KHAC

Investing in Young Minds: Empowering Kids to Learn, Create, and Grow

May 19, 2025

Summer is almost here—my favorite time of the year. Over ten amazing weeks, our campus bursts to life with the creative energy of more than 300 young people. They’re creating art, devising and performing plays, making films, writing stories, designing fashions, and.. Read More

Investing in Teen Voices: Empowering Young Artists to Be Seen, Heard, and Valued

May 12, 2025

At Kennedy Heights Arts Center, we believe every young person deserves a place where they can feel seen, safe, and celebrated. Through our scholarship campaign, Invest in Imagination, we’re shining a light on our programs that give teens the freedom to express.. Read More

21st Annual Founders Day Honors Volunteer Leaders

Mar 27, 2025

Each year, Kennedy Heights Arts Centers recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Arts Center’s mission through their leadership and volunteer service through awards presented at our annual Founders Day event. The 21st Annual Founders Day will be held on Sunday,.. Read More

2024: A Year of Impact

Dec 23, 2024

As we close out another remarkable year at Kennedy Heights Arts Center, I’m filled with gratitude for all we have accomplished together. A Year of Impact In 2024, Kennedy Heights Arts Center served more than 12,000 people of all ages through 1,152.. Read More

The Art of Belonging: Empowering the Next Generation of Changemakers

Dec 16, 2024

At Kennedy Heights Arts Center, we believe everyone deserves a place to feel seen, heard, and valued. Through our annual campaign, The Art of Belonging, we’re sharing stories of individuals whose lives have been enriched through our programs —and how your support.. Read More

The Art of Belonging: How Raquel Found Community Through Art

Dec 2, 2024

As part of our annual campaign, “The Art of Belonging,” Kennedy Heights Arts Center is sharing stories that highlight individuals whose lives have been enriched through our programs —and how your support makes a difference. In this post, we share the inspiring.. Read More

The Art of Belonging: Gee Horton’s Transformative Journey

Nov 18, 2024

This season, Kennedy Heights Arts Center is thrilled to launch The Art of Belonging, our annual fund campaign supporting the transformational power of creative spaces. We’re celebrating through stories from artists and participants who’ve found a sense of home and purpose within.. Read More

CR8 Club: Fueling Creativity and Learning

Sep 12, 2024

At Kennedy Heights Arts Center, we believe in the transformative power of the arts to inspire creativity, build confidence and foster well-being. Our CR8 (pronounced “create”) Club after-school program at John P. Parker Elementary and the Academy of World Languages (AWL) is.. Read More

Building A Future Without Barriers

Jun 10, 2024

When I first stepped into this role 16 years ago, I could never have imagined the incredible journey that awaited us. At that time, I was the sole full-time staff member of this fledgling organization with an old house and a big.. Read More

Building a Creative Community

Mar 22, 2024

As I sit down to reflect on the incredible journey we’ve embarked on together over the past two decades, I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude and pride. It’s hard to believe that it’s been 20 years since the.. Read More

From House to Hub

Feb 21, 2024

In the heart of Cincinnati, the Kennedy Heights Arts Center has grown and thrived for two decades, showing us the power of creativity to build community. As we celebrate our 20-year anniversary, this isn’t just marking time—it’s a look back at a.. Read More

A Year of Opening Doors

Dec 20, 2023

The holidays are a time for looking back and looking forward together. As we approach the end of the year, I want to express our deepest gratitude for your unwavering support. 2023 was truly a transformative year! Together, we’ve opened doors to.. Read More

Creating Community: BIPOC Emerging Artists Foster Connections

Dec 13, 2023

A group of women gathered monthly in the gallery to write. Under the guidance of local poet Jamie Lee Elizabeth, they explored Black womanhood, friendship, love, heartbreak, grief, and joy — and made connections — in ways they hadn’t before. These meaningful.. Read More

Inspiring Innovation: Igniting Learning through the Arts

Nov 27, 2023

It’s a demonstrated fact: schools that infuse the arts see a profound impact on students and culture. A recent study by the Brookings Institute found that increases in arts educational experiences in schools led to remarkable improvement in students’ academic, social, and.. Read More

Unlocking Potential: Empowering Young Musicians

Nov 15, 2023

It started with 26 kids from underserved elementary schools. They had not played music before, but once the door was opened, they soared to new heights. Over the next five years, their numbers swelled to 150 impressive young musicians performing on stages.. Read More

