Past Exhibitions
Check out some of the great exhibits and events presented by The University of Toledo Department of Art during recent academic years.
Spring 2025
BFA Thesis Exhibition
April 7-April 28, 2025
Friday, April 25 from 5:00-7:00pm
The exhibition is open through Monday, April 28 with CVA Gallery hours Monday - Friday 8:00a-7:00pm.
Layers Exhibition
April 12 -May 18, 2025
Using mixed media and very different approaches to art practice, Deb A. Davis and Barbara Miner create artworks inspired by the resilience of nature, the practice of meditative observation, and scientific processes, human biology and behavior.
Their processes vary, yet they have a relatable coherence among their artworks. Shapes, textures, and mark making techniques push the visual elements through layers of revelation, camouflage, and concealment.
The exhibition will be held in the second gallery of the Secor Building. The event is free and open to the public. The Secor building address is 425 Jefferson Ave Toledo, OH 43604.
Juried Student Exhibition
February 26–March 23, 2025
Opening Reception: Friday, February 28, 5–7 pm
Ghostmaking
January 22–February 16, 2025
Closing Reception: Friday, February 14, 5–7 pm
Ghostmaking, an exhibition by Sorrel Stone, Visiting Assistant Professor of Ceramics, will be on display from January 22 through February 16, 2025. Through evocative figurative installations, Stone interrogates the narrative of cultural erasure and identity loss in the context of America’s colonial history and its ongoing repercussions. The works critique dominant systems of power by exploring the body as a metaphorical territory, drawing connections between identity, place, and the dispossession inherent in colonial and patriarchal systems.
Integrating craft traditions historically dismissed as “women’s work,” such as quilt-making and weaving, Ghostmaking subverts these practices, reframing them as acts of resistance and dialogue within the gallery space. This powerful exhibition challenges viewers to reflect on how histories of erasure shape our modern identities and asks how we can foster accountability for these enduring legacies.
Annual Digital Billboard Exhibition
January 1–February 28, 2025
Greater Toledo Area
Each year, Lamar, a local outdoor advertising company, displays the work of several UToledo art students on its digital billboards throughout the greater Toledo area. Thanks to our community partner, Lamar, and the hard work of faculty member and organizer, Barry Whittaker (Department of Art), the work of our students receives well-deserved publicity and recognition. Watch for our students' work at the locations below.
Fall 2024
At the Secor
December 6
Join us for a special one-night-only event featuring artwork from seven classes, showcasing creativity across a variety of mediums. The event is Friday, December 6th, 2024, from 5–7 PM, on the second and sixth-floor galleries of the Secor Building. The event is free and open to the public. The Secor building address is 425 Jefferson Ave Toledo, OH 43604.
Free street parking is available after 6 PM. Paid parking is also accessible at:
- Glass City Parking Garage: 100-198 N St Clair St, Toledo, OH 43604
- Port Lawrence Garage: 227 N St Clair St, Toledo, OH 43604
Art Student Showcase
November 4–December 13
Carlson Library North Gallery
Barbara Miner, Chair of the Department of Art said:
"Students from the Department of Art submitted artwork for jurying into the 2024 Art Student Showcase. The chosen artworks included in this year's exhibition display a broad range of materials and concepts representing the diversity of voices across our programs.
We are so grateful to the Dean of the Library, Dr. Thomas Atwood, and the Carlson Library staff, Dave Remaklus and Judson Lohman, for creating this important opportunity for our students. The beautiful new gallery spaces in the Carlson Library allow so many people to view the shows and it is a wonderful real-world, professional experience for our students."
Why Do You Vote?
October 25–December 13
Opening Reception - Friday, Nov.1st, 5-8 pm
Center for the Visual Arts, Main Gallery
This show is the representation of a diverse group of twenty-five women who are passionate about their ideas and freedoms, and who have fearlessly agreed to answer, in their own personal way, the question of why they vote. The exhibit consists of sculpture, pottery, paintings, and conceptual pieces created by the invited artists, exemplifying personal concerns, whether it be reproductive rights, environmental issues, voter suppression, gerrymandering or other high interest issues. Throughout the exhibition there will be signage designed to ask the viewer to contemplate their own viewpoints. One of the goals of the exhibit is to remind visitors as well as the college students of the importance of casting a ballot. Our exhibition is designed to create a conversation, a debate, a reminder that every vote counts; that, for those societal issues that face us today, each one of us can make a difference. We hope that you, as an observer, will also answer the question of Why Do You Vote, and understand that every vote counts.
Story Teller
Center for the Visual Arts (CVA) Main Gallery
August 26–October 11
"Storyteller" is a retrospective exhibition that delves into the distinctive world of Holly Roberts, a renowned artist who combines photography and painting to create evocative mixed-media collages. This exhibition showcases Roberts' intuitive process, where paintings and fragments of her photographs form symbolic and dreamlike compositions.
