Author: Ellen Muse-Lindeman

19th Annual Founders Day Honors Volunteer Leaders

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 on Sunday, April 23 at 2 pm.

We are pleased to announce this year’s honorees.

Kennedy Award: Beth Muething

“Leave no trace” was one of Beth Muething’s mottos. The Pleasant Ridge resident and mother of four believed in having the smallest ecological footprint possible.

So when she visited a creative reuse center in Portland her first thought was how to create something similar in Cincinnati. She came home and gathered a team of local residents, and Kennedy Heights Arts Center as fiscal sponsor, to dream and plan.

Beth wrote grants, scouted for sites, recruited volunteers, made presentations to community groups and funders, painted the walls, and laid the floor… literally and figuratively.

The result was Scrap It Up, a volunteer-run nonprofit that promotes sustainability and creativity by keeping usable materials out of the waste stream and putting them into the hands of creators. Community members visit the store on Ridge Road to purchase yarn, fabric, paints, and any number of other supplies for creative pursuits for just pennies a pound.

Since 2017, Scrap It Up has diverted more than 137,817 pounds of materials from the landfill and provided low-cost creative resources for thousands—from students to teachers to a quilter who uses the fabric to make blankets for sick kids. 100 percent of the net proceeds are donated back to arts and green community organizations.

Sadly, Beth passed away in 2022 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, but her legacy continues to enrich our community and generations to come.

“Beth cared deeply for her family, her community, the earth, and our scrappy little endeavor,” remarked fellow volunteer Mindy Burger. “She was a bright, kind, innovative, and humble leader who was passionate about making the world around her a better place.”

Volunteer Award: The Kennedy Collective

If you’ve attended events at Kennedy Heights Arts Center, or dropped by on any given day, chances are you encountered a member of the Kennedy Collective.

This group of 40+ local artists commit to volunteer service as part of their membership in the creative community. Members contribute more than 200 hours annually leading activities at community events, assisting in the art shop, organizing and installing exhibitions, working in the office, and more.

In 2022, members took on a special project to create a “book nook” at Talbert House’s Passages residential program for teen girls, where KHAC has offered an art therapy class for many years. The students love the weekly art class, but were asking for opportunities to do creative art making on their own between visits. Passages art instructor (and Collective member) Lynne Gibb shared this with the group and they sprang into action.

Collaborating with Passages staff, Collective members contributed more than $2,000 and worked together to create a welcoming, healing space for the girls to explore and express their creativity. Artist and the students collaboratively painted an inspiring mural; comfy chairs and bright furnishings were purchased; a library of books donated; and individual art supply kits were provided for every student.

“(The space helps me remember that) I’m worthy of moving on and healing,” said one of the Passages residents. “Today me isn’t tomorrow me.”

All are invited to join us for the 19th Annual Founders Day celebration on Sunday, April 23 from 2 to 4 pm. The program starts at 2:30 pm. Free.

RSVP appreciated by April 18. 

Voices of Freedom Returns for Year 3

We are so excited to be continuing our partnership with Juneteenth Cincinnati to present Voices of Freedom, a visual and performing arts series celebrating Black history from a contemporary perspective, from February 25 to May 27, 2023.

The 3rd annual series includes an art exhibition and three performances, all taking place at Kennedy Heights Arts Center’s Lindner Annex.

“We are so excited to collaborate with Juneteenth and many amazing artists and performers from the region on a month-long celebration of Black arts and expression,” said Kennedy Heights Arts Center executive director Ellen Muse.

The centerpiece of the project is a multi-disciplinary exhibition of new works by ten local Black artists entitled When Liberation Comes, opening Saturday, February 25. The exhibition is curated by Jeni Jenkins, who was a featured artist in the 2022 Voices of Freedom exhibit.

For Jenkins, the show is an invitation to envision.

“When liberation comes, what does it look like?” asked Jenkins. “What shape does it take? What’s at stake? What is lost, what is gained? While each artist’s experiences, perceptions, and visions are unique, their work contributes to the larger collective Black diasporic voice.”

Featured artists include: Nytaya Babbitt, Brent Billingsley, James Brown, Cierra Fogle, Brandon Hawkins, Javarri Lewis, Josie Love Roebuck, Rashad Manuel Jr, Adoria Maxberry, and Annie Ruth.

Voices of Freedom will also include a series of three performances in March, featuring dance, spoken word and music exploring the quest for freedom.

