A call for contemporary work from artists living in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
SUBMISSIONS DUE: November 7, 2025
The OH+5 exhibition celebrates the creative pulse of the Midwest and Appalachia through a dynamic survey of contemporary artwork by artists living in Ohio and it’s 5 bordering states: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Now in its fifteenth iteration, this juried exhibition invites submissions across all media, offering a platform for both emerging and established artists to share work that reflects the diversity of thought, technique, and innovation in our region.
As we look to the future of regional artmaking, OH+5 aims to capture the spirit of experimentation and the relevance of place. This is an opportunity to showcase work that speaks to personal or collective experiences, questions tradition, and expands the conversation about what contemporary art can be – here and now.
We encourage artists working in all forms to apply and help define the ever-evolving artistic landscape of our region.
Please reach out to Erin McKenna (erin@dairybarn.org) with any questions about submitting work to this exhibition.
EXHIBITION PERIOD:
January 16 – March 29, 2026
ELIGIBILITY
- Open to all traditional and non-traditional genres and media
- All entries must be completed after January 1, 2024
- Entry Fee: $40 for 1-3 works
- Works may be listed as “Not for Sale”. If offered for sale, the artist receives 65%.
JURORS
Gustavo Uriel Ayala is an artist and educator whose work uses wrestling as a framework to grapple with the legacy of masculine competition and its continued veneration as the ideal masculinity. Drawing from his experiences as a closeted, gay and Mexican immigrant in the Midwest, his vibrant paintings harness visibility to explore the intersections between masculinity and marginalized identities. Currently, he is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, where he received an MFA in Studio Art. His thesis, “Caught in the Act,” was exhibited at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum in East Lansing, MI. He holds a BFA in Painting from Herron School of Art + Design at Indiana University Indianapolis, where he afterwards served as Gallery Manager and Curatorial Assistant at the Galleries at Herron.
Michael Litzau was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is a Green Bay Packer football fan through and through. Much of the images in his work revolves around Packers football and sports in general. The materials he uses often include scrapbook paper, wall paper, intaglio, and graphite. Together, the images and materials explore issues of fantasy, fandom, and ritual.
Michael received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2004 from Columbus College of Art and Design and in 2006 obtained his Master of Fine Arts degree at The Ohio State University in printmaking where he was a University Fellow. He is currently an Associate Professor of Art, Printmaking at Berea College in Berea, Kentucky. Michael has shown his artwork extensively through solo, juried and trade print exhibitions throughout the United States.
M. Pofahl is a cultural organizer based in the Midwest with roots in the Southeastern United States. They hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography and Film from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Master of Fine Arts in Photography from Cranbrook Academy of Art. Over nearly a decade in Detroit, Pofahl collaborated with a range of arts institutions including Forum Gallery, Science Gallery Detroit, Wayne State University, Project Art Detroit, Red Bull Arts, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, where they served as Assistant Curator.
As Director and Curator of the Herron Galleries in Indianapolis, Pofahl harnesses the transformative power of art to cultivate spaces that inspire critical thought, challenge social constructs, foster inclusivity, and advance a more just and sustainable society.
STEP 1: Read Prospectus
STEP 2: Payment form
STEP 3: Submission form. Each artist may submit up to 3 works.
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