Two Art Exhibits at Manifest Gallery

The term manifest is defined as "readily perceived by the senses and especially by the sense of sight." That is most certainly true of the Manifest Creative Research Gallery and Drawing Center located at 2727 Woodburn Avenue in Cincinnati, Ohio. A multitude of treasures for the eye were on display with the opening of two distinctly different art exhibitions, Rites of Passage 7 and Magnitude 7.7, opening reception Friday May 27th.

Manifest  was founded in 2004  by Jason Franz, Elizabeth Kauffman, and Brigid O'Kane. Manifest serves many purposes: as an exhibition space to inform and share with the community, as internship opportunities in the art field for college students, as an educational tool,  as a way to support emerging, up and coming artists and many more.

This is the seventh installment of the Rites of Passage series. Submissions were open to students who graduated or soon to graduate in 2010, 2011, and 2012. With 162 submissions from 88 colleges and 381 pieces of artwork, the Manifest gallery had their hands full picking what artwork to showcase, finally picking 12 artists and thirteen pieces of art.

"Ridge Road" by Cindy Bernhard

A variety of work ranging from drawing, ceramic, painting, mix media, and  photography are a part of the show. My personal favorite was Cindy Bernhard's "Ridge Road", watercolor on paper and acetate created in 2010. Bernhard, a recent graduate from The American Academy of Art in Chicago, received the Best of Show award, a $300 award given by the Manifest gallery in support of young emerging artists.

Magnitude 7.7, also in it's seventh year opened that same evening. This show focuses on small pieces and the intricacies and strengths inherent in them.  For this exhibit 349 artists and 801 art pieces were submitted and 24 artists were chosen for this juried show. 

For more information about the Manifest Creative Research Gallery and Drawing Center you can visit their website at http://www.manifestgallery.org/index.html.