Medici Museum to Again Show Riffe Gallery Exhibition

HOWLAND, Ohio – For the second consecutive year, the Medici Museum of Art will show an exhibit of works by the state’s top artists.

The 2023 Biennial Juried Exhibition of the Riffe Gallery in Columbus will open at the Medici on Saturday, Jan. 20, and run through April 5. An opening reception, open to the public, will take place that day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Riffe Gallery is operated by the Ohio Arts Council. Its Biennial exhibition includes works by 63 artists who live and work in the state.

The works of contemporary art in the exhibition, selected from more than 1,600 submissions, include installations, sculptures, drawings, paintings, fiber works and photography.

“The exhibit is outstanding,” said Katelyn Amendolara-Russo, director of the Medici. “There is so much artistic talent in our state.”

Named Best in Show is the painting “Welcome to Ice Cream Land” by David Denniston.

The three jurors also each selected a Juror’s Choice Award. They were:

• “Indiscernible Faces” by Don Coulter, selected by Melissa Crum.
• “Protect” by Ana England, selected by Yusuf A. Lateef.
• “The Walls Are No Defense” by Aimee Lee, selected by Jolene Powell.

In bringing the exhibition to its museum, the Medici is extending the life of the show while bringing it closer to a new audience in the Mahoning Valley.

The Riffe and the Medici formed a partnership a couple years ago.

Shortly after its 2021 expansion of gallery space, the Medici was visited by Donna Collins and Cat Sheridan, executive director and gallery director, respectively, of the Riffe.

“They thought we would be a great fit for the exhibition,” Amendolara-Russo said.

The Biennial exhibition was brought to the Medici for the first time last year. It was well-received, and the museum was happy to bring it back this year, she said.

Additional exhibits from the Riffe Gallery will make their way to the Medici through October, Amendolara-Russo said.

Also on display at the Medici is the traveling exhibition “A New World: Ohio Women to Watch,” which showcases emerging female artists.

The Medici Museum of Art, 9350 E. Market St., is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is free.

Pictured at top: “Indiscernible Faces,” a painting by Don “DeeCee” Coulter, won a juror’s award in the Riffe Gallery’s Biennial Juried Exhibition.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.