Finding Resilience Through Clay: Erika NJ Allen’s Vibrancy Fellowship

Nov 6, 2023

Meet Erika NJ Allen, an incredibly talented multi-disciplinary artist with a deep connection to her Guatemalan heritage. She’s the latest recipient of the Vibrancy Fellowship at the Kennedy Heights Arts Center, a program designed to empower emerging artists to take risks and.. Read More

Writing to Exhale: Poet Concludes Fellowship with Open Mic

Jul 21, 2023

Over the past five months, poet Jamie-Lee Elizabeth, a 2023 KHAC Vibrancy Fellow, has been exploring themes of love, friendship, loss, joy, and black womanhood through a series of workshops and her own writing. She will conclude her fellowship at Kennedy Heights.. Read More

Arts for All

May 11, 2023

Recently, ArtsWave invited community members to share their #MyFirstArts experiences. That got me thinking about my first ballet class at age 5 and how that ignited in me a life-long love of dance and all kinds of creative expression. Whether I was.. Read More

19th Annual Founders Day Honors Volunteer Leaders

Apr 14, 2023

Each year, Kennedy Heights Arts Centers recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to KHAC’s mission and our community through their leadership and volunteer service through awards presented at our annual Founders Day event. The 19th Annual Founders Day will be held.. Read More

You Belong Here

Dec 19, 2022

Since its founding, Kennedy Heights Arts Center has been dedicated to bringing people together and building community through arts engagement. Too often, arts institutions have been associated with privilege and exclusion. Creating truly welcoming and inclusive cultural experiences goes beyond removing financial.. Read More

Art Exhibitions Spark Dialogue

Nov 1, 2022

Looking back on our 2022 season, it is clear that art has an amazing ability to spark dialogue. Though we are a small community art center, the exhibitions we present are reflective of world events and social issues that impact many people.. Read More

Local artist aspires to be Black Dr. Suess

Oct 27, 2022

Local artist Ke’Monte Figgs aspires to become the Black Dr. Suess of Cincinnati. His new book, Dreams, Art and Success, is a guide to young people to follow their dreams. He will release the book at an event at Kennedy Heights Arts.. Read More

Jazz Students Shine

Sep 3, 2022

This year saw tremendous growth in our Cincinnati Public Schools youth jazz academy. Launched in 2018, Youth Jazz Cincinnati (YJC) inspires underserved students to develop their creative ability and confidence through the dynamic music of jazz. In partnership with Cincinnati Public Schools,.. Read More

Hello & Welcome!

Apr 11, 2022

This year, we set out to make the idea of “welcome” tangible, partnering with diverse artists to create spaces that are unassailably welcoming and deeply inviting for everyone. The Hello & Welcome project developed out of our participation in OF/BY/FOR ALL, a.. Read More

Voices of Freedom

Feb 7, 2022

Happy Black History Month! This winter, and throughout the year, we are pleased to present a variety of programs and events celebrating Black history, arts, culture and creativity. We are excited to once again partner with Juneteenth Cincinnati on a month-long, visual.. Read More

Arts OF, BY and FOR ALL

Nov 22, 2021

If there is one lesson the global pandemic experience reminded us of, it’s that we’re all in this together. The past two years forced us into unwanted isolation, yet our shared challenges revealed a sense of community. The distance inspired us to.. Read More

Season’s Greetings

Oct 29, 2021

In this age of instant messaging, there is something really special about receiving a card. Think about picking up your mail, there’s a bright envelope among the bills, and instantly your day is brighter. It communicates that someone cares enough about you.. Read More

Using art to engage and connect community

Oct 13, 2021

Next week, our executive director Ellen Muse-Lindeman will be recognized as one of the Cincinnati Enquirer’s 2021 Women of the Year. The following is a reprint from an October 13, 2021 story. Ellen Muse-Lindeman uses art to engage, connect community Jeanne Houck.. Read More

Tellus Zine seeks creative teens to join the editorial board!

