A Homecoming
ArtWorks is soon moving to Walnut Hills. Pictured are staff and board members in front of Morag Myerscough’s #5: We Are Walnut Hills at 5 Points Alley. Photo by Tony Arrasmith.
Dear Friends,

I hope you've been staying safe and warm during the new year. I must admit I am working hard to keep my optimism alive this year. One of the brightest moments for me was to witness an extraordinary talented young poet, Amanda Gorman read her poem at the presidential inauguration, stirring my deep belief that young people are capable of greatness, demonstrating how conviction, courage and the power of art creates unity and inspires change. That day, I shared her words with ArtWorks staff and board, as I have a tradition of sharing poetry weekly. This poem illuminates a collective calling to struggle and work together for something better: to rebuild, reconcile and recover.

“For there is always light if only we are brave enough to see it. If only we are brave enough to be it.”
- Amanda Gorman

At ArtWorks, we are focusing on the bright spots. This year marks our 25th anniversary, and we are excited to share big plans throughout the coming year. I’m especially delighted to share with you that we’ll soon be moving to Walnut Hills—a neighborhood in which ArtWorks has deep roots.

Our move to Walnut Hills is a homecoming. In our early years, Eden Park was our outdoor studio where youth apprentices created works of art under tents, many of which are still visible today, including the Mirror Lake fresco that features fossils of sea life from the Ohio River, and the most artistic bus shelter in the city just outside the Cincinnati Art Museum (CAM). Soon after, we rented space at the Essex Studios and created many community-wide installations in partnership with the neighborhood's visionary neighborhood leadership, including Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation and Easter Seals. A few of my favorite Walnut Hills works of public art are Morag Myerscough’s #5: We Are Walnut Hills mural, Brandon Hawkins’ new Make Every Block Better street mural at Frederick Douglass Elementary and Anthony Luensman’s neon C A M P G R O U N D.

With this move, we’ll be adding to an exciting arts corridor on Gilbert Avenue, just up the street from CAM’s new Art Climb and the new Cincinnati Ballet’s headquarters. Kathryne Gardette, a pioneer lead teaching artist in our early years and president of the Walnut Hills Area Council, has championed this move. She says, “ArtWorks choosing the heart of Walnut Hills expands the compliment of arts and cultural opportunities for our residents and businesses.” Our entire team is looking forward to being a great neighbor and calling Walnut Hills home.

Over holiday break we received incredible news from our long-time partner, the City of Cincinnati, that it is supporting 50 ArtWorks youth jobs in the arts this SPRING. This year, our spring employment program will be the largest in our history, employing a total of 64 youth in 16 projects. What an incredible start to our 25th anniversary year. 

There is so much more we are excited to share as we look forward to this year. The community that has made ArtWorks into this powerhouse over the past 25 years is something we're eager to celebrate, so we'll be sharing more stories of our inspiring alumni, partners, and leaders in 2021.

Thank you for being part of ArtWorks' collective impact. We look forward to connecting with you soon! 

#WeAreWalnutHills
Colleen Houston
ArtWorks CEO & Artistic Director
Photo by Andrew Houston
Make Art. Get Paid. We're Hiring!
Image by Sandra Okot-Kotber
ArtWorks is now hiring teams for 2021 of Youth Apprentices, ages 14-21, led by Teaching Artists, ages 22 and up, to work side-by-side to create public art and community impact projects. Projects can include (but are not limited to) painting, drawing, photography, design, sewing, and community engagement.
The hiring process has been revamped for 2021, so we invite you to sign up for one of our virtual applicant info sessions.

ArtWorks is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are strongly committed to building and retaining a diverse staff that creates an inclusive workplace which harnesses each voice to collectively advance ArtWorks’ mission.
Illustration by Henry Lindeman.
FC Cincinnati + ArtWorks partnering
for Stadium Installations
Photo by Lightning Horse Industries.
FC Cincinnati and ArtWorks are partnering together to design and produce four public art installations at the new West End Stadium, which will open spring 2021.

