Press releases and announcements from Ohio's arts organizations
ProMusica Chamber Orchestra announced its 48th season with programs including Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, and guest artists Anneleen Lenaerts, Claire Huangci, and Clarice Assad.
Read moreArtsWave ran a “$20 Sends a Student” campaign during Teacher Appreciation Week, directing donations to arts field trips that serve approximately 20,000 students annually.
Read moreBalletMet presents La Boheme May 13-17 at Davidson Theatre, the first full-length work by new Artistic Director Remi Wortmeyer, with live Columbus Symphony accompaniment.
Read moreThe Tipp City Area Arts Council will hold its inaugural fundraiser, A Decadent Affair, on May 9, 2026 at the Tipp Center in Tipp City. The event features wine tastings from three local wineries, food from area caterers and pâtisseries, live music, and art displays with works for sale by ten local artists. VIP admission begins at 5:00 p.m. with general admission from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Featured wineries include Dragonfly Winery, Old School House Winery and Old Mason Winery. A raffle and art sales will support the council mission. Tickets are available online at tippcityartscouncil.com.
Read moreHuman Race Theatre Company in Dayton has announced its 2026-2027 season featuring five productions, including a world premiere and two regional premieres.
Read moreDayton’s Human Race Theatre opens its 2026-27 season with a world premiere by Maggie Lou Rader, plus regional premieres and a beach-set Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Read moreBalletMet’s 49th season will include a world premiere Swan Lake choreographed by Artistic Director Remi Wortmeyer and a new ballet about Marilyn Monroe.
Read moreSPACES gallery in Cleveland is set to launch its spring 2026 exhibition season, featuring two distinct presentations. The lineup includes “meditations on be(IN) thr(u),” a solo exhibition by artist-in-residence ọmọlolú Refilwe Bàbátúndé, and “Patterned,” a curatorial project organized by Thea Spittle. Both exhibitions will be available for public viewing from May 15 to June 27, 2026. Refilwe Bàbátúndé’s work delves into the concept of Black sound as a tool for healing and self-emancipation, presenting an immersive installation that maps their artistic practice. This exhibition will be complemented by a public opening reception on May 15, which will include a live performance by the artist. In addition to the exhibition, Bàbátúndé will lead a free workshop on May 2 focused on using sound and breath as methods of self-attunement. The “Patterned” exhibition will explore the multifaceted nature of patterns, both as visual designs and conceptual constructs. Curated by Thea Spittle, the project brings together five artists whose diverse works in textiles, printmaking, photography, and sculpture investigate patterns in nature, culture, and behavior. The exhibition seeks to foster a dialogue about the interconnectedness of visual motifs and societal structures.
Read moreThe Columbus Museum of Art will open ‘Tavares Strachan: The Day Tomorrow Began’ on May 16 at The Pizzuti, the first major U.S. museum survey of the Bahamian conceptual artist.
Read more‘East of the Pacific: Making Histories of Asian American Art’ opens April 15 at the Columbus Museum of Art, presenting works by more than 30 artists spanning the mid-19th century to today.
Read moreThe Cleveland Museum of Natural History has announced a continued collaboration with photographer Greg Murray to document the animals of its Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center.
Read moreThe Cleveland Museum of Art opens three new exhibitions in May and fills the month with performances, lectures, and community events.
Read moreTwo free global music concerts return to Hingetown this July, featuring Kaleta and Super Yamba Band and Insun Park and Generals.
Read moreThe Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) has named Lacy Schutz as its Interim Executive Director, effective May 18. Schutz brings extensive experience in cultural institution leadership, previously serving as Managing Director of ATHR Gallery and Executive Director of the Shaker Museum. CAC’s Board of Trustees welcomed her, highlighting her understanding of the institution’s mission and her ability to support its future growth. Schutz expressed her dedication to continuing CAC’s tradition of bold programming and artistic risk-taking.
Read morePlayhouse Square has announced nominees for its 2026 Dazzle Awards, with a record 44 Northeast Ohio high schools participating and the ceremony set for May 16 at the KeyBank State Theatre.
Read moreThe Sculpture Center in Cleveland opens concurrent exhibitions by Gary Sczerbaniewicz and Ling-lin Ku, both running through June 6, 2026.
Read moreA beam signing marks a construction milestone for the $50 million Patton Center for Arts Education at Ohio University, which will feature a 330-seat theater and open in fall 2027.
Read moreThe Ohio Immigrant Alliance returns for a fourth year to the Columbus Arts Festival on June 13, 2026, featuring artist Salif Sarr and two new books about immigrant experiences in Ohio.
Read moreCleveland Play House is staging the world premiere of ‘Freak The Mighty,’ a new musical based on Rodman Philbrick’s novel, in co-production with Seattle Rep. The show runs through June 21 at the Allen Theatre.
Read moreThe multidisciplinary artist is the first resident of the OneNKY Center Gallery in Covington, a creative placemaking collaboration between ArtsWave, MeetNKY and the NKY Port Authority.
Read moreSarah Ott-Hansen, William Roj, and John Saada join the Cleveland Museum of Art’s board of trustees for five-year terms.
Read moreCleveland Play House and Seattle Rep will co-produce the world premiere of the musical Freak the Mighty, running May 22 through June 21, 2026 at the Allen Theatre.
Read moreThe Columbus Museum of Art has named Cynthia Amoah as its 2026 Aminah Robinson Writing Resident, beginning a three-month studio residency in May.
