I'd like to ask the current curator of the CAM if he shares the same (J Meck's) sentiments regarding our collections. I for one (a lowely peasant hardly worthy of posting anywhere on this elitist site) remember visiting the Tate Moderne in London several years back and remarking that several of their permanent works had similar counterparts at the CAM. Can I recite them by name and remember the artists? Nope. But I can tell you we have a respectable collection. I have always wondered if maybe the popularity or

notoriety of a work of art is also based upon where it is permanently displayed. " If it's in the MOMA it must be a masterpiece unlike that similar

piece of sh!t over at the CAM". Just airing my opinion cause I'm getting a little peaved at the Cincy cintingency that proports to support our City and region but also rips it apart with the same breath.

I'm afraid a neutral onlooker might take the bashing a little more serious.

I'm certainly not saying that the CAM is the best on the Planet Earth, but it is a local treasure that deservse more respect. MY guess we have more than a few pieces worth looking at. I know

I have always really enjoyed it and I took an art history class or two in college.

 

  Now.... Off with my head!!!!!!!!! 

 

No, I completely agree with you. I have to admit I haven't been to many art museums but I think ours is fantastic, especially for a city of its size. Cincy is a very old city, which helps in terms of gallery collection and endowement. It's also in a really nice location - you can't beat Eden Park! I loved the Picasso and Van Gogh paintings when I went. They look so powerful.

 

In high school I went to the Jim Dine exhibit which was awesome. He's great, especially for his time period. He has a mural with names of all the people he's ever met and some commentary on the people. He went to UC and OU; I think he might still be alive but his paintings are worth a lot of money already.

 

Cincinnati passes motion to restore Ensemble funding

http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2008/08/cincinnati-passes-motion-to-restore.html

 

Cincinnati City Council has passed a motion that would restore more than $176,000 in funding to the Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati (ETC) to aid in their Over-the-Rhine expansion.

 

The funding is the remainder of money originally granted in March 2004 as part of a $50,000 capital arts grant and a $200,000 challenge grant that was contingent on ETC's expansion in the neighborhood, as the City of Covington had been working to lure the theatre out of the declining area.

 

Because the money had not been spent, the contract expired and the City took back the funding in June.

 

Earlier this year, ETC embarked on a $6.5 million capital campaign to finance the renovations of its current space at 1127 Vine Street and a newly-acquired 15,000-square-foot space at 1117 Vine Street.

 

Improvements will include a renovated performance space and seating, an outside courtyard, an on-site scene shop, new office space, a renovated box office and lobby space, and private meeting rooms.

 

GBBN Architects has been hired to do the renovation, which is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2010.

 

Councilmember Roxanne Qualls introduced the motion.

 

"The Ensemble Theatre has remained committed to bringing world and regional premiers to Over-the-Rhine for more than twenty years, despite attempts to lure the theatre to locations outside the city," says Qualls in a media release. "With the expansion plans in place, a surge in attendance over the previous year, and the revitalization of Over-the-Rhine, now is the perfect time to move forward with the expansion."

 

The Ensemble Theatre opened in 1988 with 134 seats and expanded to 202 seats in 1993.

The funding is the remainder of money originally granted in March 2004 as part of a $50,000 capital arts grant and a $200,000 challenge grant that was contingent on ETC's expansion in the neighborhood, as the City of Covington had been working to lure the theatre out of the declining area.

 

The area doesn't seem to be declining anymore.  Good choice to stay ETC.

Grey Gardens at the Ensemble Theatre

http://www.urbancincy.com/2008/09/grey-gardens-at-ensemble-theatre.html

 

The New York Times described Grey Gardens as "an experience no passionate theatregoer should miss." Luckily for Cincinnati, the Tony Award winning Grey Gardens is coming to the Ensemble Theatre during the month of September. Showing from 9/10 - 9/28, the musical will have 20 performances at the ETC. You can purchase tickets for as little as $35 for adults and $16 for children under the age of 12.

 

Due to extreme popularity a couple of dates have already been added. So be sure to get your tickets early for the performance of your choice. Shows at the Ensemble typically start around 7:30pm or 8pm. It makes for a great evening if you grab dinner/drinks at Jean Robert's Lavomatic that is literally just steps away from the entrance to the theatre.

 

You can purchase tickets online, by telephone (513-421-3555), or by visiting the box office at 1127 Vine Street (Google Map) in the heart of the Gateway Quarter.

 

From cult film to cult musical! Behind the closed doors of a dilapidated mansion, alongside fifty cats and piles of rubbish, live East Hampton’s most notorious recluses: two beautiful and delightfully eccentric women who just happen to be the cousins of a Kennedy. Nominated for ten Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, and based on the groundbreaking documentary by David and Albert Maysles, Grey Gardens features a book by Doug Wright, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of I Am My Own Wife.

The CAM has pieces by Chagall, Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Warhol, Miro, Picasso, Chiully, and many more very famous artists. It's a very high quality institution that has the largest collection in the state.

 

This may be true.  But its important with an art museum to not confuse quantity with quality!

Cincinnati does have some nice pieces, as does the Art Institute of Chicago, but also have alot of crap!

Obviously quantity is less important than quality, but the museum is expanding to show off some of the great art that it currently can't show because there is simply no space.  To have 3 excellent Degas pieces in storage is a crime, and when the CAM expands, it will certainly add to the quality of the museum.

