Your Massillon Museum is working to document the history of Massillon’s Black community, and to maintain and integrate representation of this history into the archives, collections, and shared memory of our community.
From 2020 to the present, we have been collecting oral histories, scanning community photographs, and sharing stories from the archives about Massillon's rich history of Black excellence.
Community members are invited to help preserve the history of African American Massillonians. Historic and contemporary photographs, artifacts, documents, family letters, artworks, uniforms, patches, telegrams, and audiovisual recordings are among the many items we are seeking to preserve in the Museum's physical history files and virtual archives and collections.
Learn more at:
Studio M Proposal Guidelines
· Applicants must reside in a state east of the Mississippi River at the time of application.
· Every entrant must be a member of the Massillon Museum. New members are welcome at any time. New membership ($25 for an individual) may be purchased as part of this Submittable application.
· Applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable $25 entry fee and items requested in this Submittable application form.
· Proposals may be submitted by one individual or by a two-person group. In the case of a proposal for a two-person exhibition, one application should be submitted. Each artist must be a member of the Museum. One application fee will cover the application.
· Artwork submitted should reflect a theme.
· The Museum values the integrity of artistic expression by human creators. Artwork generated by artificial intelligence (AI), the direct authorship of which cannot be proven without citation, will not be accepted. Massillon Museum may request documentation of process for digitally produced artwork or artwork containing digital components.
· Artists are responsible for artwork delivery and pickup, including any shipping costs and return shipping costs.
· Artists are expected to be present at the exhibition reception. Reception dates vary depending on the Museum’s existing event schedule. The Museum reserves the right to cancel a reception, or limit reception attendance, for health and safety reasons.
· Accepted two-dimensional artwork must be ready to hang on a wall. If art is three-dimensional, it must be ready to display. Artwork must be smaller than 8 1/2 feet tall or wide. Framed works must have wire or D-rings secured to the back of the frame (no saw teeth). Frames must be sturdy and in good condition. The Museum is not responsible for artwork damaged as a result of not having been properly framed or mounted. Clip and plastic box frames are not acceptable. The Museum reserves the right to reject artwork that is not suitable for installation.
· Artists must provide the appropriate amount of artwork to fill Studio M space. The specific number of artworks varies greatly depending on the size and nature of the work.
· Please be aware that the Museum maintains ADA compliance and a sensitive physical environment that may affect certain installation arrangements or preclude the use of certain materials.
· Artwork may be for sale. The Massillon Museum will facilitate all sales transactions, retaining a 30% commission.
· All artwork installed, sold or unsold, must remain on view until the end of the exhibition.
· Artwork will be unsupervised; artist(s) should take appropriate precautions.
· All work to be included in the exhibit will be delivered to the Museum on the date agreed upon by the artist(s) and the Museum’s Studio M Coordinator. Generally, this is about two weeks before the exhibition start date. It should be retrieved by 5:00 pm on the Tuesday immediately following the close of the show, or on the date agreed upon with the Museum's Studio M Coordinator.
· The Museum will promote the show through the media and to Museum supporters. The Museum will provide 50 postcard announcements to the artist, who will be responsible for stamping and mailing to their personal lists. The artist may design and mail out his or her own additional postcards, which must be approved by Massillon Museum prior to printing.
· The Museum will be in charge of promoting the show to the media and to Museum supporters through print, social media, and weekly e-blasts. The Museum will provide 50 postcard announcements to the artist, who will be responsible for stamping and mailing to their personal lists. The artist may design and mail out his or her own additional postcards, which must be approved by Massillon Museum prior to printing.
· Contacts with the press shall be done through the Museum. Artists are welcome to promote the exhibition on their own social media accounts. The information shared should be consistent with Museum promotion information. Artists are invited to share Museum social posts, and to share the digital version of the postcard once the final design has been approved.
· The Massillon Museum requires that any printed literature or advertising (digital or print) referencing the exhibit's specific occurrence at the Massillon Museum—whether produced by the artist or the media—including images of its installation at the Museum, be reviewed and approved by the Museum. Consent by the Massillon Museum is required to use the Museum's likeness, logo, or any visual reference to the exhibit in its iteration at the Museum.
· The artist agrees to engage in a pre-recorded conversation about the exhibition for presentation to the Museum's audience in a podcast. The conversation will be about the concept of the exhibition, the artist’s background, and experience. It will be offered, after posting, as an audio podcast. The running time will be about 45-60 minutes, and the podcast will remain accessible even after the exhibition closes.