Read moreThe Greater Columbus Arts Council has approved more than $13.3 million in operating and general support grants for Columbus-area arts organizations, taking a conservative approach due to economic conditions.
Read moreProMusica Chamber Orchestra closes its 47th season at the Southern Theatre in Columbus with Copland’s Appalachian Spring, Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1, and a Naked Classics deconstruction hosted by Paul Rissmann.
Read moreToledo Opera presents America 250 Week, a series of community events in the Toledo region running May 2 through 9, 2026. The week features volunteer service, a veterans concert, and performances through its Opera Round Town partnership with the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation.
Read moreThe 50th Cleveland International Film Festival concluded its 10-day run at Playhouse Square on April 18, 2026. The festival screened hundreds of films and distributed over $70,000 in cash prizes.
Read moreVocal coach and pianist François Germain, a professor at CIM since joining from the Semperoper in Dresden, will lead the conservatory’s opera theater and voice programs.
Read moreThe Cleveland Orchestra unveiled its 2026–27 season, the 25th and final year under Music Director Franz Welser-Möst, anchored by staged Strauss opera and an 81-concert European tour.
Read moreThe Cleveland Museum of Art announced a series of exhibitions celebrating the U.S. 250th anniversary, spotlighting American artists from Andrew Wyeth to Emma Amos.
Read moreThe Cleveland Orchestra announced its 2026-27 season, closing Music Director Franz Welser-Möst’s 25-year tenure. The season features an 81st international tour, Carnegie Hall concerts, and a staged Strauss opera.
Read moreThe Columbus Museum of Art opened a biennial exhibition featuring work by the six recipients of the Greater Columbus Arts Council’s Visual Arts Fellowship, on view through September 20.
Read moreThe Cincinnati Art Museum will present Yayoi Kusama’s “All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins” from July 17 through October 18, 2026, marking the first time the institution displays one of the artist’s Infinity Mirror Rooms.
Read moreThe 2026 Columbus Arts Festival will feature more than 75 free performances over four stages June 12-14, headlined by the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, indie-rock act Karate Coyote, and the Fashion as Art runway showcase.
Read moreDr. Shenise Johnson Thomas, chief external relations officer at Cleveland Public Library, joins CAC’s board; Daniel Blakemore reappointed as vice president.
Read moreLive Arts Toledo unveiled its 2026-2027 season with over 200 performances. Violinist Joshua Bell headlines the Masterworks series; the Toledo Ballet celebrates its 86th annual Nutcracker.
Read moreThe Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Virtual Field Trips program has reached 250,000 participants since launching in 2007, covering 85 of Ohio’s 88 counties.
Read moreSPACES in Cleveland revives its Monster Drawing Rally with more than 80 artists creating live works across three rounds at the Detroit Avenue gallery.
Read moreToledo Opera has named five resident artists for 2026-2027, selected from more than 150 applicants. They will tour with Opera on Wheels and perform in mainstage productions.
Read moreColumbus College of Art and Design transforms its annual fashion show into a gallery walk through Beeler Gallery, featuring work from 15 student designers.
Read moreThe Sculpture Center opened two exhibitions April 10: Gary Sczerbaniewicz’s ‘Cloud of Unknowing’ and Ling-lin Ku’s ‘Morning After,’ both running through June 6, 2026.
Read moreFotoFocus opens a new 14,700-square-foot photography center in Mount Auburn with an inaugural exhibition featuring more than 50 artists exploring American democracy through the lens.
Read moreThe Contemporary Arts Center has appointed Jessica Orzulak, a Duke University Ph.D. graduate specializing in global contemporary art and photography, as its new curator.
Read moreArtsWave and Cincy Shirts are launching “Cincy Arts Shirt Week” to celebrate and support the local arts community through custom-designed apparel. The initiative begins with a free public event on April 16 at The Acres, offering a mini-golf showcase of 20 ArtsWave-funded organizations. Attendees can purchase special T-shirts designed by Cincy Shirts, with proceeds benefiting the arts organizations. This collaboration aims to strengthen the region’s vibrant arts scene and foster community connection.
Read morePlayhouse Square has named Akron Children’s as the presenting sponsor of its Children’s Theater Series, bringing together arts and healthcare organizations in Northeast Ohio.
Read moreThe 2026 Columbus Arts Festival will feature 230-plus artists from 32 states and two countries at the Columbus riverfront June 12-14, including 19 Emerging Festival Artists from central Ohio.
Read moreThe Cleveland Museum of Art’s Parade the Circle returns June 13 for its 34th year. This year’s theme, “Momentum,” draws on the museum’s “American Printed Silks” exhibition. The Community Arts Center on West 25th Street is serving as the primary workshop space for the first time.
Read moreArtsWave has received a $25,000 matching gift from Cintas Cares for its “More Arts, More Kids” initiative, aiming to double donations and expand arts field trip access for students in the Cincinnati region. This program currently provides no-cost arts experiences for nearly 20,000 students annually. The funding addresses a national gap in arts education, as only 54% of U.S. public schools offer arts-based field trips. The initiative seeks to remove financial barriers, allowing more young people to benefit from the developmental advantages of arts engagement.
Read moreUrbana Cafe opens in the Cincinnati museum’s lobby, operating seven days a week. CAC adds Wednesday hours in response.
Read moreThe Toledo Symphony Orchestra has extended Music Director Alain Trudel’s contract through the 2028-2029 season, marking more than a decade of his leadership.
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