OHHS Art and Design Students Selected for the 2025 Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition

This past weekend, the state level of judging for The Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition, took place. The Exhibition, now in its 55th 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 and Workforce. A program of the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, in partnership with the Ohio Governor’s Office, Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, and the Ohio Arts Council, sponsors are also secured to offer scholarships for students to continue a post-secondary arts education. T

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 state judging takes place in Columbus; however, the judges for this level of competition are chosen from all over the country and are generally professional artists, college level instructors, or both.

State jurors selected 284 pieces for the exhibition with 25 of the 284 chosen to receive the Governor’s Award of Excellence. An additional 35 works are selected for the Cameo Exhibition displayed at the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.

Congratulations to the following student whose work was accepted into the state level exhibition:

Molly Audretch, “Inverted Virtues”

Congratulations to the following students whose work was accepted into the Cameo Exhibition at the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce:

Congratulations to the following student whose work was selected as one of the Top 25:

Lizzie Schreibeis, “Killing in the Name Of”

The exhibition will be on display at the James A. Rhodes State Office Tower, 30 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215 from April 20th – May15th. An awards ceremony will take place in The Riffe Center Capitol Theatre, 77 South High Street, Columbus, OH 43215 on May 4th at 12:00 pm.

OHHS Art and Design Student Awarded 2nd Place at the Taft Museum of Art’s ARC Exhibition!

OHHS Art and Design students enrolled in Schorsch’s Drawing and Printmaking class had the opportunity to participate in the ARC program this year. The Taft Museum of Art’s Artists Reaching Classrooms (ARC) offers an immersive educational experience to Greater Cincinnati high school students that includes a range of activities, including museum visits, classroom sessions with professional artists, and studio tours.

Throughout the first semester, students had the opportunity to work alongside mentoring with artist Cedric Cox as they built an understanding of artists, art, and society, working artists’ methods, exploration of various careers in the arts and culture sector, and appreciation for the Taft Museum of Art as a local resource with a rich history.

The experiences culminate in the creation of original artworks, and one collaborative piece, for a juried exhibition at the Pendleton Arts Center Annex Gallery. Students were challenged to consider their interpretation of “The Beauty Within” and “Sacred Spaces” and generated works that demonstrate their approach to the term after brainstorming, project planning, and setting up their own resource images.

The Exhibition awards took place on March 8th, 2025 at The Annex Gallery, showcased the work of students from Aiken, McNicholas, Oak Hills, Princeton, School for the Creative and Performing Arts, Spencer School for the Gifted and Exceptional Students, Walnut Hills, and Western Hills High Schools. At the opening reception, Aurora Studenka received the Award for the Best in Show from OHHS and Baylee Moorman took home the 2nd place award!

OHHS Art and Design Students Advancing to the State Level of Judging for the 2025 Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition!

This past weekend, the regional level of judging for The Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition, took place. The Exhibition, now in its 55th 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. A program of the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, in partnership with the Ohio Governor’s Office, Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, and the Ohio Arts Council, sponsors are also secured to offer scholarships for students to continue a post-secondary arts 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. Southwest Ohio had 674 entries and 120 works are moving on to the second and final round of judging at the statewide level. The state judging takes place in Columbus; however, the judges for this level of competition are chosen from all over the country and are generally professional artists, college level instructors, or both.

Congratulations to the following students who have advanced to the state level of judging, and best of luck to them in the next round this upcoming weekend!

Molly Audretch, “Saying Goodbye”
Molly Audretch, “Fertile Grounds”
Molly Audretch, “Inverted Virtues”
Bethany Bachman, “A Room with a View”
Grace Gray, “On a Journey”
Lizzie Schreibeis, “Killing in the Name Of”
Lizzie Schreibeis, “See No Evil, Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil”

2025 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Winners!

Each year, the Alliance partners with more than 100 visual arts and literary arts organizations across the country to bring the Scholastic Awards to local communities. Teens in grades 7–12 (ages 13 and up) apply in 29 categories of art and writing. Submissions are juried by luminaries in the visual and literary arts, some of whom are past award recipients. Panelists look for works that best exemplify originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.

Award notifications are in and 2025 is another record year with 4 Art Portfolios, 1 American Visions Nominee, 12 Gold Keys, 12 Silver Keys, 29 Honorable Mentions, and 3 Honorable Mentions for Writing! Congratulations to these very talented OHHS Art and Design students on their accomplishments this year in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.

Art Portfolio

This highly competitive category is based upon submission of a series of 6 distinct works that communicate a single cohesive idea or visual investigation and accompanying artist statement. 

“The Resonance of Reality”
Molly Audretch
Honorable Mention

“Breaking Through”
Lizzie Schreibeis
Honorable Mention

“Not So Different”
Grace Gray
Gold Key

“Nostalgia and Connection”
Anne Riley
Honorable Mention

American Visions Award Nominee

Each regional program will nominate five teens for the American Voices Award or American Visions Award. Nominees must have a Gold Key work with an original, authentic voice or vision. National jurors will select one nominee from each region for the American Voices or Visions Award.

Grace Gray, “On a Journey”, Gold Key

Gold Key Winners

Below are the works that earned Gold Keys, the highest level of achievement on the regional level. Approximately 7 – 10% of all regional submissions are recognized with Gold Key Awards and all are considered for national-level recognition.

