Canton Museum of Art

06/03/2026

Join us for a fun morning exploring the galleries at the Canton Museum of Art in this family friendly workshop with the Early Childhood Resource Center in partnership with the museum.

This workshop is designed to strengthen the bond between parents and young children ages 3 and under (siblings are welcome). This session will include an exploration of the museum exhibit, Reclaimed: The Art of Recology, to learn how artists turn everyday objects into works of art.

🗓️ June 4 (this Thursday)
🕙 10 – 11 am
📍 Canton Museum of Art (1001 Market Ave N, Canton OH 44702)
👉 Register today at: www.tinyurl.com/JuneArtSession

Thank you to The Women’s Fund endowment of the Stark Community Foundation
for supporting this creative early learning experience for families.

05/31/2026

It’s beginning to look and finally feel like spring in Canton! CMA is open 1 – 5pm today to enjoy a stroll through the galleries.

Renowned artist Merv Corning completed a large body of watercolor work based on his love of landscapes, architecture, and still life, in addition to his NFL portraits. His work was known for its crisp lines, bold color, painstaking attention to detail, and strong sense of realism.

Corning was inspired by Andrew Wyeth’s work and watercolor drybrush technique. Drybrush is a careful layering method that builds texture gradually over previously dried washes. The process is similar to oil painting because the artist works with thicker pigment and constructs the image step by step rather than relying on fluid blending.

Image
“Boat on Side with Brilliant Sunset,” n.d. Merv Corning (American: 1926 - 2006). Watercolor on paper. On view now in Earth, Fire, Water: The Elements of Watercolor & Ceramics.

05/25/2026

Today, CMA remembers and honors those who sacrificed all. Freedom is not free. Respect and reflection on this Memorial Day.

05/25/2026

05/25/2026

Dreams. Joy. Struggle. Resilience. Themes on the basketball court and themes in life.

These also come to mind when one views the art of Ernie Barnes (1938 - 2009) … once reviewed in 1965 as “the most expressive painter of sports since George Bellows.”

That is evident in “Study II for The Dream Unfolds,” created in 1996 by Barnes in preparation for a major commission celebrating the 50th anniversary of the National Basketball Association.

We are pleased to welcome this inspiring work and Ernie Barnes to the CMA Collection!

In the background, a figure jumps up toward a basketball hoop in a gesture that feels both athletic and symbolic. Here Barnes uses motion and an elongated figure, both signatures of his neo-mannerist style, to convey reaching beyond one’s circumstances.

In contrast, a grounded female figure watches the soaring motion of the player – bearing witness to a dream unfolding. A wall in the background inscribed with the names of legendary basketball players suggest that the reaching figure is not just playing a game but stepping into a legacy.

Barnes’ own life deeply informs this imagery, as he played professional football in the NFL, an experience that shaped his understanding of the body in motion and the social significance of sport. Barnes is perhaps most widely recognized through his 1976 painting, “The Sugar Shack,” which became a nationally celebrated icon when it was adapted and used as the cover for Marvin Gaye's studio album, “I Want You,” and later added to the end credits of the “Good Times” television series.

Themes in his work center on joy, struggle, memory, and resilience within Black communities. This study for “The Dream Unfolds” reflects those concerns and elevates them for greater understanding of Black culture — a theme significantly absent in mainstream art history.

Image:
Study II for The Dream Unfolds, 1996. Ernie Barnes (1938 - 2009). Graphite and acrylic on paper, 27 x 21 in. Canton Museum of Art Collection | Purchase, 2026.6. © Ernie Barnes Estate. Courtesy of the Ernie Barnes Estate, Ortuzar and Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York. Photo: Dario Lasagni.

05/21/2026

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝘾𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙑𝙄𝙏𝙔, 𝙄𝙉𝙎𝙋𝙄𝙍𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉, 𝙇𝙊𝙑𝙀, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙅𝙊𝙔 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙨 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨! 🥰 The Museum just hosted JRC's intergenerational group for a day of sharing, caring, and art-making in our Art & Health Program … and it could not have been more beneficial to the connections and the human spirit. 💕

Art changes lives … Art(s) strengthen and sustain our community. The work and the impact of the arts never stops – breaking boundaries to make us all better for having been part of the magic.✨

You can help to support the magic and the impact for all of us. Give to the ArtsinStark Campaign for the Arts — artsinstark.com/give

05/20/2026

05/19/2026

We can’t wait to have you back for the next Indoor Season Canton Farmers' Market!

05/18/2026

𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙔𝙊𝙐, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙍𝙏𝙎 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙎𝙏𝙍𝙊𝙉𝙂 𝙞𝙣 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙮! From the Museum to the Palace Theatre, Ballet to Symphony and beyond … YOU support a strong and vibrant arts and cultural scene and access across our community.

Every gift to the ArtsinStark 2026 Campaign for the Arts matters – for you, for us, and for a community rich in the benefits of creativity, inspiration, education, and yes – entertainment. Make your gift today – ArtsinStark.com/give



Canton Palace Theatre Canton Ballet Canton Symphony Orchestra Bluecoats Sing Stark Massillon Museum Enrichment Arts Education Center

05/17/2026

Sunday is a great day to spend some time strolling through the CMA galleries, enjoying the spring exhibitions ... Reclaimed: The Art of Recology; Earth, Fire, Water: The Elements of Watercolor & Ceramics; On the Threshold of the Great Lakes: Geo Rutherford; and Net Worth: Ben Lambert Ceramics. We're open 1 - 5p today!

Image:
On view in the exhibition Earth, Fire, Water | Red Lily (detail), 1992. Joseph Raffael (American: 1933 - 2021). Watercolor on paper, 44 ½ x 60 in. Canton Museum of Art Collection | 993.2.