Season 22 (2025/26) Grand Jury Awards

The Grand Jury Awards consider works exhibited at Manifest from late
September 2025 through mid-September 2026

In fall of 2023, and in celebration of Manifest's 20th Season, we dramatically increased the amount of financial support and awards provided to artists participating in our gallery program. This includes a cash honorarium provided to every exhibiting artist (in essence every artist who exhibits receieves an award), and a newly formatted Grand Jury Award process which increased the annual total by 80% and increased the number of artists benefitting by 800%.

All exhibitors during each of our nine exhibition periods across the season are automatically eligible to be considered for this award. Since Manifest's 13th season the annual Grand Jury Award has recognized one exhibited work each year with a significant jury-determined cash prize, representing the 'best of the best' shown in Manifest's many exhibits that year. For season 22 the Grand Jury Award format will result in the awarding of $1,000 to one work during each of our nine exhibition periods.

DETAILS OF THE SEASON 22 GRAND JURY AWARDS

• The works shown below represent the highest ranking artworks out of what will be an estimated 12,000 separate works submitted for consideration across all exhibits during our 22nd season. (This excludes the Manifest Prize winner/exhibitor. The Manifest Prize is a separate cash award of $10,000 and solo exhibit.)
  
  
• To the degree it is possible, the Grand Jury Award will be re-juried by the same jurors who served for each exhibition period, excluding any who may have a conflict of interest. Most exhibition periods at Manifest include three or four exhibits. When the season is concluded this could result in as many as 30 individuals having re-scored the works shown below in an effort to determine each award winner. The detailed history, jury process, and rationale for the Grand Jury Award can be found here.

• At least one work per eligible exhibition is included as a finalist in consideration for each of the nine awards. If more than one work per exhibit is included below, it is because the works received the same high score in the original jury process for that exhibit. Solo exhibitors are invited to select their preferred work from their exhibition for consideration by the jury, or may defer to the Director's choice.
  
  
• We have made this page available so the artists and the public are aware of the contenders, and to serve as a recognition of these artists' works for having received high scores from their respective juries, which given the intensity of the competition is an achievement worthy of distinction.
  
  
• Thumbnails below may be clicked to see the full image. Images are provided in chronological order based on the date of exhibition.

THE SEASON 22 FINALISTS
WORKS CONSIDERED FOR THE SEASON 22 GRAND JURY AWARDS

Exhibition Period 1: September 26 - October 24, 2025

PAINTED BIENNIAL + AQUACHROME BIENNIAL

(6) Top Ranking Works by Jury

Exhibition Period 2

Exhibition Period 3

Exhibition Period 4

Exhibition Period 5

Exhibition Period 6

Exhibition Period 7

Exhibition Period 8

Exhibition Period 9

This entire season of exhibitions will be documented, with every work shown in the gallery published in full color, in the monumental Manifest Exhibition Annual (MEAs21).

Support Manifest's nonprofit exhibition program and collect all exhibited works under one cover in book form by pre-ordering directly from Manifest at a discount here. (Pre-Order Price: $100 plus shipping.) See the season lineup here. Learn about the award-winning MEA series here.

Manifest is supported by sustainability funding from the Ohio Arts Council, and through the generous direct contributions of hundreds of individual supporters and private foundations who care deeply about Manifest's mission for the visual arts.

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2727 woodburn avenue
cincinnati, ohio 45206

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3464 Central Parkway
cincinnati, ohio 45223