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OHHS Art and Design Teacher Exhibiting in “Rooms of Grief”

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OHHS Art and Design teacher, Ms. Schorsch, will be one of the artists exhibiting in the Kennedy Heights Art Center’s Rooms of Grief, a powerful and deeply human exhibition running January 17th through March 14th, 2026. Co-curated by Ena Nearon of Ten Talents Network and Mallory Feltz (KHAC), the exhibition brings together 59 artists whose work explores the many forms grief can take and the ways art can help us process, hold, and heal from loss.

Rooms of Grief considers grief not as a single emotion, but as a series of emotional spaces we move through when loss reshapes our world. These “rooms” function as metaphors: places of silence, memory, anger, longing, tenderness, confusion, and, at times, renewal. Together, the artworks reveal grief as layered and personal; experienced through the loss of loved ones, identity, relationships, health, community, and imagined futures. While sorrow is present, so too are transformation and resilience, showing how creativity can give form to what is often unspeakable.

The exhibition highlights the role of art as a healing practice, one that allows grief to be witnessed rather than hidden, shared rather than isolated. For many artists, making the work becomes an act of care, remembrance, and survival; for viewers, it offers recognition, empathy, and permission to feel.

Schorsch will be exhibiting two mixed media pieces in the exhibition. “The Charioteer’s Resurgence” explores grief as both burden and transformation. “The Tempered High Priestess” explores grief as a force that dismantles and reshapes identity. Through mysticism, symbolism, and self-portraiture, Schorsch confronts identity fractured by trauma, allowing grief to guide healing and reveal strength forged through transformation.

Exhibiting artists include:
Patricia Acker, Ebony Alli, Lisa Andrews, Cora Arney-Georgilis, Lauri Ann Aultman, Brooke Cahill, Nina Caporale, Susan Carlson, Ben Casuto, Samuel Casuto, Robert Coates, Heather Conley, Isabella Crowe, Billie Cunningham, June Pfaff Daley, Leslie Lehr Daly, Dan Dickerscheid, Deborah Dixon, Mary Anne Donovan, Judith Effa Ford, Melvin Grier, Nikita Gross, Zephyr Grove, Ell Halim, Kendall Hall, Donna Hardy, Robin Hartmann, Art Hasinski, Jessica Grady Heard, April Huerta, Lindsey Hurst, Ruth Jose, Michael Kearns, Deborah Kovacs-Sturdevant, Cynthia Kukla, Robyn Lince, Lindsay McCarty, Micah Mickles, Carol Mohamed, Amy Mueller, Mia Natas, Zoë Peterson, Kat Rakel-Ferguson, Su Ready, Fatemeh Rezaei, Janet Rocklin, August Roth, Anastasia Schneider, Gerrie Schon, Jamie Schorsch, Zachary Severt, Charlemae Sexton, Kimberly Wilfong Sigman, Emily Sites, Matt Steffen, Shawn P. Sweeney, Megan Taylor, Brianna Wallace.

The exhibition opens with a public reception on Saturday, January 17th from 6–8pm, inviting the community to gather for an evening of art, reflection, and connection. This event is free and open to the public. Additional programming extends the exhibition’s themes beyond the gallery. A Panel Discussion on navigating grief will take place on Saturday, February 7th, 2026 from 1–3pm at the Kennedy Heights Arts Center Lindner Annex (6620 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, OH 45213). This conversation is free and open to the public. A facilitated Art Therapy workshop is also being planned; participation will be free, with registration required due to limited space. Details will be announced soon on KHAC’s website.

The 2025-2026 Memory Project: 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. Once the portraits are delivered to the children, we will receive a video of their reactions to the artwork. Below are some of the highlights of the OHHS Drawing and Printmaking students’ resulting portraits.

“Retro Remix”: Honoring the Legacy of OAEA Award-Winning Art and Design Teachers in Oak Hills Local School District

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This year’s Ohio Art Education Association (OAEA) professional development convention embraces the theme “Retro Remix”, a celebration of looking back, reimagining, and building forward. For the Oak Hills Local School District, the theme resonates deeply as we reflect on a proud tradition of art education led by educators whose work has been recognized at the state level. Over the years, multiple Oak Hills art and design teachers have been honored with OAEA awards, reflecting not only individual excellence but also a collective culture that values creativity, innovation, and the transformative power of the arts.

This year, we are proud to honor Mary Sala of Delhi Middle School, who was selected as the Middle Division Award Winner—essentially the Middle School Art Teacher of the Year. Mary is both a gifted educator and a tireless advocate for her students and colleagues. For more than a decade, she has been a driving force in her school and community: organizing district art shows, curating state-level exhibits, and creating opportunities for students to share their voices. Her leadership extends statewide through service as Southwest Co-Regional Director, Co-Chair of Youth Art Month (alongside Rapid Run’s Stacey Battoclette), and now as Southwest Administrative Chair. A frequent OAEA presenter, she also shares her expertise and leads professional development across Ohio.