Contact Studio M Coordinator Emily Vigil at evigil@massillonmuseum.org with any questions.
· The application is open to any student or recent graduate who is a Studio Art major (BA, BFA, or MFA candidate, or recent graduate) attending a college or university in Northeast Ohio at the time of application. Students must be a junior, senior, or *recent graduate. (*Recent means within one calendar year of graduation date. Recent graduates must reside east of the Mississippi.) Northeast Ohio-based remote students attending schools located outside Northeast Ohio will also be considered.
· Up to two applications will be selected for a three-week solo exhibition in the Winter of 2026.
· Every entrant must be a member of the Massillon Museum. New student members are welcome at any time. New membership(s) ($10) may be purchased as part of this Submittable application.
· Applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable $25 entry fee and items requested in this Submittable application form.
· Proposals may be submitted by one individual or by a two-person group. In the case of a proposal for a two-person exhibition, one application should be submitted. Each artist must be a member of the Museum. One application fee will cover the application.
· The Museum values the integrity of artistic expression by human creators. Artwork generated by artificial intelligence (AI), the direct authorship of which cannot be proven without citation, will not be accepted. Massillon Museum may request documentation of process for digitally produced artwork or artwork containing digital components.
· Artwork submitted should reflect a theme. Because the exhibition would take place relatively soon after the proposal acceptance, the submitted proposal should relate directly to the exhibition.
· Artists are responsible for artwork delivery and pickup, including any shipping costs and return shipping costs. Typically, artwork is delivered and picked up in person. Shipping arrangements need to be approved by the Museum’s Studio M Coordinator at least two months prior to the exhibition.
· Artists are expected to be present at the exhibition reception. Reception dates vary depending on the Museum’s existing event schedule. The Museum reserves the right to cancel a reception, or limit reception attendance, for health and safety reasons.
· Accepted two-dimensional artwork must be ready to hang on a wall. If art is three-dimensional, it must be ready to display. Artwork must be smaller than 8 1/2 feet tall or wide. Framed works must have wire or D-rings secured to the back of the frame (no saw teeth). Frames must be sturdy and in good condition. The Museum is not responsible for artwork damaged as a result of not having been properly framed or mounted. Clip and plastic box frames are not acceptable. The Museum reserves the right to reject artwork that is not suitable for installation.
· Artists must provide the appropriate amount of artwork to fill Studio M space. The specific number of artworks varies greatly depending on the size and nature of the work.
· Please be aware that the Museum maintains ADA compliance and a sensitive physical environment that may affect certain installation arrangements or preclude the use of certain materials.
· Artwork may be for sale. The Massillon Museum will facilitate all sales transactions, retaining a 30% commission.
· All artwork installed, sold or unsold, must remain on view until the end of the exhibition.
· Artwork will be unsupervised; artist(s) should take appropriate precautions.
· All work to be included in the exhibit will be delivered to the Museum on the date agreed upon by the artist(s) and the Museum’s Studio M Coordinator. Generally, this is about two weeks before the exhibition start date. It should be retrieved by 5:00 pm on the Tuesday immediately following the close of the show, or on the date agreed upon with the Museum's Studio M Coordinator.
· The Museum will promote the show through the media and to Museum supporters. The Museum will provide 50 postcard announcements to the artist, who will be responsible for stamping and mailing to their personal lists. The artist may design and mail out his or her own additional postcards, which must be approved by Massillon Museum prior to printing.
· The Museum will be in charge of promoting the show to the media and to Museum supporters through print, social media, and weekly e-blasts. The Museum will provide 50 postcard announcements to the artist, who will be responsible for stamping and mailing to their personal lists. The artist may design and mail out his or her own additional postcards, which must be approved by Massillon Museum prior to printing.
· Contacts with the press shall be done through the Museum. Artists are welcome to promote the exhibition on their own social media accounts. The information shared should be consistent with Museum promotion information. Artists are invited to share Museum social posts, and to share the digital version of the postcard once the final design has been approved.
· The Massillon Museum requires that any printed literature or advertising (digital or print) referencing the exhibit's specific occurrence at the Massillon Museum—whether produced by the artist or the media—including images of its installation at the Museum, be reviewed and approved by the Museum. Consent by the Massillon Museum is required to use the Museum's likeness, logo, or any visual reference to the exhibit in its iteration at the Museum.
· The artist agrees to engage in a pre-recorded conversation about the exhibition for presentation to the Museum's audience in a podcast. The conversation will be about the concept of the exhibition, the artist’s background, and experience. It will be offered, after posting, as an audio podcast. The running time will be about 45-60 minutes, and the podcast will remain accessible even after the exhibition closes.