Sep 1, 2021

Are you passionate about sharing your voice, and the voice of other teens? Want to become part of an exciting group of teen leaders in Cincinnati? Tellus Zine seeks creative students, in grades 9-12, to join their all-youth editorial board. Applications due 9/12... Read More

Founders Day Honors Leaders & Volunteers

May 27, 2021

Each year, Kennedy Heights Arts Centers recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to KHAC’s mission through their leadership and volunteer service through awards presented at our annual Founders Day event. The 17th Annual Founders Day will be held outside at the.. Read More

Arts for All

May 10, 2021

At this time last year, our ability to provide artistic experiences for youth was uncertain. With the public health crisis brought on by COVID-19, we were forced to cancel summer camps and other programming. Yet, creativity didn’t stop. We knew that creative expression.. Read More

Introducing our 2021 Artists-in-Residence

Apr 9, 2021

We are excited to announce our 2021 Creative Community Artists-in-Residence: Helen Atkins and Will Geusz of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Helen Atkins and Will Geusz are ceramic artists who partner on installations and public works. They met in a mosaic apprenticeship program in.. Read More

Artigo at Home

Mar 4, 2021

Are you searching for fun – and safe – activities for your family that don’t involve looking at a screen? Does date night seem like a distant memory? Let us deliver custom curated experiences to your door! Artigo at Home provides all.. Read More

The Legacy Continues

Feb 8, 2021

Next month, we honor those who were the original pioneers of a black lives matter movement that reshaped the way society would see and respect people of color. The Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual, cultural, social, and artistic movement that took place.. Read More

Delivering Joy to Seniors

Dec 17, 2020

Our first delivery of JOY went out this week. We could all use some joy right now, huh? This is especially true for older adults. Due to the increased risk factors COVID-19 poses for older adults, many seniors are staying safe by.. Read More

Lifting Voices for Racial Justice

Nov 10, 2020

Protests this summer have lifted the voices of people seeking justice. Thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest systemic racism and police brutality. Inspired by this, Kennedy Heights Arts Center partnered with Art Beyond Boundaries to provide a platform.. Read More

Our Commitment to our Community

Jun 5, 2020

We’ve been asking ourselves what our organization can do to take meaningful action in response to this moment of uprising against racist violence. You may be asking that too. Like many of you, we are outraged at the senseless killing of George.. Read More

Creativity in the Time of COVID-19

Apr 7, 2020

Greetings from my dining room table! The Arts Center is closed and our staff are working from home. And, like the rest of you, I am figuring out how to stay safe and navigate in this new reality. One thing we know.. Read More

Art is our Super Power

Dec 30, 2019

Groundbreaking research in neuroscience reveals that our need to connect with other people is even more fundamental than our need for food and shelter. Social connection is a super power that makes individuals smarter, happier and more productive.* At Kennedy Heights Arts.. Read More

Going Beyond our Dreams

Dec 19, 2019

At last week’s showcase, students in grades 2-6 sang, danced, performed puppet shows, and displayed ceramics and paintings. And, they literally jumped with joy. This marks the third year of Kennedy Heights Arts Center’s partnership with Woodford Paideia Academy to lead a.. Read More

I Come for the Community

Nov 27, 2019

Mindy and her longtime friend Annie joined Open Studio a year ago as an opportunity for them “to hang out together and make art.” Turns out, it met more than an artistic need. “It gives us a community,” said Mindy. Every Thursday,.. Read More

Teens make art to make a difference

Nov 15, 2019

Homelessness, food insecurity, bullying, depression and anxiety in young people. These are all issues that teens in our community care about – and they are using creative tools to address them. Bridging artistic expression and activism in Kennedy Heights Arts Center’s Teen.. Read More

Lifting up Teen Voices

Jul 29, 2019

Are you passionate about sharing your voice, and the voices of other teens? Want to become part of an exciting group of teen leaders in Cincinnati? Apply to become a founding member of our Teen Editorial Board. The Teen Editorial Board is.. Read More

Send a Kid to Camp!

May 8, 2019

This summer, more than 320 young people will explore art, dance, music and theatre at Kennedy Heights Arts Center. In 28 different camps, they will draw and paint, perform original plays, design video games, create mini-worlds, make and fly kites, and become the.. Read More

Jazz in the Heights 2019

May 15, 2019

Kennedy Heights Arts Center pleased to present the third annual Jazz in the Heights, a summer concert series featuring world-class jazz performers. Jazz in the Heights 2019 will include three concerts: WonderJazz: Stevie Wonder Reimagined on June 9; The Dixie Karas Group.. Read More

Announcing our 2019 Artists-in-Residence

Feb 8, 2019

We are excited to announce that poet Wendy McVicker (Athens, OH) and artist Nancy Gamon (Cincinnati, OH) have been selected as our 2019 Artists-in-Residence. Wendy has been an Ohio Arts Council Teaching Artist since 2000, and loves bringing people together to discover.. Read More

