2023 Student Independent Exhibition
77th Annual Exhibition

Now in its 77th year, the Cleveland Institute of Art's Student Independent Exhibition (SIE) is an honored tradition that’s never conventional. Organized entirely by students, who choose the jurors and mount the exhibition, SIE offers fresh—and sometimes surprising—approaches to contemporary art.

The exhibition will open from 6 to 9pm Friday, February 17 in Reinberger Gallery and remain on view through March 19. An awards ceremony will be held at 7pm during the opening reception.

SIE 77 AWARDS: NAMED PRIZES

Sue Wall Painting Award
Frank Hadzima
"A Man..."

Mary Ann and Jack Katzenmeyer Award for Outstanding Craft
Jaime Clampitt
"Unmirrored"

David and Ann Deming Award
Sylvia Altman
"Cups and Light"

Almut and Gary Zvosec Award
Braydon Cheek
"MOVE FOREWARD"

Karen Skunta & Company Design Excellence Award
Hannah Cabbell
"Fresh Water Collection"

Trznadel Family Award
Lauren Fernandez
"Play With Your Food"

The Christopher Gentner Creativity Award
Daniel Roth
"Real Men"

The Douglas Dibble Creativity Award
June Solis
"Clocked"

The Nunes Family Prize
Janoi Daley
"Tek Mi Wid Yuh"

Connie Pieper
"Left Home"

Ulmer & Berne Award
Emily Zhang
"Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky Title Sequence"

SIE 77 AWARDS: BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRIZES

Board Honorable Mentions
Juliet Ahern
"Mother of Matron"

Lauren Fernandez
"Play With Your Food"

Tamsyn Kuehnert
"Flight Risk"

Audrey Magdics
"A world within"

Julie Moeller
"Amixst"

Annie O’Brien
"The Stylet"

Bella Pecora
"Dunce"

Sage Zargari
"Lady Smoking"

Board Honorable Mention with Distinction
Alison Alsup
"Jerusalem"

Cale Ours
"flush..."

Connie Pieper
"Left Home"

Daniel Roth
"Real Men"

Board 3rd Prize
Braydon Cheek
"MOVE FORWARD"

Board Grand Prize
M Dailey
"My Truth Is Marching On"

Erjon Hajnaj
"Pull Me Towards Morality"

SIE 77 JURORS

Susan Danko is a Northeast Ohio artist who has been creating and exhibiting her artwork since receiving a BFA in painting from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1998. Her artwork is about the contemporary environment and her personal experiences related to our changing local landscape. Her observations of nature and related research are integral parts of her artistic practice and serve as the foundation for her artwork. Danko’s paintings have been included in prominent art collections including the Cleveland Clinic, the Ohio Arts Council, Nordson Corporation, and The United States Embassy, Tashkent, Uzbekistan. She is represented by Bonfoey Gallery in Cleveland.

Erykah Townsend, also known as E.T., is a conceptual artist from Cleveland. Her paintings and objects are heavily influenced by pop culture. She quotes, “I use pop culture as a medium itself—exploring the spaces it fills in our lives and the inquiry of how real are the imaginary." Her reflective and humorous narratives are interpretations of personal experiences, comments on consumerism and art history. Characters, icons and objects depicted in her work play as avatars of her allegories and criticism, while they retain aspects of their original source. Townsend received her BFA in Painting from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 2020.

Jordan Wong is a Cleveland-based graphic designer, illustrator, and artist working under the name WONGFACE. His art interweaves symbols, iconographies and typography throughout dynamically detailed illustrations, and he has created several large-scale installations and public artworks throughout the city of Cleveland. Wong is originally from Pittsburgh and studied at California University of Pennsylvania, receiving a dual degree in Graphic Design and Marketing. He has exhibited at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh (2020) and the Akron Art Museum (2021–2022). From 2020 to 2022, he served as the president of the Cleveland chapter of AIGA, the professional association for design.

Sponsors