The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) has opened a call for artists for "Lake Effect: Artists from Cleveland Now," a juried group exhibition celebrating the museum's 110th anniversary in 2026. The exhibition will be held from July 9 to November 22 at CMA's Transformer Station in Ohio City's Hingetown neighborhood, and is open to artists living or working in Northeast Ohio counties. Submissions are due by April 24, with selections announced May 1, and three $1,000 micro-grants will be awarded.
This exhibition matters because it revives the spirit of CMA's historic May Show (1919–1993), which championed regional artists for nearly 75 years. By reconnecting with local creative communities, "Lake Effect" reaffirms the museum's founding mission as an institution "for all the people forever," while looking toward its next century of artistic innovation and community engagement.