Alumni

2023 Alumni Exhibition: Come, Rest Here by My Side

The Cleveland Institute of Art’s Reinberger Gallery and Alumni Council are excited to announce an open call for art for the 2023 Alumni Exhibition. Artists and designers working in any medium are welcome to apply. Submissions are free and will be accepted at from April 1 through May 22. This year’s exhibition title, Come, Rest Here by My Side, is borrowed from Maya Angelou’s renowned poem “On the Pulse of Morning,” which invokes themes of unity, progress, connection and the hope of a yet-to-be-written future. The Alumni Exhibition will be on view July 14 through August 11 in Reinberger Gallery. An opening reception will take place on July 14. Event details to come.

The Cleveland Institute of Art’s mission is to nurture the intellectual, artistic, and professional development of students and community members through rigorous visual arts and design education.

In support of CIA’s mission, the Reinberger Gallery supports the creative work of professional artists by providing quality exhibition opportunities. It also serves CIA students, faculty and the community as an educational resource, and particularly to encourage artistic growth and experimentation through well-presented exhibitions, events and lectures.

Submission Guidelines

The exhibition is open to CIA alumni only. Artists working in all mediums are welcome to apply by completing an online application. Up to three (3) pieces can be submitted digitally by May 22, 2023. All artwork submitted must be original work made within the last two years. Please include the title, medium, and dimensions when submitting. If selected, all work(s) must be fully dry/hang- ready and in stable condition upon delivery. Work that requires specialized media equipment for its display may be asked to provide this equipment if the gallery does not have suitable equipment on hand. For questions about gallery guidelines please contact Reinberger Gallery. Accepted artists will be notified in June 2023.

Application

While it is free to submit your work, we hope you will consider donating to the Alumni Association Scholarship. To donate, visit cia.edu/donate and select the Alumni Association Scholarship in the drop-down menu. Thank you, we appreciate the generosity and support of our alumni!

To begin the application process, click here.

If you are submitting video work to the exhibition, begin the application process here. It may be necessary to create a Google account to complete the video submission form. 

For questions about the application, contact Alumni Relations.

Meet the Jurors

In the spirit of collaboration and unity invoked by the exhibition’s title, two artists have been invited to work together to jury the exhibition: CIA Printmaking alum Clotilde Jiménez ’13 and illustrator Lee White.  

Clotilde Jiménez is a visual artist based in Mexico City. Jiménez received his BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH (2013) in Printmaking, and an MFA from the Slade School of Fine Art, London, UK (2018) in Painting. His work is featured in noted collections including; The Ford Foundation, Orlando Museum of Art, Hessel Museum of Art, and the Beth Rubin DeWoody collection. Learn more about Jiménez here.

Lee White spends his days breathing life into his imaginary world. He has illustrated over 27 children's books, including Love, Santa and Kate, Who Tamed The Wind, and This Pretty Planet. Lee graduated with honors from ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California, and earned his MFA in illustration, also with honors, from the University of Hartford in Hartford, Connecticut. Learn more about White here.

In addition to jurying the show, the jurors will select the top works for award prizes.

Alumni Council

The Alumni Council is made up of volunteers who communicate with CIA leaders and pursue a mission to sustain and build a network of alumni with a lifelong connection to the College. The Council is committed to sharing ideas and establishing opportunities for alumni involvement by producing events such as the alumni exhibition. The Council fosters ongoing relationships with students, faculty and staff, and works to build a strong relationship between alumni and CIA. 

This year’s Exhibition Committee includes Alumni Council members: Cherie Bauer ’81, Deborah Pinter ’ 88, Lauren Chaikin ’09, Karen Sandstrom ’12 and Amani Williams ’21.