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WHEELING, W.Va. (January 17, 2024)-Oglebay Institute fosters and celebrates the talent and creativity of young artists. The 35th annual Regional Student Art Exhibition is on display at Oglebay Institute’s Stifel Fine Arts Center in Wheeling through February 9.

Through this exhibition, high school students display their artwork in a professional gallery, see what other students are doing in the world of art, and collaborate and get feedback from art teachers, college professors, and other students from throughout the region. Part of Oglebay Institute’s art exhibition season, the show is sponsored by United Bank.

Fourteen Schools, Three States, Seven Counties

Fourteen high schools from three states and seven counties are represented in this year’s show. Schools include Bridgeport High School, John Marshall High School, Wheeling Central Catholic High School, Union Local High School, Martins Ferry High School, Bellaire High School, Wheeling Park High School, Brooke High School, Avella High School, The Linsly School, River High School, St. Clairsville High School, and Oak Glen High School. Homeschool students also participated in the show.

More than 300 pieces were submitted and 122 were selected for the exhibit after being juried by Georgette Stock.

Award Winners

Best of Show: Rachel Edinger, The Linsly School, for her work “Grandma’s Yellow Dress in Summer 1936.”

Painting: First Place, Rachel Edinger, The Linsly School; Second Place, Julianna Walters, Wheeling Park; Third Place, Cam Harris, Brooke High School.

Sculpture: First Place, Angelina Dubiel, Home school; Second Place, Norah Blecher, Union Local; Third Place, Zara Harveth, Bellaire.

Mixed Media: First Place, Emily Tenley, River; Second Place, Katherine Anderson, Brooke; Third Place, Landen Frame, Brooke.

Photography: First Place, Makeyla Marlin, Bellaire; Second Place, Allie Ault, Bellaire; Third Place, Kyleigh Leach, Union Local.

Drawing: First Place, Kassie Gorby, Oak Glen; Second Place, Baylee Huml, Union Local; Third Place, Savannah Springer, Union Local.

Digital: First Place, Jessica Nissley, The Linsly School; Second Place, Annalise Johnson, The Linsly School; Third Place, Kylah Florio, Martins Ferry.

Honorable Mentions: Ella Everson, St. Clairsville; Kristin Savage, Martins Ferry; Kathryn Smitsky, Avella; Jake Henry, River.

Scholarships Awarded

Regional colleges also award scholarships each year in conjunction with Oglebay Institute’s Regional Student Art Show. West Virginia University made a scholarship offers to Ella Everson of St. Clairsville High School. West Liberty University presented a scholarship offer to Kassie Gorby of Oak Glen High School.

“As a former high school arts teacher being a part of this show was a great honor,” said Oglebay Institute curator of exhibitions Kevin Clancy, “The caliber of work being produced in the valley is a testament to both the teachers we have and the students they are cultivating. I’m so pleased that the arts are doing well in and around my home and I hope to continue to highlight the successes of our students and educators into the future.”

“The work exhibited in these galleries truly illustrates the artistic collaboration and dedication occurring between educators and their students,” Stock said in her juror’s statement. “For centuries artists have learned from artists, educators have learned from educators and these galleries are a classroom for such an experience. I congratulate all whose art is being exhibited, as your art represents approximately half of the submissions submitted for consideration.  You are showing well.”

Juror Georgette Stock

When jurying the work, Stock said she took into consideration criteria used by the College Board. Criteria includes investigation of visual concepts; decision making in terms of experimentation and risk taking; originality, imagination, and invention using the elements and principles of design in composition; work that illustrates intention and purpose; confident work that engages the viewer, technical competence and skill with materials and media; understanding of the use of digital or photographic sources; appropriation and the student “voice;” and overall accomplishment and quality.

Georgette Stock holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts management, with an emphasis in studio art, from the former Wheeling College, now Wheeling University and a master’s degree in art history from the University of Cincinnati. She managed and served as Creative Consultant and Manager of her family businesses Jay’s Studio and Jay Stock’s Gallery until 2008. She also taught at served as art department chair at Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy until The Mount closed in 2008. She served on the faculty of Bethany College teaching watercolor, three-dimensional design, and art history from 2007 – 2012, and was on the faculty of Wheeling Jesuit University and Wheeling University from 2014 – 2022 in the teacher preparation program, educating future teachers on how to integrate art across the curriculum through a variety of artistic mediums.  In 2011 and 2012 she served as an AP Studio Art Reader for the College Board.

See this Show

You can view the 35th Annual Regional Student Art Exhibition free of charge now through February 9 at Oglebay Institute’s Stifel Fine Arts Center, 1330 National Road, Wheeling. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Saturdays. Evening hours are dependent on classes and special events taking place.  For more information, visit www.oionline.com or call 304-242-7700.

The annual exhibit is open to students in grades 9-12 within a 50-mile radius of Wheeling. Award winners receive ribbons along with cash prizes.

