Making Waves Blog

June is almost gone, summer is heating up, and there’s no more time to waste. Here are five arts events to do – all supported with the generosity of tens of thousands of donors to the ArtsWave Community Campaign – while the days are still long.

LUMENOCITY, the annual light projection festival accompanied by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, returns Aug. 5-7. Tickets go on sale July 5, so we spoke with Sherri Prentiss, vice president of marketing at the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, to get the inside scoop on the fourth and final LUMENOCITY.

Conventions for the NAACP and the Church of God in Christ will bring thousands of people to Cincinnati in July, and the banners that welcome them will feature the work of local artists Annie Ruth and Joyce Phillips Young.

More than 40 arts organizations helping to build a more vibrant economy and connected community across Greater Cincinnati will receive operating support grants thanks to the thousands of contributors to the 2016 ArtsWave Community Campaign, chaired by Jill Meyer and Awadagin Pratt.

Diverse audiences start from a culture of diversity. That was the message delivered byDonna Walker-Kuhne, a national arts marketing and community engagement expert, to 100 Greater Cincinnati arts and culture leaders who attended an ArtsWave workshop on leveraging the arts to bridge cultural divides.

Art, artists, and the act of engaging in the arts can build understanding between people who are fundamentally speaking different languages. And if that is true, then the work of artists and arts organizations has never been more important, and increasing opportunities for all people to engage in the arts has never been more critical.

The oldest baseball team in the country – our beloved Redlegs – and the oldest united arts fund in the country – yours truly, ArtsWave – are at it again.

Last week, I had the opportunity to present two award checks to individuals in our community making a difference in the arts. Honoring the annual Sach Prize Fund winners made me stop and think about the power to make a difference. The power a Life Plan can inspire.

Through a collaboration with Music Theatre International and iTheatrics of New York City, Educational Theatre Association has created JumpStart Theatre, a three-year pilot program to start and support theater programs in middle schools that have none.

For their artistic achievements, particularly in the area of social justice, conductor James Conlon and writer Kathy Wilson have been awarded the 2015 Sachs Fund Prize.

Procter & Gamble has earned national recognition as a BCA 10: Best Businesses Partnering with the Arts in America honoree for 2016 by Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education.

Ensuring a thriving cultural mix and a diverse artistic menu is a powerful differentiator for our region. And it’s this impressive mix, supported by tens of thousands of contributors and volunteers, that will keep Cincinnati’s arts scene at the forefront of innovation for the next century and beyond. Find out how ArtsWave is making sure those things happen.

CincyDance! returns for the third year to Washington Park at noon May 18, when Cincinnati Ballet brings more than 1,000 third-graders out for an interactive dance performance. Read more to find out how you can be a part of the fun!

ArtsWave raised $12,450,000 during the 2016 Annual Community Campaign for the arts that build Greater Cincinnati’s national reputation, deepen people’s roots in the region, enliven neighborhoods, bridge cultural divides, and fuel creativity and learning for children. An additional initiative, in partnership with the Cincinnati USA Regional Tourism Network, also was announced at the Community Campaign celebration.

“We want people to look down and say, ‘Look at all those seniors. We’re all going to be those seniors. We will always have options and the connection with Cincinnati. There’s always something new and different going on. We don’t want to miss the opportunities to experience them.”

If it’s the last week of April, it means we're wrapping up of the annual Community Campaign here at ArtsWave. We are $50,000 short of our goal of $12,450,000. So close, and yet so far! You can help us close the gap. Read more to find out how your small gift will make a big impact in Greater Cincinnati.

Making a joyful noise, the African Ancestry Leadership Network, Voices of Destiny Ensemble won CincySings 2016. Read more to find out how many teams competed and who won the Fan Favorite voting.

The first-ever Tidal ArtsWave Art x Tech Challenge yielded new collaborations and great ideas.

Entrepreneurship and ingenuity were on display during the first-ever Tidal Art x Tech Challenge.

Know Theatre is gearing up to open their newest production, SILENT SKY, the true story of Henrietta Leavitt, a female astronomer who made a stunning discovery in the stars that resonates to this day.