Elisha Frontz remembers when she and her husband discovered boxes upon boxes of spent lottery tickets at her father-in-law's home.

He bought them as he struggled secretly with a dementia-fueled gambling addiction.

Frontz, a Montgomery County-based artist, recently drew from this experience when she made a quilt from more than 170 of the lottery stubs, creating a piece titled "The House Always Wins."

Her work received “Best in Show” at the 2025 Ohio Arts Council’s Biennial Exhibition.

The quilt was selected out of nearly 2,000 entries by a panel of jurors.

WYSO’s Shay Frank spoke to the artist about the symbolism behind her award winning piece.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Elisha Frontz: If you were to walk into the gallery and experience the piece

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