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Current Exhibitions


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Painting Instructor Rob Crombie, Sunrise, Oil Painting.

Student/Faculty Exhibition 2023
The Bowen Gallery

Each January, the Valley Art Center celebrates the talents of our faculty and students with the Student/Faculty Exhibition. Every student, staff member, and instructor who has been active at Valley Art Center in the last two years was invited to include one work of art in this exhibit. This popular annual exhibition showcases the diversity of classes and mediums offered by our talented faculty and is a platform to celebrate the successes of our students.

Over the past year, Valley Art Center has offered over 400 classes and workshops, taught by 30+ professional instructors, to over 1500 students. Please join us to experience all the wonderful ways our students and faculty make us the creative visual hub of the Chagrin Valley.

The exhibition will feature work from more than 100 Valley Art Center artists!

Rendering: A Digital Discourse
The Patron Gallery

Artificial Intelligence is a hot topic in the art world and beyond. The Valley Art Center is opening a space to create a discussion by bringing together local digital artists (Steven Gutierrez, Greggory Hill, Matthew Pylypiv, Pam Spremulli, and Jessica Wascak) for the exhibition Rendering: A Digital Discourse.

Valley Art Center's intention is not necessarily to take a stand on AI or conclude on its relevance or place in the arts community, but rather to open a dialogue and have relevant and current topics as a center of programming at VAC. 
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This will culminate in ​an Artist Panel on Digital and AI Art on Friday, February 10th at 7pm. Four of the exhibition artists will delve into their own relation to the digital artworld before taking questions from the audience. A recording of this panel will be available after the event.
The Valley Art Center's two exhibitions offer a unique opportunity to explore the creative potential of both student and faculty artwork and digital and AI artwork. By showcasing both types of artwork in one space, the Valley Art Center provides a platform to bridge the gap between traditional and new art forms. This dual exhibition allows viewers to appreciate the diversity of creative expression while also sparking a dialogue about how technology can be used to create art. Additionally, it provides an opportunity for students and faculty to learn from each other's techniques and gain insight into exhibiting in galleries once an artwork is created. Ultimately, these dual exhibitions serve as an inspiring reminder that creativity knows no bounds.
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The opening reception will also be the kickoff to the annual Hot Chocolate Fundraiser, a raffle to inspire art. Proceeds will further Valley Art Center’s mission to advance meaningful art education, exhibitions, events, and partnerships. Please join us for refreshments and free caricatures drawn by local artist Ron Hill.

Recent Exhibitions


51st Annual Juried Art Exhibition

Jurors:
Casey Monda, Casey Monda Art Advisory
Arnold Tunstall, Director, University Galleries, Myers School of Art, The University of Akron
Mark Yasenchack, Mark Yasenchack Studio
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Ekphrastacy

Artists Talk -
Poets Respond

Thursday, December 1 |  6pm
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In connection with the Annual Juried Art Exhibition, Valley Art Center hosted Ekphrastacy – Artists Talk + Poets Respond on December 1, in partnership with Heights Arts. The series, which is modeled after the Greek term Ekphrasis, or a poem that is a vivid description of a work of art, is a celebration of both visual and spoken word artistry. 

Says Heights Arts Executive Director Rachel Bernstein about the program, "We are very excited to once again share this signature program with Valley Art Center. Hearing artists talk about their work and then poets contributing similar or perhaps completely different interpretations, provides all who attend- artists, poets, and audience members alike, a much deeper appreciation of the works themselves, the process of creating them, and their impact on those that view them."

This program traveled to Valley Art Center to bring together poets who responded to works of art within the exhibition. The program was led by current Cleveland Heights Poet Laureate, Ray McNiece, along with Cleveland poet Siaara Freeman, and former Cleveland Heights Poets Laureate Christine Howey and Dr. Mary E. Weems. These poets composed and read poems directly inspired by the exhibited works, creating an interesting and engaging dialogue while surrounded by the art. The Cleveland Heights Poet Laureate is conferred by Heights Arts and is the longest-running poet laureate program in the state. In early 2023, the 11th Cleveland Heights Poet Laureate will be chosen for a 2023-2025 term.
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Award Winners