Qualls pushes for $750K for Clifton arts center

http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2008/09/qualls-pushes-for-750k-for-clifton-arts.html

 

Cincinnati City Councilmember Roxanne Qualls introduced a motion in council's Finance Committee that would provide $375,000 for the Clifton Cultural Arts Center (CCAC) in each of the next two years.

 

The money would come from the City's 2009 and 2010 capital budgets.

 

"If the City contributes $350,000 in 2009 and 2010 the Clifton Cultural Arts Center will be able to raise another $2 million from individuals and foundations," Qualls says in a statement accompanying the motion.

 

The $3 million first phase of the renovation of the Clifton School, completed in 1906 in the Beaux-Arts style, will:

 

• Add an elevator, making the building ADA-compliant
  
• Create a Great Hall from the former gymnasium
  
• Restore the school's auditorium
  
• Open up the top-floor music rooms for use
  
• Add a fire protection system
  
• Add a secure lobby entrance
  

 

"The center is expected to serve approximately 100,000 people each year, and will also provide established arts institutions with a venue for community outreach, building audiences, and exposing children to arts activities," Qualls says in a media release. "It would enhance Clifton’s efforts to maintain a strong, vibrant neighborhood, and help improve the quality of life for the entire city by supporting other arts organizations, large and small."

 

A report on Qualls' motion is due before council on October 8.

 

In July, the CCAC was awarded $250,000 in funding from the State of Ohio capital budget.

 

Future phases include the upgrading of the building's mechanicals and general exterior and interior improvements.

 

When completed, the Clifton School will be part of a 9-acre urban campus that will include the renovated McDonald Estate Carriage House, the Clifton Recreation Center, and the new Fairview-Clifton German Language School.

 

CCAC executive director Ruth Dickey says that they hope to have the whole building open by the summer of 2010.

The CCAC is a great, if way underutilized asset to the city.

Motion to restore $176K in Ensemble funding passes

http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2008/09/motion-to-restore-176k-in-ensemble.html

 

A motion to restore City funding for the Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati's (ETC) expansion has been adopted by Cincinnati City Council.

 

The more than $176,000 in funding is the remainder of money originally granted in March 2004 as part of a $50,000 capital arts grant and a $200,000 challenge grant that was contingent on ETC's expansion of their space at 1127 Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine.

 

The City took back that funding in June after it had not been spent.

 

The motion has been passed to the Division of Budget and Evaluation of the Office of the City Manager, and a report is due before council's Finance Committee by October 13.

 

Earlier this year, ETC embarked on a $6.5 million capital campaign to finance the renovations of its current space and a newly-acquired 15,000-square-foot space at 1117 Vine Street.

 

Improvements will include a renovated performance space and seating, an outside courtyard, an on-site scene shop, new office space, a renovated box office and lobby space, and private meeting rooms.

 

GBBN Architects has been hired to do the renovation, which is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2010.

 

Large-scale fundraising will begin this fall.

 

ETC last expanded in 1993, when it expanded from 134 to 202 seats.

Wynton Marsalis and about 8 members of his band played at the Blue Wisp last night after the concert at the Aronoff Center.  They didn't really sound good until his rhythm section replaced the house guys. Sorry, I didn't take any photos. 

The Seafarer at the ETC

http://www.urbancincy.com/2008/10/seafarer-at-etc.html

 

The second show of Ensemble Theatre's 08-09 Season is upon us. The critically acclaimed production of Connor McPherson's The Seafarer, will kick off next Wednesday, October 15th. The production stars Dennis Parlato, Adrian Sparks, Joneal Joplin, Brian Isaac Phillips and John Librizzi, and is nominated for 4 Tony Awards including 'Best Play'.

 

The Seafarer is a chilling new play about the sea, Ireland, and the power of myth. It's Christmas Eve and Sharky has returned to Dublin to look after his irascible, aging brother who's recently gone blind. Old drinking buddies Ivan and Nicky are holes up at the house too, hoping to play some cards. But with the arrival of an oddly familiar stranger, the stakes are raised even higher. Sharky may be playing for his very soul.

 

The show runs 2 hours and 20 minutes with a 15 minute intermission. Tickets can be purchased by calling the ETC box office at 513.421.3555 or via the internet. Ticket prices vary based on the day of the week and other possible discounts. You can also enter to win 2 FREE tickets as part of the ETC's monthly drawing.

Museum cuts 4 as economy worsens

Contemporary Arts Center says it was last resort

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20081205/BIZ01/812050346/1076/NEWS

 

Citing the unstable economy, the Contemporary Arts Center's director and chief curator, Raphaela Platow, confirmed that the museum laid off three full-time employees and one part-timer this week.

 

The positions eliminated were assistant preparator, production manager and public relations director, as well as a part-time position for special projects, she said.

 

Click on link for more information.

Cincinnati Fine Arts Fund campaign to take super-targeted tack

‘Nail biter’ drive to feature customized communications

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2009/01/19/story10.html

 

The Fine Arts Fund will use a far more targeted marketing approach for this year’s campaign in an effort to get donations despite the rotten economy.

 

Downtown-based creative agency Traction developed marketing materials aimed at getting donations from people based on the different reasons they give.

 

Click on link for more information.

Gem of the Ocean premiers regionally at the ETC

http://www.urbancincy.com/2009/01/gem-of-ocean-premiers-regionally-at-etc.html

 

The Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati will be hosting the regional premier of August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean. The play, nominated for five Tony Awards, will be showing at the ETC from February 4th through the 22nd.

