2026 Midwest Regional
Juried by Dominic Mangila
January 8 - February 8, 2026
Brian Ach, "Zero," digital art, 8 x 10 inches.
Lilly Anspach, "Catalyst," raku clay, 6.5 x 5.5 x 6.5 inches.
Seder Burns, "Disembodied," 3D printed clay, 4 x 8 x 7 inches.
Hannah Burnworth, "Second Sight," found and handmade paper collage, 40 x 34 inches.
Elizabeth Busey, "Searching for a New Landing Spot," monoprint collage with cyanotypes, vintage maps and gold leaf, 36 x 35 inches.
Alison Confrancesco, "Tropical Fish, Hollywood CA," oil on canvas, 36 x 24 inches.
Thomas De Somer, "Land's End," transparent watercolor on paper, 16 x 28 inches.
Gretchen Durst Jacobs, "Door to the Forest Ceiling," acrylic on yupo, 50 x 42 inches.
Amanda Hamblin, "Golden Boy's Study," mixed media, 21 x 17 inches.
Susan Hensel, "Neotectonic-Atmospheric Event 3," digital embroidery, 42 x 16 inches.
John Hrehov, "Neighbors Flowers," oil on canvas, 42 x 36 inches.
Chrissy Hsieh, "Gratitude," clay, 12 x 12 x 12 inches.
Alan Kinnard, "Radiant Mishap," augmented reality, 20 x 20 inches.
Kazhia Kolb, "Rooftop Terrace 1," enhanced linoleum block print, 28 x 37 inches.
Mary Koszut, "The Toenail Snail & The Troublesome Stair," mixed media on paper, 5 x 7 inches.
Nancy Langston, "Northern Gannets in Iceland, linocut, 8 x 10 inches.
Cara Lawson-Ball, "Journey Toward Light," oil and cold wax, 26 x 20 inches.
Ethan Lottman, "Japanese Friends," ink, graphite, and charcoal, 17.5 x 13.37 inches.
Paul Lucas, "One Month at a Time," oil on canvas, 30 x 30 inches.
Steven C. Meyer, "Cross-Section: My Grampa Hoot Meyer on the Way to the River," wood, paint, glass and metal, 10.5 x 20.5 x 5.5 inches.
Charles Mintz, "US422-Taborville-Allan," inkjet print, 32 x 40 inches.
Issiac Mitchell, "Chimera in Motion," oil, 24 x 36 inches.
Larry Mock, "Nude on Lava with Dead Wood," photography, 11 x 15 inches.
Aya Naoe, "What I Heard," photolithography, 11 x 15 inches.
Jade Nguyen, "Memory of Saigon Streets," Van Dyke brown print, 18 x 30 inches.
Donny Nie, "Dress," fresh and transferred oil on wood panel, 30 x 24 inches.
Bridget O'Brien, "Sandhill Cranes Barking," oil on panel, 48 x 48 inches.
Michelle Peterlin, "Stories for Boys," acrylic on canvas, 40 x 30 inches.
Michelle Peterlin, "Gossamer Souls," acrylic on canvas, 30 x 40 inches.
Aaron Pickens, "Tool Boxes - May 27th 2025," oil on panel, 11 x 14 inches.
Emily Potts, "Faucet," oil on yupo, 7 x 7 inches.
Vince Quevedo, "Afternoon Delight," art quilt, 36 x 27.5 inches.
Merry Reimler, "Some Birds Make it Look Easy," encaustic, 9 x 12 inches.
Sarah Reynolds, "Elephant at Reflecting Pool," watercolor, 14 x 10 inches.
Cat Richardson, "Stop! (I wasn't allowed to say)," oil on canvas, 13 x 13 inches.
Tony Rio, "Stray Bullet," oil and plaster on gypsum board, 12.5 x 10 inches.
Kirsten Serrano, "Teal Bird Vase," stoneware, 7.5 x 6 x 3.5 inches.
Kevin Shanklin, "Hands of a Freed Man," acrylic on canvas, 20 x 24 inches.
Wendi Smith, "Taxonomy: Eggs," wood box, wood dowels and shapes, acrylic, 3.25 x 4.75 x 13.75 inches.
Jennifer Sowders, "Cuyahoga," acrylic on canvas, 30 x 40 inches.
Elizabeth Staver, "The Vintage Edge," digital art, 18 x 24 inches.
Tresa Steenberg, "Blue Skies All Day," mixed media, 36 x 36 inches.
Monica Stegeman, "Together We Rise Anew," mixed media, 18 x 24 inches.
T.R Steiner, "Tellusteal," soda fired porcelain, 11 x 10 x 4 inches.
Octavian Stickann, "Mundane Gender," screenprint on paper, 15 x 12 inches.
Deborah Stipanovich, "Blue Door at the Schoolhouse," acrylic, 23.5 x 23.5 inches.
Paula Swisher, "Sisters," colored pencil and gouache over digital print on paper, 14 x 11 inches.
Timmy Valentine, "Soleman Promise," acrylic, 40 x 30 inches.
Rosemond Nyamewaa Van-Ess, "Ripple Through the Cracks," earthenware, crawl glaze and bead glaze, 24 x 21 inches.