Part of the nonprofit Oglebay Institute and housed in the historic Edemar Mansion, Stifel Fine Arts Center is a public arts center with galleries, classrooms, and performance space. Artists, emerging artists, art lovers, students, educators, and families gather at Stifel to connect and engage in creative pursuits.

Wheeling, W.Va. (December 18, 2023)–The Museums of Oglebay Institute (Mansion Museum and Glass Museum) have again achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums, the highest national recognition afforded the nation’s museums. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public.

50 Years of Accreditation

The Museums of Oglebay Institute have been accredited by AAM since 1972, which was the second year of the program. All museums must undergo a reaccreditation review at least every 10 years to maintain accredited status. This year’s accreditation marks 50 years that Oglebay Institute has achieved and maintained this national recognition of excellence.

“We must credit the foresight of the museums staff in the 1970s, who joined with leaders in the museums field, to become one of the first 170 museums in the United States to be accredited by AAM. They set a high bar for their successors, who have followed their example of maintaining the high standards of professional practices for 50 years,” said Christin Byrum, director of The Museums of Oglebay Institute.

Celebrate with Us: Public Open House January 7

To celebrate this accomplishment, the public is invited to an open house from 10am-5pm on Sunday, January 7. Visitors can explore both the Mansion Museum and Glass Museum free of charge and enjoy cookies and punch at each location.

Highlights of the open house include viewing the Holidays at the Mansion decorating exhibit “That Wheeling Holiday Feeling” and the exhibit “Chemistry and Color: The Science of How Glass Gets its Colors” on display in the Glass Museum.

Commitment to Excellence

Alliance Accreditation brings national recognition to a museum for its commitment to excellence, accountability, high professional standards, and continued institutional improvement. Developed and sustained by museum professionals for more than 50 years, the Alliance’s museum accreditation program is the field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation, and public accountability. It strengthens the museum profession by promoting practices that enable leaders to make informed decisions, allocate resources wisely, and remain financially and ethically accountable to provide the best possible service to the public.

Among an Elite Group of Museums

Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, 1,107 are currently accredited, a little more than three percent of museums. The Museums of Oglebay Institute are one of only five museums accredited in West Virginia. While the Mansion Museum and Glass Museum have separate physical locations, they are classified as one museum by AAM.

Accreditation Is a Rigorous Process

Accreditation is a very rigorous but highly rewarding process that examines all aspects of a museum’s operations. To earn accreditation a museum first must conduct a year of self-study, and then undergo a site visit by a team of peer reviewers. AAM’s Accreditation Commission, an independent and autonomous body of museum professionals, considers the self-study and visiting committee report to determine whether a museum should receive accreditation.

“Accredited museums are a community of institutions that have chosen to hold themselves publicly accountable to excellence,” said Laura L. Lott, Alliance President and CEO. “Accreditation is clearly a significant achievement, of which both the institutions and the communities they serve can be extremely proud.”

About the Museums of Oglebay Institute

The Museums of Oglebay Institute (Mansion Museum and Glass Museum), located in Oglebay Park, serve as a celebration of culture and history. Through careful curation, they serve as informal classrooms where visitors travel through time, connecting with the past through the objects that people have left behind.

The 1846 Mansion Museum is the former home of Cleveland industrialist Earl W. Oglebay. With its impressive collection, displayed in 13 period rooms, as well as permanent and changing exhibits in its galleries, the Mansion Museum enhances the appreciation and understanding of American decorative arts, fosters knowledge of Wheeling history, and celebrates the legacy of the Oglebay family.

Oglebay Institute’s Glass Museum celebrates Wheeling’s glass industry with a world-class collection of more than 4,000 pieces of Wheeling-made glass. The museum boasts the largest collection of Northwood glass in the world as well as the largest public collection of Duval glass in the world. The famous Sweeney Punch Bowl, the largest piece of cut glass in the world, is also a highlight of the museum. Visitors can also experience the art of glassmaking through live demonstrations and workshops in Oglebay Institute’s glass studio.

In 2022, Oglebay Institute’s Glass Museum was renovated, redesigned, and reimagined to better showcase its prestigious collection and create a more meaningful visitor experience through extensive physical and interpretive improvements.

Part of Something Bigger

The Museums of Oglebay Institute are operated by the non-profit, cultural organization Oglebay Institute. Other Oglebay Institute facilities include Stifel Fine Arts Center and School of Dance on National Road, Towngate Theatre in the Centre Market District, and Schrader Environmental Education Center in Oglebay.

Visit Us

Hours of operation for The Museums of Oglebay Institute change seasonally. Now through January 7, the Mansion and Glass Museums are open Sunday-Thursday 10am-5pm; Friday- Saturday 10am-10pm; Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve 10am-5pm; closed Christmas Day, New Year’s Day.

About the American Alliance of Museums

The American Alliance of Museums has been bringing museums together since 1906, helping to develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and providing advocacy on issues of concern to the entire museum community. Representing more than 35,000 individual museum professionals and volunteers, institutions, and corporate partners serving the museum field, the Alliance stands for the broad scope of the museum community. For more information, visit www.aam-us.org.