The Art Academy of Cincinnati opens its doors to a territory where, more often than not, images speak before words. From November 14 to December 12, 2025, under the title Story Art, the Pearlman and McClure Galleries will gather finished works and process materials by a remarkable group of Midwestern book illustrators. It is far more than a deftly mounted selection of framed pieces. Pages, sketches, color studies—each an artifact of decision-making—trace the paths that lead a volume toward accomplishment or to the limbo of what might have been, subject, in the end, to the most implacable judges of all: the youngest readers.

The public reception—Friday the 14th, from 5 to 8 p.m.—seeks that first multitudinous encounter. Readerly families and the simply curious; students intent on “stealing” the honest secrets of the trade; teachers and librarians who recognize in this discipline an extraordinary pedagogical toolbox.

Curated by Jeffrey Ebbeler—author, illustrator, and seasoned figure in the publishing world—the exhibition convenes names already lodged on shelves and in memory: Loren Long, Terri Libenson, Will Hillenbrand, C. F. Payne, among others. Its promise is double: to see the images that traveled through presses and into libraries, and to understand how they got there. The itinerary invites a layered reading—from doodle to printed book—restoring illustration to its nature as applied art and, at the same time, as a narrative laboratory. Visitors will notice that, at its genesis, every character begins with a blurred skeleton, a choreography of tentative lines that settle, at times, into a tremor; hypotheses of light; and a “finish” that does not close the process so much as disguise it with mastery.

Story Art converses with a living reading ecosystem in Cincinnati and its surrounds: fairs, book clubs, workshops, libraries that set authors and stories in motion. Within that context, the show functions as a bridge between cultural industries and the educational community. Free admission and generous hours open the scene to varied audiences; the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood contributes the prelude of a walk, the murmur of cafés and bookstores, the increasingly rare sensation that art and daily life meet without fanfare.

On November 15—the day after the opening—the Saturday Open House beckons from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., a legitimate lure for anyone who, after contemplating originals, wonders how one learns to tell with images. Story Art reads as a statement of intent: it celebrates the illustrated book not only as an editorial object but as a device for visual literacy and cultural citizenship. Those who cross its rooms leave with a discreet certainty: every good illustration is a promise of reading, and every reading—if it shifts us, even slightly—is already a form of art.

Story Art — Works by Regional Book Illustrators

Story Art is a group exhibition of book illustration—chiefly for children and young adults—bringing together illustrators from Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. It presents finished works alongside process materials (sketches, studies, storyboards) and the published books from which the images originate. Admission and the public reception are free.

Works by Regional Book Illustrators

November 14—December 12, 2025. The exhibition coincides with the weekend of the Books by the Banks literary festival, which gathers hundreds of authors and illustrators at the Public Library of Cincinnati; several participants in the show are also featured there.

Pearlman and McClure Galleries, 1212 Jackson St., Cincinnati, OH 45202.

Public Reception: Friday, November 14, 2025, 5–8 p.m.

Gallery Hours: Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sat–Sun 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (free).

Curator: Jeffrey Ebbeler is a New York Times best-selling illustrator. He has illustrated—and occasionally written—over sixty books for young readers. His published work spans picture books, middle-grade and chapter books, and graphic novels. He teaches illustration at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and is also an AAC alum.

Participating Artists

Erin Barker, Keturah Bobo, Tim Bowers, Jane Dippold, Jeffrey Ebbeler, David FitzSimmons, Barry Gott, Jacob Grant, Fern Haught, Will Hillenbrand, Tara Calahan King, Terri Libenson, Loren Long, Tammy Lyon, Katie Mazeika, T. L. McBeth, Wes Molebash, Debbie Palen, C. F. Payne, Merrill Rainey, Rafael Rosado, Blyth Russo, Chris Sickles, Joe Sutphin, Christina Wald, Lindsay Ward, Deann Wiley.

Organizer: Art Academy of Cincinnati

Established in 1869, the Art Academy of Cincinnati is an independent college of art and design. Degrees granted include the Associate of Science in Graphic Design; the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, Design, Illustration, Painting & Drawing, Photography, Print Media, and Sculpture; and the Master of Arts in Art Education. The Art Academy is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)—of which it is a charter member—and by the Higher Learning Commission, and it is a member of the Greater Cincinnati Collegiate Connection.

Through its Office of Engagement, the Art Academy offers extensive visual-arts courses for children, teens, and adults, including a Portfolio Preparation program and an award-winning summer camp. The Art Academy of Cincinnati is located in historic Over-the-Rhine at 1212 Jackson Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202.

NOVEMBER OPEN HOUSE

November 15, 2025

11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

YOU BELONG HERE. (Yes, YOU.)

Come see why the Art Academy of Cincinnati is where artists, rebels, and visionaries find their people. We’re throwing open our doors, and we can’t wait to meet you!

What’s in store?

Admissions Info: Get the inside scoop on how to join our creative community.

Hear from Current Students: Ask current students and alumni what life is like at AAC and what comes next after graduation.

Guided Tours: Explore our studios, classrooms, and weirdly wonderful spaces.

Junior & Senior Studios: See what our artists-in-the-making are up to.

This isn’t your average art school visit—it’s an open invitation to step into a place where you’ll fit in by standing out.

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PORTFOLIO REVIEWS 12-2 pm

Ready to see where your art can take you? After the Admissions Presentation, sit down with our team for a Portfolio Review—a one-on-one chance to get personalized feedback that can help sharpen your creative vision and fuel your next steps.

At the Art Academy, every student applies with a portfolio because we’re looking for more than just talent—we’re looking for makers. The artists who can’t stop creating. The writers who fill journals even when no one’s grading. The visionaries already shaping their own voice.

We see your passion. Now let’s push it—and together, shape the future of contemporary art.

Fifteen minutes. Big feedback. Bigger opportunities.