An annual pop-up art exhibition celebrating NE Ohio LGBTQ+ and ally artists

The Groundhog Show, founded in 2021, is an annual pop-up art exhibition celebrating northeast Ohio artists and creators. The heart of the show is celebrating art and life, the weird, bad, good, ugly. Over the years it has become incredibly popular among artists and art enjoyers alike with significant participation from the LGBTQ+ community with an emphasis on creating a safe and inclusive environment for all in all stages of their creative journeys.

This year the the show will be open Friday, June 6 to Saturday, June 14 located at 21 N. Main St, Akron, OH.

Call for Art Deadline
Tuesday, May 6 midnight

Entry Fee
$15 for three pieces of art

Size Restrictions
None* Has to fit through a normal doorway

Qualifications
age 18+ (or with guardian permission)
LGBTQ+ and/or ally artists living or from NE Ohio
artwork must be delivered to Akron (no mailed art)

Artist Notifications
Wednesday, May 14

Artwork drop off
Friday, May 30 (4 p.m. - 7 p.m.)
Saturday, May 31 (10 a.m. - 7 p.m.)
Sunday, June 1 (10 a.m. - 7 p.m.)

Artwork Pick up
Saturday, June 14 (6 p.m. - 9 p.m.)
Sunday, June 15 (10 a.m. - 7 p.m.)
Monday, June 16 (10 a.m. - 7 p.m.)

Submit your art here!

Donate or become a sponsor today!

Public Hours

Opening Reception
Friday, June 6
7-10 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday
June 7 & 8
1- 9 p.m.

Thursday, June 12
ArtWalk 5 - 9 p.m.

Friday & Saturday
June 13 & 14
1- 9 p.m.

Karl Anderson (he/they) is an artist, educator, curator and writer practicing in Northeast Ohio. A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art in Drawing, they have since received their MFA in Sculpture and Expanded Media from Kent State University. Karl was one of several founders and co-directors of FORUM artspace, an artist run gallery of nine years and have spent the last two decades working in the arts, facilitating exhibitions in almost every possible role. Andersons artistic practice focuses on the structures and intricacies of language, exploring how ideas are shaped, transmitted, and remembered, as well as the ways in which language fails to live up to its purpose. They currently reside in Kent, OH and work as the Assistant Director of the Kent State Galleries and Collections.

Liana Gonzalez (they/them) is a multidisciplinary artist currently living in Cleveland, Ohio. Having graduated in 2022 from the Cleveland Institute of Art’s Drawing and Sculpture & Expanded Media departments, they continue to create work constantly inspired by nature, the life cycle, & the magic within it all. A sense of familiarity is brought to the viewer through repeated motifs of common plants, such as clovers, as well as through their use of found objects, like old jewelry and forgotten textiles. Recently, their materiality seeks to elicit an alluring romantic quality through the use of dried flower installations, ethereal figures, and gold paint. They have exhibited work in Illinois and locally in group shows across northeast Ohio, having had their first solo exhibition FAERIES!!! in October 2024. Their curatorial project Love, Sex, & the Body is currently in its second rendition showing at Hildebrant artist collective Cleveland, Ohio with a closing reception set for Saturday, March 29th, 2025.

Taylor Clapp (she/they) is an award-winning graphic designer and artist residing in Akron, Ohio. Their artwork is generally a whimsical narration of the ups and downs of everyday life. Taylor strives to push themselves to use multiple mediums and styles to capture the life around them from the joys pets can bring to mental health struggles and chronic pain. Taylor grew up in rural Ohio and has always been interested in pursuing a life in the arts in some way. After earning their BA in Graphic Design from Central State University they moved to Akron, Ohio with their spouse and cat and soon adopted a dog. In November of 2020 Taylor decided to officially start freelancing and created their own company, Clapp for Art, LLC and June 2021 co-founded The Groundhog Show.

Bronlynn Thurman (she/her)An Akron native, Bronlynn Thurman is a creative and nonprofit professional. During the day, she works as a Program Officer at The Cleveland Foundation, focusing on arts, culture, and social ties. In her role, she helps shape the Foundation’s arts and culture strategy, reviews and assess grant applications, and works to develop strategic partnerships to drive impact. Prior to joining the Foundation, Bronlynn worked as a program officer for GAR Foundation, focusing on community development and arts and education, and as a program associate for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Outside of work, she is a practicing visual artist with a focus on gouache and watercolor painting, photography, and printmaking.

Active in the broader Northeast Ohio community, Bronlynn serves on the board of several area nonprofits and commissions, including the Greater Ohio Policy Center, Akron 200, Akron Civic Commons, Summit Artspace, the City of Akron’s Planning Commission and Bicentennial Commission. She was a member of Big Picture Learning’s inaugural Ashé Leaders Fellowship and a member of the 2017 Torchbearers class. Bronlynn has received Archbishop Hoban’s One Hope-One Dream award, Greater Akron Chamber’s 30 For the Future, and the NASW Ohio Region 2 Public Citizen of the Year award. In 2021, she co-founded Black Women Explore, an outdoor recreation group centering Black and Brown women/femme-identifying people. In her free time, she enjoys outdoor cycling, traveling, and writing.

Bronlynn holds a M.S. in Information Architecture and Knowledge Management - UXD and a bachelor’s degree in Advertising with a double minor in marketing and psychology from Kent State University.

Maddie McSweeney (they/she) is a multimedia conceptual artist and active community member currently based in Akron, OH. They graduated from the University of Akron in spring 2024 with dual BA degrees in Studio Art & Media Studies. They featured their first solo exhibition Moon Belly at KINK Contemporary (Cleveland, OH) in April 2024. McSweeney also concluded their honors research thesis Simply Butter (one pat at a time) with the Myers School of Art and Williams Honors College (March 2023—February 2024). They are a current artist-in-residence at Summit Artspace (Akron, OH)

McSweeney has worked on various projects for organizations and galleries like Emily Davis Gallery, KINK Contemporary, and Curated Storefront. She has also provided video and installation work for local and international artists, including projects for the International FRONT Triennial (2022). McSweeney is a current Social Media and Creative Coordinator at Akron arthouse nonprofit organization, The Nightlight Cinema.

McSweeney’s art practice delves into deeply personal narratives encompassing childhood, gender, sexuality, and collective intimacy. Silliness through vibrant colors and childlike references are recurring symbols meant to subtly veil conflicts of everyday life and create an opening for introspection or connection. In their latest work, McSweeney explores the notion of situation-making. They investigate how controlled contexts and blurred boundaries can elicit shared sensibilities between participants and engender dialogues about individual functioning within a broader context.