Dayton Contemporary Dance Theatre presents Black History Mosaic
Saturday, March 4 at 7:30 pm
Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, the 10th largest modern contemporary dance company in the nation rooted in the African-American experience, presents Black History Mosaic. This show pieces together work from DCDC’s repertory that intersects our place in black history past, present and future, and opens the door to dancing the African diaspora.

Nuyori-Cincy Poetry Cafe
Saturday, March 11 at 7:30 pm
Taking inspiration from the Nuyorican Poets Café in NYC, this immersive event will feature spoken word performances by ten diverse poets interspersed with live musical performances in an artful setting. Curated by Regal Rhythms Poetry, LLC.

The Quest for Freedom
Saturday, March 18 at 7:30 pm
This exciting event will highlight the quest for freedom throughout the diaspora with dance, music and food representing Brazil, Cuba and Jamaica, ending with a Carnival inspired experience with audience participation. Performances by Cincy Brazil Samba Dancers, Brazilian Capoeira Dancers, Afrakan Artist Alliance’s Mokkojombie, and Legendari-E.

Performances will take place at the Kennedy Heights Arts Center Lindner Annex, 6620 Montgomery Road. All events are free, but tickets are required and space is limited. Reserve tickets online at kennedyarts.org or call 513-631-4278.

When Liberation Comes will remain on view in the KHAC Lindner Gallery through May 27, 2023. Gallery hours are Tuesday and Thursday from 12:00 to 5:00 pm, and by appointment.

Image above: KHAC Executive Director Ellen Muse and Juneteenth Cincinnati President Lydia Morgan at Voices of Freedom 2022. Photo by Will Jones.

You Belong Here

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 barriers to participation. It requires moving from a mindset of doing for to co-creating with our community.

Last spring, we set out to make the idea of “welcome” tangible. We partnered with diverse artists to create spaces on the grounds of the arts center that are unequivocally welcoming and deeply inviting. We transformed our façade with large-scale photos, comfy gathering places, colorful street paintings, inspiring messages and vibrant installations. And at Hello & Welcome Community Days on the 4th Saturday every month, the artists and area residents came together in this space to create and connect.

The power of the arts can be transformative. We filled our campus with color, but more than that, it was filled with a sense of joy and togetherness not often experienced.

You can help create welcoming spaces where ALL are empowered to share their talents with your donation to Kennedy Heights Arts Center.

DONATE NOW

Art Exhibitions Spark Dialogue

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 worldwide. Art has an effect on viewers, and discussions are started by what they see in our galleries.

Tina Gutierrez’s The Coronavirus Wearable Art Response Project, a selection of over 100 photography portraits taken in 2020 and 2021, displayed how our local community navigated the global Covid pandemic. Participants were asked to respond with clothing, costume, or other wearable art to express how they felt about the coronavirus, quarantine, and social distancing. Some displayed personal empowerment, and in many cases, gathered strength through objects and adornments. For others, garments of beauty helped them feel reconnected to the world.

“For many, Covid-19 led to isolation and loneliness. For me, this work is about embracing rather than resisting sadness, loss and discomfort using the creative process. Wearable art allows these emotions to be expressed in a non-verbal, yet extremely powerful visual language. This time of Covid-19 challenges us all, and the act of creating art as a response can be a healing act,” remarked Tina Gutierrez.

Tina strongly believes that the camera is a tool for change. She works to create images that show the beauty of humanity and also give hope and promote healing in individuals and communities. Her exhibit was a celebration of human strength, a commentary on community support, and a reflection on how, even three years later, we are still healing together.

Last summer, curator Saad Ghosn (SOS ART) once again gathered an amazing collection of artworks from another country, opening up our world and sharing another culture through various printmaking techniques. Voices from Czechia (Czech Republic) was the third biennial exhibit organized and curated by SOS ART in partnership with Kennedy Heights Arts Center featuring prints from countries with a rich tradition in printmaking (first being Oaxaca/Mexico and second being Lebanon).

The purpose of these “Voices from…” exhibits and events is to share with the Cincinnati public art from different cultures where artists use their artwork as a voice to reflect on their life, culture, beliefs, and the problems they face as a society – heightening SOS ART’s goal to promote the arts as vehicles for peace and justice, and for a better world. Through a coinciding festival, the area residents exposed to various cultural aspects of that country through music, dance, poetry, and food. 

“Sharing the art of printmakers from the Czech Republic with the Cincinnati community contributes to cultural exchange and illustrates the power of art as the artist’s voice for a better world,” remarked Ghosn.

