Art Show on the Fringe Set For August 2026

Daily Dose | 08/03/2026 12:30 pm

Art Show on the Fringe began in August of 2025 when a group of local Perrysburg fine artists, anxious to show their fine art but not juried in to a local, downtown art show in which they had previously participated, took a page out of the book of art history (the 1863 Paris Solon des Refusees) and considered the possibility of establishing a second, simultaneous art show.

While not being juried into a fine art show is a rite of passage all artists experience periodically, these artists ultimately decided to stage a second summer art show a block away from the original downtown show......on the “fringe”, as it were.

With only several weeks to prepare and advertise, the artists expected audience numbers may fall short but were nevertheless intent on showing the Perrysburg area community even more fine art than that which was available in any single show. Despite the tight timeline the artists were delighted to greet a sizable crowd of local and area art lovers that day, generating sales in the thousands of dollars. City leaders attended and encouraged the organizers to expand the following year with the help of city-closed roadways.

The organizers and city leaders knew what other cities have experienced. Larger scale art events draw more visitors and media attention. Thus, more artists are showcased and more communities benefit from the influx of an interested and purchasing public. This is not a new phenomenon, but a growing trend. One only needs look 45 minutes north to find the Ann Arbor Art Fair, which is recognized as the largest juried art fair in the country. It is comprised of three separate art fairs operating collaboratively. Louisville, Kentucky and scores of other US cities big and small have found that multiple art fairs, when presented collaboratively, create more of a critical mass of interested visitors. It is our hope that visitors will visit both art events, Perrysburg Hearts the Arts and Aat Show on the Fringe, which are staged two blocks from each other in downtown Perrysburg.

With the help of the City of Perrysburg, the final northern stretch of Burlingwood Drive will be closed to vehicular traffic beginning the night of August 14th so nearly a dozen or so fine artists can install their tents for the following day’s art gala. The art show will be staged between 10 AM and 6 PM on Saturday, August 15, 2026, in the parking lot of Big Daddy Graphics at 121 Burlingwood Drive, with artists’ tents spilling north along Burlingwood Drive toward West Front Street.

This year’s Art on the Fringe promises to be a wonderful stroll through a cross-section of the region’s finest artwork as live music plays in the background. The venue is found on the property of sponsor Big Daddy Graphics, a 30-year retailer of graphic design and embroidered and screen-printed sportswear for schools, clubs, and businesses. The business is located a half- block from downtown Perrysburg’s Louisiana Avenue. There will be a special sale at the store providing discounts and new sportswear for their three decades of loyal customer base to peruse while enjoying the festive atmosphere. The grounds at Big Daddy Graphics are billowing with flowers and manicured gardens and are situated within Perrysburg’s DORA district. Refreshments and charcuteries will be served during the day-long affair.

Featured Fine Artists

Rex Russell is an award winning painter from Perrysburg, Ohio who is active in the Toledo area
art scene. He paints landscapes, the human figure, animals, and is active in the Plein Air movement. He is a board member of the Toledo Artists Club.

Joan Clare Brown is a ceramicist originally from Philadelphia, PA who holds BFA and MFA degrees from Bowling Green State University. She is an adjunct professor of Fine Art at BGSU and instructor of Fine Art at Owens Community College.

Christine Hattendorf is a Perrysburg based painter who specializes in subjects including flora and fauna and abstract composition. She is a highly collected Toledo area fine artist who has appeared on television’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

JAX hails from Bowling Green and is an oil painter focusing on your favorite food and your favorite people. They utilize chunky color and texture to translate pop culture into something you can hang on your wall.

Kelleigh Bossa of Perrysburg is a mixed media artist with a focus on recycled art. She finds inspiration in reimagining broken or discarded materials into one of a kind works. Kelleigh is the organizer of the Perrysburg Locals Art Show, a wildly successful annual event featuring fine artists from the city.

Eric Siebeneck is a Findlay painter who has won awards for his paintings and chalk art at shows in Ohio and Michigan. His freelance work also includes a 2015 documentary titled, “The Walkers Among Us,” which is available on Amazon Prime.

Christine Swiergosz is owner of CES Glass Design in Oregon and an award winning fine artist who specializes in fused glass art. She has studied at the Toledo Museum of Art and glass studios in Maumee and Ottawa, Ontario.

Kristy Luther owns K.Lu Articles in Monclova. She is a jewelry artist who works primarily with vitreous enamel on copper and sterling silver to create unique, handmade art jewelry with a focus on the interplay between shape and color.

Matthew Russell is a Detroit producer and audio designer whose recent work explores the complexity of nature, transforming its seemingly random yet deeply interconnected patterns into generative
musical systems. He has worked in the music and live theater industries for many years from Chicago
to Key West.

Bren Clixby is a highly collected painter in the Toledo area who specializes in colorfully painting the human figure, animals, and landscapes. She is a past president of the Toledo Artists Club who is also known
for the whimsical yard and garden art she and partner Doug Lee create in their studio.

Brian Lowe is a Toledo area fine artist working in mixed media. He is an independent artist who has created and studied under master artists for two decades.

Linda Shetzer is an Ohio artist whose watercolor, acrylic, and mixed-media paintings celebrate the beauty of nature and everyday moments. Inspired by gardens, native plants, and national parks, she creates expressive landscapes that capture light, color, and a sense of place. Linda shares her passion fo creativity through community art programs and her work with the Toledo Artists Club.