Making Waves Blog

Over $100,000 in new Catalyzing Impact grants were awarded to 17 local organizations, recommended by community volunteers who reviewed 35 applications. All the projects are worthy and exciting, but a few especially captured my attention for their sensitive responses to ArtsWave’s goals outlined in our Blueprint for Collective Action for the Arts Sector.

At this time of giving thanks, we are grateful for each and every one of the tens of thousands of people who value and support the arts in our community. You make an impact on the arts, and a new Arts Vibrancy study from SMU shows just how much an impact the arts have made in Cincinnati.

Whether you feel like you’ve won or lost something today, there is an invitation in front of each one of us: to keep doing the work of building a more vibrant economy and connected community for all. At ArtsWave, we pledge to keep doing that with, and through, the arts.

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's Break Bread + Listen programs are a reminder that even when we might feel disconnected and cut-off from our fellow man, common ground is there – if you take the time to find it.

ArtsWave had the pleasure of attending the “BCA 10” awards ceremony in New York City last week and paying tribute to one of 2016’s honorees, Cincinnati’s own Procter & Gamble. And, share how your company shows support by taking the BCA Survey of Business Support for the Arts.

The Cincinnati USA Regional Tourism Network (RTN) and ArtsWave have unveiled details of an unprecedented partnership to co-create a Cultural Tourism Campaign. This collaboration launches a multi-year strategic investment in marketing cultural tourism to increase Cincinnati USA visitor and resident awareness, visitation and engagement.

ArtsWave wants all kids to benefit from arts education, and we know from our research that more than 90 percent of Greater Cincinnati parents agree. Join in us in reminding decision-makers of the importance of arts education by sharing your #BecauseOfArtsEd story on Twitter or Facebook.

As summer turns to fall, we have some farewells to say in the arts world and a whole new season of amazing experiences to get ready for.

I was delighted to see Cincinnati arts organizations jump on the Pokémon GO bandwagon last week and encourage players to come inside to visit Pokéstops and collect characters. Pyramid Hill and the Cincinnati Art Museum were two enterprising cultural destinations that embraced the game. In the case of Pyramid Hill, they were rewarded with an 18 percent increase in visitors!

The Cincinnati Opera, with "Fellow Travelers," is just the latest of our region’s amazing arts assets to shine the national spotlight on our region.

Have your cake and eat it, too, when concert:nova ends its 2015-16 season July 19 on a sweet note with "Bon Appetit!"

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.

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.

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.