6 Must-See Art Exhibits in Ohio This Fall

People have told stories without the written word for centuries, creating sculptures, painting a portrait or capturing a photograph to convey a message to the viewer. From Chinese artwork that juxtaposes good and evil, to surreal works that have you questioning fact and fiction, these six exhibits coming to Ohio this fall have countless stories to tell. 

Posing Beauty in African American Culture | Oct. 5-Jan. 12
Explore decades of photographs capturing African American culture through the lens of beauty in the every day in this exhibition at the Taft Museum of Art in Cincinnati. Spanning the 1890s through modern times, the more than 100 photographs on display from artists such as Carrie Mae Weems, Charles “Teenie” Harris and others are presented alongside works from the museum’s collection that contrast fashion and standards of beauty through time. 

Transcendent Dreamscapes: Exploring Surrealism through the CMA Collection |Through Oct. 27
Dreams become an alternate reality through Canton Museum of Art’s “Transcendent Dreamscapes: Exploring Surrealism through the CMA Collection.” Surrealism balances rational visions of life with dreams and what we experience in the subconscious mind. The works in the exhibit are part of the Canton Museum of Art’s collection and include pieces by Salvador Dali, Kay Sage (who made a name for women artists in the genre) and others. 

Tell Me a story Where the Bad Girl Wins: The Life and Art of Barbara Shermund | Through Dec. 29
Feminist trailblazers come to life through the works of Barbara Shermund at the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio during “Tell Me a story Where the Bad Girl Wins: The Life and Art of Barbara Shermund.” Featuring more than 100 original cartoon works published from the 1920s through the ’60s, Shermund is known as one of the first woman cartoonists for The New Yorker and is recognized for her distinctive style that brought her outspoken female characters to life.

Demons, Ghosts and Goblins in Chinese Art | Through Jan. 19
Demons, ghosts and goblins, oh my! The Cleveland Museum of Art’s “Demons, Ghosts and Goblins in Chinese Art” showcases 20 paintings and sculptures with both secular and religious themes, including creatures that either bring harm or ward off evil spirits.The exhibition becomes a guessing game as visitors observe which fearsome figures wreak havoc on earth and which act as protectors against evil forces.

Discovering Ansel Adams | Through Jan. 19 
Cincinnati Art Museum visitors learn how famed American photographer Ansel Adams evolved from a 14-year-old tourist with a Kodak Brownie camera into one of America’s most celebrated photographers. The exhibition brings together approximately 80 photographs as well as handwritten correspondence, snapshots and personal affects, allowing guests to “travel” with Adams as he becomes both an outdoorsman and photographer.

Fragments of Epic Memory | Through Jan. 26
Making a stop at the Columbus Museum of Art, “Fragments of Epic Memory” explores the Caribbean and its diaspora by placing over 100 historical photographs in dialogue with an immersive variety of contemporary art. The Caribbean islands brought together populations from the Americas, Africa, Europe and Asia and are shaped by years of colonization, enslavement and rebellion.