Visions in Monochrome & Spotlight: Nicole Condon-Shih Opening

Visions in Monochrome:

Heights Arts is proud to present Visions in Monochrome, a compelling exploration of black and white photography in partnership with the Cleveland Photographic Society (CPS). This collaboration continues our shared commitment to fostering artistic excellence and community engagement through the visual arts.

Founded in 1887, CPS is one of the oldest camera clubs in North America and has cultivated a vibrant, inclusive environment for photographers of all skill levels. For over 135 years, the Society has provided a platform for education, creativity, and fellowship—supporting artists as they explore the full breadth of photographic expression. Their history of nurturing innovation across genres makes them an ideal partner for this celebration of monochromatic imagery.

This exhibition brings together the work of 20 CPS-affiliated photographers whose images transcend the literal to engage with the emotive, the abstract, and the deeply personal. Through the lens of black and white photography, each piece invites viewers to rediscover the elegance of simplicity—where light and shadow, texture and form converge to create mood, atmosphere, and meaning.

Spotlight Nicole Condon-Shih:

Nicole Condon-Shih is an artist and educator exploring the intersection of art, science, and technology. Her research-based practice examines the dichotomy between the microscopic versus the macroscopic in thinking about biological systems and environmental urgencies. Projects have been shown in Hong Kong at the Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism & Architecture, in Beijing at the B3 Biennale of the Moving Image, commissioned by Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and collected by Summa Health Systems, among others. Condon-Shih is an Associate Professor and Division Chair of Foundation at the Cleveland Institute of Art. Previously, she developed an international foundation program at the Central Academy of Fine Art in Beijing, China. Condon-Shih received her M.F.A. from Hunter College, City University of New York, and B.F.A. from Cornell University. Her art practice continually informs her teaching, just as teaching is integral to her practice as an artist, researcher, and academic leader.