Best in Show: Joseph Ryznar, I Mowed, It Rained, It Cleared: Puddle on Concrete

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​1st Place: Drew Ippoliti, A Fugitive from the Law of Averages
2nd Place: Drew King, Two Rivers
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​3rd Place: Meagan Smith, Hardanger Fjord 1
Victoria Welling Award: Kimberly Chapman, That’s the Way to Do it! Punch and Judy, Wrong since 1662
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​Phyllis Lloyd Memorial Award in Abstract Painting: David Kuntzman, Dedekind
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​Darlene Jackson Watercolor Award: Donna Bargar, Crow #1
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Honorable Mention: ​Will Wilson, The Forest
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​The Paula Marianek Award - Excellence in a Piece That Incorporates the Mediums of Clay, Drawing, or Pastels: Debrah Butler, Silence
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Honorable Mention: ​Mary Defer, Spiderwort
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Honorable Mention: ​Jann Dieringer, Once Upon A Time
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Accepted Artists

Keegan Adams
Alan Ambuske
Donna Bargar
Kim Barnes
Chris Benavides
William Beuther
Christina Blaschke
Debrah Butler
Kimberly Chapman
Ryn Clarke
Paula Damm
Madeline Davis
Molly Davis
Mary Defer
Jann Dieringer
David Dingwell
Bill Fleming
Emma Gatzulis
Ali Gemmer
Fallon Hartleib
Kenn Hetzel
​Michael W. High
Judy Hodge
Drew Ippoliti

Tom Jackson
Molly Johnson
Emily Joyce
Drew King
John Kinnee
George Kocar
David Kuntzman
PJ Lytle
Violet Maimbourg
Kristina Malcolm
Julie Martin
Barbara Martin
Dennis Mastrangelo
Elizabeth Prindle
Nancy Roy
Joseph Ryznar
John A. Sargent III
Lisa Schonberg
Tony Skinner
Meagan Smith
Rima Tessman
Gwen Waight
Jessica Wascak
Will Wilson


Charles Deihl Retrospective Exhibition
September 9 - October 19, 2022

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An expansive exhibition of works by lifelong artist and accomplished professional, Charles "Bud" Deihl.

Listen to the recording of the Artist Talk with Charles "Bud" Diehl below to hear from the artist himself or scroll below to see installation images and learn more.
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Photo: Michael Steinberg.
Photos: Michael Steinberg.
Valley Art Center is pleased to present the Retrospective Exhibition of over 90 works by Charles “Bud” Deihl, artist, painter, sculptor, educator, and long-time VAC instructor. For locals of Chagrin Falls, the artists work can be seen year-round in the fantastical mural which adorns the VAC’s 62-foot-long east wall. From graduate school drawings in the 1950s to award winning oil paintings of recent years, this exhibition tells the visual story of a lifelong artist and accomplished professional. As the exhibited works are enriched by his genuine, honest narration, the audience has the unusual opportunity to hear directly from the artist about his life and art, in his own words. The complete stories within Charles Deihl's artworks, however, are left to the viewer's imagination.
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Bud describes his painting technique as modified realism, although the subject matter is often surrealism. In Bud’s words, “My paintings tell stories, but the stories are unclear, unfinished, obscure. The titles of the paintings - thus, the titles of the stories - sometimes offer some insight, but my hope is that viewers will be compelled to look at the paintings, accept that principals have been violated, and enjoy the experiment of the core idea.” As Ron Kroutel, Professor Emeritus at Ohio University explains, “You don’t leave Charles “Bud” Diehl’s paintings feeling hungry. They are a rich, satisfying feast on many levels. His mastery of technical skill and compositional structure are of the highest level. His playful and sometimes jarring use of subject matter whets the viewer’s appetite for more, and there is more, a complex and subtle reference to art history from Johannes Vermeer to Vito Acconci.”

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Valley Art Center is excited to present “Where Are We?” an exploration of Surrealism. Wander with us through dreams and the landscape of the unconscious. 

Juried and curated by John McCutcheon of Sean Christopher Gallery in Columbus, Ohio.
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​This exhibit is free and open to the public 10 am - 4pm Monday-Wednesday, 10am-7pm Thursday,  10am-4pm Friday, and 10 - 2pm on Saturday.


Let's get weird.
Exhibiting Artists
Alejandro Bellizzi
​Barbara Bergsten
Maggy Brown
David Butler
J.Inky Lorain Cantrell
Haley Cavotta
Kimberly Chapman
Andrea Dawson
Robert Fannin
Kathleen Fleming
Ethan Grossberg
Lisa Kenion
Susan Lash
Joseph Lazzari

Rachel Liberati
Juniper Mainelis
Gabi Roach
Jordi Rowe
John A Sargent III
Jean Schnell
Rita Schuenemann
Kathy Simone
Joe Stavec
Katie Taylor
​Seth Wade
Kristina Walter
Hannah Wyman
Delainey Wyville
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Where Are We? An Exploration of Surrealism
Gallery Walkthrough

​Assistant Director & Gallery Manager Julie Polsinelli walks through Valley Art Center's exhibition "Where Are We? An Exploration of Surrealism" on view until August 24, 2022. Julie explores the history of Surrealism before highlighting some of the works in this weird and wonderful exhibition!