 

Gem of the Ocean (NYT review) takes a look at early 20th Century America for a young African-American - Citizen Barlow. Citizen struggles with identity issues in the new post-slavery era. The journey north brought promise, but also new difficulties. The play is part of Wilson’s ten-play “Century Cycle” about the African-American experience.

 

Last season Wilson’s Radio Golf sent sold out crowds home happy from the ETC. You can get tickets now for Gem of the Ocean by ordering online, calling (513) 421-3555, or by going to the theatre box office (GoogleMap) in person.

 

UrbanCincy readers receive a special “Buy One, Get One Half Off” discount on Adult tickets to any evening performance (not valid opening night). All you have to do is order your tickets by calling the box office and mention UrbanCincy.com.

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra director’s first month a deluge of tough issues

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2009/02/16/story13.html

 

Talk about hitting the ground running.

 

As the new president of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Trey Devey helped balance the budget and negotiate a new concessionary contract with the orchestra’s musicians. The contract and other cuts reduced operating costs by $2.8 million a year. But he’s still staring at a shrinking endowment that, worst-case scenario, could leave another $1.5 million hole in the organization’s annual revenue. And he’s busy crafting a plan to draw new audiences to historic Music Hall while continuing to inspire devoted supporters.

 

All that, and he’s been on the job about 30 days.

 

Click on link for more information.

Devey had served as president and executive director of both the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra ...

 

Uhmmm, The SSO (Syarcuse Symphony Orch.) went completely BK and defunct in the late '90s  or early 2000s when I was living there.  I think it was actually disbanded, and then reformed under a new set of articles.   

 

I attended a number of performances, both SSO series and performances associated with visiting ballets, etc.  Let's just say, the quality left an awful lot to be desired.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCXETYEOtqw&eurl=http://www.soapboxmedia.com/videos/fineartsfund.aspx&feature=player_embedded

Fine Arts Fund aims to raise $12 million

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2009/02/16/daily26.html

 

Cincinnati’s Fine Arts Fund begins its 2009 campaign with a goal to raise about $12 million, equaling its 2008 mark.

 

Click on link for more information.

A case for the Fine Arts Fund

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/features/0224fineartsfund.aspx

 

It was a little more than five years ago that, fresh into my 30s, I felt the call for a life change and began the arrangements to move from my hometown of Cleveland, OH to New York City. It was not long after I made the decision that I received a call from an old friend who was then the executive director at Cincinnati Ballet. He had recently lost his marketing director and asked if I might be interested in the job. At that time, the only tangible facts I could recall about Cincinnati were: 1) the city had sufficient time and concerned citizens to bring obscenity charges against one of its museums in the '90s and 2) the city had insufficient time or concerned citizens to address the root causes of a nationally televised race riot a few years later.

 

Suffice it to say I was looking for a polite way to tell my friend, "You’re crazy." Reluctantly, I caved to his persistent invitation to "at least check it out for yourself," and we set up a weekend in late spring for me to make the visit. I was prepared to be underwhelmed.

 

My friend lived in an apartment on the top floor of the Renaissance Building overlooking the Cincinnati skyline, the river, and yet another skyline beyond that. "Is that Kentucky?" I naively asked, not realizing Covington would have visible buildings. While walking through downtown to catch a Reds game, we passed the recently built and impressive Aronoff Center. I was surprised to see public works of art along the way. "That's the result of a local organization called ArtWorks," he said, pointing to numerous sculptures created from baseball bats.

 

The next night, we caught the Ballet's production of Carmina Burana at Music Hall. I was stunned as the car turned the corner onto Elm Street and I got my first look at the fortress of red brick and the sprawling city block of green space laid out in front of it. What was this perplexing city that dedicated this kind of real estate to an arts organization? The performance was beautiful, and the company was strong. At intermission, while perusing the program, I asked a question that would forever alter my perception of Cincinnati as well as my impending relocation plans. "What's the Fine Arts Fund?"

 

Fast forward a few years and a couple of career transitions later, and I'm sitting in front of Scott Provancher, the Fine Arts Fund's vice president and campaign director. It's the eve of the launch of the organization’s 2009 community-wide giving campaign, and I'm here to ask the same question - "What's the Fine Arts Fund?" This time, instead of convincing me to move to Cincinnati, Provancher's answers are convincing me to stay.

 

The Fine Arts Fund it is the oldest and largest United Arts Fund in the country (eat that, Seattle), raising millions of dollars from foundations, corporations and individual supporters, including workplace giving campaigns in which employees can choose to have donations taken directly out of their paychecks. In 2008, the fund awarded more than $11.3 million in support for more than 95 arts organizations ranging in size from the heavy - hitting big boys such as the Cincinnati Art Museum and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, all the way down to local community arts centers.

 

Earlier in the week, I had spoken to an employee of a large, local soap company, who asked me why he should be interested in supporting what he called "welfare for the elite." What if I don’t give a rat’s aria about what happens at Cincinnati Opera? And at a time when things seem economically dire, both professionally and personally, why should I give?

 

I conveyed these sentiments to Provancher, who nodded in a way that told me he had heard this before.

 

"I’m trying not to take the economy personally," he says with a smile.

 

His response is a story of his own involving a cable installer who, after discovering what Provancher does for a living, tells him, "I don't go in for too much art in my life."

