Art of The Past, Present, & Future

With a fresh start of a new year brings in new opportunities to engage with art in profound and meaningful ways! Art in Cincinnati is enriching and entertaining, with eventful explorations into the imagination that will make you want to discover and learn more about what the city has to offer in the expressive community. From past to present, Cincinnati has always shown its immense support for diversity in the Arts and continues to bring excellent pieces from all around the world, from artists of all backgrounds to our museums, galleys, shows, public spaces, and interactive exhibitions. Truly making this city the perfect atmosphere, when it comes to having fun in the future of creativity. So, choose your own adventure at any of the many places that are bringing more artistic experiences to the people!

Locals top favorite and most popular museum in the area to encounter art is, The Cincinnati Art Museum within the beautiful landscape of Eden Park in the hills of Mt. Adams. The historic museum that overlooks the city was founded in 1881, making it one of the oldest in the United States. Their impressive collection includes over 65,000 pieces of work that span 6,000 years of art making. This incredible museum always has a magnificent collection of work on display but they also have rotating shows that are by well-known artists with pieces that are admired throughout the world.

The prolific art of the contemporary artist, Kara Walker is currently on display until January 16th and the exhibition is titled, Cut to the Quick. This body of work is deep, powerful, and eye opening to say the least, with themes of examining stereotypes and stories about mythology, identity, racism, culture, and history. Walker transforms the gallery space into a series of different styles of pieces that are thought provoking and fascinating. With each step you take through the exhibition you find different forms of art that Walker experiments with, such as installation, sculpture, printmaking, and the written word. Walker incorporates personal quotes to create a dialogue with the viewer and gives a sense of the inside of an artist’s mind. This work challenges the audience to ask questions about the world around them and Walker gives them the opportunity to interact with the work by having the participant answer questions on addressing histories and narratives of the present. There is also a place of reflection incorporated in this gallery show for people to really sit with their thoughts on Walker’s compelling work that should remain in your memory and shared with others.

https://www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org/

https://www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org/art/exhibitions/kara-walker-cut-to-the-quick/

http://www.karawalkerstudio.com/

https://www.everythingcincy.com/listings/cincinnati-art-museum-attractions-cincinnati-oh

https://www.everythingcincy.com/listings/cincinnati-art-museum-attractions-cincinnati-oh?event_id=2322#event_2322

Artisan Markets in Cincinnati

The Cincinnati area has many markets scattered throughout almost every neighborhood and they all offer a variety of different things for everyone to enjoy! Most of them are outdoors and have plenty of things to engage in for the whole family! A lot of them have local food and support small businesses, while highlighting community involvement! There are a ton of opportunities for artist to sell their work and meet with the public at these markets and we know just the ones to check out this summer!

The City Flea

This urban flea market is a crowd pleaser and is in one of the most beautiful parts of Cincinnati! This market is located in the historic Washington Park right in front of the mesmerizing Music Hall. The market is head once a month and they have dozens of vendors from craft makers to community organizations, and startup businesses. They have anything from vintage wears to contemporary art, and much, much more! Make an entire day out of visiting the City Flea! There is so much to do in the park for kids and adults! The water feature is a perfect way to cool off from the heat and the patio bar is an excellent place to grab a drink and relax!

http://www.thecityflea.com/

Second Sunday on Main

In the art district of Over-the- Rhine you can experience a lively and fun celebration of creativity down Main street on every second Sunday of the month at this stellar market! This market has a wide range of artists and local businesses to support and meet with! The Art Academy of Cincinnati is usually there with their artists, instructing workshops for people to join in on. There are performances, live music, and lots of food trucks to choose from! This market gives off a block party vibe for people of all ages to have a fun time at!

https://secondsundayonmain.org/

Art on Vine

This market started as a class project and evolved into a popular market that showcases artists, craft makers, and many local businesses that we love! The market is at different locations and always keeps you excited for the next one! Some of the locations include Fountain Square and Rhinegeist Brewery.

https://www.artonvinecincy.com/

Second Saturdays at CampSITE

CampSite Sculpture Park is one of our favorite places that hosts community driven events and there markets on Saturdays are absolutely lovely! Explore the park while shopping for local art and supporting small businesses! For more information on how to be a vendor visit their website! http://campsitesculpturepark.com/

Written By: Christen Collins

Remake Learning Days Festival Celebrates Hands-On Learning

On May 15-17, 2021, Greater Cincinnati will host the virtual Remake Learning Days festival to inspire families to spend time learning together.

Educators, artists, scientists and makers from across the region are sharing more than 100 lessons, activities and demonstrations, both on demand and as interactive sessions.

Remake Learning Days Across America, a celebration of learning innovation, is in its fifth year. Greater Cincinnati joins 17 other regions to encourage and support families and students.

The festival will provide new connections between the families of Greater Cincinnati and the organizations and resources located here. The virtual events in the festival will be a helpful introduction to the participating artists, teachers, scientists and makers. Families can explore the opportunities they offer and follow up for more if they wish.

