Making Waves Blog

At first glance, the field of engineering, the natural sciences, technology, and mathematics may seem to have little to do with a discussion about arts education. Yet one local organization is changing the way our community educates our students by embracing an attitude of collaboration across these fields in a practical way.

Sometimes you need a change in perspective. Each year, the Americans for the Arts convention offers me an opportunity to get the 30,000 foot view of the role of arts in our nation. Three things stood out for me this year at the annual gathering of more than a thousand local, state and national arts administrators, organizers, policy-makers, educators and advocates.

“Art is for looking, not touching.” Most of us have been restricted by this phrase at some point in our lives, probably as curious children exploring an art museum. The Cincinnati Art Museum (CAM) is offering a place for that curiosity to run wild with the new Rosenthal Education Center (REC).

The arts fuel creativity and learning, encouraging the development of important 21st century skills like critical thinking, collaboration, and self-discipline. Yet, in the current climate of arts and education funding, many children in underserved communities lack equitable access to arts programming that could enhance their learning experience. In the spring of 2015, ArtsWave embarked on a project to bridge the gap between the arts and underserved schools with special support from the Gladys and Ralph Lazarus Fund and Ladislas and Vilma Segoe Family Foundation.

The development and production of new work is just one of the ways our largest arts organizations build the national and international reputation of our region. This summer, Cincinnati Opera produces the world premiere of Morning Star, a new opera by celebrated composter Ricky Ian Gordon. The piece received two workshops through Opera Fusion: New Works, a unique collaboration between Cincinnati Opera and University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music created in 2011 to foster the development of new American operas.

We, too, have a set of assets that distinguish our region from others, even if our history has been less about musical exports and more about building institutions. We can take a page from Nashville’s playbook by better leveraging our nationally significant arts and cultural organizations to drive economic growth and civic identity. We also have burgeoning festival, neighborhood, pop-up art, and maker cultures that have yet to be fully leveraged as thriving, complementary counterparts to our enviable legacy institutions. With all this going for us, what if we simply put a stake in the ground and declared, “Cincy is an Arts City”!?

I often am asked how ArtsWave makes grants with the dollars it raises through the annual community arts campaign. It’s a story we love to tell, with origins that date back decades ago.

The arts can play a powerful role in uncovering and celebrating our shared history. Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park is bringing a new, uniquely Cincinnati story to our region with Cincinnati King, a new play about the legendary King Records.

Five women who are redesigning the world of arts and design in Cincinnati shared their stories with ArtsWave's Women's Leadership Roundtable members.

From outdoor concerts to experimental theater festivals, summer in Cincinnati brings a host of opportunities to enjoy our region’s amazing arts scene with family and friends. Here are just a few upcoming highlights at the start of the summer season.

The arts have been in the news a lot over the past two weeks. In response to these stories, I’ve heard more than a few times that these results are impressive for “a city our size.” As much as I understand the sentiment and our region's population size, I think we are selling ourselves short with this qualifier. Within the space of twelve days, Cincinnati has done something that other cities, large or small or in between, can only envy. We’ve shown our unique capacity for collaborative action around things that we value—namely, a thriving, innovative, and inclusive arts scene.

What does it mean to be the largest community arts campaign in the country? $12,250,000 in community contributions is a big number, but it doesn’t capture the full scope of our region’s amazing commitment to the arts. Take a look at a few more impressive numbers from the 2015 campaign.

The Cincinnati Fringe Festival brings 150 artists, 45 productions, and over 170 performances to the Queen City each year. Performers from across the region and the globe look forward to this innovative and cutting-edge theatre festival to put new works in front of new audiences.

This ArtsWave partner company has seen amazing growth its ArtsWave campaign over the past two years. What's the secret to their success?

Last week I hosted 16 representatives from the Town and Chamber of Commerce of Opelika, Alabama. These distant neighbors had come to Cincinnati to learn more about how our city works, including how we support and involve the arts in civic life. I invited four arts colleagues to come help me tell our story and, as always when I listen to what our arts organizations are doing, I found myself inspired. It’s as if they are intentionally doubling their impact through amazing arts with impact on the community. Keep reading to find out how you can double your impact, too.

At ArtsWave, we hear many stories from our arts partners about the impact they are having on the community. Here are five small stories that had a big impression on different members of our staff this year.

Nearly two dozen Northern Kentucky Vietnam veterans shared their memories, emotions, and stories for the exhibit Vietnam: Our Story.

Earlier this month, ArtsWave announced three new Arts for Health grants to expand arts programs that improve health outcomes for Greater Cincinnati residents. This initiative is funded through restricted grants as part of the ArtsWave Community Campaign.

I’m inspired today by the IT group of First Financial Bank, one of 2015’s 270 business partners conducting ArtsWave campaigns. Their entry into an organization-wide sculpture competition took top prize, thanks to its ingenious incorporation of a list of required everyday materials transformed into something magical. Ladybug buttons, shredded paper grass, pipecleaner flowers and a popsicle stick birdhouse all were combined in a beautiful tabletop diorama.

A night filled with great food and drinks ending in a large group breaking out into song might typically be frowned upon in some Cincinnati establishments. However, when YPCC is there, it’s just a typical Tuesday night.