Women of Ohio

See a list of all the winners here.

When I first sent out the call for artworks for the Women of Ohio project, I did wonder if some submissions might be on the more surreal side, or represent people through objects. If you take a look at this lesson plan for art teachers about different ways to create artworks about a person, you’ll see that one idea was to represent someone through objects around them, or through items with symbolic significance.

I’m so glad that McKenzie Gilbert took me at my word and sent this beautiful artwork. It is striking—unsettling even—and it moves us beyond the human body to consider ourselves in a different space. As it turns out, McKenzie was particularly thinking about feelings of derealization that teachers experience under the pressures of such a frenetic and demanding job. Here’s what McKenzie has to say about it:

This piece honors the women I’ve met while working in education and the sacrifices we make to ensure we meet the needs of our youth. Women in education are expected to create a loving, positive, and engaging environment for others’ children, only to then go home to serve their own families. Our education system creates unique workplace stressors that aren’t seen or known to the general public. Due to this, teaching children can feel like a stage production; creating a spectacle while being aware of the eyes staring from all angles. With this piece, I wanted to honor educators’ commitment while recognizing the unfair pressure placed on individuals.

McKenzie Gilbert was born in 1996 in Alexandria, Ohio. In 2019, she earned her BA in Arts Education at Ohio Dominican University.  She has a future exhibition at the Bob Crane Community Center in Upper Arlington, Ohio scheduled for March 2026. Gilbert currently lives and works in Columbus, Ohio, USA.

Instagram handle: @mckenziegilbertart