Tag Archives: art

From Inspiration to Exhibition: AP Art Students Engage with Gee Horton at the Contemporary Arts Center

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A recent visit to the Contemporary Arts Center provided AP Art and Design students with an exceptional opportunity to engage directly with Gee Horton while experiencing his exhibition, Chapter 4: In Another Lifetime. The visit moved beyond observation, offering students insight into both the conceptual depth of Horton’s work and the lived experience of a practicing artist.

Spanning two galleries, the exhibition continues Horton’s evolving body of work through large-scale photorealistic drawings, photography, collage, video, and installation. His exploration of generational memory, childhood, and the navigation of grief and loss, invites viewers to examine the tension between safety and vulnerability, and how these forces shape identity. Building on Chapter 3: Be Home Before the Streetlights…, Horton shifts from the idea of returning home to what is inherited once we arrive.

At the center of Chapter 4 is the narrative of Freeman Little, a boy living with a rare hereditary sleep disorder that produces vivid, prophetic dreams. Through this lens, Horton blurs memory, imagination, and reality, creating a space where past and present coexist. Students responded to this storytelling approach as a powerful model for embedding meaning and narrative within their own work.

Horton also shared his journey to becoming a full-time artist later in life, speaking candidly about the risks, persistence, and clarity that accompanied that transition. His perspective challenged students to think more expansively about creative careers and reinforced that artistic paths are often nonlinear.

The visual impact of Horton’s exhibition, particularly his graphite and cyanotype works, immersive assemblages, and symbolic imagery, deepened students’ understanding of how material and scale can support complex ideas. This, paired with the experience of exhibiting their own work, prompted thoughtful dialogue about intention, craftsmanship, and the role of art in communicating layered narratives.

In addition to engaging with Horton’s work, students experienced a meaningful full-circle moment by viewing their own exhibition on the CAC’s 6th floor Creativity Center gallery. The displayed works, developed through this year’s SOP (School Outreach Program) experiences, reflected individual and collective explorations of process, concept, and personal voice. Seeing their work installed in a professional gallery setting elevated the experience, encouraging students to consider presentation, audience, and context as integral parts of their practice.

Together, these experiences underscored the value of connection: between artist and audience, concept and execution, and student work and professional practice. For AP Art and Design students, the visit was not only an opportunity to learn from Gee Horton, but also to see themselves as part of a larger creative community; one where their voices, ideas, and work hold real presence and potential.

OHHS Art and Design Teacher, Jamie Schorsch, Named OAEA Art Educator of the Year and Advocate of Honor Award Winner

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Schorsch on her Fulbright international field experience in Varanasi, India.

Art educator Jamie Schorsch recently received remarkable recognition from the Ohio Art Education Association, earning both the Advocate of Honor Award and the Ohio Art Educator of the Year Award, two of the organization’s most distinguished honors.

The Advocate of Honor Award recognizes individuals who expand their impact beyond the classroom by taking on leadership roles in advocacy and community engagement for visual arts education. Recipients actively champion art education outside their daily teaching responsibilities by recruiting others to join advocacy efforts, speaking directly to policymakers on key issues, and contributing to initiatives at the state and/or national level.

The Ohio Art Educator of the Year Award is presented to an educator who exemplifies excellence in teaching, demonstrates a profound impact on students, and shows an ongoing commitment to the advancement of art education. The OAEA Art Educator of the Year Award is the organization’s highest honor, recognizing long-term dedication to both art education and OAEA. Recipients demonstrate a strong, consistent teaching philosophy, leadership in innovative curriculum and methodology, and active involvement in advancing the field through research, writing, and engagement with current issues. They also show leadership beyond the local level at the state or national stage.

For Schorsch, the recognition is both meaningful and humbling. Her journey into teaching was anything but conventional. She did not initially plan to become an art educator, but always sensed that her future would be rooted in the arts. Raised by a single mother who worked tirelessly to support her family, Schorsch attended Walnut Hills High School as a self-described average student before becoming the first in her family to pursue higher education.