Swan Song (Guest Installation)
Center for the Visual Arts Courtyard
Sept. 1-28
Swan Song features the individual and collaborative work of guest artists Halima Afi Cassells and Shanna Merola, combining their photo-based collages alongside sculpture and installation. This exhibition examines the cause and effects of colonization, resource extraction, climate crisis, and corporate domination. While Merola’s dystopian landscapes seem fractured beyond repair by free market deregulation, Cassells’ work manifests the collective liberation of both people and land from the grip of white heteropatriarchal systems of oppression.
The swan is a recurring figure, both aesthetically and metaphorically. As an archetype and motif, the graceful creature holds multiple meanings handed down through the centuries and across different cultures. According to ancient Greek mythology, the silent swan sings a beautiful song just before death. As we stand on the precipice of collapse, in the wake of a new paradigm shift, can we also learn to experience joy amidst the terror?
While part of the exhibition will be on campus in the CVA Courtyard, the main exhibition will be displayed at River House Arts. Below is the full schedule.
Exhibitions
- River House Arts (Sept. 1-28)
- University of Toledo Department of Art: Center for the Visual Arts Courtyard (Sept. 1-28)
Programing
Artist lecture: Toledo Museum of Art, Little Theater
Sunday, Sept. 22, 2-3 p.m.
Exhibition Reception: River House Arts
Sunday, Sept. 22, 3-5 p.m.
Alumni Opening
UToledo Art Alumna Opens New Pottery Studio within Huron Street Studios
Open House - Saturday, Sept. 14, 3-10 p.m.
Huron Street Studios, formerly known as Gathered Glassblowing Studio, is excited to announce its reopening under new ownership. Renowned glass blower Ryan Thompson and ceramic artist Kayla Kirk ('17) have acquired the studio from previous owners Adam Goldberg and Mike Stevens. To celebrate this new chapter, the community is invited to an open house on Saturday, Sept. 14 to experience the new business and enjoy live glass and pottery demonstrations.
Kayla Kirk, a BFA and BA graduate from The University of Toledo in 2017, has opened Charmed Ceramics, her own pottery studio within Huron Street Studios. Kirk has spent the last three years at Detroit’s historic Pewabic Pottery working as a production potter and educator. Kirk’s work is driven by a deep appreciation for nature and emphasizes the transformative magic of clay into fine art. She is passionate about sharing the joy of clay with others and is excited to offer quality handmade goods and public pottery experiences in her hometown.
Alumni Exhibit
Queer Chimera:
Fiber and Mixed media Art by Juniper Wolfenbarger
Aug. 30 - Sept. 29, 2024
Opening Reception - Friday, Sept. 13, 6-8 p.m.
A celebration of queerness and the process of building a chosen family.
Summer 2024
Faculty Virtual Solo Exhibition
June 1 - July 31, 2024
ARTIST - Barbara Miner
Chair, Professor of Art
Department of Art
Blue Koi Gallery, an online platform that hosts monthly juried art shows and exhibitions, is hosting a solo exhibition featuring the mixed media work of Barbara Miner in June and July.
Miner, professor and chair of the Department of Art at The University of Toledo, was awarded the solo exhibition through a national competition.
Miner used stencils, spray paint, markers and digital tools to create...Read more.
Spring 2024
Art Faculty Exhibition 2024
Jan. 22 - Feb. 16
Center for the Visual Arts, Main Gallery
Opening Reception - Friday, Jan. 26, 6-8 p.m.
Center for the Visual Arts, Main Gallery
The UToledo art faculty are hosting a show of their latest projects. From 2D to 3D
to digital - come see their amazing work! The exhibit and reception are both free
and open to all.
ART FACULTY IN THE SHOW
- Jordan Buschur
- Jason Cox
- Julia Labay Darrah
- Deb A. Davis
- Dan Hernandez
- Shin Yeon Jeon
- Tom Lingeman
- Daniel McInnis
- Barbara Miner
- Deborah Orloff
- Mysoon Rizk
- Karen Roderick-Lingeman
- Arturo Rodriguez
- Barry Whittaker
- Eric Zeigler
Annual Digital Billboard Exhibition
Jan. 16 - Mar. 14, 2024
Greater Toledo Area
Each year, Lamar, a local outdoor advertising company, displays the work of several UToledo art students on its digital billboards throughout the greater Toledo area. Thanks to our community partner, Lamar, and the hard work of faculty member and organizer, Barry Whittaker (Department of Art), the work of our students receives well-deserved publicity and recognition. Watch for our students' work at the locations below.
Locations
- Glendale at Byrne (facing west)
- Monroe NW Corner of Laskey (facing east)
- Washington SE Corner of Huron (facing west)
- Erie at Anthony Wayne Trail (facing west)
- I-475 at Upton (facing west)
- Navarre Avenue West of Wheeling (facing west)
- I-75 at Monroe (facing south east)
- Secor at Executive Parkway (facing south)
- Reynolds NW Corner of Glendale (facing north)
- Monroe SW Corner of Douglas (facing north)
2024 Juried Student Exhibition
Mar. 1-26
Center for the Visual Arts, Main Gallery
Opening Reception - Friday, Mar. 1, 6-8 p.m.
Center for the Visual Arts, Main Gallery
Krzysztof Wodiczko: The Art of Un-War
Friday, April 12 at 1:30 p.m.
