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.

Jury

Zachary Thomas is a Cleveland-based arts administrator, poet, and writer. He was the co-founder and the executive director of Writers in Residence (WIR)—a nonprofit dedicated to teaching creative writing to youth who are incarcerated, empowering them to find their voices, and assisting their re-entry into society. Born out of Mr. Thomas’ volunteer experiences at the Juvenile Detention Center in Cleveland, WIR got its start in 2017 as a student-led, all-volunteer organization at John Carroll University. In 2018, Mr. Thomas received a Cleveland Foundation Fellowship, allowing him to turn the student organization into a nonprofit. Under his leadership, WIR has grown to manage 12 cohorts led by teaching artists across the Buckeye State; established partnerships with other organizations and state agencies; and developed both curricula and a handbook to guide each cohort. More than 1,500 youth have participated in the transformative program, producing more than 2,500 creative pieces distributed through chapbooks.

Quartez Harris is a poet, teaching artist and author. He was named Ohio Poet of the Year and his book Go Tell It: How James Baldwin Became a Writer is a USA Today Bestselling book and has garnered numerous awards. He spent many years as a second grade teacher in the Cleveland public school system, and currently spends his time writing and teaching poetry workshops.

Charisse Harris is an interdisciplinary visual artist & art instructor from Akron, Ohio. She received her Master of Fine Arts from Kent State University, and her Bachelor of Arts from Baldwin-Wallace University. Graduating with honors from both, she is a dedicated student of life who is always learning and questioning. In her creative research Charisse is investigating the female gaze, food culture, and artistic collaboration with generative AI. She is hopeful to continue exploring these ideas as she enters a PhD program in 2026. Charisse has taught a range of studio art courses at Kent State University, Kent State-Stark, Columbus State, & Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. She was a Visiting Assistant Professor of Drawing at Oberlin College in 2023 and is currently a lecturer at Baldwin-Wallace University.