To ensure that more families can participate in the event, learning activity kits filled with supplies for more than 15 of the festival’s events will be created. These kits will be available for free on a first-come, first-served basis at several locations in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Find a full list of locations where kits can be picked up at https://remakelearningdays.org/gc/free-activity-kits/.

During Greater Cincinnati Remake Learning Days, families can find activities and lessons appropriate for children from preschool through 12^th grade, all of which can be done remotely. The activities range from arts and crafts, to STEM, outdoor learning and much more. A full listing of events can be viewed at https://remakelearningdays.org/gc/.

Remake Learning Days Across America Producer Dorie Taylor hopes that “parents, caregivers and educators across all communities will be inspired by the learning kids are doing alongside their caring adults and think about what they hope to see in their own communities.”

“There may not be another moment in our lifetimes when educators are thinking as boldly about what education and learning might be than right now. We should embrace these innovations as signals about what’s possible,” said Gregg Behr, executive director of the Grable Foundation and co-chair of Remake Learning.

Join the virtual Greater Cincinnati Remake Learning Days on May 15-17.

Jill Morenz is the Director of Community Initiatives and Communications for the Catalytic Fund and also runs the NKY Public Arts Network. She is an enthusiastic evangelist for all things NKY.

Honoring Artists of Color in Cincinnati

In the tradition of celebrating Black History Month we wanted to showcase Art and Creators of Color in Cincinnati! This city has always been considered a melting pot of culture. You can truly see that throughout the artwork that is abundant in each and every neighborhood. From fine art galleries to murals on the sides of buildings and the amazing street art that has risen from the Black Lives Matter Movement, there’s a lot to discover and learn about the beautiful community of People of Color in Cincinnati!

One of my favorite murals and a must see is the “We Shall Overcome” mural in Avondale titled, “A Song of Freedom”. This marvelous art piece is a tribute to the life and legacy of Louise Shropshire. Louise was an extraordinary woman that was a civil rights activist, music composer, and personal friend of Martin Luther King. She wrote one of the most influential songs of the 20th century and her essence lives on through this mural created by ArtWorks. After you visit with this incredible piece of art and piece of local history take a stroll through Martin Luther King Park right down the street to reflect on the powerful impact that this work continues to encourage.

Not only do the museums of Cincinnati have a constant flow of diversity in their rotating exhibitions, but they also feature local artists and offer residency programs! One of the most compelling shows that has transformed the space of the Contemporary Art Center has been the work of Robert Colescott, titled “Art and Race Matters”. His captivating paintings brought another perspective on ethnicity, heritage, culture, and everyday life.

The Contemporary Art Center has a wonderful way of bringing artist from all over the world to Cincinnati as well as the Cincinnati Art Museum! Another recent and profound exhibition that embodied the essence of Black Culture was the “Black and Brown Faces“ show by Paloozanoire. Gee Horton, one of the ten artists included in this exhibit creates storytelling art and his piece was a standout during this exhibit. You can see his work by visiting geehorton.com. He also contributed the spectacular “Black Lives Matter” mural on Plum street that speaks to hope and equality! He worked on the letter “L’ for the mural and incorporated text from the famous African American poet Langston Hughes poem “I, Too”.

While you’re paying homage to Black History Month, check out the first Black and Filipino owned brewery in Cincinnati, Esoteric Brewery. This community driven company is located in Walnut Hills and is so much more than a brewery! Their craft beers are impressive, bursting with unique flavors for all types of taste preferences. Enjoy a flight on your first visit in so you get a chance to experience the diversity the beers have to offer! Transcend through time from prohibition to the pandemic, imagine a brewery as a speakeasy with social distancing and a modern aesthetic with sophistication and comfort. The space has a welcoming lounge with an art deco influenced gallery. Elliot Jordan is the featured artist and uncle of one of the owners. His mixed media paintings reflect the history and diversity of Cincinnati while incorporating themes of music, nightlife, and travel. With a relaxed elegance this is the perfect place to come to cultivate creative energy. They seamlessly combine art, culture, and dining that makes you almost forget that you’re at a brewery! They pride themselves on social impact and providing a welcoming place for all people especially minorities and woman. As a proud member of the Walnut Hills Community, I’m thrilled that we have this great place in our neighborhood. As you leave Esoteric take a short walk a few blocks down to the parking lot of Parkside Café to see the “We Are Walnut Hills” mural, which is our community motto! This vibrant mural and mantra celebrate the people of Walnut Hills and their passions. Murals like this can be seen all over the city and continue to pop up, so keep an eye out for what’s next!

There are many more places to enjoy art made by People of Color and ways to celebrate Black History all year round, not just during this month! In addition to the incredible art that you can experience here you can also make an effort to show support by shopping at local black owned businesses and learning more about the history of black culture through the music, theater, and literature that is prominent in each area of Cincinnati.

Author: Christen Collins