Exhibitions
Zygote’s gallery hosts several exhibitions throughout the year.
Collective Proof Artist Talk
Join us for an Artist Talk on Thursday, April 18th, 6-8pm - you will get a chance to hear from the artists whose work is on view in Collective Proof, moderated by Aawful Aaron.
This group exhibition features work by the 2023 cohort of Zygote's PROOF Fellows - five of the six artists will be speaking: Chester Hopkins-Bey, Lawrence Hudson, Sydney Kay, Lacy Talley, & McKinley Wiley.
Zygote's PROOF Fellowship offers six seats annually to BIPOC artists with little to no experience in printmaking. These artists are given the opportunity to learn a variety of printmaking techniques, including screenprinting, etching, lithography, monoprint, relief, and RISO. Each artist then completes a body of work in their new medium. Know someone who might be interested in this opportunity? The Call is Open right now - click here to learn more.
Can't make it to the Artist Talk? Stop by to see the show during our gallery hours:
Wednesdays 5-9pm
Fridays 12-4pm
Saturdays 12-4pm
Collective Proof: a Group Exhibition
Opening Reception: Friday, March 8, 6-8pm
Show runs: March 8 - May 11th
This group exhibition features work by the 2023 cohort of Zygote's PROOF Fellows - the six artists include: Chester Hopkins-Bey, Lawrence Hudson @lhudphotos, Sydney Kay @wannabe_future_artist, Chudney Patterson, Lacy Talley @lacerrrr, & McKinley Wiley @thedarkroomco - all are showing work they completed during their residency.
Zygote's PROOF Fellowship offers six seats annually to BIPOC artists with little to no experience in printmaking. These artists are given the opportunity to learn a variety of printmaking techniques, including screenprinting, etching, lithography, monoprint, relief, and RISO. Each artist then completes a body of work in their new medium.
Gallery Hours:
Wednesdays 5-9pm
Fridays 12-4pm
Saturdays 12-4pm
Or by appointment, click here to set up a time.
New Pop-Up Exhibition:
Mosijah Roye: The Gen Z Project
Who’s Documenting Gen Z? …Mosijah Roye.
The Cleveland Print Room invites you to Zygote Press on February 23rd for The Gen Z Project presented by NY photographer @mozijah. This project was a study of Generation Z’s mindset toward their future career endeavors as they moved toward graduation. Mosijah began with thought-provoking questions to students like, “How does what you aspire to do inspire or produce change in the world?” Interviewing almost 60 students in his high school Mosijah decided to choose 30 students and expand on his idea encouraging students to bring in props that were significant to their career goals to create captivating images of every student who participated.
Following the opening of The Gen Z Project Mosijah will be taking pictures and holding an artist talk on Saturday, February 24 from 12 – 4 P.M at Zygote Press. Mosijah opens this time up to learn more about him and his practice as a professional photographer in his generation and to interact with other Gen ZRs to take photos with props and ask the question “How does what you aspire to do inspire or produce change in the world?” as he continues documenting the present-future of this generation
The Gen Z Project is generously supported by Cuyahoga Arts & Culture and the Ohio Arts Council.
Gallery Hours:
Opening Reception: Friday, February 23, 5-9pm
Saturday, February 24, 12-4pm: Photoshoot with Mosijah + Q&A
Monday-Friday: By Appointment only - click here to set up a time.
Saturday, March 2, 12-4pm
Exhibition Extended!
Off TheWall Holiday Sale
If you didn’t get a chance to visit Zygote’s Off the Wall Member Sale - good news! The show has been extended until Saturday, February 10th. Stop in to see tons of work by Zygote Member Artists all made locally. The very best of Northeast Ohio’s printmaking community is on view, and it’s all for sale.
Hours:
Wednesdays 5-9pm
Fridays 12-4pm
Saturdays 12-4pm
Or by appointment, click here to set up a time.