Creating a Home

Nov 26, 2018

It’s probably no coincidence that the Kennedy Mansion began its life in 1875 as a home—the home of neighborhood founder Lewis Kennedy. Today, Kennedy Heights Arts Center is still creating a home. Although it no longer houses a single family, the center.. Read More

We are the Other

Sep 26, 2018

I first learned about photographer Wing Young Huie from my sister Amy Muse who lives in St. Paul, MN, when she told me about his University Avenue Project. For three years, Wing photographed the dizzying diversity in the St. Paul neighborhoods connected.. Read More

Jazz in the Heights

May 10, 2018

It’s Jazz in the Heights! This summer we’re presenting world-class jazz performers in three special concerts in our Lindner Annex. Join us for sweet sounds, fabulous company, amazing art, great food and drink, and more. All proceeds from Jazz in the Heights.. Read More

Announcing our 2018 Artist-in-Residence

Mar 20, 2018

Who are our neighbors? How are we all connected? Residents of all ages will be invited to answer these questions as we share our stories creatively through the medium of video. Each spring, Kennedy Heights Arts Center hosts an Artist-in-Residence.. Read More

Share your Time and Talents with Us

Jan 10, 2018

Is it your New Years resolution to give back and get more involved in your community? We can help you out with that! There are many meaningful and fun ways to volunteer at Kennedy Heights Arts Center. Give us some of your time,.. Read More

Enlivening Neighborhoods

Dec 19, 2017

In July, more than 300 residents of all ages came together to celebrate five years of Play in the Park. One look at the diverse group of neighbors gathered in Kennedy Park making art, listening to music and connecting with one another.. Read More

Bridging Cultural Divides

Dec 4, 2017

Last spring, something truly special happened. We danced. Perhaps that doesn’t sound remarkable, but the experience generated a sense of joy and connection that’s rare. Guided by our artist-in-residence from Inlet Dance Theatre (Cleveland, OH), racially and economically diverse residents of all.. Read More

Fueling Creativity

Nov 20, 2017

Something special is happening in Kennedy Heights. Every day, we are seeing evidence of how the arts bring people together, fuel creativity and create a more vibrant neighborhood. Over the next few weeks we will share a few stories that demonstrate this.. Read More

Celebrate Fall – and Community

Oct 12, 2017

It’s that wonderful time of year. Kids are back in school, leaves are beginning to change colors, there’s a crispness in the air (that is, until it hits 80 degrees again)… it’s fall. That also means its time for Kennedy Heights Arts.. Read More

Top 10 reasons why you should take an art class

Sep 12, 2017

I get it. You’re busy with work and life demands, so fitting in an art class is hard. But nurturing your creative side is essential to your well-being — not to mention lots of fun. Artistic and creative expression offers many benefits... Read More

Send a Kid to Camp!

May 3, 2017

This summer, more than 300 diverse youth will express their creativity through making art, dance, theatre, and music at Kennedy Heights Arts Center. In 28 different camps, they will paint murals, write poetry, create their own businesses, make scary movies, dig fossils,.. Read More

Teen Voices

Feb 15, 2017

What matters to teens? What issues do they face? A group of six local youth, ages 12-16, used their creativity and the medium of film to create short videos that speak to teens. The group collaborated to create Public Service Announcements on.. Read More

Planting Seeds in December

Nov 29, 2016

The weather outside might be frightful, but I’m thinking about planting seeds. Twelve years ago, the view along Montgomery Road in Kennedy Heights was a sea of vacant buildings. One of the first racially integrated neighborhoods in Cincinnati, Kennedy Heights is a.. Read More

Spreading Seeds of Happiness

Nov 29, 2016

These gardeners have a gift to share with the city. On September 9, Kennedy Heights Arts Center was invited by ArtsWave to help celebrate the grand opening of the Cincinnati Bell Connector downtown. KHAC Arts Education Coordinator Mallory Feltz, artist Karen Saunders.. Read More

The Sounds of Creativity

Jul 11, 2016

There is a constant din outside my office. Excited voices, running feet, slamming doors. Yep, its summertime at Kennedy Heights Arts Center. This summer, more than 250 diverse young people will expand their creativity through art-making, dancing, acting, making music and more... Read More