Thu 8/6 @ 5:30-8:30PM
Northeast Ohio painter Judy Takács is well known for her figurative portrait paintings of women, paintings that tell visual stories about women’s lives, often with a political slant about the roles women are forced to play in society. Her works have been displayed in many juried shows, as well as numerous museums and galleries throughout the region. Her ongoing Chicks With Balls: Judy Takács paints unsung female heroes series has won two Ohio Arts Council grants. Her work pulls no punches: it’s aggressive, direct and confrontational, and doesn’t try to be vague or polite about obstacles women face and their treatment in the world today.
Now there’s an opportunity to see a concentrated quantity of her work, when Arts for Justice Cleveland presents her show We the People … All The People: Paintings by Judy Takács to inspire hope and action for the 250th birthday of our United States on view at the Midtown Collaboration Center. The show will be on view through Election Day, November 3, 2026, open from Monday through Friday from 8am-9pm and Saturday from 8am-3pm.
But if you want to know more about the work and why the artist does what she does, come down to the gallery on Thursday August 6 when she’ll be doing an artist talk and answering questions about the background behind the paintings. The event also celebrates the official opening of Arts for Justice Cleveland’s offices in the Midtown Collaboration Center’s second floor, next to the gallery space. Takacs’ books will be on sale, available for custom signing, and 100% of the purchase price with benefit Arts for Justice Cleveland.
Afterwards there will be a concert downstairs in the Midtown Collaboration Center’s Pearl Restaurant with music by Faith & Whiskey, whose members include former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Michael P. Donnelly. It’s hosted by Terry and Robin Gilbert of the CSU Terry Gilbert Wrongful Conviction Clinic.