We Are The People

Activating the Youth Vote

ArtWorks' Hear Me Out 2019's design team at work at the Art Academy of Cincinnati.

Photo by Bergette Photography.

Dear Friends,

Soon the November elections will be here. At ArtWorks, we're working to activate the vote among youth and our entire community.

I have been working to instill the importance of voting in my two daughters by bringing them to the polls since they were born, and I’m proud voting is something our entire family does together. This year I'm talking to them about voting as I send in my mail-in ballot.

I first became interested in politics in high school, during a government studies class where every student had the opportunity to volunteer for a political campaign. I volunteered for a female city council candidate, and she won and became mayor! And this candidate, Roxanne Qualls, was one of the important founders of ArtWorks. So I know first-hand that experiences for youth to get involved in politics and exercise their right to vote matter more than ever.

While young people may be the demographic least likely to vote, they hold a lot of potential political power. As researchers at Tuft University explain, "When more—and more diverse—young people are politically engaged earlier in life, they are more likely to remain engaged in the future and to be part of an electorate that is more representative of the country, which should be a key goal of our democracy."

In Ohio, less than 22% of 18-19 year olds voted in the midterm elections. At ArtWorks, we set out to make a difference among youth to change this, because we believe youth have great potential to get engaged. Our country has a shameful history of restricting voting rights. Because states make their own laws regarding voting, there is a lot of confusion. For example, those who have felony convictions are allowed to vote in Ohio once they return home. But there are states where this isn't the case.

This year when our country is commemorating the centennial of the 19^th Amendment that gave some women the right to vote, we set out to do all we can to make sure that everyone’s vote counts.

ArtWorks employed 15 Youth Apprentices over two years to design, write and activate Hear Me Out: A Youth-Driven Field Guide to Voting with mentorship from Reverb Art + Design. Right now, Youth Apprentices are distributing these guides, registering voters, and inspiring young people to get involved this year by identifying important topics that inspire young people to action.

Be sure to visit our Hear Me Out Youth Apprentices at this weekend’s Art Climb at the Cincinnati Art Museum. ArtWorks is a proud partner on this project with ArtsWave’s POWER OF HER, an initiative that salutes women and honors female leadership and legacy in the arts as well as women of the future.

So before voter registration closes in Ohio on October 5, please check your voter registration , register to vote or update your name or address to ensure you can vote for Tuesday, Nov. 3 election.

Make sure to create your plan for voting. Your options in Ohio are early voting, vote by mail or vote in person at your local polling location. If you have questions about voting or want to get more involved this year, please check out our partners, the Greater Cincinnati Voter Coalition at safetovoteathome.org and the League of Women Voters at Vote411.org.

I'm excited to invite you to a conversation with artists who are passionate about getting out the vote, including the Youth Apprentices powering Hear Me Out. Join us Thursday, Oct. 15 at 5:30 for ArtWorks’ new series called Viva Voce : Creative conversations with Artists and ArtWorks’ Alumni. Joining also are artists from the national artist collective, For Freedoms, and local artist collective, Public Service Artists. Find out more about this amazing new series below.

Be well,

Colleen Houston

ArtWorks CEO & Artistic Director

Cincinnati is Named One of the Nation's Top Metro Areas for Arts and Culture

Cincinnati has been named one of the nation’s top metro areas for the arts, according to the Southern Methodist University’s SMU DataArts sixth annual Arts Vibrancy Index.

This is the first time ever the Cincinnati metro area has appeared on the list, ranking at number 20 on the list.

Excerpts from the report about Cincinnati listing states the following about ArtWorks and BLINK®:

“The city is adorned with mural art painted over the last 25 years by arts apprentices in a youth employment program…In 2017 and again in 2019, Cincinnati created a new four-day festival called BLINK®, one of the largest light, art, and projection mapping events in the nation. In 2019, nearly 1.5 million people visited Cincinnati to experience BLINK, which spanned 30 city blocks and two states by crossing over the Ohio River into Kentucky.”

Read the full report here.

Learn How Artists are Activating the Vote at ArtWorks’ latest series Viva Voce

Join ArtWorks for Viva Voce , a series of creative conversations with Artists and ArtWorks’ Alumni.

Don’t miss our inaugural event! Join ArtWorks for Viva Voce : Art + Voting on Thursday, October 15, from 5:30 – 6:30 pm via Zoom.

ArtWorks is convening this conversation led by artists and activists who are focusing their creative energies to get out the vote for the 2020 election. These artists, through billboards, town halls, youth-focused field guides, yard signs, posters and more, are doing what they can to change the political landscape by inspiring others to get involved. Scheduled to join is Reverb Art + Design, ArtWorks' Hear Me Out Apprentices, For Freedoms and Public Service Artists.

The Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky region has a global reputation as an arts destination and is full of talented working creatives. At ArtWorks, we look forward to connecting you with artists who are changing our city with groundbreaking works of art throughout our community. Hear Artists speak about their artwork and current issues through our Viva Voce series, and we invite you to join the conversation.

RSVP for Viva Voce: Art + Voting

Secret ArtWorks is Coming to You,

ArtWorks is thrilled to announce the return of Cincinnati’s award-winning fundraiser, Secret ArtWorks on Friday, November 20!

ArtWorks will be hosting Secret ArtWorks House Party, a one-of-a-kind virtual event that follows a week-long online art auction, powered by Everything But The House (EBTH).

The art is going to blow the ROOF off this house party! Your favorite local artists are creating original artwork—and we’re keeping the lid on who made what. You’ll get the chance to bid on your favorite pieces in the week-long online EBTH auction. Then in Secret ArtWorks style, the artist identities will be revealed during our virtual event on November 20!