Examining humans’ contribution to climate change, What’s Left Behind, our FotoFocus 2022 exhibition, asked local photographers to explore how what we consume, what we collect, and what we discard affects the environment we live in and our lives in the greater context. What we discard exposes our attitudes towards consumption, class, mobility, sustainability, and the environment. Works by 40 local artists made us question what record we are leaving behind for future generations. Mountains of trash speak to a disposable and materialistic society. However, works also highlighted human’s attachment to objects containing personal memories and significance. This moving exhibit full of subtleties made viewers think about our society’s habits and priorities, the disposability of not only things, but also people and animals, and inequalities around the world. 

These exhibitions encouraged important conversations about social issues of our time. Through showcasing local, national, and international artists with a variety of voices, it allows us all to take a deeper look at our world. We can only strive to improve our lives and the lives of others by examining our world, asking difficult questions, and discussing it together.

Luckily, artwork can help us do just that.

Local artist aspires to be Black Dr. Suess

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 Center on Saturday, October 29 at 11:00 am. Ke’Monte will read and share his inspiration for Dreams, Art and Success. Books will be available for purchase, signed by the author. There will also be free seasonal goodies and fun activities for children of all ages to enjoy.

A 2022 Kennedy Heights Arts Center Vibrancy Fellow, Ke’Monte Figgs is a self-taught, Cincinnati-based artist. From the hand painted illustrations, to the poetic writing on each page, he created every aspect of the book. With support from Kennedy Heights Arts Center and Black Art Speaks, he self-published the book in September, 2022.

Our DAAP intern Sarah Walker sat down with Ke’Monte recently to interview him about the project.

When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
“That’s actually kind of a tragic situation. This is Everett Howard (motions to painting) one of my best friends from high school who passed away. He was tased by UC police and he had a heart murmur and his heart exploded. There was something about that day and his death that sent my life in to a spiral. I started having all kind of epiphanies and my mind was changing. It was fresh after high school, really early, and it was just kind of like, man, any one of us could die at any moment. I started hearing spirits in my head, that’s what it felt like, a spiritual moment. It was telling me to write a book. I still haven’t written that book I’m supposed to write. That’s my mission. Out of one of these children’s books – I plan on writing 19-20 books – but one of these children’s books is why I am sitting here to even be here on the earth in the first place. It’s my mission- I don’t know which [book] it is, but it’s going to impact the world in a way that God will want the world to be impacted, so that’s my purpose. It is to create something for Him that would affect everybody in a positive way.”

Tell me about your process for writing your book Art, Dreams and Success.
“My process for writing is, really it’s like having fun and just being like a child. Being creative, using your imagination, and just thinking of all the ‘what-ifs’ and the possibilities. I put myself into the [mindset] of even though I’ve never done it before, even though I never went to college for it, I know what a good book is because I’ve seen good books so I can recreate a good book based off the idea of what I’ve experienced and learned from in the past. I am like the blood, sweat and tears type of guy, I want to pour everything into it. My heart is an open bottle and I just pour it out. I wanted to put everything into it from drawing to sketching it on the canvas and painting to writing it, being the author. I just wanted to pour me out.

“I also wanted to make it look simple, like any kid can pick up a pencil and do it. I want to inspire children. I want people to be inspired to chase their dreams. I know everyone wants to be successful, not one person in their right mind wakes up and says, “I want to be a failure today.” Everyone wants to be successful, even if they sometimes make the wrong choice. So I just know we all are inspired by dreams, art, and success and it inspired me to make a simple guide for kids with self-confidence issues and people who don’t believe in themselves. People are still searching for what’s inside of them so they can stand out into the world and create something that would fulfill their purpose. It’s all about fulfillment, so I was like okay, let me just start with the basics. Be the best you, by being yourself. In that way people hear that and build up their self-esteem and I just let you know, this is how you accomplish your dreams. Be creative, using your art. Then, you will be successful.”

