Otterbein University is giving young artists the opportunity to showcase their art to a broad audience in a professional setting.  

The Third Annual Juried High School Art Exhibition will be on display until Dec. 10 in the Miller Gallery, located in the Art and Communications Building at 33 Collegeview Road, Westerville. 

This exhibition supports and promotes young artists in Ohio. Students gain experience preparing and submitting their artwork for a blind review by a qualified arts professional. Cash awards totaling $600 are given to the top work, selected by the juror, and scholarships to attend Otterbein are offered to students who are selected by the juror for the exhibition. Additional scholarships are offered to those whose work receives additional recognition, regardless of selection for the exhibition. 

For this year’s exhibition, 259 entries from 125 Ohio high school students were submitted. This is a 150% increase in submissions from the previous year. Of these 125 students, 45 had their work selected to be included in the gallery. 

“It was exciting to see so much good work being done throughout Ohio,” said Janice Glowski, Otterbein director of museum and galleries. “Some students and families drove one to three hours just to drop off artwork. We were blown away by their enthusiasm.” 

This exhibition gives high school students professional experience in the art industry. They practice entering their artwork into a professional juried exhibition and seeing their art professionally installed in the Miller Gallery and online.  

Professional training for artists is crucial for a career in the industry, says Glowski. Otterbein allowing students to receive that knowledge before entering college is a significant opportunity.  

Glowski is excited to be part of the art and the academics for students provided by the exhibition. “We get to learn about the wonderful work being created by young Ohio artists that we might have missed just due to geography,” she said. “Possibly most importantly, these students begin to build a connection between their passion and their potential career. That’s exactly what Otterbein strives to do.” 

More information on the Third Annual Juried High School Art Exhibition selected works and visiting the Miller Gallery can be found on Otterbein.edu.