Secret ArtWorks House Party will feature a cocktail demonstration, a DJ spinning your favorite tunes and celebrity guest experiences.

Sign-up to be Secret ArtWorks Host/Hostess

Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors

GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

Bang! Zoom Design | Ernst & Young | the plant trolley

BRONZE SPONSORS

Joe & Renee Muraca | Lisa & Lenny Saia

In the News: Time Saved vs. Time Served Mural

WCPO’s Lucy May recently featured ArtWorks’ new mural, Time Saved vs. Time Served.

The mural celebrates and uplifts women who are returning citizens—those who have previously been incarcerated. This mural depicts women living in our community who have returned home and become leaders. The work seeks to break down the stigma surrounding those with criminal records who have re-entered society.

Catch Lucy's story and interview with Tyra Patterson, artistic director of the mural and Ohio Justice and Policy Center community outreach specialist, Tracy Brumfield, one of the women featured in the mural and founder and executive director of RISE News, and ArtWorks' Colleen Houston. Learn more about the project on our website.

Read WCPO's story on Time Saved vs. Time Served

Meet our Newest Interns!

L-R: Aliese Hewitt, Henry Lindeman, Emmaline Carter

ArtWorks has recently hired three University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) students as co-op interns this fall.

The cohort is supporting our mission of transforming people and places.

Welcome to the team, Aliese, Emmaline and Henry!

Meet Aliese Hewitt

Meet Henry Lindeman

Meet Emmaline Carter

Registration Open for Camp cARTwheel, Virtual Arts & Culture Camp for Kids

Photo of summer camper by Lisa Sullivan.

Registration for the school-year edition of Camp cARTwheel is open! Sign-up your mini humans to indulge in virtual arts and culture sessions from more than 40 Greater Cincinnati artists and organizations.

Camp cARTwheel is for children 6-12 years old. There are several affordable options from which to choose, including free access to the Camp cARTwheel web channel to $60 for a self-guided experience; and up to $120 for 6 to 12 after-school or Saturday sessions.

Make a child's day by registering them for Camp cARTwheel

New Mural in Lincoln Heights:

Black Excellence in Zone 15

Mural designer Myntia Daniels and Youth Apprentices in front of Black Excellence in Zone 15 mural.

Photo by Colleen Houston.

ArtWorks was proud to partner with The Heights Movement, the village of Lincoln Heights and ArtsWave to bring Lincoln Heights its first mural, Black Excellence in Zone 15, designed by artist and ArtWorks alum Myntia Daniels, who led a team of ArtWorks Youth Apprentices to create the mural in Serenity Park. The mural began taking shape in August and was dedicated on Labor Day.

Learn more about Black Excellence in Zone 15

ArtWorks Youth Apprentices Create Face Masks for Heroes

ArtWorks completed its first-ever remote project, Face Masks for Community Heroes, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Every year, ArtWorks’ Youth Apprentices are typically seen creating art through painting murals, playing music with MYCincinnati, or sewing hero capes for children in crisis through Hero Design Company.

Artist Lindsey Whittle was hired to virtually lead 15 apprentices in a special edition of Hero Design Company to complete over 700 face coverings this past May.

Learn more about Hero Design Face Masks

Last Chance to Take a Guided Mural Tour in 2020

Photo of Bryanna Bach in Bolivar Alley, a part of the Heart of Pendleton tour.

Is fall your favorite season? Soak up the crisp, fall temperatures while enjoying ArtWorks' monumental works of art. Our public weekend tours are almost sold out for October.

Learn more about our mural tour options and download our free walking map of murals located downtown, Over-the-Rhine and Pendleton.

Learn More About ArtWorks Mural Tours

New Mural on Wasson Way Completed

ArtWorks' Colleen Houston speaks at the Electric Avenue dedication. Photo by Sandra Okot-Kotber.

ArtWorks recently dedicated Electric Avenue, a beautiful new mural by Christian Dallas, on Wasson Way Trail, which was part of our 2020 season of New Voices.

Dallas also served as the Lead Teaching Artist on the project and was supported by Edwin Miller and 7 Youth Apprentices: Wynter Edwards, James Gieseke, Lila Herzig, Daesha Howard, Lila Joffe, Rose Joffe, Wyatt Lemay and Logan Wallen. Local artist and familiar face to ArtWorks, Matt Grote, also shared his time to help with the mural’s completion. Learn more about the project from Fox19.

Read about Electric Avenue Dedication

Heart and Soul Installations on Display at Cincinnati Black-Owned Businesses

FotoFocus Cincinnati awarded ArtWorks with a grant to create a photo-based project this summer after the cancelation of the biennial, we were excited to hire Nikita Gross, one of our favorite local photographers, to lead a team of eight Youth Apprentices to create the inspiring photo installation, Heart and Soul.

Heart and Soul is a series of wheat-pasted mini-murals featuring Black womxn from Cincinnati amplifying their stories, voices, and faces.

Learn more about Heart and Soul

New ArtWorks Mural Adorns ‘You Are Here Exhibit’ Inside Cincinnati Museum Center

Cincinnati Museum Center has installed an exhibit titled, You Are Here, to celebrate Cincinnati’s vibrant history.

The center recruited ArtWorks to create a mural inside of the exhibit to sprinkle in some very Cincinnati-style art.

We selected a mega-talented group of established and emerging artists, Rebecca Nava, Lizzy DuQuette and returning Youth Apprentices, Marin and Ella Emanuel, to create the work of art in spring 2020.

While COVID-19 momentarily interrupted the progress, the mural is finally complete. Check out a time-lapse video below and then head to the museum center to see it in person:

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