What did you learn while writing this book? What surprised you the most?
“I learned a lot about myself through the process of writing this book. It was just me showing myself, first of all, that I can accomplish my dreams. It’s possible. I learned that I was capable of accomplishing my dreams in my art and using my art to become successful. It’s been all about showing myself what I can do by believing in myself and taking a first step. I learned a lot about myself from my past too. I realized when I was a kid I didn’t give it my best effort. I slacked a lot. I was told I was a genius by a psychiatrist named Dr. Bender. He had this cross-eyed dog, a little bulldog that would sit in the corner and look at me while he asked me questions. [Dr. Brenner] told my mom, “Your son is a genius, you should take consideration in what you do with his future.” My mom was always busy, a single parent, and I didn’t have anybody to stay on my tail, and I needed someone to stay on me. There wasn’t anybody really and my mom had to do what she had to do. So I was at home just doing whatever I wanted to. I needed that guidance, that mentorship, somebody to show me what I can do with my talent at a young age so that I can be inspired to do what I am doing now. I want to be that person for other young artists, and that’s kind of what I learned from myself. I learned that I like to teach too, but I can only teach if you like to do art.”

Why did you choose the title you did?
“We all are inspired by our dreams. Dreams are the spark of the future. Without the dreams and the creativity of the artists, the world, the future wouldn’t even exist. We are here because of creativity and art. It’s very important to follow your dreams. I want to show people that you can do that. There are so many different dreams, different routes you can take, that’s why my character one minute is a boxer, the next minute he’s a skateboarder, the next minute he’s a gardener, next he’s a mountain climber, then he’s an astronaut, then he’s a skydiver, then he’s a pirate. Then a school teacher and a superhero. There are so many different dreams that people can capitalize on and find their repurpose and fulfillment in life.”

Was your character inspired by anyone?
“I remember that my brother, he was four years older than me, I think it was his first year of high school and he brought back a drawing a friend had done for me and it was a short version of my brother. My brother was always short so they drew a shorter version of my brother and it was hilarious. When I was a kid I took it and I drew it, copied it, made my own cartoons, comic books and stuff like that. It was so good, I had my family members in it, my cousins, all of us.

Another thing that inspired me [to create the character Mr. Craven] is because it can kind of bring a positive light on the history of the last name Craven. In my family it has a dark turn for what my grandpa and his reputation in the streets and the influence the way he had over our lives. I’m not saying he was a bad person, I’m not going to talk down or anything because I never really met him. There’s people in my family who have criminal records that are really good people. The last name is like a warranty. I wanted to flip that last name into something positive by starting a legacy behind it.”

If your character was real, where would be be now?
“My character would be in city hall of Cincinnati or probably the President of the United States of America. Mr. Craven for President! He would be telling the country it’s the American Dream. We’re going to fix this nonsense going on, we’re going to bring the basketball courts back in the neighborhoods and bring more innovative things back to the cities of America.”

What is the future for this book? Are you writing another book?
“The future for this book is I have a book launch at the Kennedy Heights Arts Center on the 29th of October and then I also am planning one with the public library. I want the books in schools. I just want to be able to just hand it out in the community. That’s the possible dream, here everyone take one, this is homework read it, build your self-esteem, believe in yourself, chase your dreams, get through school. I want to take my character, to make mathematical books, education books, reading writing, coloring books, puzzles, anything to challenge your mind and help you develop yourself. I want to help kids in Cincinnati Public Schools in my own special way.”

“Be on the lookout for more books. I feel heavily inspired by being as good of a children’s book writer and illustrator as Dr. Suess. I want to continue to do this and I want to place a book in everybody’s home. I believe that this book right here, I created this book with the love and passion in my heart, and it manifested in this thing and I want to pass this energy to other people. It’ll bring good vibes and a helpful spirit into their house.”

Photo by Shawndale Thomas

Jazz Students Shine

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, this extraordinary program provides jazz instrumental music training and performance opportunities for racially and economically diverse students in grades 4-12. Students meet five days a week after-school at KHAC’s Lindner Annex. All students receive a free instrument, transportation and meals, and participate in weekly individual music lessons, ensemble rehearsals and sectionals led by professional jazz artists and educators.

In the 2021-2022 year, participation climbed to 120 students and our young musicians shined in master classes and performances both near and far.

The school year concluded in May with the Cincinnati Public Schools International Jazz Festival. This extraordinary experience included four days of master classes with renowned jazz artists and a final concert at the Aronoff Center for the Arts featuring all YJC student ensembles with featured guest Joan Chomorro, jazz musician and director of the Sant Andreu Jazz Band in Barcelona, Spain.

The middle school combo students traveled to Pittsburgh and New York City by invitation in June for a recording session at the world-class Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild studios, a performance at the Harlem Jazz Club, and master classes at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

The older elementary combo group then traveled to Barcelona, Spain in August to perform at the JAZZING International Festival and to collaborate with the St. Andreu Jazz Academy.

