2026 Student Independent Exhibition

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February 27, 2026 - April 5, 2026 Reinberger Gallery 11610 Euclid Ave Cleveland Ohio 44106

The exhibition showcases work from all areas—from visual arts and craft to digital art and design.

Now in its 80th year, the Student Independent Exhibition (SIE) is an honored tradition at the Cleveland Institute of Art. The exhibition showcases work from all areas—from visual arts and craft to digital art and design—all selected by jurors chosen by CIA students. Prizes are awarded during the opening reception thanks to generous donors.

The show will remain on view through April 5.

Awards
Congratulations to the following students who received awards, thanks to generous donors:

Sue Wall Painting Award
Mei Huang ’28
Dream No. 99

David and Ann Deming Award
Ashton Burton ’26
Necessity For Survival

Almut and Gary Zvosec Award
Allison Volker ’28
Present in Time

Karen Skunta & Company Design Excellence Award
Shelby Robertson ’26
Reap What You Sow

Trznadel Family Award
Bird Gohde ’28
Video Sequence

Christopher Gentner Creativity Award
Lillian R. Gomez ’26
Pit Patches 3: so long you can braid it

Douglas Dibble Creativity Award
Gabrielle Rossetti ’26
The Mantis is Praying for a Kitchen Renovation and her Husband is an Alcoholic Squirrel

Mary Ann and Jack Katzenmeyer Award for Outstanding Craft
Lane Grigson ’26
Hidden City

UBGreensfelder Award
Francesca Jablonski ’26
Who’s Behind the Blinds?

Board Grand Prize
Nicholas Mariani ’27
Cockfight

Board Second Place
Maya Sims ’28
Voltage Overload

Board Third Place
Margaret Berrodin ’27
It’s in the Small Things

Board Honorable Mention With Distinction
Caroline Abbey ’26
Dancing Pants

Board Honorable Mention
Emze Bahney ’26
Delusion Painting III

Board Honorable Mention
Gabrielle Rossetti ’26
Sea Creepers

The exhibition opened February 27 with a reception from 6 to 8pm; the Awards Ceremony was held at 7pm in the Peter B. Lewis Theater.

Jurors

Selected by the student body, jurors Alex Heard, Thao Nguyen and Shawn Powell will jury the submissions.

Alex Heard is a soft sculptor and transdisciplinary artist currently working in New England. Their colorful, plush costumes explore a variety of topics both absurd and sincere. They are a production artist with The Cleveland Museum of Art’s Parade the Circle. They have participated in residencies at the Cleveland Heights Library and Akron Soul Train. They were a recipient of the Urgent Art Fund at SPACES. They have exhibited locally, nationally, and interdimensionally. Alex received their BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 2020, and is a current MFA candidate at the University of Connecticut.

Thao Nguyen is an illustrator, designer, and visual artist. She has a range of creative pursuits such as illustrating and designing logos, magazine covers, greeting cards, and packaging. She combines her passion for hand-drawn art and design with digital techniques. Her work consists of vibrant colors and incorporates wildlife inspired by her love of the outdoors. Her impact can be seen throughout Northeast Ohio, with public art installations and murals across Cleveland, Lakewood, and Larchmere. Nguyen graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 2021.

Shawn Powell is a painter, curator and has presented solo exhibitions in Tennis Elbow at The Journal Gallery, New York, NY; 106 Green, Brooklyn, NY; Chapter, New York, NY; Marrow Gallery, San Francisco, CA; and at Abattoir Gallery, Cleveland, OH. He has been included in group exhibitions at The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia, PA; the Green Gallery, Milwaukee, WI; Wassaic Projects, Wassaic, NY; NADA New York, NY; and NADA Miami, Miami, FL. Powell has been invited to participate in the nido and Living in the Play residencies in Monte Castello di Vibio, Italy as well as the Alfred/Düsseldorf Residency in Düsseldorf, Germany. His work has been acquired by the Fidelity Art Collection, Cleveland Clinic Art Collection, Akron Art Museum, Bridgehampton Museum, and the Putnam Art Collection at Case Western Reserve University. Powell received his BFA in Painting and Art History from the Kansas City Art Institute and an MFA in Painting from Hunter College. He was the recipient of the Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award Grant in 2021, 2023, and 2025. He is currently an Associate Professor and the co-chair of Painting at Kent State University.