Off the Wall Holiday Sale 2023
In case you haven’t heard, last year Zygote joined forces with Praxis Fiber Workshop and SPACES Gallery to have a group Holiday Sale – and just recently, the Morgan Art of Papermaking joined too! That’s right, all FOUR organizations will be holding a Holiday Members’ Showcase across all four locations!
Each venue has individual dates and hours, please click the logo below to learn more about each sale.
ZYGOTE INFO:
Opening Reception: Friday, Dec. 1, 5-8pm
Show runs: Friday, Dec. 1 - Sat. Dec. 23
Shopping Hours: FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS from 11-7pm & SUNDAYS from 12-5pm or by appointment during the week.
In addition, each organization will be holding a public reception with refreshments and holiday cheer:
Praxis & Zygote - Friday, Dec. 1, 5-8pm
The Morgan - Friday, Dec. 8, 5-8pm
SPACES - One-Night Pop-Up: Friday, Dec. 15, 6-10pm
Don't miss this amazing art sale held at four local art non-profits - featuring handmade, local, original works of art by some of the area’s best artists. Support local makers and nonprofits this year with your holiday purchases - tons of gift ideas at all price points!
Christopher Mason: Artist Talk
November 11, 4-5pm
Free and Open to All
Christopher Mason: Echoes of Innocence
Opening Reception: Friday, October 20, 5-8pm
Show Runs: October 20-November 11
Stephen Bivens' Fellowship recipient, Christopher Mason began his 2022/23 residency straddling the mediums of photography and printmaking in the creation of this project, so it only seems like a natural step for the Cleveland Print Room to partner with us to show his work publicly. With a strict photoshoot schedule that included photographing the city, along with populating sketchbooks and journals with prints while working at Zygote, Mason's determination to take his photography to another artistic realm in his practice is present in this new body of work.
Mason writes, "Like a silent power, my work speaks in enigmatic tones, impressing through brevity. Childhood memories bloom, guiding my creative journey. The art of youth's joy and discovery emerges in blurred motion, textured grain, abstract repetition, and atypical compositions. Urban rhythms pulse, mirroring society's urgency....Art becomes a compass for uncharted territories."
Stephen Bivens Fellowship: Stephen Bivens was a self-taught photographer who preferred to work with 35mm film. A teaching artist with CPR, Bivens instructed students in Cleveland schools on shooting film. He was a 2018 Cleveland Arts Prize Verge Fellowship winner and 2016 received a Ballot Box Project award through the Kresge Foundation and ArtPlace America. Bivens died suddenly on June 1, 2020 after a short illness.
Thanks to Jen Bivens, artBIV and the George Gund Foundation for their support of the Bivens Fellowship.
GALLERY HOURS:
Wednesdays 5-9pm
Fridays 12-4pm
Saturdays 12-4pm
Or by appointment, click here
POP-UP EXHIBITION: PEI-HSUAN WU
Opening Reception, Saturday, October 7, 5-8pm
SHOW RUNS:October 6-13th
GALLERY HOURS:
Saturday, October 7 - 12-8pm
Wednesday, October 11 - 5-9pm
Thursday, October 12 - 12-4pm
Or by appointment, click here.
Don’t miss this Pop-Up Exhibition, organized by our International Artist in Residence Pei-Hsuan Wu from Taipei City, Taiwan. “Involved” is a multi-national project that includes 20 artists from four different countries, including Cleveland printmaker, Karen D. Beckwith.
We’re Here, We’re Queer! Letterpress Group Show
Friday July 14 - EXTENDED until Saturday September 16, 2023!!!
Opening Reception: Friday, July 14, 6-9pm
Artist Appreciation Day: Saturday, August 26, 11am-5pm (concurrent with the Queer Print + Zine Fair)
This Summer, Zygote’s Gallery will be filled floor-to-ceiling with the work of Queer-identifing printmakers for a group show titled “We’re Here, We’re Queer”. Co-Organizers Brittany M. Hudak and Brittany Gorelick have brought together works that specifically address views of the Queer experience via the art form of Letterpress.