 

"I started asking more questions," says Provancher, "and discovered this guy goes with his wife to the Broadway Series and custom paints motorcycles and turned out, in actuality, to be a poster-boy for what we're all about. Here's a retired engineer who wants to stay busy and is more engaged in the arts than he knows."

 

This unrealized connection to the arts in our lives is more common than we may think, in part due to the success of the Fine Arts Fund. The arts impact and intersect with our lives on a regular basis, whether in the guise of family engagement and education programs, artists in schools, public murals, live music venues, special nights entertaining visiting relatives or celebrating key milestones. Many times these may go unnoticed, since what some call art, others may see as a hobby or entertainment. Regardless, the arts - all of them - create a vibrant, diverse and ultimately interesting place to live, work and play.

 

More than a luxury for the rich, the case can be made that the arts provide a significant economic  impact to the region by employing 9,700 full time creatives and putting $279,856,713 into the area's economy in 2005 alone. See further information from a study conducted by Americans For The Arts on arts and economic prosperity.

 

Says Provancher, "We’re working on doing a better job of communicating [to potential supporters] the fact that there are hundreds of organizations that are touching their lives that we help support."

 

That communication includes a shift in how the Fund operates. While still providing hefty support to the city's larger arts institutions, the Fine Arts Fund is undergoing systemic changes to support a broader range of arts organizations that draw in the creative, energetic, community-minded arts lovers that corporations are trying to attract.

 

"Companies like New Stage Collective and Know Theatre, as well as some organizations that have just appeared - they get started because they're a reaction to what people are looking for in the community," he says. "The Fine Arts Fund is doing our best to be proactive in encouraging programming that is diverse, regional and reactive to break down initial barriers to the arts."

 

This year, Provancher and his team, led by Karen Hoguet, 2009 FAF Campaign Chair and executive vice president & CFO of Macy's, Inc., have their work cut out for them; earlier this month, they announced a fundraising goal of $12 million.

 

"Sustaining support is an ambitious task this year, but we like challenges," says Provancher, "and we know the value of what we’re asking the community to invest in."

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra to tour Japan in October

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2009/03/16/daily54.html

 

Paavo Järvi and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra will return to Japan in October 2009, performing seven concerts in four cities, the CSO announced.

 

The tour will include two concerts in Suntory Hall in Tokyo and a concert at NHK Hall that will be nationally televised in Japan.

 

Click on link for more information.

'Little Shop of Horrors' at the Aronoff Center

http://www.urbancincy.com/2009/08/little-shop-of-horrors-at-aronoff.html

 

For its fourth season in Cincinnati, Jersey Productions will be bringing Little Shop of Horrors to the Aronoff Center for the Arts. This will be the second year that Jersey Productions has been at the Aronoff Center as a resident company.

 

The production is described as a “rock musical about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood,” and features music composed by Alan Menken. Director Gina Kleesattle says that the show features something for everyone from the interesting story, to the 60’s style rock/Motown music, and to the romance and murder told throughout.

 

Little Shop of Horrors will be shown at the Jarson-Kaplan Theater at the Aronoff Center for the Arts in downtown Cincinnati from August 14 through August 22. Tickets are $20 to $25 (student, senior and group discounts are available) for each show and can be purchased at the Aronoff Center ticket office at 650 Walnut Street (GoogleMap), by phone at (513) 621-2787, or online here.

 

 

Show Times:

Friday, August 14 @ 8pm

Saturday, August 15 @ 8pm

Sunday, August 16 @ 3pm

Thursday, August 20 @ 2pm

Friday, August 21 @ 8pm

Saturday, August 22 @ 8pm

The art museum closed a large portion of their most popular galleries for renovatio until November. Seems odd that they would choose the summer when there are probably the most visitors.

Insider Ohio: Where for Art Thou?

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/features/0929timmcmichael.aspx

Soapbox Cincinnati, September 29, 2009

 

Artist Tim McMichael's studio is a large, yawning space built around a floor that dips precariously in the middle. It's located on the second floor of an old warehouse building commonly referred to as The Shoe; the obsolete signage outside still reads "David Shoe Company." The building is in Cincinnati's West End, where many artists of McMichael's generation converge for cheap studio and gallery space rents.

 

McMichael's work - painstakingly beautiful objects featuring resin-encased volcanic ash - hangs on the walls of his studio. Elsewhere, flat print drawers are crammed with stacks of detailed etchings, Rorschach-like lithographs, and silk-screens that look like maps.

 

When he isn't creating art, McMichael is crafting cocktails at the Northside Tavern, a neighborhood bar filled with creative folks like him. Artists, musicians, and poets flock there for the live rock, great beer, and boast-worthy jukebox. McMichael stands out, though, with his outsized frames and wild hair, which he habitually twists into untamed shapes.

 

So, where in Cincy does an artist go to see art?

 

"Aisle Gallery is a pearl in a dynamic building," he notes. "It does a lot with a little space." It is revealing that McMichael hones in on this diminutive art spot, seeing as it shares a building with two of Cincinnati's largest contemporary art galleries. Aisle exhibits affordable pieces by up-and-coming artists, and proprietors Bill Renschler and Krista Gregory seem to enjoy their shows as much as visitors do.

 

McMichael also makes frequent visits to Clay Street Press, which he describes as "the best print shop this side of the last great print you saw." McMichael's own drawers are filled with prints that he made at Clay Street. But he's hardly alone; the best artists in the business come here to make editions with master printmaker Mark Patsfall.

