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80th Ohio Annual Exhibition

About the Exhibition

In 1942, the Zanesville Art Institute held the first annual May Show of Arts and Crafts for artists in and around Zanesville. Eight decades later, this annual exhibition continues at the Zanesville Museum of Art (ZMA) 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.

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.

In its 80th year, this competitive, juried exhibition welcomes submissions from all Ohio artists, in all stages of their career.

In 2025, over four hundred artists vied for the opportunity to exhibit their work at the museum and earn the title Best in Show.

Meet the 80th Ohio Annual exhibition Juror

Dr. Sarah Spinner

The guest juror for the 80th Ohio Annual Exhibition is Dr. Sarah Spinner. She is an arts leader and museum director whose work centers on partnerships and public-facing cultural initiatives. Since July 2024, she has served as Director of the Kent State University Museum, home to one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of historic fashion and textiles. In this role, she has led transformational growth in audience engagement and institutional collaboration, positioning the museum for a new phase of scale and impact. Her leadership has been recognized with the 2025 Summit ArtSpace Artist Empowerment Award and the 2023 Ohio Museums Association Professional of the Year Award. Previously, she served as Managing Director of FRONT, where she worked closely with artists on large-scale contemporary projects and also championed accessibility initiatives for people of all abilities. She serves on the board of The Sculpture Center and is a member of Leadership Cleveland’s Class of 2026. She believes deeply in the power of arts and culture to connect people across communities, open space for dialogue, and inspire possibility.


Call to Artists

This competition is open to all artists, 18 years of age and over, who presently live in or have previously lived in the state of Ohio. All works must be original, completed in the last two years, and not previously exhibited at the ZMA. Accepted works may not be withdrawn by the artist prior to the close of the exhibition and artists must abide by the specifications outlined below. Entry application submission shall be taken as an agreement to all conditions stipulated in the entry form. Apply today at www.callforentry.org/.

Key Dates for Artists

Monday, February 2 Application opens.

Friday, April 24 Application closes.

Tuesday, May 12 Acceptance notifications emailed to applicants. Acceptance is also available on CaFÉ

Friday, May 15 Postmark shipping deadline.

All work should be shipped to: Zanesville Museum of Art
C/O Ohio Annual Exhibition
620 Military Road
Zanesville, Ohio 43701

Please include a pre-paid return shipping label. A delivery confirmation email will be sent to the artist’s email on file in the 80th Ohio Annual Exhibition application. Please allow 48 hours for a delivery confirmation email. If you have not received a delivery confirmation email from the ZMA after that time period, please email exhibitions@zanesvilleart.org.

Friday, May 29, from 10 am to 3 pm, Saturday, May 30, from 12 – 4:30 pm and Sunday, May 31, 12 – 4:30 pm - Hand-deliver artwork to the ZMA

Artists unable to drop off their work during these times should email exhibitions@zanesvilleart.org to schedule an alternative appointment.

All artwork needs to be onsite by Sunday, May 31, 2026, to be included in the exhibition.

Thursday, June 18 Exhibition opening 5:30–7:30 pm. The award ceremony begins at 6pm.

Friday, September 11 Exhibition closes.

Saturday, September 12, 12 – 5 pm – Sunday, September 13, 12 – 5pm - Pick up artwork at the Zanesville Museum of Art.

Artists unable to pick up their work during this window should email exhibitions@zanesvilleart.org by Friday, August 28, 2026 to schedule an alternative appointment to pick up their artwork.

Tuesday, September 15 Artwork will be scheduled for shipment to those artists who shipped their work to the ZMA.

CATEGORIES

1.   Painting, All Types
2.   Drawing, Prints, and Collage
3.   Sculpture
4.   Jewelry and Functional Metalwork
5.   Ceramics
6.   Glass
7.   Photography
8.   Fiber Art, Textiles, and Quilts

Submission Requirements

  • Artwork entered into this exhibition must not exceed 72”h x 72”w and 100lbs.

  • No more than two artworks may be submitted by each artist for consideration in the 80th Ohio Annual Exhibition.

  • Whenever categories are in question, final decisions will be made by museum staff.

  • The ZMA reserves the right to reject entries deemed unacceptable.

  • The $25 entry fee is non-refundable. Payment of entry fee does not ensure acceptance of any and all artworks submitted.

    Image format

  • Please make sure the images of your original artwork are of the highest quality.

  • All artwork will be juried based on the high-resolution digital images submitted with the entry form.

  • Each artist may submit a maximum of two works.

    • For 2D artwork: 1 image per piece

    • For 3D artwork: 1 image per piece

  • The title of each image should follow these guidelines: Artist Last Name Artist First Name Category # Title.JPG (e.g., KappesKarl1EveningLandscape.JPG).