These kids are really going places.

Hello & Welcome!

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 network of arts and cultural organizations across the globe working to put equity in action. Kennedy Heights Arts Center is dedicated to making the arts accessible for everyone. Over the past three years, our team has engaged in deep listening and collaborative planning with BIPOC creatives to develop strategies to become more representative OF, co-created BY, and welcoming FOR our diverse community.

From April to September, KHAC collaborated with local Black artists to design outdoor installations that transformed our campus into a welcoming space for community members to create and connect. Each month concluded with a free Community Day celebration with art-making, music, games, activities, food, and other activities for all ages.

• You Belong Here with William Jones
  Photographer Will Jones captured images of his diverse neighbors to become part of a larger archive of the People of Kennedy Heights. A selection of these portraits were printed at large scale on vinyl and installed on the windows of Kennedy Heights Arts Center’s three-story facility.
• Sit and Stay Awhile with Jennifer Cox
  Designer and fiber artist Jennifer Cox collaborated with local residents to transform the Arts Center’s wide, open porch into a homey, inviting space to “sit and stay awhile”. They created new seating arrangements with hand-stamped fabric coverings and pillows, vibrantly painted vinyl rugs, plants with crocheted fruits, wind chimes and an herb garden.
• A World of Color with Adoria Maxberry, Ke’Monte’ Figgs and Brent Billingsley
  Local artists Adoria Maxberry, Ke’Monte Figgs and Brent Billingsley invited community members to help paint a large, colorful streetscape painting on our driveways–as well make artful sundaes and as hand-painted bandanas to take home.
• Post No Ills with Lance Johnson
  Lance Johnson, a Columbus-based artist with roots in graffiti and street art, collaborated with residents to layer vibrant colors, textures, and words of inspiration on picnic tables on the front lawn of the arts center, as well as yard signs to take home to share inspiring messages with their neighbors.
• We Belong Together with the Kennedy Collective
  This last hurrah to summer celebrated the creativity in everyone with art and games designed by members of the Kennedy Artist Collective.

This initiative received great response from local community members, with more than 1,000 people participating in the events. 15 percent of attendees had never been to the Arts Center before, and another 39% had few prior experiences at KHAC. 100 percent of participants surveyed reported that they felt “very welcome” and more connected to their community. 92% said they hope to be involved in more art activities in the future.

Voices of Freedom

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 and performing arts series that examines Black history from a contemporary perspective and celebrates Black art and expression. 

Voices of Freedom explores the promise and reality of “freedom” as experienced by those whose lives and destinies were touched by emancipation. This project is made possible by American Rescue Plan funds from the City of Cincinnati, administered through ArtsWave.

The centerpiece of the project is an exhibition of new works by ten artists and ten poets, curated by Michael Coppage (visual art) and MoPoetry Phillips (poetry). Diverse, regional and national artists were commissioned to create new works in response to the theme of Voices of Freedom. Local poets were commissioned to write poems inspired by each piece of art, which will be displayed side-by-side with the artworks in the gallery.

“The exhibition is meant to highlight the voices of Black artists working around the country, both emerging and established, whose individual practices address the human condition in regard to Black narratives and experiences. Each individual work is personal but should be seen as part of a larger collective diasporic voice,” remarked Coppage. “Through their lens we hope to offer compelling stories, unearth truths and define what the current state of liberation is, should be and could be.”

Artists include: Desmond Beach, Mark Anthony Brown Jr., Kierston Ghaznavi, Jeni Jenkins, Fatima Laster, Dave McClinton, Komikka Patton, Blake Pierre, Vitus Shell, and Michael Thompson. Poets include: MoPoetry Phillips, Jacqueline “Gifted” Johnson-Wilkinson, Kimberly “Duwaup” Bolden, SoL, Dawn “The Psalmist” Crooks, Victoria Cipriani, Queens Jurnee, Manual Iris, ASlate, and Golden Goddess.

The public is invited to attend a free, opening reception for Voices of Freedom on Saturday, February 26 from 6-8pm in KHAC’s Lindner Annex, 6620 Montgomery Road. The poets will perform their poems at 7pm. Tickets for Opening Reception

Voices of Freedom will also include a series of three performances in March, all taking place at Kennedy Heights Arts Center’s Lindner Annex. Guests are encouraged to come early to view the Voices of Freedom exhibit in the gallery prior to the show.