 

McMichael's attention remains pegged to the smaller spaces of the West End. "Semantics," he says of the humble artist-run gallery, "is an institution that continues to be a hub of incubation and exciting shows."

 

The artist's fondness for small venues does not imply a distaste for large galleries, however. "The Weston Art Gallery always has top-notch shows showcasing regional artists," he explains. The Weston is about a half-block from the biggest contemporary arts space in Cincinnati, The Contemporary Arts Center. But while the CAC aims to present blockbuster touring exhibitions, The Weston focuses on locals and ex-pats. And while the budget and space are certainly grander than, say, Aisle, it manages to maintain a respectable level of intimacy.

 

McMichael isn't exactly a mall shopper - go figure. When he's in the market for rare vinyl, he heads directly to Shake It Records. "Shake It has a depth of field that both audiophiles and pedestrian shoppers will appreciate," he says. For used books the artist visits Ohio Bookstore, where a treasure trove of new and old titles makes this locale "a great place to spend a rainy day."

 

Even an artist needs a break from the everyday grind. One of McMichael's favorite places to catch his mental breath is a park in North Bend. "Shawnee Lookout," he says, "is a great place to step away from the city and take in the river."

Insider Ohio: Guided By Brushes

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/features/1006insiderohartguide.aspx

By Laura Leffler | Soapbox Cincinnati, October 6, 2009

 

Art pilgrims have found themselves congregating - perhaps unexpectedly so - in Cincinnati. New directors at the Contemporary Arts Center and the Cincinnati Art Museum have made wild improvements to their institutions. Even the stuffy old Taft Museum of Art has adapted to current trends, adding forward-thinking exhibitions and whimsical festivities to its calendar.

 

These changes have most assuredly been the catalyst for a new wave of Cincy art explorer. But what these visitors soon find out is that museums are not the Queen City’s only venues to check out great art. Small but captivating artist-run galleries convene in places most locals would never even bother to look. New spaces tackle compelling new work, venturing far outside of the city’s borders to find au courant art-stars. Even the established galleries are pushing forward, dazzling guests with fresh exhibitions in all matter of media.

 

Don’t fret about getting lost chasing the latest neighborhood gallery. Don’t be put off by the pomp at august institutions. And don’t be intimated by the stark white walls of the trendiest avant-garde spaces. That’s the thing about Cincinnati: All are welcome to explore its art treasures.

 

Mount Adams

A trip around the arts scene must begin with a stop at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Located high atop Mt. Adams, where vertiginous cliffs, killer views and stately row houses conjure images of San Fran, the museum routinely brings sought-after exhibitions to Midwestern eyes. The museum’s impressive permanent collection boasts 60,000 works, with heavy emphasis on American painting and sculpture, contemporary art, and fine photography.

 

Downtown

Once considered an urban wasteland, Downtown Cincy is experiencing a much-welcome revival. Design firms are revamping long-abandoned storefronts; new bars and restaurants are sprouting like daffodils; and pedestrians are once again knocking about at Fountain Square. Much of the credit for this spark belongs to The Contemporary Arts Center, an iconic jigsaw puzzle-shaped structure situated in the heart of downtown. The CAC holds no permanent collection, so the galleries inside are in constant flux. Visitors can always count on stunning installations by such über-contemporary artists as Tara Donovan or Katharina Grosse. The CAC also throws a mean bash, so check the schedule to see when the next Friday night “Spin” party or black-tie gala is on tap.

 

Also downtown is the Weston Art Gallery, which has long been hailed as the place to see regional art on a grand scale. Exhibitions change monthly, veering wildly between jarring installations, elegant photography, day-glow paintings, or print-screened dance floors. As such, one can always count on eclectic opening-night crowds.

 

The Taft Museum of Art is a Cincinnati treasure, but its holdings tend to the more conservative than CAC or Weston. Set in the former home of President William Howard Taft, the 1820 structure summons an era of rigid manors, ladies’ teas and regency gowns. Yet lately, the museum has welcomed captivating new exhibitions, including those from China, Italy, even Brooklyn. You’ll still find ladies who lunch, but thanks to fresher programming and younger staffers, there seems to be new room for the next generation.

 

West End and Over-the-Rhine

Don’t let the West End’s crumbling warehouse buildings fool you: the neighborhood is home to some of the most impressive galleries in the region. The Carl Solway Gallery is equally appreciated for its longevity (est. 1963) and its matchless international artist roster. Located in a warehouse once home to video artist Nam June Paik, the space contains four discrete galleries, each showing the works of relevant and important artists. Openings here tend to be less about the art than the fete, so for quiet contemplation, visit on a Saturday.

 

The same building is home to the newly established Country Club Gallery. Contemporary art fans come here to check out hot new NY- and LA-based artists like Ryan McGinness, Harmony Korine and Beth Campbell. The galleries fresh-faced hosts shun the ubiquitous wine-and-cheese openings in favor of laid back barbecues. Though certainly popular with the hipster set, serious-minded art aficionados make a point of checking out each new show. The upstairs Aisle Gallery, as the name implies, is a sliver of a space that favors the work of local artists.

 

One must trek a tad deeper into the West End to unearth Semantics Gallery, but the effort is more than worth it. This small, gritty artist-run nook features odd, audacious and often revelatory art. The disintegrating warehouse space proves an ideal backdrop for avant-garde devices like hidden art, projected film and offbeat installations. On Final Fridays, Cincinnati’s monthly gallery hop, it seems every artist in town makes his or her way through the building.