Featured Artists:
E. "Oscar" Maynard (of Tender-Heart Press)
Feliz Zyrna & Catherine Alice Michaelis
“We’re Here, We’re Queer!” celebrates work made by Queer-identifying printmakers from across the country and Canada. While the subject matter ranges - political, social, sexual, gender, race, environmental topics are all catalysts for the work - what unifies them is the contemporary practice of the centuries-old craft of letterpress printing.
Letterpress printing is how information has been disseminated for over 500 years, and unlike the ephemeral nature of social media, the permanence and tactility of a letterpress print is becoming increasingly impactful in our digital age. Despite the challenges of the medium (in particular access to the necessary tools) this show demonstrates that the popularity of letterpress printing continues flourish, develop and grow.
Reflecting the turbulence of the times we now live in, particularly for Queer individuals, this exhibition also pays tribute to Queer activists, and poster and printmakers of the past. “We’re Here, We’re Queer, Get Used to It!” was the rally cry for the direct action group Queer Nation in the 1990s. Made up of HIV/AIDS activists who were outraged at the escalation of anti-gay violence on the streets and prejudice in the arts and media, their slogan is sadly as relevant today as it was then.
Gallery hours:
Wednesdays 5-9pm
Fridays & Saturdays 12-4pm
Or by appointment - click here.
Pansy Power: 2nd Annual Queer Print & Zine Fair
Saturday, August 26, 11am-5pm
Thanks to a grant from NeighborUp Cleveland, Zygote Press will again be hosting the Queer Print + Zine Fair on Saturday, August 26. This year we are partnering with Phoenix-based Wasted Ink Zine Distro and held a national call for participation. Local, regional, and national queer printmakers and zinesters will be set up in Zygote's Parking Lot - and this year the fair is expanding to host 40 exhibitors!
Poster Design by Andy Passchier @andyrogyny
AAWFUL FRIENDS: THE FUTURE IS NOW
CURATED BY AARON D. WILLIAMS @AAWFULAARON
Opening Reception: Friday, May 5, 6-9 pm
Show Closes: Saturday, June 24th
Aawful Friends: The Future is Now postulates a future where art created by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and traditionally made art are in conflict. The setting for this group show is a dystopian future version of Cleveland, Ohio. The city has been left in ruins, ravaged by a mysterious force, and the remaining citizens are ruled by an evil group of tyrants who keep the populace under control using AI.
Featuring the work of 12 local artists in a range of media including painting, sculpture, and digital art, this exhibition explores the impact that new technology has had on the creative process. A powerful commentary on the future of art and the potential conflict between AI and human creativity, "Aawful Friends: The Future is Now," examines the role of AI in today’s society, and its potential misuse in the future.
FEATURING:
Dakarai Akil - @dk1994
Angel Bazan - @angelswurld
Sequoia Bostick - @sequoiabostickillustration
Malcolm Dakar - @malcolmdakar
Toby Griffiths - @firstpainter
Marco Kazandjeff - @whitewhoadie
Crystal Miller - @crymuseum
Ashton Peck - @ashton_peck
Garth Philips - @garfff_
Theadis Reagins - @blvckthesis
Jack Romer - @j_yute
Derek Walker - @derekwalkerart
transmutations
Charisse Harris
Paula Jackson
Sydney Jefferson
Bri Robinson
Ron Shelton
will0w watson
Friday March 3 - Saturday April 15, 2023
Opening Reception: Friday, March 3, 6-8pm
This group exhibition features the work of the last two cohorts of Zygote’s BIPOC Residency in 2022. Zygote offers paid fellowship seats annually to 6 local Black, Indigenous, and People of Color art educators, artists, or creatives with little to no experience in printmaking.
The fellowship is a 10-week program that gives artists the opportunity to learn a variety of printmaking techniques, including silkscreen, etching, lithography, monoprint, relief, and RISO.
To learn more about this Residency Opportunity, or to apply, click here.
Many thanks to Ben Levy, Phd Candidate Joint Program of Art History at CWRU and the Cleveland Museum of Art, for his help in coordinating this exhibition.