Her time at the University of Cincinnati’s DAAP program proved both formative and challenging. Balancing the demands of coursework with employment, she ultimately stepped away during her junior year, uncertain if she would return to college at all. She returned to complete her Bachelors of Fine Arts, with no clear plan for the future. One year after graduation, Schorsch reentered academia through the Master of Arts in Art Education program at DAAP with a full scholarship. Despite facing significant anxiety around public speaking, she discovered that teaching was a natural fit.

More than two decades later, Schorsch has built a career defined by passion, resilience, and a deep belief in the transformative power of art. She views art not only as a discipline, but as a vital tool for expression, reflection, and meaning-making. Throughout her career, Schorsch has remained committed to empowering students to recognize the value of art in their own lives, to use it as a means of processing experiences, communicating ideas, and engaging with the world around them.

This dual recognition from the Ohio Art Education Association stands as a testament not only to her individual accomplishments, but also to the collective community of students, colleagues, and mentors who have shaped and supported her journey.

Schorsch will be recognized for the Advocacy of Honor and Ohio Art Educator of the Year award regionally, at the Fitton Center for Creative Arts, on September 4th and at the OAEA State Conference in Cincinnati on November 7th,2026. Recognition of the Ohio Art Educator of the Year award will take place at the National Art Education Association Conference in New York City in March 2027.

The 2026 Memory Project Delivery Video: Creating Portraits of Kindness for Children in Cambodia

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“The Memory Project” is a nonprofit organization that invites art teachers and their students to create portraits for youth around the world who have faced substantial challenges, such as neglect, abuse, loss of parents, and extreme poverty. Over the past ten years, Drawing and Printmaking and NAHS students have created over 500 portraits for children in Madagascar, the Philippines, and Syrian refugees in Jordan, Puerto Rico, the Rohingya in Rakhine, Columbia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, and India. This year, students at OHHS created portraits for 30 Cambodian children.

Children in Cambodia face a complex set of challenges that affect their safety, education, health, and long-term opportunities. Many children grow up in poverty, which limits access to adequate nutrition, clean water, sanitation, healthcare, and stable housing, particularly in rural areas. Malnutrition and preventable illnesses remain common and can have lasting effects on physical and cognitive development. Although education is officially free, hidden costs, the need for children to work to support their families, and uneven school quality often lead to irregular attendance or early dropout, with girls sometimes facing additional barriers due to gender expectations. Child labor, trafficking, and exploitation continue to place vulnerable children at risk, while child protection systems are under-resourced and struggle to respond effectively to abuse and neglect. These challenges are further intensified by climate change, as floods, droughts, and heat affect food security, health, and livelihoods, creating an environment in which many Cambodian children must navigate overlapping social, economic, and environmental pressures as they grow up.

“The Memory Project” portraits are created by students enrolled in the Drawing and Printmaking course (grades 9-12). The students began by analyzing the artwork of Kehinde Wiley and used the information provided about the children’s favorite things, colors, and hopes for the future to design the background of the image. Below, you can see the delivery video which focuses on the children’s happiness and joyful reactions to receiving the artwork.

OHHS Art and Design Student Advancing to the State Level of Judging for the 2026 Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition!

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This past weekend, the regional level of judging for The Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition, took place. The Exhibition, now in its 56th year, is dedicated to the educational and artistic advancement of our talented young people in the state of Ohio. The exhibition is open to all of Ohio’s 1,112 high schools, both public and private, chartered by the State of Ohio Department of Education. The exhibition is a valuable incentive for our young people; it encourages an appreciation for the arts throughout Ohio and reflects the fine quality of art instruction and talent which exist in our state.

