio Annual Exhibition juror will present the cash prizes and awards during the exhibition opening Thursday, June 26, 2025, from 5:30 pm. The award ceremony begins at 6 pm. All award and prize decisions are final and at the discretion of the museum and exhibition juror.

The Best of Show award recipient will receive $1,000

The Ceramics Heritage Award recipient will receive $500

The Janice Ballas Excellence in Fiber Arts award recipient will receive $250.

Awards and prizes will be presented in the following categories:

Best of Show, $1,000

Painting, All Types, $100

Drawing, Prints, and Collage, $100

Sculpture, $100

Jewelry and Functional Metalwork, $100

Ceramics, The Ceramics Heritage Award, $500

Glass, $100

Photography, $100

Fiber Art, Textiles, and Quilts, The Janice Ballas Excellence in Fiber Arts, $250