Founded 1943

If you wish to purchase work that shows a price, contact the Toledo Artists' Club to make arrangements.

May 31-June 25, 2026

Birds, Bugs, & Blooms 

Location: Toledo Artists’ Club

Step into a world inspired by nature’s small wonders and big beauty. Birds, Bugs, & Blooms brings together artwork that celebrates everything from delicate flowers and busy pollinators to colorful birds and the quiet details we often overlook.

This show is open to both 2D and 3D pieces in any style or medium. Whether your work is detailed and true-to-life or loose and imaginative, we’re looking for art that captures your personal connection to the natural world.

Come explore a collection that’s lively, thoughtful, and full of life—where petals, wings, and tiny creatures all have a story to tell.

Juror Stephen Johnston

Biography

Stephen Johnston has been an active participant in the visual arts for the past 50 years. During those years, he has worked as an artist, arts administrator, and art educator. After receiving his B.Ed. from the University of Toledo, Mr. Johnston spent several years engaged in the life of an exhibiting artist in juried art festivals. A beneficial element of the experience was exposure to a wide variety of mediums, and the diversity of styles and communication put forth by fellow exhibiting artists. Mr. Johnston's experience with art festivals was the starting point for his work in various areas of arts administration for nearly 20 years. As coordinator of art programs for the Toledo Botanical Garden, his work included management of the TBG Brass Balloon Gallery, and the Crosby Festival of the Arts. His post-TBG experience has included gallery management positions with not-for-profit organizations in Toledo and Cincinnati. As the manager of galleries, Mr. Johnston has been in the position of examining a great quantity and variety of artwork in 2D and 3D mediums during selection and exhibition processes. His employment also provided opportunity to participate on jury panels for various festivals and local exhibitions. During this period of his professional life, Mr. Johnston enjoyed the opportunity to serve on art related committees for the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo, WGTE, Toledo Museum of Art and Toledo Community Foundation. In recent years, Mr. Johnston is perhaps most recognized from his work in art education. He has taught credit earning visual art courses in 2D and 3D mediums for 27 years at both the high school and community college levels. For 24 years, he was one of the visual art teachers at the highly acclaimed Toledo School for the Arts, teaching at that institution since its founding in 1999. He is in his 38th year of teaching non-credit classes at the Toledo Potters' Guild. As an art educator, Mr. Johnston was invited to serve on jury panels for Scholastic's Art & Writing Awards Central Ohio Regional Exhibition, and Owens Community College's student exhibition. Additionally, both the Photo Arts Club and the Garden Forum have made use of his expertise and experience for their juried art exhibitions

Juror Comments coming soon!

The Awards