ArtsPass Off The Wall Holiday Sale
In case you haven’t heard, Zygote has joined forces with Praxis Fiber Workshop and SPACES Gallery to launch their ArtsPass Reciprocal Membership Program. In the spirit of this new partnership, the three organizations will be holding a Holiday Members’ Showcase across all three locations! The exhibitions open Saturday December 3 and run through Thursday, December 22.
In addition, each organization will be holding a public reception with refreshments and holiday cheer:
Praxis: Friday, Dec. 2nd, 5-9pm
Zygote: Friday, Dec. 9th, 5-8pm
SPACES: Friday, Dec. 16th, 5-8pm
Don’t miss this amazing art sale held at all three ArtsPass locations - featuring handmade, local, original works of art by some of the area’s best artists. Support local makers and nonprofits this year with your holiday purchases - tons of gift ideas at all price points!
ZYGOTE OPEN HOURS:
Dec 3 - Dec 22
Open FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS from 11-7pm & SUNDAYS from 12-5pm for shopping, or by appointment during the week. Masks required.
SPACES OPEN HOURS:
Dec 5 - Dec 16
Open Monday - Saturday,12-5pm
PRAXIS OPEN HOURS:
Dec 2 - Dec 18
Open Dec 2 5-9pm, and then Wednesdays & Sundays 12-4
Ideal: RISO Group Show
September 9 – November 05, 2022
Reception and free riso printing demo: Friday, September 16th, 6-8pm.
Gallery Hours: Wednesdays 5-9pm, Thursday, Fridays & Saturdays 12-4pm
Digital duplicators were originally designed for cost efficient single color high-volume print jobs like flyers, diner menus, business cards, and religious pamphlets. As commercial print shops began to retire these 80's and 90's machines, artists and graphic designers adopted them as affordable means of producing multiples. They embraced the duplicators' quirks, imperfections and limited color palettes. Risograph is the most popular brand of duplicators. In the past decade, countless print studios, artists, and publishers have created incredible artwork using the Risograph. Zygote is happy to present an exhibition of contemporary artists and publishers using Risograph duplicators to produce fine art editions and artist books.
Artists: ANEMONE, Rachel Delmotte, Genderfail, Henry Gepfer, Issue Press, Sabrina Lau, Julia Schimautz, Secret Riso Club, Taxonomy Press, Travis Shaffer, Tiny Splendor Press
Organized by Anna Tararova
CAN Triennial: You Are Here
On view Saturday, July 9 - Wednesday, August 31, 2022
Neighborhood Reception: Thursday, July 21, 6-8pm
Gallery Hours: Wednesdays 5-9pm, Thursday, Fridays & Saturdays 12-4pm
CAN Triennial: “You Are Here” is a multi-venue exhibition organized in collaboration with an intergenerational, diverse team of curators from a range of institutional affiliations. Together, these exhibitions will give us an experiential journey through the literal geography of our city, and the ever-complicated situational understandings of place, context, identity, and–ultimately action. For more info + locations, click here.
Artists on View at Zygote Press:
Aja Joi Grant
Davin Ebanks
Eva Kwong
Harris Rosenblum
John W. Carlson
Karl Anderson
Kayli Salzano
Maya Matthews
Megan Lubey
Sarah Paul
Valerie Goodman
CURATOR:
Thea Spittle (she/her) is an independent curator and arts worker based in Chagrin Falls, OH. Core to her curatorial practice is an unwavering support for artists in the presentation of exhibitions that reflect the nuanced and historically overlooked elements of an artist’s
practice. She is currently working on an experimental exhibition in the form of a pop-up shop, as well as producing a small posthumous publication of poetry by Courtney Gibbons, a Detroit writer. Other curatorial projects include the sunroom (2014-2018), a project space she founded in a Cleveland Heights home; PING (2019) a solo video exhibition and publication of creative writing by interdisciplinary artist Autumn Knight; and co-organized projects and performances at moCa Cleveland, the Hessel Museum of Art, New York, the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC), New York and SOMA Summer, Mexico City. Thea received her MA in Curatorial Studies from the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College.