McDonough Museum of Art
McDonough Museum of Art
The John J. McDonough Museum of Art seeks to expand the teaching and research function of the university by generating compelling academic and public programs. The McDonough’s mission reinforces the mission of the Cliffe College of Creative Arts and that of Youngstown State University in placing academic excellence, scholarship, and innovation at the center of our operations.
The museum works with Department of Art faculty and students and visiting artists to develop programs and exhibitions that enhance the department’s contemporary and interdisciplinary teaching mission. We therefore align curation with curriculum to strengthen the educational function of the museum in teaching and training students and to deepen our relationship with our community and region.
A modernist landmark, the McDonough Museum was designed by the award-winning architects Charles Gwathmey and Robert Siegel, who are nationally known for their work. The McDonough stands as a unique architectural feature on YSU's campus and consists of 21,000 square feet of exhibition, lecture, and office spaces.
Current and upcoming exhibitions
The McDonough Museum offers a range of dynamic programs that include exhibitions, installations, performances, and lectures that invite campus and community members to discover and explore meaning in contemporary art. All exhibitions are free and open to the public.
The museum is located at 525 Wick Avenue, Youngstown, OH 44502. Its hours are 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM Tuesday through Saturday (closed Sundays, Mondays, and major holidays).
Fall Exhibitions
September 2 - October 25
Opening reception: September 5, 5:00 – 7:00 PM
Arron Foster, In_A_Sense
Arron Foster's exhibit takes on an intuitive, research-based approach to observing, studying, and documenting specific locations. Through this work, he hopes to create a dialogue between himself and the viewer that provides an opportunity for the shared exploration and interpretation of places. Foster's prints and installations have been included in notable exhibitions at respected national and international galleries, museums, and art centers. He is an Assistant Professor of Art at Kent State University at Stark in North Canton, Ohio.
2025 Emerging Artist Aislinn Janek, Landscape as a Form of Knowledge
Aislinn Janek is a New York City-based artist whose interdisciplinary practice explores the material language of painting, sewing, and memory. Rooted in an intuitive yet methodical process, her work often involves layering acrylic paint and hand-stitching through canvas, transforming the surface into a meditative space that traces time, labor, and the fragility of presence. She has exhibited internationally, with recent solo exhibitions in Ashiya, Japan, at Akira Art Room. She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies with minors in Fine Art and Psychology from Youngstown State University.
Michael Boyd Roman, Negus Weighting on a Miracle
Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Michael Boyd Roman comes to Northeast Ohio to serve as an Assistant Professor of Design and Black Visual Cultures at Oberlin College and Conservatory. His mixed media and charcoal drawings seek to portray the ordinary grace of the contemporary Black experience informed by religious iconography juxtaposed against hip hop and pop cultural references. His extensive experience as an art educator includes teaching K-12, with his work in higher education beginning as the Visual Arts Program Director at Morehouse College in 2013.
Justin Sorensen, June 13th
Justin Sorensen is an Ohio-based artist whose work explore time, religion, technology, and literature. Working across multiple mediums and visual traditions, Sorensen’s work ranges from durationally driven drawing projects to intuitive investigations that are grounded in sculpture, performance, and installation. In 2018, he received a fellowship from the Nagel Institute at Calvin University, allowing him to study art and religion in Beijing, Nanjing, and Shanghai. In 2025, he was awarded an Individual Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council. Originally from the Pennsylvania Rust Belt, Sorensen has lived in Rhode Island, Iowa, and North Dakota, before moving to Ohio in 2016. When he’s not in the studio, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three daughters.