Off-Center: Art That Pushes Boundaries

October 2 – October 31, 2026 | Reception: Friday, October 9, 5 – 8 pm

Since 2008, Off-Center has invited artists to step beyond the expected and explore what happens when art moves outside familiar boundaries. This year’s exhibition, juried by expressive realist painter and educator Jean-Paul Aboudib, brings together 72 artists presenting 84 works across a wide range of media, perspectives, and approaches.

The works in Off-Center are as varied as the artists who created them. Some are playful and fantastical; others confront questions of identity, memory, mortality, social experience, environmental change, and the complexities of contemporary life. Some transform ordinary materials or familiar imagery into something surprising, while others use abstraction, symbolism, narrative, or distortion to encourage us to see differently.

Together, these works demonstrate that being “off-center” can mean many things: shifting perspective, challenging convention, embracing the unusual, questioning assumptions, or simply following an idea wherever it leads.

We invite you to explore, question, and respond to the work—and perhaps discover something a little unexpected along the way.

JUROR’S STATEMENT

“I am deeply honored and moved to have been invited to jury the Off-Center exhibition. The theme of this show, since its inception, has been deliciously ambitious and exciting. As having participated in this show myself alongside some seriously talented artist in previous years, I am aware of the craftsmanship, technical execution and conceptual creativity required to present art which exudes integrity and demands attention. The art submitted to this competition is no exception. I was truly in awe at the exemplary art that I reviewed. It was both reviving and yet at times even daunting to jury these striking pieces into the finished visual ensemble. I attempted to earnestly judge based on the “rules of art”, whatever that means, while contemporaneously honoring work the uniquely spoke to me in a deeply visceral way. I hope this show reflects these considerations and connects with the viewer as it does with me.” — Jean-Paul Aboudib

Exhibition Juror: Jean-Paul Aboudib

This year’s exhibition is juried by artist, lecturer, and instructor Jean-Paul Aboudib, who received his BFA from College for Creative Studies, and an MFA in painting from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. Jean-Paul has exhibited his work in various exhibition spaces, including the Alden B. Dow Museum, The Forum Gallery at The Cranbrook Academy of Arts, the historic Scarab Club, The Guardian Building of Detroit and The Alfred Berkowitz Gallery at The University of Michigan.

In 2022, Jean-Paul received the Best in Show Award for his work and in 2025 he received the People’s Choice Award for his figurative oil painting A Tear from Eve in the Off-Center exhibitions at the Northville Art House. Learn more >>