​What a fantastic Opening Night! Thanks to all the artists and guests who came out! Special thanks to Lynn Lofton for her Exquisite Corpses experiment, Michael Steinberg for photographs, and Janet Ingold Floral for the amazing surrealist floral display!



Salvador Dalí Event
Thank you to all who came out to our One Night Only Dali Etching Viewing and Lecture!! ​
A very special thanks to Casey Monda of Casey Monda Art Advisory for her lecture which was an enlightening- and exciting!- exploration into Surrealism and our continuing "Where Are We?" exhibition. We look forward to presenting more lectures from artists and art historians!! If you were unable to attend, you can watch the lecture here.



Valley Art Center is pleased to present our new Hallway Gallery exhibition Accessible Expressions Ohio Exhibit August 1 – August 31

This exhibition is a partnership with Art Possible Ohio and features 16 works of art by 15 Ohio artists of all ages with disabilities. 
​Art Possible Ohio, a nonprofit organization founded in 1986, collaborates with artists of all ages with disabilities to promote accessibility and inclusivity, advance careers in the creative industries, foster community engagement, and raise academic achievement among students in Ohio by integrating the arts. 
Learn More About Art Possible Ohio Here


ART HEALS by Art Therapy Studio Client - Artists
On display June 27th - July 29th
Reception: Saturday, July 23rd 2-4pm

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Emerging Artists

Featuring emerging artists from local high school and college art programs, including;
Chagrin Falls High School
Brush High School
Excel TECC at Orange High School
Shaker Heights High School
and Lakeland Community College.

On display April 1 - May 11, 2022.
Awards Reception - April 8, 2022, 5 pm - 8 pm
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​Chagrin Falls Unity Mural

​This mural was created by 39 Portfolio Preparation students from Chagrin Falls High School and includes students studying photo, 2D and 3D design. The mural was sponsored by the Chagrin Educational Foundation. Lead Designer Delainey Wyville began by using original photographs of downtown Chagrin and creating a schematic drawing of the mural plan that was later laser cut out of wood before constructing the mural. Students were challenged to create a surrealistic cityscene incorporating aspects of Chagrin architecture that interconnected artistic disciplines. Students worked to give each building a distinct theme while also unifying with the entire mural as a whole.

The mural will be installed in Chagrin Falls High School later this year.

Special thanks to the Educational Foundation and David Kimball for helping incorporate use of the Innovation Center into this mural. 
36” X 120” X 4”
Acrylic, Paperclay and Mixed Media on Wood Panel
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Lead Student Designer:
Delainey Wyville

Student Artists:
Anna Baker, Kate Bartlett, Paelyn Benz, Maeve Brennan, Logan Brownell, Erin Burchard, Casper Calder Anna Campbell, Amelia Charlton, Peyton Gellin, Mila Gresh, ​Rose Hoelzel, Samantha Holtz, Clara Ives, ​Marie Kanzinger, Will Keegan, Stella Kronstain, Megan Larkin, Abigail Laws, Tina Logan, Hunter Longo, Sofia Maas,  Ceclia Mergenhagen, Robert Munz, Riley, Myers, Isabel Nerpouni, Oakleigh Niethammer, Liam Oettinger, Jenivy Par, Samuel Partain, Quinn Purnhagen, Elizabeth Rankin, Maya Rooney, Will Rossi, Ella Spremulli, Charlie Taylor, Sam Winans, Caitlyn Young, Camille Zitney


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Valley Art Center enriches and inspires the community through meaningful visual art education, exhibitions, events and partnerships. Valley Art Center is a 501c3 nonprofit organization.

Valley Art Center

155 Bell Street,
Chagrin Falls, OH 44022
(440) 247 - 7507
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  • Home
  • Classes
    • Adult
    • Child
    • Art Therapy
    • Workshops
    • Summer Camps
  • Gallery
    • On View >
      • Answer Key
    • Calls for Artists
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  • Valley Art/Shop
  • Give
  • Art by the Falls
    • Call for Artists - Art by the Falls
  • Support Us
    • Join
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  • About
    • Staff
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      • Darlene Jackson video
    • Contact
  • Events
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      • Chagrin Falls Park Community Center
      • Chagrin Falls Schools
      • Local Businesses
      • Senior to Senior Art
      • Village Arts Commission
    • Public Art
    • Calendar