Up a Creek, a group exhibition curated by Painting and Printmaking senior Lilly Ross, will feature a selection of paintings and drawings that examine the different ways in which current and former Cleveland Institute of Art students experience their relationship with the environment.

Up a Creek will be on view from September 13 through December 5 at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes (2600 S. Park Blvd., Shaker Heights). An opening reception will be held from 5:30 to 7pm Friday, September 13.

Up a Creek will include work by DeAnne Smith and Tamsyn Kuehnert, both 2024 CIA graduates, as well as by Ross and fellow Painting and Printmaking senior Jamie Brinker.

Pieces in the exhibition will range from drawings of imagined environmental "supermarkets" that comment on humans' consumeristic nature to abstract pieces inspired by the rhythmic vibrations of natural patterns such as light refractions, tree rings, bacterium and cells.

Up a Creek was created through CIA's Creativity Works program, which is made possible by the generous support of the Fenn Educational Fund and the G.R. Lincoln Family Foundation. Creativity Works is a self-initiated internship program with the goal of supporting a student's professional development. Participating students create proposals that align with their long-term professional goals.

Image Credits: "Acidic" by Deanne Smith; acrylic on canvas; 31 x 25 inches; 2024

Sponsors