Accepted Artists & Artwork

Artist	Artwork
Haydar Alyasiry	Drought, oil colour on canvas, 24 x 36
Haydar Alyasiry	The specter of death: the( COVID) virus, oil colour on canvas, 28 x 22
James Anderson	Pandemic Thoughts, graphite on cradled panel, 18 x 24
James Anderson	The Project, graphite on cradled panel, 18 x 24
Michael Anderson	Space Between the Stones, oil on canvas, 18 x 24
Jurgita Atanaskovski	Passing Through, fine art print photograph, 13 x 19
Barbara Baker	Monologue in Magenta, acrylic and acrylic mediums on paper, 24 x 32
Sylvia Bandyke	Dancer in the Conservatory #2, digital photography, 12″x12″
Heidi Bisbee	The Spirit Within, acrylic on wood panel, 36: dia.
Theresa Black	Signal to Noise, watercolor on cotton paper, 16 x 12
Cheryl Boc-Chidester	Sisters’ Reflections of our Stories, mixed media collage, 14 x 18.5
Laura Brown	Untitled I, porcelain, 5.5″ x 5.5″ x 6″
Laura Brown	Untitled II, porcelain, 4″ x 4″ x 6″
Chris Campbell	Breakthrough, resin, foam, acrylic paint, and wood panel, 22 x 30
Winnie Chrzanowski	Shut Up, photography, 14 x 20
Winnie Chrzanowski	The Uncertain Path, photography, 16 x 20
William Culpepper	DeerLodge.01.MT.14.USA.133, digital collage, 10 x 14
Pamela Day	Tweedledee and Crow, oxide-stained terra cotta clay, gouache, 6.5 x 7. x 3.5″
Lisa DeLuca	Through the Trees, water-media collage, 32 x 39
Darrell Dinges	Slave to the Rhythm, photograph, inkjet print on archival paper, 28 x 20
Paula Doe	Agnes Lost, found object, vintage images, paper, 7 3/4″ x 10″ x 4″
Marianne Droste	Bud, mixed media collage, 10 x 13
Marianne Droste	Sunset, mixed media collage, 15 x 15
Robert du Nord	Card Game at the Coal Factory, oil on ACM panel, 16 x 12
Diana Dyer	Sufficient Strap, fused glass on cypress wood base, 11″ x 6.25″ x 14″
Laura Fawaz	Tibnine (Lebanon) Home Entrance, photography, 11 x 14 ea.
Lucky Fortunata	Built Different, ceramic, 12x9x6
Dennis Gordon	All Dressed Up, wood block print on mulberry fiber paper, 28 x 22
Manmeet Grover	Yellow Axis (Structured Chaos Rooted in Light), acrylic and pen on paper, 16 x 22
Kevin Grow	Random Thoughts, oil on canvas, 24×18
Terri Haranczak	Expectations, acrylic, mixed media, 24 x 18
Terri Haranczak	Former Self(ie), acrylic, 20 x 16
Steven Hauptman	Side View, photography printed on museum canvas, 24 x 36
Kseniya Hauptmann	Crown of Echoes, charcoal on paper, pastel, acrylic ink, gold leaf, 24 x 18
Samuel Helmbreck	Earth Day (2072), oil on canvas, 36 x 36
Dorothy Jett-Carter	West Side – East Side, archival ink painting on vintage bogolanfini (mud cloth) beading and weaving, 22 x 17
Gabriela Jimenez	By the Sea, mixed media on canvas, 10 x 10
Ryan Kellman	War On Drugs, photogarphy, 16 x 20
Peggy Kerwan	Moonriver, acrylic monotype, 16 x 13
WanChuan Kesler	Mannequin’s Summer, oil, 40 x 30
Lesley Kutinsky	Ode To A Woman’s Hands, styrofoam, paper, wire, leather, 12 x 13 x 9
Carol LaBelle	Reflection In The Mist, photograph on metal, 16 x 24
Maria Latour	Red Box, mixed media, 7”x5”x3”
Polly Law	Tupuxuara, silkscreen, 20 x 30
Rosemary Lee	Plane Geometry, mixed print media on Rives BFK paper, 22″ x 22″
Craig Linderman	Fur, graphite, 16″ x 20″
Meg Loeks	Pressing Matters: Steamrolled, photography, 24×30
Tracy Lyons	Truce, watercolor and gouache, 21 x 15
Sarah Madden	Looking For A Way Out, acrylic on canvas, 36 x 48
Emmanuelle Marquis	Nature Morte, pencil on paper, 18 x 24
Kathleen McNamee	Love City, oil, 12 x 9
Janice Milhem	Honey, acrylic, 20 x 20
Charlyn Milkowski	Say it three times…I dare ya’, Deconstructed lightbulb, preserved beetles, snake skin, moss 6 x 9 x5
Christopher Miller	Woman appears frustrated because of the Artist, acrylic and collage on paper, 19 x 15
Lauren-Kay Nagy	A Beautiful Day Ruined, pastel and conte crayon on paper, 11 x 14
Lauren-Kay Nagy	Flat Circle, pastel and conte crayon on paper, 18 x 24
Daniel Navalta	Frequency of Love, watercolor, acrylic, & pen, 48 x 43
Neurowaxx	The Creation of Atoms, acrylic and oil on canvas, 60 x 40
Lynn Edwards Newman	Out of the Shadow, mixed media, 10 x 10
Tia Nichols	Little Me, Bad Habit, porcelain, ink, oil paint, & acrylic on canvas: 9 x 7 x 1
Kanda Parrott	Pathogen, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 16
Melinda Pope	In the Spotlight, photography, 15 x 19
Kimberly Raboin	Waking Dreams, colored pencil and pastel, 28″ x 18″
Kristin Ramold	Shattered Bet, photograph, 11×17
Freedom Raynez	The Girls, acrylic, 24×36
Celeste Roe	Hidden Worlds,, monotype, 22 x 27
Dean Rogers	A Burning Desire for S’more, colored pencil, 34 x 27
Kenneth Rosenthal	Creative Colorful Cityscapes 3, digital photograpy, 8 x 10
Gayle Sanchirico	Subconscious, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 34
Chuck Schroeder	Sea of Tranquility, ink and colored pencil, 18 x 20
Crystal Schumacker	Unending Connection 1, Preserved Specimens, Acrylic Paint, Found Natural Items, 8x4x3
MJ Seltzer	Into The Mystic, encaustic on paper and birch panel with oil stick, acrylic transfer and string, 38 x 28
Timothy J. Seppala	Under Her Umbrella, archival inkjet print photograph, 18 x 24
Alli Smith	Content Created, acrylic and yarn on canvas, 40 x 53
Rose Starke	Are We There Yet?, paper collage, 24 1/2″ x 12″
Leonid Tikh	The Relentless Current of Time, acrylic on canvas, 36 x 24
Fernanda Turco	The Illusion of Dali, acrylic on canvas, 20 x 16
Pat Vartanian	Woven Variation, photo weaving, 15 x 21
Janis Walker	Surprise #2, collage and acrylic, 16 x 20
Jim Wolnosky	I Mean You, Wood and Concrete (Kinetic), 26″ x 27″ x 27″
Jim Wolnosky	Straight, No Chaser, kinetic wood and wire, 11 x 10 x 6
Lori Zurvalec	Kanuga Tree, acrylic,oil-based paint pen, watercolor, watercolor pencil, 48 x 36