Liz Maugans (b. 1967)
Don't Give a Woop Dee Do
Materials and Dimensions: Mixed media print collage, 30" x 22"
Location at Summa: 2 East, ACH South
Through her layered, mixed-media approach, Liz Maugans sparks reflection and conversation, enriching Summa Health’s environment with thought-provoking art.
About the Art
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Liz Maugans’ work is rooted in printmaking but extends far beyond traditional techniques. She repurposes materials such as newsprint, wallpaper, and old sketches, layering them to create textured compositions that blend humor, social commentary, and personal reflection. Each piece is infused with bold imagery and evocative titles, prompting viewers to engage in deeper thought.
At first glance, Don’t Give a Woop Dee Do exudes playfulness with its bright yellow, banana-like form. But a closer look reveals its striking juxtaposition: the image of a peeling banana merges with symbolic representations of the coronavirus. This unexpected combination challenges viewers to reflect on the pandemic’s impact. The title itself raises ambiguity, prompting questions about whether it expresses indifference, defiance, or critique.
Maugans has a personal connection to the pandemic’s toll, having lost loved ones to COVID-19. This work critiques societal complacency and highlights how we process, or fail to process, grief and collective trauma. The layers of ink and material mimic the layers of experience, frustration, and resilience that have shaped our recent history.
Boomeranging Back to Reality
Materials and Dimensions: Mixed media print collage, 30" x 22"
Location at Summa: 2 East, ACH South
A bold, dark form sweeps across a patchwork of textures and patterns in Boomeranging Back to Reality, capturing a sense of motion and transition. The boomerang suggests a return, possibly to normalcy, responsibility, or a long-awaited reckoning.
Maugans leaves ‘reality’ open to interpretation, inviting each viewer to project their own experiences onto the piece.
The fragmented background, composed of varied materials, reflects the multifaceted and complex nature of reality. It serves as a visual metaphor for the adjustments and recalibrations we constantly make, particularly in times of change. This work prompts a moment of introspection: what does ‘returning’ mean for us as individuals, as communities?
Hands-on Humanity Challenge
Materials and Dimensions: Mixed media print collage, 26" x 23"
Location at Summa: 2 East, ACH South
One of Maugans’ most striking works, Hands-on Humanity Challenge uses photographic images of hands emerging from a cutout figure to explore themes of connection, labor, and resilience. Hands are symbols of action, representing gestures such as reaching, working, holding, and offering. Their presence in this composition suggests an engagement with society’s challenges, a call to take part in shaping the world around us.
Scattered throughout the piece, abstract egg-like forms reinforce ideas of cycles, renewal, and transformation. Just as eggs symbolize potential and rebirth, Maugans may be encouraging viewers to consider their role in social change and progress. Her abstract approach invites individual interpretation, making space for deeply personal connections to emerge.
Liz Maugans’ work exemplifies the power of contemporary printmaking to provoke thought, inspire dialogue, and offer nuanced social critique. Her bold compositions challenge us to look closer, ask questions, and reflect on our shared experiences. By incorporating repurposed materials, she bridges past and present, grounding her work in the textures of daily life while inviting us to consider what lies ahead.
About the Artist
Cleveland native Liz Maugans is a key figure in Northeast Ohio’s arts community. After earning her B.F.A. from Kent State and M.F.A. from Cranbrook, she co-founded Zygote Press, a non-profit printmaking studio and gallery. Her contributions earned her the 2012 Martha Joseph Prize from the Cleveland Arts Prize.
Beyond her studio practice, Maugans is an educator, curator, and advocate, teaching at Cleveland State University and the Cleveland Institute of Art while exhibiting nationally. Her accolades include an Ohio Arts Council Fellowship and a Cleveland Workforce Fellowship.
Maugans champions social justice and community-building through projects like the YARDS Project, Cleveland Artist Registry, and Rooms-to-Let in Slavic Village. She curates the Dalad Collection at Worthington Yards and serves on the Collective Artists Network board.
Where to See More of Her Work
Maugans regularly exhibits at Zygote Press and is represented by Hedge Art Gallery. Her work is in collections at the Cleveland Clinic, Progressive Insurance, Dalad Collection, and B.F. Goodrich Corporation. More information can be found on her website.