 

Final Friday is also the perfect time to visit Over-the-Rhine’s Clay Street Press, a print shop and gallery. Plucked straight from on-site printing presses, the work displayed here includes lithography, embossing and editioned prints, all of which is carefully chosen and exceptional. Follow the creative stream to nearby Main Street, where the gallery hop stays strong at 1305 Gallery. Exhibiting contemporary works in all shapes and forms, 1305 is one of the few small spaces that maintains the will to endure despite tough times.

 

East Walnut Hills

East Walnut Hills is an in-between kind of place, where stately old mansions rub shoulders with fixer-uppers. Here, the wealthy and poor mingle freely and willingly. That spirit seems reflected by the neighborhood’s two disparate main galleries. At PAC Gallery, one of the newest hot spots in town, expect to find voguish collectors sipping champagne while writing checks for the next big thing. Manifest Gallery and Drawing Center, on the other hand, is a non-profit organization that holds juried exhibitions, hosts guest curators, and collaborates with other institutions. Manifest has a reputation for showing high-level work in all media from across the country, but with a particular fondness for locals.

 

Pike Street art gallery reopens as The BLDG with fresh new approach

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/devnews/1027thebldg.aspx

By Randy A. Simes | Soapbox Cincinnati, October 27, 2009

 

On Friday, November 13, the former Pike Street Art Gallery at 30 W. Pike Street will officially reopen as The BLDG. The gallery will feature new brow art often referred to as "mongrel art," described as an evolution of street art by the directors/founders of The BLDG.

 

"It's gallery art in a street art fashion," said The BLDG director/founder Roman Titus.

 

The former tobacco warehouse has The BLDG's print shop and studio on the second floor and a 2,000 square-foot gallery space on the first level.  Due to the warehouse configuration, the first floor gallery space is very much a blank canvas and what eventually inspired the gallery's name.

 

"As long as Mike (Amann) has owned the building we just referred to it as "the building," and it just kind of stuck," said Titus.  "The building is really defined by what's inside the space."

 

Amann bought the building shortly after graduating from Western Kentucky University.  Having grown up in the area, he decided to start his own graphic design firm in the space.

 

Titus, on the other hand, comes into The BLDG with years of experience working as an indie music photographer.  Both Titus and Amann were driven to the new style of art that takes a professional design approach to a different level.

 

"You don't need an art degree to understand this kind of art," said Titus.

 

The BLDG is open 1pm to 6pm daily and until 8pm on Thursdays.  The grand opening party for the gallery will take place on Friday, November 13 from 8pm to midnight and will feature work by PREFAB.  PREFAB's show at The BLDG will be their first solo show outside of the United Kingdom.

 

 

Check out the news on Bromwell's new gallery space and resident artist here:

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,5888.msg437932.html#msg437932

Getting an Education at Know's "Wayside School"

By Jenny Kessler, UrbanCincy | December 2, 2009

http://www.urbancincy.com/2009/12/getting-education-at-knows-wayside.html

 

If you're looking for a theater performance that DOESN'T involve Christmas this December, you'll want to beat feet down to the Know Theater and check out their latest production, "Sideways Stories From Wayside School." This play chronicles the misadventures of the students at an elementary school that is most definitely "above average." Instead of building 30 classrooms all in a row, the architect got a little confused and stacked all the classrooms on top of each other... and this is probably the most normal thing about Wayside School!

 

The show, based on the books by Lewis Sachar (author of Holes), is delightfully silly and challenges the audience to forget the outside world and be drawn in to the crazy goings on in the classroom - be it Mrs. Gorf (AUGHHHH!!), the meanest teacher in the world who turns her students into apples, a classroom band with fantastical instruments, or watching one of the students face an epic struggle with pigtail pulling.

 

Director Jason Ballweber has managed to bring a fantastical, magical story to life in a very low-tech way. Lots of crazy things happen at Wayside School, and instead of employing elaborate pulleys, bells and whistles, or smoke and mirrors, the show employs two actor/stage hands, dressed all in black with black hoods over their faces, that act as on-stage props. They make apples float through the air, write on chalkboards, and are an essential part of making the magic happen on stage. This technique hails from Japanese theater and is called "Kabuki."

 

The cast of adult-children and their teacher counterparts keep the pace of the show at a breakneck but manageable speed, and have everyone in the audience chuckling with glee at their absurd antics. Memorable roles include Catherine Prevett as the gap-toothed, energetic Rondi and Liz Vosmeier as the new, lovable teacher who comes in to replace Mrs. Gorf.

 

I loved reading the Wayside School series as a child, and was delighted with how true the entire performance stayed to the original books. If you've read the books, you understand that they are filled with enough material to write at least 3 plays. Jamie Oliver, who authored the play, has translated a classic kid's tale into an evening of fun.

 

The Know Theatre is known for doing plays and musicals that push the envelope with their content, be it risque, taboo, existential, or just plain weird. Wayside School definitely pushes the envelope as well. It is unabashedly, pointedly, exuberantly... fun. This show accurately captures that memory of what it is like to be 9 years old: innocent, curious, creative, and ridiculous. There were all ages and types of people at the preview show I attended last week. The thing I noticed was that EVERY single person in the audience had a smile on their face nearly the entire time. Everyone, from the grandma and her grand-daughter, to the trio of hipster college kids sitting behind me, thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

 

I think you will too.

