Works on Paper Juried Exhibition

The juror for Works on Paper this year is James Pate. James Pate is one of Dayton’s most acclaimed contemporary artists and the co-owner o Black Palette Art Gallery in Dayton, where he mentors emerging artists and helps cultivate a vibrant regional arts community. Born in Birmingham, Alabama and raised in Cincinnati, Pate received a Corbett Award to attend the Art Academy of Cincinnati and later continued his studies at Central State University.

His work has been exhibited widely across the United States including at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, and the DuSable Museum in Chicago, Illinois. In addition, Pate has earned numerous honors, including an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award, two Montgomery County Individual Artist Fellowships, and the 2015 Governor’s Award for the Arts in Ohio. His drawing was awarded Best of Show at the Dayton Art Institute’s 2022 exhibition Black Heritage Through Visual Rhythms.

In addition to his gallery practice, Pate is dedicated to arts education and community-driven public art. He has led the design and creation of several murals throughout Dayton and Cincinnati, collaborating closely with youth, apprentices, and neighborhood partners to bring powerful visual storytelling into public spaces.

Cat Mayhugh, Flow (detail), 2024, found papers, acrylic medium, hand stitched cotton and silk threads, UV archival varnish, monofilament

Rosewood Arts Center in Kettering, Ohio announces a call for entries for the 36th annual Works on Paper exhibition, a juried exhibition for artists living within a 40-mile radius of Dayton, Ohio.

Entries must be original works in any media (2-D or 3-D) on or of paper, completed within the last four years and not exceeding 40 inches in width. Work previously exhibited at Rosewood is not eligible. Jury will take place from actual work.

Artists may drop off entries at the Gallery on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 1 – 3 p.m. or Monday, January 5, 12-8 p.m. A non-refundable entry fee of $20.00 for up to three works must accompany each completed entry form. Please include the following for your entry:

1. Read entry information online or in the paper prospectus

2. $20 entry fee for up to 3 works. Payments can be accepted in person, over the phone at (937) 296-0294 or by mail if postmarked by Monday, Jan. 5. If paying by check, make out to “City of Kettering”

3. Complete the digital entry form, one form for up to three artworks.

4. Bring your works to Rosewood on Jan. 3 between 1-3 p.m. or on Monday, Jan. 5 between 12-8 p.m.

The exhibition will run from Jan. 20 through February 28, 2026. Awards of $1,100 will be distributed at the discretion of the juror. The Peoples’ Choice Award presented by the Joan W. McCoy Memorial fund will be announced at the end of the exhibition.