Contact Studio M Coordinator Emily Vigil at evigil@massillonmuseum.org with any questions.
Upon submitting this entry form, payment must be made via credit card or PayPal. If you would prefer to pay by cash or check, contact submissions@massillonmuseum.org.
Eligibility
Open to present and former Stark County residents and to those currently working in Stark County. Entrants must be at least 18 years of age. All media will be considered. A panel of three independent jurors will select awork to be included and prizes to be awarded.
Acceptable Artwork
Each artist may submit up to three digital images of artwork completed within the past two years. If any staff or juror recognizes artwork suspected to be older than two years, that entry will be disqualified from the show, without opportunity to provide a new one. Artwork generated by artificial intelligence (AI), the direct authorship of which cannot be proven without citation, will not be accepted. Artwork residing in collections other than those of the artist themselves are not eligible for submission.
Fees
Each artist may submit up to three artworks. A non-refundable $15 fee per artwork or $30 for three artworks must accompany entries. Works may be for sale; the Museum will retain a 30% commission.
Photographs of Artwork
Each artist may submit up to three artworks. For the jurying process, artwork must be represented by digital photography. No more than two photographs of each artwork will be allowed. All components of the artwork must be visible in original submission. A neutral color background, such as white, black, or gray, is preferable when submitting photos of artists' work that will include background elements. Each digital file must be 300-dpi in jpeg format. Do not superimpose any information (including artist's name) on the photographs.
Digital files must be labeled with artist's last name followed by the artwork title, corresponding exactly with the name and title on the entry form (example: monet_waterlilies).
If you would prefer to have your work photographed by staff at the Museum, please reach out to us via email at submissions@massillonmuseum.org or phone at 330-833-4061 to schedule a photographing appointment.
Eligible Artwork
Artwork must be completely ready to hang or display. Works on paper must be framed under glass or Plexiglass. Frames must be sturdy and in good condition. Clip and plastic box frames are not acceptable, nor are sawtooth hangers. For safety reasons, all hanging work must have D-rings secured to the back. Click here for more information about proper D-ring use. Swath and wires will not be used and may need to be removed if impeding the D-rings. The Museum is not responsible for damage to improperly prepared work. The Museum reserves the right to reject artwork that is not ready for hanging. Each entry must be identified with the provided label completely filled out and securely attached to the back. No components that were not part of the work upon submission may be added to accepted artwork.
Labels
The exhibit labels and brochure will be reproduced exactly from the entry forms. Changes will not be allowed after submission. Labels for the back of artwork will be sent out to be completed before submissions are delivered to the Museum. If you are unable to print these labels, a small amount of labels will be available upon delivery of artwork.
Delivery
Artists are responsible for delivery of accepted artwork between October 22–25, 2025, between 9:30am–5:00pm. Late work will be disqualified from the exhibit; artwork not received by 5:00 pm October 25, 2025, will be excluded regardless of circumstances. Packing materials will not be saved or stored. Please plan to take your materials with you after delivery of artwork.
Pickup
Artwork must be retrieved following the show between January 14–17, 2026. Artwork not retrieved by January 17, 2026, will become the property of the Massillon Museum. Packing materials will not be saved or stored from drop off. Please plan to bring packing materials with you when retrieving artwork.
Jurors
Kristen Cliffel, Artist (Cleveland)
Maeve Crotty, Gallery Manager, Peg’s Foundation (Hudson)
Kerry Davis, Executive Director, Cleveland Print Room (Cleveland)
Prizes
- Best in show $300
- Second place $200
- Third place $100
- People's choice $100
Stark County Artists Schedule
- Submission deadline: July 13, 2025
- E-mail notification to artists: September 5, 2025
- Delivery of accepted artwork: October 22–25, 2025
- Exhibition: November 1, 2025–January 11, 2026
- Pick-up of exhibited artwork: January 14–17, 2026
Exhibition Opening
Saturday, November 1, 2025, 5:30–8:00 PM, Awards announced at 7:00 PM
Massillon Museum Hours
Tuesday to Saturday: 9:30 am to 5:00 pm
Sunday: 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Questions?
Email submissions@massillonmuseum.org or call 330.833.4061.
Note: Upon submission, please check that you have received a "Submission Received" email notification. If you do not have one in your inbox or spam folder shortly after submitting, please email submissions@massillonmuseum.org to make sure that your submission went through and was submitted under the correct email address.