  • The ZMA reserves the right to reject an artwork if that artwork was not accurately or clearly represented during the submission process.  

Apply On line, by mail or in person

online

  • Apply and submit the entry form and fee online at www.callforentry.org by April 24, 2026.

    by mail or in person

  • Apply and submit the entry form and fee by mail or in person by clicking on, then printing a copy of the entry form, which can be found here.

Please mail or deliver the following items to complete the application:

  • Completed entry form

  • USB Stick / Thumb Drive with labeled images. Please do not email images.

  • The entry fee (check made payable to the Zanesville Museum of Art) should be mailed or delivered to:

    Zanesville Museum of Art

    C/O Ohio Annual

    620 Military Road

    Zanesville, Ohio 43701

  • The postmark deadline is April 24, 2026. 

Entry Fee

  • The entry fee is $25 for each work submitted for jury.

Sales and Insurance

  • Artwork should be eligible for sale. However, artwork that is not for sale must be marked NFS on the entry form.

  • The ZMA will retain a 30% commission on all artwork sold from this exhibition.

  • Prices of accepted works may not be changed after submission deadline and all artwork for sale will be insured at the sale value. 

  • The insurance value may not exceed fair market value and must be provided on the entry form.

Artwork Display Requirements

  • Two-dimensional submissions must come framed and ready to hang with D-rings. Please note, we will not hang artwork from wire, only D-Rings. View a 1-minute D-Ring video tutorial.

  • Upon delivery, all artwork must be dry and in stable condition. The ZMA has the right to reject artwork accepted into the exhibition if, upon delivery, it is not in stable condition or if the artwork is not properly seated and secure in its frame.

  • Please attach a label with your last name, first name, and artwork title to the lower right back section of a two-dimensional work or to the bottom of a three-dimensional work. (e.g., Kappes, Karl, Evening Landscape)

  • Please note: Some 3-dimensional work may require the museum to affix museum wax to secure the work to the pedestal.

Delivery and Pick Up

  • Artists are responsible for the transit of artwork to and from the ZMA. 

  • Please email the ZMA to authorize another party to deliver or pick up your artwork.

Ship your work to the ZMA

  • Shipped artworks must be postmarked by Friday, May 15, 2026, to:

    Zanesville Museum of Art
    c/o Ohio Annual
    620 Military Road
    Zanesville, Ohio 43701.

  • Please include a pre-paid return shipping label in your original shipping container, box, or crate.

  • COD shipments will not be accepted.

  • A delivery confirmation email will be sent upon receipt to the email included in the application. Please ensure that the ZMA has the most up-to-date email. If you do not receive a delivery confirmation email, please confirm delivery by emailing exhibitions@zanesvilleart.org. Please allow 48 hours for a response.

  • Artworks shipped to the ZMA will be shipped back to the artist using the enclosed pre-paid shipping label. A return shipping label should be included in the shipping box covering full return shipping charges.

  • Artwork will be scheduled for return shipment on Tuesday, September 15, 2026.

Hand-deliver your artwork to the ZMA

  • Please plan to deliver artwork at the ZMA during the following days:

    • Friday, May 29, from 10 am — 3 pm

    • Saturday, May 30, from 12 – 4:30 pm

    • Sunday, May 31, 12 – 4:30 pm

    • Artists unable to drop off their work during this two-day window should email exhibitions@zanesvilleart.org to schedule an alternative delivery appointment.

  • The ZMA is not liable for any damage or loss incurred in transit. Settlement for any artworks damaged in transit will be the responsibility of the artist and shipper.

Pick up your artwork at the ZMA

  • Please plan to pick up artwork at the ZMA during the following days:

    • Saturday, September 12, 2026, 12 – 5pm

    • Sunday, September 13, 2026, 12 – 5pm

    • Artists unable to pick up their work during this window two-day weekend window should email exhibitions@zanesvilleart.org to schedule an alternative pickup appointment.

Awards

The ZMA’s Executive Director and the 80th Ohio Annual Exhibition Juror will present the cash prizes and awards during the Exhibition Opening on Thursday, June 18, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. All award and prize decisions are final and at the discretion of the museum and Exhibition Juror.


Awards and prizes will be presented in the following categories:

Best of Show, $1,000

  1. Painting, All Types, $100

2. Drawing, Prints, and Collage, $100

3. Sculpture, $100

4. Jewelry and Functional Metalwork, $100

5. Ceramics, The Ceramics Heritage Award, $500

6. Glass, $100

7. Photography, $100

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

 *Please note, if a category receives only a single applicant, that applicant is not granted an award by default. Decisions remain at the discretion of the juror.



Apply Now!