The Juried Exhibition of Student Art (JESA) has been one of the most far-reaching multi-disciplinary art projects for students in grades one through twelve in Indiana since 1986. Held in conjunction with the prestigious International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, this dynamic educational program integrates the performing, literary, and visual arts, encouraging students to explore the connection between music and creative expression. In 2022 alone, JESA engaged more than 21,000 students and 151 art teachers from 57 counties across the state of Indiana. The program is unique in that it awards cash prizes not only to the student Grand Award Winners, but to their schools or sponsoring organizations as well, demonstrating a strong commitment to supporting arts education at every level.

New for 2026, JESA has expanded into Ohio for the very first time! Thanks to the generosity of the Ohio-based Cynthia P. Matthews Family Foundation, students and schools in both Indiana and Ohio will each receive $18,000 in prizes per state. Thirty Streeter Hadley Matthews Grand Award Winners will be selected in each state, and their artwork will be displayed during the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis from September 17th through October 4th, 2026. Following the competition, each winning artist’s work will be exhibited within their home state for a period of three years.

Best of luck to OHHS Art and Design student, Lily McGuire, who is competing in this year’s exhibition! Lily’s entry, “The Melody of the Soul Contained,” beautifully embodies JESA’s mission by celebrating creativity, fostering interdisciplinary learning, and highlighting the powerful connection between music and visual art.

OHHS AP Art and Design students recently visited Visionaries + Voices in Cincinnati for an immersive, hands-on experience focused on inclusive arts programming and professional studio practice!

Founded in 2003, Visionaries + Voices is a nonprofit organization that provides creative, professional, and educational opportunities to visual artists with disabilities. Students learned how V+V supports artists not only in producing and exhibiting work, but also in developing professionally, collaborating with community partners, and contributing meaningfully to the regional arts landscape.

During the tour, students explored dynamic studio spaces where artists work in paint, clay, metal, fabric, colored pencil, ink, papier-mâché, collage, photography, assemblage, glass, wood, and more! They saw how artists cultivate individual styles that lead to exhibitions locally and beyond.

Students participated in studio activities alongside resident artists, experiencing the collaborative environment that defines V+V. Studio staff, trained in disciplines such as printmaking, ceramics, painting, and drawing, guided discussions and demonstrations, while sharing how education, exhibition, and professional development are integrated into daily practice.

A highlight of the visit was OHHS 2001 graduate Nick Kraft, who demonstrated his wheel-throwing skills and shared his ceramic work. His presentation connected how adaptive strategies have helped his technical skill development and artistic voice, offering students practical insight and inspiration.

The visit provided a meaningful look at how inclusive programming, community partnerships, and professional studio opportunities empower artists and strengthen the broader arts community.

AP Art and Design students recently had the opportunity to engage in a hands-on ceramics experience at Queen City Clay as part of the Contemporary Arts Center’s School Outreach Program. This visit provided students with a deeper understanding of clay as an expressive medium, exposed them to wheel throwing techniques, and provided them with a glimpse of how the largest ceramics studio in the world operates. During the workshop, students explored wheel-throwing techniques under the guidance of professional ceramic artist, Jon Stein, and the QCC team…including OHHS Art and Design alumna Kylie Cornelius!

The collaboration between the Contemporary Arts Center and Queen City Clay exemplifies the importance of community partnerships in arts education. By stepping outside the classroom and into a professional ceramics studio, students gained invaluable insights into process-based artmaking and problem-solving. This experience not only enriched their artistic practice but also connected them to Cincinnati’s broader arts community, reinforcing the idea that experimentation and interdisciplinary learning are vital to artistic growth.

Congratulations to the OHHS Art and Design students’ whose art was selected as a High Merit piece for the Fall 2025 Celebrating Art competition and publication! Receiving a Top Ten or High Merit award means the art was an exceptional piece. Out of thousands of entries received for the Fall 2025 contest, they stood out as being one of the top 5% submitted. Students who have art selected as Top Ten or High Merit work will receive special recognition in the book as it is displayed as a Top Ten or High Merit piece.

Congratulations to the following students:

From Schorsch’s AP Art and Design 2D Design and Drawing, Drawing and Printmaking, and Studio Art Foundations classes: 

Anastasia Brantley
Evelyn Dann
Maria Arrivillaga Munoz
Anna Schuler
Lydia Wilson

From Dignan-Cummins’ AP Art and Design 3D Design class: 

Charlie Morehead

From Kopf’s Painting and Public Art class: 

Lily McGuire

Congratulations to OHHS Art and Design senior Lydia Wilson, whose portfolio of works was 1 of the 12 Semi-Finalists selected from this year’s entries for the 2026 Visual Arts Competition of The Overture Awards.

Congratulations to OHHS Music senior Logan Nerlinger, was selected as 1 of the 13 Semi-Finalists selected from this year’s entries for the 2026 Vocal Music Competition of The Overture Awards.

Lydia and Logan will compete against the other Semi-Finalists from schools around the region. Entries advancing to the finals will be announced on February 13th, 2026.

The Overture Awards Competition is the area’s largest solo arts competition and offers awards in six artistic disciplines: creative writing, dance, instrumental music, theater, visual art, and vocal music. For the 2026 competition, students may win $4,000 (one awarded in each discipline) or a $1000 finalist award. Judges at all levels of the competition are drawn from the professional arts community.

Congratulations Lydia and Logan and best of luck heading in the Semi-Finals!