The process of selecting artworks for the state exhibition begins on a regional level. The state is divided into 15 regional locations, with high school students in each region invited to enter work in that regional judging. Each region has a designated Regional Director, who is responsible for choosing the judges for his or her region and arranging specifics of the event. The judging takes place first regionally, and then at the state level, with judges for the competition chosen from all over the country and are generally professional artists, college level instructors, or both.

This year our region # 14, Southwest Ohio, had almost 600 entries and 114 works were selected to move on to the second and final round of judging at the statewide level. Three different judges rated the work on a 0.5 – 10 scale and their scores were averaged together to select the top 20% of works. The Statewide judging will take place next Saturday, March 14th.

Congratulations to Lydia Wilson who had two pieces selected to advance to the state level of judging, and best of luck to her in the next round this upcoming weekend!

OHHS Art and Design Teacher Exhibiting in the New Women Exhibition @ CCAC

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As part of the signature programming of the Clifton Cultural Arts Center’s Nourse Gallery, CCAC is holding the third edition of “New Woman,” a juried group exhibition and accompanying fellowship for one selected artist. CCAC’s signature first-floor gallery, named for Elizabeth Nourse (one of the earliest women artists to achieve widespread recognition and make a living as a professional painter), aims to follow Nourse’s tradition by showcasing the artwork of women artists of Cincinnati and beyond, including the “New Woman” exhibition and fellowship. One winning artist will be selected from the group show for the biennial “New Woman” Fellowship at CCAC, receiving a solo exhibition and honorarium in the following year. The exhibition and fellowship together serve as a platform for recognizing and supporting the creative voices of women working across media, disciplines, and stages of their careers.

OHHS Art and Design teacher, Jamie Schorsch, was one of 55 artists selected from over 371 entries for this year’s exhibition. Schorsch’s piece, “The Heliocentric Sovereign” was selected for the exhibition alongside so many outstanding women from our region…including OHHS Art and Design alumnus Brittany Mathis and former teacher Jan Thomas!

Come out for the opening reception Friday, March 6th, from 6 – 8 pm. The exhibition will be on view through April 3rd.

The Heliocentric Sovereign: Artist Statement
“Metaphors for strength, reclamation of power, and identity populate my images focused on symbolizing resilience and the unwavering ability of the human spirit to overcome adversity, heal, and rediscover its authentic essence. The visual journeys illustrate the unraveling of the intricate tapestry of my identity, interwoven and imbued with mythological references, elements of mysticism, and spirituality, bestowing profound meaning upon events that have challenged my sense of self. In birthing the creations, they become a transformative medium, liberating me from the constraints of past experiences, societal expectations, and transcending pain that has confined me and impacted my personal journey.

The Heliocentric Sovereign merges the radiant, life-giving energy of the Sun with the confident creativity of the Queen of Wands. Cloaked in a garment patterned after solar flares, the fauna it cultivates, and crowned with a golden corona of enlightenment, the Sovereign radiates warmth and illumination. Surrounding forms turn toward this light, symbolizing the gravitational pull of hope, vitality, and renewal.

Drawing from Buddhist iconography, the figure’s raised hand forms the abhaya, the “no fear” mudra, representing courage, compassion, and spiritual awakening. This gesture conveys serenity amidst adversity and the calm assurance of inner strength. Feline imagery reinforces themes of independence and intuitive grace. Associated with solar energy, cats embody protection, self-possession, and balance between fierce vitality and quiet contemplation, mirroring the Queen of Wands’ creative fire and feminine confidence.

Marigolds, bright as miniature suns, symbolize remembrance, warmth, and transformation. Their cyclical nature honors both life and loss, reminding us that renewal is born through resilience. The inclusion of a raven deepens this meditation; its dark wings are a counterpoint to the light, representing mystery, wisdom, and the transformative power of introspection. Together, these symbols weave a dialogue between illumination and shadow, life and transcendence. The title’s scientific reference, “Heliocentric,” evokes the need for a stable inner center where one’s light endures despite life’s orbiting challenges”.