Keough wins 2026 Senior Exhibition Award for illustrated work “The ABC Book of Horror”

ASHLAND, Ohio – Hanna Keough, from Spencer, Ohio, was chosen as the recipient of the 2026 Senior Art and Design Exhibition Award, an honor chosen by the faculty of the Department of Art and Design. The annual award, established in 2001, is given to the graduating senior whose accomplishments in art and design are judged to be the most worthy of recognition for the presentation of their senior exhibition.

Keough’s illustrated work, “The ABC Book of Horror,” centers on creepy, supernatural themes with a playful edge, inspired by early exposure to ghost stories and legends like Bigfoot and Mothman. The book draws directly from childhood experiences with paranormal shows and spooky books and features imagined monsters and scenes shaped by those stories, which sparked both fear and fascination. Ultimately, it serves as both a nostalgic tribute to those formative experiences and a reflection of their artistic identity.

Keough is majoring in illustration with a minor in psychology. During her time at AU, she was an art therapy intern at Appleseed Mental Health Center. Her artwork has been featured in a number of exhibitions, earning the 2025 AU Salville Award, the 2025 AU Bernini Schaller Award and the 2023 AU Permanent Collection Award, and it was also exhibited at the Rochester Contemporary Art Center in both 2023 and 2026. She provided illustrations for former AU professor Curt Ickes’ book “Pitch by Pitch” and for “Passages Revised: An Ashland University Undergrad Literary Press.” Keough plans to pursue a job in illustration or attend graduate school for art therapy after graduation.

The annual Senior Art and Design Exhibition is running through May 8 at Coburn Gallery inside AU’s Center for the Arts.