Molly Audretch, “Catharsis”
Molly Audretch, “Fertile Grounds”
Molly Audretch, “Fight or Flight: An Allegory for War”
Molly Audretch, “Saying Goodbye”
Grace Gray, “Always a Bigger Fish”
Grace Gray, “Feasting”
Grace Gray, “Finding Peace”
Baylee Moorman, “The Spirit Within”
Sydney Overbay, “Pink Pinstripe Matching Set”
Sydney Overbay and Erin Pessler, “Recycled Wear”
Lydia Wilson, “Messy Morning”

Silver Key Winners

Approximately 10 – 15% of all regional submissions are recognized with Silver Key Awards.

Bethany Bachman, “A Room with a View”
Grace Gray, “Happy Place”
Austin Haarmeyer, “Mirroring”
Maggie Heydorn, “Functional Fungi”
Kendalyn Kress, “A Little Grizzly”
Kendalyn Kress, “Game Day”
Jackson Mundstock, “Reflecting on Reflections”
Lizzie Schreibeis, “Verloren in der Musik”
Aurora Studenka, “Honeymoon”
Jordan Tinsley, “Spiraling Out”
Claire Walsh, “Tangled”
Sophia Wehman, “A Tension Like Stone”

Honorable Mentions

Approximately 15 – 20% of all regional submissions receive Honorable Mention Awards.

Bethany Bachman, “Oh, Deer”
Emma Brunner, “Voices Past”
Miles Frisch, “Blinding Possibilities”
Aubree Fuson, “Chromatic Remains”
Aubree Fuson, “Wonder”
Austin Haarmeyer, “Searchlight”
Gladys Lopez Felix, “Daily Rituals”
Lily McGuire, “In Tune”
Lily McGuire, “Melody of the Soul”
Emma Mondary, “Coil Vase”
Emma Mondary, “Galaxy Tea Set”
Emma Mondary, “Prowler”
Baylee Moorman, “Optimism”
Jackson Mundstock, “The Wooden Tightrope”
Jackson Mundstock, “Wrinkholes”
Sydney Overbay, “Farmers Market Tote Bag”
Sydney Overbay, “Pink Gingham Trapeze Mini Dress”
Ella Rizzo, “Making Your Mark”
Ella Rizzo, “Simpler Times”
Adrianna Russ, “Daily Beauty Ritual”
Lizzie Schreibeis, “Making it Up”
Lizzie Schreibeis “The Light and the Dark”
Katie Stevens, “Color me Crazy”
Aurora Studenka, “Love at First Site”
Sophia Wehman, “Conserving”
Sophia Wehman, “The Glow Within”
Olivia Widener, “Purrfect Day”
Lydia Wilson, “Rock and a Hard Place”
Rachel Wunderlich, “Time to Run”

Scholastic Writing Awards

“Mother Nature’s Wrath”
Poetry
Molly Audretch
Honorable Mention

“What Have We Become?”
Poetry
Molly Audretch
Honorable Mention

“Improving Relationships Between U.S. Law Enforcement and Black Citizens”
Critical Essay
Veda Ratcliff
Honorable Mention


An Exhibition of the award winning works will take place at the Art Academy of Cincinnati from February 7 – February 16, 2025 with an Opening Reception scheduled for Friday, February 7, 2025 5pm-8pm.

OHLSD Art and Design Alumni and Teachers Exhibit in “Assemblage: A Juried Exhibition” at MSJU

Studio San Giuseppe Gallery recently invited area artists, art educators, college students, and MSJ alumni to submit assemblage, found object sculpture, and/or wall mounted artworks for a juried exhibition. Cincinnati artists Michael Thompson and Jim Tucker adjudicated and curated the exhibit from the submissions.

Michael Thompson is a multimedia artist, designer, and poet. He takes on the role of artist as archivist; collecting things, spaces, and histories to add to his art and life. Michael has held positions as Artist-in-Residence at The Cincinnati Art Museum and The Contemporary Arts Center. His practice utilizes painting, sculpture, poetry, and installation as he explores creative empathy, human ecology, and nuance within the black experience. Michael recently received ArtsWave’s Truth and Reconciliation Grant for his project, “Sanctuaries” which gives insight into the sacred spaces of BIPOC creatives as a manner of combatting a trauma-focused narrative within media and culture.

Jim Tucker has worked with ArtWorks, the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Art Academy of Cincinnati, the Contemporary Arts Center, and the Cincinnati Parks Foundation. As a muralist, he has produced and painted more than 20 murals, created in collaboration with ArtWorks. Jim has held the position of co-artist-in-residence for the Cincinnati Art Museum’s Rosenthal Education Center, where he co-created with Michael Thompson an interactive installation enjoyed by more than 50,000 museum visitors. Along with his fine art and mural practices, Jim works as an Illustrator and commercial artist. He uses his bold, dynamic style and love of storytelling to bring his client’s ideas to life.  These include Arizona State University, the Western & Southern Tennis Tournament, BrewDog USA, and several other Ohio-based breweries. 

Current and former OHLSD Art and Design teachers were selected to participate in the exhibition alongside several alumni!

OHHS Alumni exhibiting include:
Kylee Adams
Dahlia Baer

OHHS and MSJU Alumni and New Art Teacher:
Alyssa McRoberts

Retired OHLSD Art and Design Teacher exhibiting include:
Reyne Davis
Sylvia Dick
Sherry Middendorf-Fuller
Jan Thomas

Current OHHS Art and Design Teacher:
Jamie Schorsch

The exhibition will run January 17th – February 12th, 2025 in Studio San Giuseppe Art Gallery at Mount St. Joseph University. An opening gallery reception will take place on January 26th, 2025 from 4:00-6:00 pm.