Open Call:

Toni Morrison Exhibition

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Overview

Zygote Press invites applications for an upcoming group exhibition that will form part of the cultural programming for Ohio Celebrates Toni Morrison, a yearlong celebration organized by Ohio Humanities and Literary Cleveland. We aim to exhibit the work of Ohio artists engaging with the enduring motifs found in Morrison’s literary corpus. These include but are not necessarily limited to themes such as history, memory, race, racism, exclusion, trauma, violence, flight or fugitivity, motherhood, home, lineage, beauty, and love. As an organization dedicated to the history of prints, we hope to explore how the materials, processes, and techniques of printmaking enrich the meanings found in Morrison’s writing. While visual artists from all media are welcome to apply, preference will be given to those working in printed media. This includes artist’s books, aquatints, collages, engravings, etchings, lithographs, monotypes, serigraphs, and woodcuts. 

Questions? Please feel free to reach out to the exhibition organizer: Tony, ahuffman@zygotepress.org.

Timeline

  • Application deadline: July 7th

  • Review process: Mid-July

  • Notification of acceptance: End of July

  • Exhibition opens: September 10th, 2026

  • Exhibition closes: October 30th, 2026

Eligibility

  • 25 years or older by the application deadline

  • Resident of Ohio

  • Not currently enrolled in a degree program

  • Applicants cannot be current employees of Zygote Press, a member of the board of trustees of the organization, or immediate family of any of the aforementioned.

Selection Process

Submissions will be reviewed by a jury comprised of Ohio-based professionals drawn from the fields of the visual and literary arts. Jurors will select five artists for the group exhibition based on artistic merit and connections to Morrison’s writing. Applicants will be notified by the end of July. Chosen artists will receive a stipend of $750 along with opportunities for the promotion of their work through interviews, photography, and social media campaigns throughout the exhibition.