 

Sideways Stories from Wayside School is at the Know Theatre through December 26th. Performances are 8pm Fridays and Saturdays with a 3pm Sunday matinee. Tickets are $12 with reservations. The Know Theatre is located at 120 Jackson Street in Over-the-Rhine's Gateway Quarter. Call (513) 300-5669 for reservations or order your tickets online.

$85 Million Fund for Cincinnati Music

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/12/arts/music/12arts-85MILLIONFUN_BRF.html

 

Compiled by DAVE ITZKOFF

Published: December 11, 2009

Amazing news.

Yeah that's incredible.  You have to wonder how much more she's got. 

^What I'm curious about is how, according to the article, the CSO acquired a $3.8 million deficit, because the had been the best funded local arts organization (by far) for some time now.  If that means that they were 3.8 million shy of expenditures for this year alone, then Paavo must have a hell of a contract and they must not have made squat off their endowment this year.

^What I'm curious about is how, according to the article, the CSO acquired a $3.8 million deficit, because the had been the best funded local arts organization (by far) for some time now.  If that means that they were 3.8 million shy of expenditures for this year alone, then Paavo must have a hell of a contract and they must not have made squat off their endowment this year.

Didn't the conductor who was booted/left(?) the Col's Sym. following the political mess there make well over 1M/per year? So the much more prestigious Cincinnati Sym must be paying Paavo Jarvi much more.

Paavo and Kunzel had access to their own money. Symphony players make very good money, in excess of 100k a year. The numbers are generally down and Music Hall is expensive to operate and hard to fill.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/theater/06arts-MOSLEYSFIRST_BRF.html

 

Mosley’s First Play to Open in Cincinnati

 

By PATRICK HEALY; Compiled by DAVE ITZKOFF

Published: January 5, 2010

 

"Walter Mosley, the crime novelist best known for his Easy Rawlins mysteries, has adapted his novel “The Tempest Tales” into his first play, “The Fall of Heaven,” which will have its world premiere at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park from Jan. 23 to Feb. 20..."

 

 

 

There always seems to be such a cycle with the arts in Cincinnati. Maybe every city feels it, and it's logical that it happens in recessions. I was in the visual arts community for several years and they are really on their knees now. However, for a musically inclined city, Cincinnati has a brimming painters' and sculptors' community which seems to get up every time it's knocked down and finds a clever way to carry on.

 

I have been at The Pendleton Arts Center since 2000 and have seen the attendance go on a rollercoaster ride during my time there: from 300/Final Friday to 1500+/Final Friday to 400/Final Friday over 10 years. I guess that Main Street and other places downtown are attracting people away from The Pendleton on Final Fridays now like they never did before. But, the Pendleton is going to get on the ball and do some renovations (like a "village within the Pendlton" called Artisans' Alley). The casinos are thought to be a boost for downtown and the arts in general, but some are of two minds as to how it will ultimately effect the arts.

 

By the way, I heard some sad news: Base Art Gallery closed recently. It was the oldest co-op gallery in Cincinnati. RIP. Times change as do the arts. On a good note, I heard that Marta Hewitt is going to open a big gallery in The Pendleton where a framing shop used to be. Way to go! Marta was a great "big time" gallery owner (think Art in America) and her presence and resurrection is a very good sign of the times. I hope that things go back to the way they were before the 1990's in the arts community. 

'Spring Awakening' Not Your Average High School Musical

By Jenny Kessler, UrbanCincy | January 15, 2010

http://www.urbancincy.com/2010/01/spring-awakening-not-your-average-high.html

 

Failure, young love, parental pressure, abortion, homosexuality, suicide, sex, abuse, repressed hormones, and getting kicked out of school. It's not the description of the next hot reality show, it's the plot line to an out of this world musical.

 

If overbearing divas with vibrato and too many jazz hands come to mind when you think of "musical theater," the newest show of the Broadway Series at the Aronoff Center may cause you to reconsider your definition. Spring Awakening: A New Musical is actually a very old play and has won eight Tony Awards. Author and playwright Frank Wedekind wrote Spring Awakening in 1891, and the translated version serves as the basis for this emotion-charged musical that is more rock concert than Rogers and Hammerstein.

 

Spring Awakening follows the lives of teenagers in 19th Century Germany as they struggle with teenage angst and blossoming sexual desires in an intensely repressed society. Though the source material is over 100 years old, the feelings and emotions that are represented are universal and carry through to today.

 

Read full review and view photos from the show here:

http://www.urbancincy.com/2010/01/spring-awakening-not-your-average-high.html

Cincinnati Public Schools warehouse might become cultural site

By Dan Monk, Cincinnati Business Courier | January 22, 2010

 

The Cincinnati Art Museum might partner with an arts center and preschool to develop a Kennedy Heights property into an art storage facility and outreach center.  The Kennedy Heights Development Corp. signed a memorandum of understanding last year with three tenants. Joining the museum would be the Kennedy Heights Arts Center, which provides after-school art classes, and the Kennedy Heights Montessori Center, a preschool for 100 kids.

 

Development Corp. Chair­man Ernie Barbeau said the center would move into a 32,000-square-foot building that Cincinnati Public Schools has been using as a warehouse. He expects the project will cost between $2 million and $2.5 million. It gained momentum recently when Cincinnati City Manager Milton Dohoney recommended it for a $300,000 grant.

 

Read full article here:

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2010/01/25/story5.html

That would be a fantastic addition to that growing arts district.

