The Groundhog Show, founded in 2021 by Hope Hickman and Taylor Clapp, is an annual pop-up art exhibition celebrating northeast Ohio artists and creators. Over the past three years, it has become incredibly popular among artists and art enjoyers alike with significant participation from the LGBTQ+ community. Due to a significant increase in both participating artists and attendance, it was decided to move the Groundhog Show from Portage Lakes to downtown Akron in 2024. This move will allow for a huge uptick in visitors as it will run concurrently with the quarterly Akron ArtWalk event, ensuring our LGBTQ+ artists and allies can broaden their reach and impact. This year’s exhibition will be open Friday, June 14 through Sunday, June 16, and is hosted by Curated Storefront at TrueNorth Akron in and around the shipping containers. Additional programming will include live music, live figure-drawing sessions, and an open mic night. Committed event partners include Summit Artspace, ArtsNow, Curated Storefront, TrueNorth Akron, MOO with the View, Northside Marketplace, Jilly's Music Room, The Nightlight, Plexus LGBT + Allied Chamber of Commerce, and Dirty River Bikes. The Groundhog Show is presented by Taylor Clapp, the lead organizer of the exhibition, and is co-curated by Nick Lee. Awards will be selected by Brandon Dean.
The Groundhog Show is currently accepting artwork submissions from LGBTQ+ and ally artists of Northeast Ohio until Monday, May 27 at midnight. Artists may submit up to three pieces of art in one submission for $13. To submit art and learn more, visit https://www.clappforart.com/the-groundhog-show-2024.