Toledo Lucas County Public Library, Main Branch, McMaster Center
The University of Toledo Department of Art and the UToledo Roger Ray Institute for the Humanities will host a screening the film, Krzysztof Wodiczko: The Art of Un-War. The event will include a dialogue with the filmmaker, Maria Niro, and Wodiczko, the artist featured in the film. The screening and discussion are supported by an Ohio Humanities Spark Grant awarded to the department and the institute. Admission and parking (in the garage behind the library) are free and open to all.
This program has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in the program do not necessarily represent those of Ohio Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.
2024 Bachelor of Fine Arts B.F.A. Exhibition
Apr. 8 - May 31
Center for the Visual Arts, Main Gallery
Opening Reception - Friday, Apr. 26, 5-7 p.m.
Center for the Visual Arts, Main Gallery
Fall 2023
Focus Exhibition
November 8-December 15, 2023
Opening Reception
Wednesday, November 8 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Toledo Museum of Art Glass Pavilion
Exhibition
Center for the Visual Arts, Main Gallery
The Focus Exhibition is an annual presentation of the finest work of some of the region's best high school aged artists. All are welcome to attend the opening reception and exhibition. (Works shown are from a past exhibition.)
University Libraries Art Student Showcase
November 6 - December 8, 2023
(Undergraduate Showcase Reception: Dec. 8)
Carlson Library South Gallery
The first University Libraries Art Student Showcase is now open in the Carlson Library South Gallery, and will run through Friday, Dec. 8. On Dec. 8 there will also be a reception in conjunction with the undergraduate showcase.
The exhibit is an opportunity for undergraduate students in the UToledo Department of Art to showcase their work. This year’s show features more than 30 artists with work spanning paintings to ceramics to digital art.
Pop Up Exhibition - Wearable Conditions + Cast
![Yellow legal pad as background with text Wearble Conditions + CAST [concepts in art studio and theory]](/calendar/images/arts-and-letters/WearableCASTpopupshow.png)
Friday, December 8, 2023
6-8 p.m.
The Secor Building, 425 Jefferson Ave. (Downtown Toledo)
The UToledo Department of Art will present two pop up exhibitions, i.e. one-night-only.
Both exhibits will be held in the Secor Building. CAST will be in the River House
Arts Gallery on the 1st floor. "Wearable Conditions" will be shown on the 2nd floor.
"Wearable Conditions" asks and answers the question, "what would a certain disease
look like if it were an artwork that could be worn as clothing?" See the amazing and
innovative results.
The CAST [concepts in art studio and theory] features works from students who took
the course this semester.
Welcome to the Here and Now
Selections from the Digerati Emergent Media Festival
Exhibition: September 15-October 15, 2023
Installation: Videos will be shown on 4–5 digital displays Center for the Visual Arts, Main Gallery
The University of Toledo’s Department of Art has partnered with Denver Digerati to present an exhibition that pushes the boundaries of art and technology. “Welcome to the Here and Now: Selections from the Digerati Emergent Media Festival” highlights a dynamic selection of artists currently exploring new and experimental storytelling and image generation methods.
Participating Artists
- Joel Benjamin
- Bernardo Alevato and Taianne Oliveira
- David Bennett
- Jiin Chung and Lizzy Bovee
- Mingyong Cheng
- Felix Colgrave
- Nicolas Gebbe
- Ryan Lewis
- Albert Merino
- Naime Pakniyat
- Eduardo Medina Salazar
- Beth Walker
- Yuanshen Yang
- Xinhe Zhao
SPRING 2023
BFA Exhibition and Reception
Exhibition: April 7 - May 5, 2023
Reception - Friday, April 21, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Everyone is welcome to join the Department of Art as we celebrate the work of our graduating BFA seniors - Lexi Moser, Joseph Boorom, and Suzy Hansen.
Juried Student EXHIBITION(JSE)
Mar. 3 - 27, 2023
JSE Opening Reception
Friday, Mar. 3 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Center for the Visual Arts Main Gallery
All are welcome to attend the opening reception of the 2023 UToledo Juried Student Exhibition (JSE).
The JSE is an exhibition of artwork created by UToledo students in juried competition. The competition is open to all University of Toledo students regardless of major.
2023 JSE Juror
Brian Spolans
This year's juror is Brian Spolans, an artist and professor of art at Eastern Michigan University. Spolans’ work has been exhibited at 500X Gallery in Dallas, Paradigm Gallery in Philadelphia, Muskegon Museum of Art, International Print Center of New York, and Published in New American Paintings, Fresh Paint and Create Magazine. He co-curated the exhibition “Post Apocalypse” at Gallery Project in Ann Arbor, and “Non-Text,” at Eastern Michigan University.
VSA - MERGE NATIONAL EXHIBITION
Jan. 17 - Feb. 17, 2023
Center for the Visual Arts Main Gallery
A traveling exhibition of artwork from the Kennedy Center featuring 15 artists with disabilities that considers the intersection of the creative process and disability identity. The exhibit is open to the public whenever the Center for the Visual Arts is open. Co-sponsored by the Department of Art and Disability Studies program.
