Printmaker Maggie Denk-Leigh, chair of the Cleveland Institute of Art’s Printmaking Department, has participated in the college’s annual Faculty Exhibition more than twenty times during her career.

She finds the experience valuable. Like her colleagues, all of whom are practicing artists and designers, Denk-Leigh balances personal goals and her studio practice with responding to the learning environment at CIA. The Faculty Exhibition provides an opportunity to grow and explore through that process.

“When I’m showing work or making work in a regular studio practice, I’m responding to things I want to make, provoke, provide, challenge or do,” she says. “But with the faculty show, in response to things that might be going on at school, I might also be pushed to try something I might not have tried before. It gives me that yearly moment to say, ‘Maybe I’ll stretch a little bit here or go back and visit something in a new way over here.’”

That creative experimentation—in the form of original and innovative works by CIA’s world-renowned faculty—will be on view when the 2022 Faculty Exhibition opens during a reception on November 11 in Reinberger Gallery. The show will remain up through December 22.

“If you haven’t been to a Faculty Exhibition, you might have a pre-conceived notion of what you might see—and on some level, you’ll be rewarded. You’ll see paintings, drawings, animations and works in crafts,” she says. “But what you’ll also see is a lot of nuance and adventure. So, you’re always rewarded with a fresh take on something. I think being part of that kind of community of artists is pretty inspiring.”

We Want More pop-up explores printmaking, political activism

Artist, designer and archivist Josh MacPhee will return to CIA as part of the Mid America Print Council’s conference, The Power of Print: Resistance, Revolution & Resilience.

Kent State University will host the conference but CIA is a partner site. In Reinberger Gallery will be We Want More, a pop-up exhibition that builds off MacPhee’s spring 2022 exhibition at CIA, We Want Everything.

We Want More will be on view from October 13 to 16 and feature portfolios, including from CIA faculty, that contain prints related to themes of resistance and the history of print. MacPhee is a featured speaker and will deliver a talk October 16 at CIA.

“His voice of elevating communities through the power of print lines up with the theme really naturally,” Denk-Leigh says.

CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF ART
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EVENTS:

The Holy Land: A Semester in Jerusalem by Drawing Major Alison Alsup, September 9–23 in the Ann and Norman Roulet Student + Alumni Gallery

We Want More, October 13–16 in Reinberger Gallery

Carta Exhibition, October 28–29 in Reinberger Gallery

Faculty Exhibition, November 11–December 22 in Reinberger Gallery

FRONT Triennial: Oh, Gods of Dust and Rainbows, through October 2 in Reinberger Gallery