Cleveland Institute of Art student presents solo exhibition on immigrant identity and community in Northeast Ohio

June 18, 2026

MICHAEL C. BUTZ

Black-and-white photo of a woman reaching through fabric.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 18, 2026

CLEVELAND—TRANSIT, a solo exhibition by visual artist Izabela Zoga, explores immigrant identity, cultural memory and community through portrait digital and silver print photography and printmaking. The exhibition highlights the stories, experiences and contributions of international individuals living in Northeast Ohio.

The project creates a space where immigrant narratives are seen, respected and valued, featuring individuals from diverse backgrounds, including Albanian, Egyptian and other international communities in the region. Through these portraits, the exhibition reflects what it means to build a life across cultures while celebrating the richness of Cleveland's diversity.

"As an immigrant from Albania, I portray my own lived experience in TRANSIT to explore themes of belonging, displacement and cultural identity," Zoga says. "A central work in the exhibition features my 96-year-old grandmother, who immigrated to the United States five years ago to reunite with family. Her journey is a powerful reflection on resilience, love and the courage to begin again at any stage of life."

TRANSIT will be on view from June 26 to January 15, 2027 in the International Languages Gallery at Cleveland Public Library's Main Library (325 Superior Ave., fourth floor, Cleveland). The artwork can be viewed during the Main Library's regular hours: 10am to 6pm Monday through Saturday. A reception and artist talk will take place Friday, September 25 from 12:30 to 1:30pm.

Zoga's multidisciplinary practice combines photography with drawing, printmaking and installation. Her work often engages elements of tension, silence and emotional intensity, using light and contrast to create atmospheric and reflective visual narratives.

Zoga is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography at the Cleveland Institute of Art and has a background in graphic design. Her work has been exhibited in the 55th Annual Student Art Exhibition (2023) at Cuyahoga Community College, where she received First Place in Drawing; the Cleveland Photo Festival Portrait Show; and From WOMAN 19: Art created by women, of women & about women at Understory Gallery in Cleveland. During the Understory Gallery exhibition, her video installation Exit received critical attention and was featured in an article by CAN Journal that analyzed the work. She continues to investigate how personal and cultural identity shape human experience through conceptual and experimental approaches.

TRANSIT was created through the Creativity Works program, which is made possible by the generous support of the Fenn Educational Fund and the G.R. Lincoln Family Foundation. Creativity Works is a self-initiated internship program with the goal of supporting a student's professional development. Participating students create proposals that align with their long-term professional goals.

Contact

Cleveland Institute of Art
Michael C. Butz, Director of College Communications + External Relations
mcbutz@cia.edu / 216.421.7404

Cleveland Institute of Art

The Cleveland Institute of Art is a private, nonprofit college of art and design that has been the training ground for countless students who have gone on to make important contributions to the fields of creativity and innovation since it opened in 1882 as the Western Reserve School of Design for Women. Its students have designed internationally recognized products, their artwork has been exhibited in major museums and private collections around the world, and their entertainment media has been enjoyed by audiences and game players for generations. It enrolls about 550 students nationally and internationally and has a faculty of about 100 full-time and adjunct members, all of whom are practicing artists, designers and scholars.

Cleveland Institute of Art student presents solo exhibition on immigrant identity and community in Northeast Ohio

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Cleveland Institute of Art student presents solo exhibition on immigrant identity and community in Northeast Ohio

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Cleveland Institute of Art

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