In the classroom, Mary believes art is more than technique, it is a tool for self-discovery and understanding the world. She creates a dynamic space where students experiment, take risks, and embrace failure as part of growth. Her practices, including standards-based grading and a thriving art club, ensure every student feels included and celebrated. She highlights every child’s work in art shows, collaborates on theatrical productions, and secures grants for experiences such as pottery wheel workshops at Queen City Clay. A lifelong learner, she has earned advanced degrees, exhibited her own artwork, and remained deeply connected to Ohio’s art education community. She is both mentor and facilitator, empowering students to see art not just as a skill, but as a lens for exploring and shaping their world.

Art and design education in Oak Hills has never been about simply teaching technique. It has always been about pushing students to think differently, take risks, and discover their voices through visual expression. Award-winning teachers have consistently elevated classrooms into studios of possibility, where young artists are encouraged to question, connect, and create with purpose. The “Retro Remix” theme reminds us that today’s excellence is built on yesterday’s foundation. Each OAEA award received by an Oak Hills teacher marks a legacy of high standards and dedication to students’ growth as artists and thinkers. Whether through drawing, ceramics, photography, or digital media, Oak Hills teachers have inspired generations to see art as a way of understanding the world and cultivating creativity that extends far beyond the classroom walls.

As we celebrate “Retro Remix”, we honor the achievements of our award-winning educators while looking ahead to the new ideas, media, and perspectives emerging in our classrooms. The Oak Hills tradition is one of excellence and evolution: constantly remixing, reimagining, and reinventing to meet the needs of today’s learners.

Outstanding Art Teachers
Susan Ruttle Lawrence (retired), 1991
Sherry Middendorf Fuller (retired), 1999
Sylvia Dick (retired), 2003
Joni Farrow (retired), 2007
Karen Lutz (retired), 2012
Mary Sala, 2019
Stacey Battoclette, 2020
Jamie Schorsch, 2022
Steve Groh, 2024

Division Level Awards
Sherry Middendorf Fuller (retired), 2014: Elementary Division
Susan Ruttle Lawrence (retired), 1998: Middle Division
Mary Sala: 2025: Middle Division
Jamie Schorsch, 2023: Secondary Division
Susan Ruttle Lawrence (retired), 2018: Higher Education Division
Sylvia Dick (retired), 2022: Higher Education Division

Ohio Art Educator of the Year and Distinguished Fellow
Susan Ruttle Lawrence (retired), 2019

Celebrating the Next Generation of Artists: The AP Art and Design “Artists of Tomorrow, Today” Exhibition and Senior Awards

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The annual AP Art and Design “Artists of Tomorrow, Today” Exhibition stands as a powerful culmination of dedication, imagination, and growth. This year’s exhibition featured the exceptional work of students who have spent their high school years mastering technical skill, exploring personal vision, and investigating the world around them through the lens of visual art. These young artists have gone beyond classroom expectations, engaging in deep, sustained inquiry and creating bodies of work that speak with confidence, creativity, and clarity.

At the heart of the exhibition is a celebration of artistic voice and the courage it takes to share it. From bold conceptual statements to finely rendered studies, each portfolio reveals hours of discipline, moments of inspiration, and the collaborative support of a thriving community of young creators. The Oak Hills Art and Design Department honored these accomplishments with a series of distinguished awards at this year’s senior recognition ceremony.

Outstanding Senior Artist Award

Recognizing extraordinary commitment to technique, critical and creative thinking, collaboration, media exploration, and personal voice, the Outstanding Senior Artist Award celebrates the very best of what student artists can achieve. This year’s recipients—Molly Audretch, Grace Gray, Alysse Niewoehner, Annie Riley, Lizzie Schreibeis, and Jordan Tinsley—have consistently modeled artistic excellence. Their work has earned numerous accolades in regional and national competitions, including the Scholastic Art Awards, SOS ART Youth Exhibition, Congressional Art Exhibition, and inclusion in the national publication Celebrating Art.

Notably, Lizzie Schreibeis was honored as a Top 25 Governor’s Award of Excellence winner for the prestigious Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition, and she exhibited alongside Molly Audretch in both the main Governor’s Exhibition and the Cameo Exhibition at the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Molly, Grace, Annie, and Lizzie also earned the highest possible AP score of 5 during their junior year for their AP Art and Design portfolios—an extraordinary accomplishment reflecting both vision and skill. Their dedication, leadership, and unwavering pursuit of excellence make them true standouts in the Oak Hills visual arts community.

