The annual ImageOhio art exhibition is scheduled to return to Columbus for a 13th time to showcase video, photography and new media artwork, but this time, it’s expanding its borders.

ImageOhio is organized by the Roy G Biv Gallery, which is located in the Short North, but it takes place at the Shot Tower Gallery in Fort Hayes High School in Columbus.

Typically, ImageOhio only showcases work that was done by artists from or living in Ohio, but this year, it broadened the pool of candidates.

“That opens it up to this huge population of people because almost everyone leaves after college,” said James Payne, gallery director at Roy G Biv.  

One of the featured artists in this year’s gallery is Alexis McCrimmon, an Ohio native who recently moved back to Columbus after living in Pennsylvania for the last three years.

“I didn’t realize you could be from the state of Ohio and participate while not currently living in Ohio,” McCrimmon said. “I’m looking for opportunities to exhibit my more current work in the community that I’m from and this was such an opportunity.”

McCrimmon is one of 27 artists selected among 74 artist submissions. McCrimmon’s piece is a 12-minute video called “Pigment.” The film focuses on her mother’s skin disease, vitiligo, a condition where the skin loses pigment in some areas.

“The film is part her voice talking about this experience and part animation,” McCrimmon said. “Since it is such a medical mystery, I was trying to provide a non-medical answer to that sort of larger question of where does this illness come from? What are its origins?”

McCrimmon said he is looking forward to the exhibition’s opening and hearing feedback from both artists and visitors.

“It will give me a really good chance to meet people across different generations and across different mediums, just to sort of see and find commonalities and sort of a kinship in the process of making art,” McCrimmon said.

Each year the exhibition selects a juror who chooses the artwork that will be placed in the gallery.

This year Roy G Biv chose the Wexner Center for the Arts’ curator-at-large, Bill Horrigan.

“He’s probably the best person in the city for it because his view straddles both photography and video, and he’s also a recognized figure in the art world,” Payne said.

McCrimmon said she and the other artists hope to reach Ohio State students.

Alex Rocca, a fourth-year in art and photography, said she hopes to visit the exhibition.

“ImageOhio supports local artists and helps to get their work out into the public, only helping to fuel their careers,” Rocca said. “It gives me hope for the future that cities will take the initiative to support local artists, and I look forward to seeing the growth of similar galleries.”

ImageOhio is scheduled to hold an opening reception on Jan. 18. The exhibit will remain open until Feb. 15 at the Shot Tower Gallery at 546 Jack Gibbs Blvd.