The first installation will be designed by Kailah Ware, a West End native, with input from West End residents, businesses and community organizations. The permanent installation will depict the history of the West End using photographs and will be placed on a public-facing wall at the stadium. The photo-based installation will also employ four ArtWorks youth apprentices from the West End, ages 14-21, as part of the creative team.

The other three installations will be designed and produced by ArtWorks in 2021, using Lightning Horse Industries, a Mt. Washington-based full-service design studio
Photo of Kailah Ware by Whitney Dixon.
Check out ninamdot's King Me Indefinite
Photo of King Me Indefinite by ninamdot.

ninamdot works to uplift black males by working in various community hubs like barbershops to photograph individuals in a kingly manner. King Me Indefinite is a part of an ongoing series. The subjects are regally posed and each wears a crown on their head.

ArtWorks helped support the project through Jump Start: Fueling Emerging Artists. Thank to you to Youth Apprentice Kiara Berry, who assisted in the completion of the installation.
 
Watch ArtWorks’ Presentation to City Council’s Equity, Inclusion, Youth & the Arts Committee

Led by ArtWorks’ Colleen Houston and Sydney Fine, we were honored to share more about the City’s deep connection and support of ArtWorks, our excitement for celebrating 25 years of impact in our region and discuss our future plans for youth employment. Thanks to Council Member Chris Seelbach and his staff for the the opportunity to share more about our work with the City residents.
ArtWorks Nominated in Cincinnati CityBeat's
25th Annual Best of Cincinnati
CityBeat has released voting for their 2021 Best of Cincinnati’s Reader’s Poll and ArtWorks is delighted to be well represented yet again.

Your votes will determine the area’s best Eats, Shops & Services, Music & Nightlife, Arts & Culture, Sports & Recreation and City Life. While you don’t have to vote in every individual category, but you must vote in at least 20 for your ballot to count. Voting will run through midnight on February 12, 2021. You can vote once a day.

We invite you to vote in the following categories for ArtWorks:

-Favorite ArtWorks Mural
-Local Tour
-Opportunities for Local Artists
-Public Art Work
-Do Gooder
-Local Cause


Because your support, ArtWorks has won best local tour in 2019 and 2020! Thank you!
Intern Perspective:
Up Close with the ArtWorks Murals
Aliese Hewitt, ArtWorks intern during fall 2020, created this video of her ArtWorks experience. In this video, Aliese documents her work with cataloguing the current ArtWorks’ mural portfolio.

Aliese joined the team from the University of Cincinnati DAAP program, where her major is fine arts and minor in art history. We thank Aliese and all our interns for their hard work and service to the mission of ArtWorks!
Meet Our New Interns!
Quincy Collins
Sarah Walker
ArtWorks has recruited the help of two University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) students to further our mission of transforming people and places through investments in creativity.
Take a Virtual Tour of Cincinnati's
Music Legend Murals
Join Linnea Gartin, ArtWorks Director of Community Impact, as she takes you on our first music legend virtual mural tour, featuring many sites along Central Parkway.
Meet Cincinnati's Talented Emerging Artists
Join us for our next Viva Voce Artist Conversation
Illustration from Jay DeFazio's Inside Out
Today, the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky region has a global reputation as an arts destination and is full of talented working creatives, and we want to introduce you to a group of talented emerging artists.

We invite you to join the next Viva Voce Artist Conversation on Thursday, March 11 at 5:30 to meet these local creatives: Erika Nj Allen, Batres Gilvin, Jay DeFazio, Maggie Lawson, ninamdot and Kailah Ware. Each will be sharing more about how art can be responsive to the challenging present moment. Attendance is free.
ArtWorks In the News
Image by Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber
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Ongoing support
ArtWorks Cincinnati | 513-333-0388 | info@artworkscincinnati.org | ArtWorksCincinnati.org