Exhibitions

Come see us! Tell Me a Story Where the Bad Girl Wins: The Life and Art of Barbara Shermund and Selections from Ohio Designer Craftsmen Best of 2024 open September 21.

We will be following CDC protocols and state health orders. Face masks are welcome during your visit to the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio. Social distance will be maintained and visitor numbers monitored. Thank you for helping protect our visitors, volunteers, and staff!

We look forward to seeing you!

Current Exhibition

Tell Me a Story Where the Bad Girl Wins: The Life and Art of Barbara Shermund
Caitlin McGurk, Curator
September 21 - December 29, 2024
Tell Me a Story Where the Bad Girl Wins: The Life and Art of Barbara Shermund showcases the work of Barbara Shermund, the trailblazing feminist cartoonist who, as one of the first women cartoonists for The New Yorker magazine, brought her outspoken women characters to life in a distinctive flowing style that helped shape the visual brand of The New Yorker. Mounted in 2020 but cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, the exhibit returns because of its popularity, visual appeal and relevance, and with an exciting lineup of associated programs.
The exhibition features more than 100 pieces of original cartoon art by Shermund published during the heyday of American magazines, the 1920s-1960s. Curated by Caitlin McGurk, curator
of comics and cartoon art & associate professor at the Ohio State University’s Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum, the artwork in the exhibition represents the best of Shermund’s
work in the Billy Ireland collection and outlines the most prominent themes running through Shermund’s cartoons – Youth & Age, Relationships, Travel, Society, Fashion & Beauty, Modern Art. Also highlighted are selections of her advertising work, early art, men’s magazine cartoons and book illustrations.

In collaboration with The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum
With support from The Fox Foundation Inc., Ohio Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom
Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of Ohio Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Selections from Best of 2024
September 21 - December 29, 2024
The Ohio Designer Craftsmen "Best of 2024" showcases contemporary fine crafts. Selections from this annual juried members' exhibition will be on display September 21 – December 29, 2024 in the Lower Gallery. Come see these remarkable works in clay, glass, metal, wood, fiber and mixed media by 22 Ohio artists, including 11 who received awards of excellence.

Exhibition Programming

Curator Talk
Sunday, September 22, 2:00 pm
$10/$5 member in advance | $15 at door
Curator Caitlin McGurk will discuss the life and art of Barbara Shermund, who's sharp wit and loose style boldly tapped the zeitgeist of first-wave feminism. Shermund left behind a body of work that remains insightful, witty, relevant and contemporary. Attendees of this talk will gain deeper insight into Shermund’s unique and vibrant life and art, her place in the history of cartooning and how the exhibition was curated.

The History of Cartoons
Sunday, October 13, 2:00 pm
$10/$5 member in advance | $15 at door
From their inception to today, cartoons have played an essential role in shaping the American consciousness. Political, satirical, and often propagandistic, the American cartoon has been intrinsic to nation-building. Join historian Sydney Heifler as she explores how cartoons have created and contested the meaning of America.

Graphic Humor: Cartoons and Other Jokes in The New Yorker
Sunday, November 3, 2:00 pm
Free virtual program
Join cartoonist and author Emily Flake for a brief history of cartoons and illustrated humor in the pages of The New Yorker magazine. Emily Flake is a cartoonist, writer, illustrator and performer. She is a regular contributor to The New Yorker, McSweeney’s and many other publications. She is the author of Joke in a Box: How to Write and Draw Jokes, a creativity deck. Her previous books include, That Was Awkward: The Art and Etiquette of the Awkward Hug and Mama Tried: Dispatches from the Seamy Underbelly of Modern Parenting. She hosts, produces and performs on shows all over New York and beyond.
Please register for the talk; a link will be sent to those registered closer to the event.

Book Launch and Signing
Sunday, November 17, 2:00 pm
Free
Celebrate the release of exhibition curator Caitlin McGurk’s Tell Me a Story Where the Bad Girl Wins: The Life and Art of Barbara Shermund (Fantagraphics, 2024). In her book, McGurk honors the life and art of pioneering cartoonist Barbara Shermund, whose career spanned the heyday of American magazines and helped shape the visual style of The New Yorker. Shermund lived an alternative lifestyle for a woman of her era and was deeply private. The book rightfully places Shermund in the canon of cartoon art history and is a beautiful compendium of Shermund’s artwork. Books will be available for purchase and signing. Please let us know if you plan on attending by registering.

Caricature/Character Design
Saturday, October 19, 1:00-3:00pm
Craig Campbell, instructor
Ages 15+
$30/$27 member
Capturing a person’s likeness can sometimes get bogged down in literal details, causing us to miss what truly makes them unique. The art of caricature focuses on identifying and exaggerating those distinctive features. In this class, we will delve into understanding the face through shape, scale and spatial relationships to create captivating caricatures.

One-Panel Cartooning
Sunday, October 20, 2:00-4:00pm
Anne and Jerzy Drozd, instructors
Ages 15+
$40/$35 member
Join us for this 2-hour workshop where you’ll be inspired by the work of unheralded gag cartoon master Barbara Shermund. This class will explore the basic concepts and techniques of cartooning, inspiring you to bring your own humorous illustrations to life.

For more classes, visit our Programs, Classes and Events page. For information on the DACO Gala, visit the Gala page.

Upcoming Exhibitions

The Nearest Faraway Place: Ohio's Painters, Makers & Their Mentors
David and Constance Terry, Curators
January 25 - April 26, 2025
Whether native born or those that migrated from other states, there have been many artists who call Ohio home. These painters and makers were also influenced and transformed by various mentors, be it from their travels abroad or from artists and educators right here in Ohio.
This manifold group has passed on their knowledge in an endless chain that continues to grow and influence today, and has given us a plethora of compelling works to call Ohio’s own.
The Nearest Faraway Place features a diverse historical look at how the coming and going of these artists and their influences shaped Ohio as a creative hub between states and continents for the 20th and 21st centuries.