It's short notice, but the Cincinnati Symphony will be performing at Carnegie Hall this evening. Although I will not attend, a highly critical :roll: friend of mine (and snobby native NY'er) who has numerous subscriptions to both Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall will be going (I'll be anxious to hear her review! lol)-- http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/box_office/events/evt_12699.html

Well the Shepard Fairey opening night attracted thousands of people Downtown to check out his first museum retrospective.  Lots of people are still out and about hunting down the 7 murals he put up around town (Northside, Downtown, OTR, Pendleton are the neighborhoods to check out).

Know Theater’s “Add1ng Mach1ne” musical a haunting hit

By David Ben, UrbanCincy | February 16, 2010

http://www.urbancincy.com/2010/02/know-theaters-add1ng-mach1ne-musical.html

 

The Know Theater of Cincinnati’s third production of the 2009-2010 season, Add1ng Mach1ne: A Mus1cal opened Saturday to a sold out crowd. A re-imagination of Elmer Rice’s 1923 play, the musical makes tremendous use of the theater’s unique space by placing the audience on three sides of the stage, allowing the actors to freely roam the aisles, and situating the ensemble behind the stage but within view.

 

Slowly building into a melodic cacophony of numbers, the musical’s first piece immediately grabs the audience’s attention with its monotonous and hypnotizing trance. Playing off the theme of repetition, the musical captures the banality of Mr. Zero (played by Robert Pavlovich), whose only excitement comes in the form of the temptation of a beautiful young co worker (played by Liz Vosmeier).

 

After brilliantly depicting the essence of Mr. Zero’s mundane employment, the musical explores themes of appearance and superficiality, technology and obsolesce, predictability and sudden change, and crime and justice.

 

Add1ng Mach1ne runs through March 6. Tickets are only $12 for each show this season thanks to the generosity of the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. US Bank Foundation. Tickets can be purchased online, or by calling the Know Theatre box office at (513) 300-5669.

 

Before the show, grab a drink with friends at the theater’s great bar, or visit Senate which opens Friday, February 19! Parking around the Know Theater is abundant, but several bus lines eliminate the need to drive entirely. Check out Metro’s trip planner, and input "1120 Jackson Street" as the destination.

Community Campaign raises $11M for Fine Arts Fund

By Randy A. Simes, UrbanCincy | April 29, 2010

http://www.urbancincy.com/2010/04/community-campaign-raises-11m-for-fine-arts-fund/

 

The Fine Arts Fund announced this evening that the Cincinnati community gave $11 million for the arts in during their annual campaign – matching their aggressive goal set last year. Julie Janson, Chair of the 2010 Annual Community Campaign for the Fine Arts Fund, said that the amount matched 2009’s contributions and was more than any other such campaign in the nation.

 

The news comes as nonprofits and arts organizations around the country have struggled to raise money during a difficult economy, with many organizations scaling back their expectations. Fine Arts Fund leadership noted that donations came from people all over the region, with most people making less than $150 contributions.

 

“We decided that we had to set an ambitious goal in order to ensure that people continue to share the benefits of the arts that make our community such a vibrant and appealing place,” Janson described in a press release. “And this year, setting a goal equal to last year’s donations was very ambitious.”

 

The Fine Arts Fund benefits nearly 100 arts organizations throughout the Cincinnati region including museums, theatre companies, dance companies and instructional organizations. Cincinnati’s arts community received another major boost during this difficult economy when Louise Nippert donated $85 million in December to create a musical arts fund supporting the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the Cincinnati Opera.

 

“This is an extraordinary sign of community support for the arts and the benefits they bring to the entire area” Lee Carter, Chair of the Fine Arts Fund Board of Trustees, said. “People recognize that our dance, theatre, museums, music, art centers, and so forth make communities more vital and bring people together throughout the region.”

 

On top of the $11 million raised in the Annual Community Campaign, several foundations contributed special initiative funding that totaled $12.3 million.

 

“We’ve heard from all corners of the region: the arts make our community a great place to live and visit,” Janson concluded.

At 75, CAC wants to rethink its building

 

In this – its 75th anniversary year – Cincinnati’s Contemporary Arts Center is considering its the past, pondering its future and rethinking how it uses the building it now calls home.

 

All that thoughtful re-examining begins publicly Friday, when the museum opens its latest exhibition, “Buildering: Misbehaving the City.” In it, 27 artists, working in photo, video, sculpture and installation and performance art comment on urban spaces and urban living, and, says curator Steven Matijcio, “fire the synapses in new ways.”

 

The exhibition is also a launch pad to think differently about the CAC’s unique spaces. New commissions will “create a duet,” with the 11-year-old Zaha Hadid-designed Rosenthal Center.

 

Cont

Interesting note in the article is planned renovation of the CAC’s lobby:

 

In Hadid’s vision, the glass windows extended out into the street, becoming part of the city. A goal for the early 2015 renovation will be “to bring the bustle of the street into the building,” says director and chief curator Raphaela Platow, “so it can finally be the shop window, the movie trailer, of the CAC.”

Starting February 13 the Contemporary Arts Center is going to remove admission fees. For at least 3 years it will be free to everyone every day.

I feel like that will increase attendance dramatically. I know that on several occasions I've gone there and left not really feeling like the exhibits on display warranted the price of admission. If I don't have to think about it I'd go way more often and bring people with me who will buy things in the gift shop, grab something at the Cafe, etc.

I'm sure Collective Espresso is thrilled about this. This should significantly boost attendance, thus boost business for them. Good news all around.