Outstanding Art Historian

Art history challenges students to explore over 30,000 years of artistic tradition across diverse cultures and civilizations. This year, two students rose to that challenge with passion and perseverance: Molly Audretch and Samantha Gardner. Their enthusiasm, curiosity, and commitment to understanding the context and significance of artworks from every corner of the globe were unmatched. Samantha Gardner’s eagerness to delve into each new unit with fresh questions and insights was a highlight of the classroom, while Molly Audretch used her studies to inform the themes and concepts explored in her AP portfolio’s Sustained Investigation. Their contributions demonstrate the powerful connection between creating and understanding art. For this, they are honored as this year’s Outstanding Art Historians.

National Art Honor Society Service Award

Art, when combined with service, becomes a force for good. Molly Audretch and Lizzie Schreibeis have shown exceptional dedication to using their talents to uplift and inspire their community, embodying the mission of the National Art Honor Society. Their impact includes creating school murals, preparing community exhibitions, and designing portraits for children around the world through the Memory Project. Molly’s leadership extended into publication, co-authoring a cartoon book that addresses gentrification for young readers, while Lizzie served as a driving force behind multiple school and community arts events.These students have given generously of their time and talents, balancing rigorous studio practice with compassionate service. Their efforts leave a legacy of creativity and kindness that will echo through the halls of Oak Hills for years to come.

Changemaker Award

The inaugural Changemaker in Art Award honors students whose creative vision serves as a catalyst for dialogue and change. This year’s award recognizes Molly Audretch and Lizzie Schreibeis, two artists whose work boldly confronts issues such as social justice, environmental concerns, mental health, and human rights. Their art serves not only as personal expression but as public statement—a call to action, an invitation to empathy, and a beacon for hope. Whether through murals, illustrations, or personal portfolios, their voices have resonated far beyond the classroom, proving that art can move minds and hearts toward a better future.

Luminary Award

The Luminary Award, also introduced this year, honors those who create light through their art during dark or difficult times. This year’s recipients, Ava Bunke and Grace Gray, have used their artistic voice to process personal and global challenges with grace and emotional depth. Their artworks provide comfort, provoke thought, and foster human connection. By channeling their experiences into visual narratives, they’ve helped us all better understand what it means to be vulnerable, resilient, and deeply human.

Permanent Art Collection

Since its inception over 30 years ago, the Senior Permanent Art Collection has celebrated the legacy of Oak Hills artists by preserving original works throughout the high school and district office. Seniors are invited to submit original pieces for juried selection, with the chosen works professionally framed by the Picture Frame Company. This year’s selected artworks join a growing collection of over 150 pieces, each one contributing to the cultural richness of the Oak Hills environment and inspiring future generations of artists and learners.

Several of our graduating seniors are taking the next bold step in their creative journey by pursuing art and design at the postsecondary level. These students have been accepted into prestigious programs across the region and nation, where they will continue to develop their artistic voice, refine their technical skills, and explore the many ways visual arts shape and reflect the world. Their passion, dedication, and courage to pursue a creative path are inspiring, and we look forward to seeing how they continue to grow and contribute to the ever-evolving field of art and design.

Congratulations to all of this year’s honorees. Your journey is just beginning, and we can’t wait to see where your art leads next.

Art Possible Ohio 30th Annual Accessible Expression Exhibition

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Congratulations to Faith Henke, Juan Renteria, and Adrienne Young whose artwork was selected to be part of the Accessible Expressions Ohio 2025 exhibition!

Faith Henke
Juan Renteria
Adrienne Young

Accessible Expressions Ohio (AEO) is one of the most diverse art exhibits on display. It is an adjudicated, statewide exhibition and tour of sixty 2D and 3D art by Ohio artists with disabilities in the Youth, Emerging, or Professional categories.

This year the exhibition and opening reception will be held at the Patrick Losinski Gallery, at the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Join us for an afternoon of art, fellowship, artmaking, awards, and food! 

What is it all about….
Art Possible Ohio is a community that connects inspired artists with their passion, service providers with resources, and all citizens with creative opportunities.

Arts Possible Ohio was founded in 1986 and works together with artists of all ages who have disabilities to advocate for accessibility and inclusivity, advance careers in the creative sector, build community, and improve the academic achievement of Ohio’s students through arts integration. By bridging arts and disability, our programs and services promote inclusive spaces and accessible opportunities for Ohioans.

Accessible Expressions Ohio is one of the most diverse art exhibits on display. It is an adjudicated, statewide exhibition and tour of sixty 2D and 3D art by Ohio artists with disabilities. Artists of any age, living in Ohio, with a disability may enter in the Youth, Emerging, or Professional categories. AEO raises awareness by presenting the show in inclusive settings designed to change perceptions about disability.

Accepted artists join a talented group of artists representing all corners of Ohio.  Their art will travel to a variety of community spaces across Ohio during 2024. The work will also be exhibited at www.artpossibleohio.org and on their social media platforms, Instagram and Facebook (@ArtPossibleOhio).