The Cleveland Institute of Art presented its 80th annual Student Independent Exhibition (SIE) from February 27 through April 5, 2026, at the Reinberger Gallery in Cleveland. The juried show, a long-standing CIA tradition, showcased student work spanning visual arts, craft, digital art, and design, with jurors selected by the student body itself.

This year’s jurors were Alex Heard, a soft sculptor and transdisciplinary artist affiliated with The Cleveland Museum of Art’s Parade the Circle; illustrator and designer Thao Nguyen, whose public art and murals appear across Cleveland, Lakewood, and Larchmere; and painter and curator Shawn Powell, an Associate Professor and co-chair of Painting at Kent State University. An opening reception was held February 27 in the Reinberger Gallery, with an awards ceremony at 7 p.m. in the Peter B. Lewis Theater.

Among the prize recipients: Nicholas Mariani ’27 received the Board Grand Prize for Cockfight; Maya Sims ’28 took Board Second Place for Voltage Overload; and Margaret Berrodin ’27 earned Board Third Place for It’s in the Small Things. Additional awards were given by donors including UBGreensfelder, the Trznadel Family, and the Karen Skunta & Company Design Excellence Award, which went to Shelby Robertson ’26. The Student Independent Exhibition is supported in part by Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.

Source: Cleveland Institute of Art