Jamie Weinfurter, "Buck the Trend," interactive paper scollage, 12 x 12 x 14 inches.
Mary Watkins, "Let your soul rest; even the moon wanes," oil on canvas, 21 x 25.5 inches.
Max Wilson, "Caitlin Clark 1.0," procreate, 16 x 20 inches.
Clinton Wood, "Backyard Gravel Piles," oil on wood panel, 24 x 26 inches.
Jennifer Yorke, "Memento," collage, acrylic and colored pencil on paper, 23.5 x 18.5 inches.
Isabel Zeng, "Watchers," mirrored blown glass, sterling silver, hard maple, paired with performance video, 14 x 9 x 5 inches.
Bonnie Zimmer, "Reciprocity Vessel IV," natural and found object sculptural vessel, 24 x 15.5 x 16 inches.
Midwest Regional
It was my pleasure to jury Artlink's Midwest Regional Exhibition. There was a large number of submissions. And there were many artworks that were excellent, showing a high level of artistry that did not make the cut. It was a difficult decision to narrow down a list of 500 plus entries to about 50 artworks. Nevertheless, it was a delight to see many varied forms of artistic expressions that convey artists' imagination, memory and direct observations of life, using varied techniques and processes of artmaking.
I reviewed the digital images of artworks several times to identify those that have great potential to enliven a gallery space that can accommodate about 50 artworks. In selecting the artworks for the exhibition, I initially looked for a visual impact that is instantaneously strong. Artwork that draw you in and invite you to interact with it and understand it. As I went over a shorter list of artworks after my first selection, I spent a considerable amount of time understanding the artworks' formal qualities and how these are used to creatively present the interiority of the artist's mind. The artworks which I selected spoke to me strongly, as evaluating and looking at art is subjective. In selecting the artworks for the exhibition, it was clear to me that I would choose a wide variety of artworks (conceptually and formalistically) to be able to present an exhibition that reflects the dynamism and diversity of art practices in the midwest. I looked for inventiveness; a sense of wonder or questioning that is true to the artist; and sensitivity and pleasure in material exploration.
I would like to thank Ellen Mensch for the invitation to jury and for organizing the exhibition. I also would like to thank all the artists who participated. And I hope the audience enjoys the exhibition.
Artists: Brian Ach, Lilly Anspach, Seder Burns, Hannah Burnworth, Elizabeth Busey, Alison Cofrancesco, Thomas De Somer, Gretchen Durst Jacobs, Amanda Hamblin, Susan Hensel, John Hrehov, Chrissy Hsieh, Alan Kinnard, Kazhia Kolb, Mary Koszut, Nancy Langston, Cara Lawson-Ball, Ethan Lottman, Paul Lucas, Steven C. Meyer, Charles Mintz, Issiac Mitchell, Larry Mock, Aya Naoe, Jade Nguyen, Donny Nie, Bridget O’Brien, Michelle Peterlin, Aaron Pickens, Emily Potts, Vince Quevedo, Merry Reimler, Srah Reynolds, Cat Richardson, Tony Rio, Kirsten Serrano, Kevin Shanklin, Wendi Smith, Jennifer Sowders, Elizabeth Staver, Tresa Steenberg, Monica Stegeman, T.R Steiner, Octavian Stickann, Deborah Stipanovich, Paula Swisher, Timmy Valentine, Rosemond Nyamewaa Van-Ess, Jamie Weinfurter, Mary Watkins, Max Wilson, Clinton Wood, Jennifer Yorke, Isabel Zeng, and Bonnie Zimmer.
About the Juror
Dominic Mangila is an artist-educator based in Bloomington, IN. He is an assistant professor of painting at Indiana University - Bloomington’s Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture and Design. He holds an MFA degree in visual arts from Columbia University where he taught in the visual arts department and a BFA degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Mangila has had solo exhibitions at Tokyo Gendai, Vargas Museum and Drawing Room in Manila, Reserve Ames in Los Angeles, Marvelli Gallery in New York and Alberta Society of Printmakers Canada. He has an upcoming solo exhibition at Neiman Gallery at Columbia University in New York City in January 2026 and group exhibitions at 2026 Art SG and The Columns Gallery in Singapore.
He has participated in group exhibitions such as 2018 Gwangju Biennale, 2023 Frieze Seoul, 2022 Melbourne Art Fair, 2018 Asia Art Fair Paris, 2022 SEA Focus Singapore, 2015 Art Hamptons, Neiman Gallery and Wallach Galleries of Columbia University and Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts in New York City, Metropolitan Museum Manila, Mind Set Art Taipei etc.
Mangila has participated in art residencies such as Skowhegan, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Yaddo, Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts in New York City, Woodstock Byrdcliffe and Seven Below Arts Initiative.
He received a New York Community Trust Art Grant, Lotos Club Foundation Art Award, D' Arcy Trust Fund, Agnes Martin Fellowship, Chicago Community Art Grant and 2024 New Jersey Individual Artist Fellowship.
Mangila’s works have been reviewed by Hyperallergic, Artsy and Beautiful/ Decay. He is the director of Gossamer which is an artist collective that is comprised of 20 painters based in Manila.