Playing for Freedom
Saturday, March 5 at 7:30 pm
Celebrate jazz and its influences with performances by Jazz Renaissance and Deondra Means. The evening will start with a South African Gumboot musical theatre presentation by acclaimed local actor Means, followed by a lively performance by Jazz Renaissance, an 8-piece group performing modern jazz in many styles, including bop, swing and Latin.

Dancing for Freedom
Saturday, March 19 at 7:30 pm
Experience two unique forms of movement performed by local groups: praise dance by the Heavenly Doves and step dance by Cincinnati Metro Dance team. Then, audience members will learn some steps themselves!

Singing for Freedom
Saturday, March 26 at 7:30 pm
Pianist, vocalist and composer Counterfeit Madison (Sharon Udoh of Columbus, OH) will take the stage, presenting a tribute to legendary musician Nina Simone. Udoh’s funky yet classical piano-playing and soul and gospel-tinged voice make her a powerful performer.

All shows are free admission, but tickets are required and seating is limited. Reserve tickets online at kennedyarts.org or call 513-631-4278.

Face masks and proof of COVID vaccination or negative COVID test with matching photo ID required for entry.

Arts OF, BY and FOR ALL

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 create new ways to stay connected, to reach out and care for our neighbors.

The pandemic also revealed the harsh realities of inequality and incited a global movement for social justice that is painfully long overdue.

Since its founding, Kennedy Heights Arts Center has been dedicated to bringing people together and building community through arts engagement — and this mission has never felt more relevant. While we are proud of our work, we are also aware of how we’ve fallen short of this vision.

To be meaningful FOR our diverse community, we must become more representative OF and co-created BY our community.

Our team continues to innovate new ways to inspire, connect and uplift us, while developing transformative initiatives to become more inclusive and equitable for our diverse community.

You can help.

Your support is key in carrying out this important work. Please help put equity in action and make the arts accessible to everyone with your donation to Kennedy Heights Arts Center.

DONATE TODAY

Putting equity in action
– Emerging Black Artist Fellowship, a 12-month residency for local, early career Black creatives, enriching both the artist and the community
– Arts Educator Mentorship providing paid opportunities for artists who have not been formally trained to share their unique art practices and gain teaching experience
– Collaborations with BIPOC artists that elevate diverse voices

Making the arts accessible to everyone
– Free arts and cultural experiences serving more than 6,000 youth and adults annually–on our campus, in parks and public spaces, on neighborhood streets, and in schools, libraries, treatment centers, nursing homes, and more

Expanding horizons for students
– Woodford Arts & Culture Academy, integrating the arts to fuel student success in a public K-6 school in which 99% are eligible for free and reduced lunch
– Youth Jazz Cincinnati, a free after-school program offering exceptional music education and performance opportunities for students in grades 4-8 in partnership with Cincinnati Public Schools
– Teen Artists for Change, empowering students to use their creative skills to make a difference in the world around them

Season’s Greetings

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 to take the time to select and mail a special message to you. What if that card was especially made for you by someone you haven’t met?

This winter, Kennedy Heights Arts Center is sponsoring a community card exchange in which local residents in are invited to create handmade cards to be exchanged with another community member. Just like old fashioned pen pals, it connects people across divides. And, at a time when large community events are not advised due to the continued risk of COVID, this project brings us together in a safe and meaningful way.

MAKE A CARD
From November 6 to December 18, pick up a free, artist-designed kit with materials and instructions for to create a beautiful, unique and personal card. The project is appropriate for all ages. Making cards can be a fun activity for families or groups of friends to do together!

Kits are available for pick up on the porch at Kennedy Heights Arts Center, 6546 Montgomery Road, and at select local businesses including: 
Pleasant Ridge Library, Pleasant Ridge Rec Center, Gas Light Cafe, Everybody’s Records, Queen City Comics, Make.Do., Community Happens Here, C&M BBQ, Kennedy Heights Presbyterian Church, Italianette, Silverton Cafe, High Grain Brewing, Silverton Donut Shop, and MVP Sports Bar & Grille.

EXCHANGE AND RECEIVE A CARD
Once complete, drop off your card(s) in the painted mailbox at Kennedy Heights Arts Center, 6546 Montgomery Rd, to be mailed to someone else in the neighborhood–and get one in exchange! Everyone who makes a card will also receive one in the mail. 

Last day to drop off is Saturday, December 18.

In this season of giving, we invite you to join us and your neighbors to spread positivity in our corner of the world. 

Sometimes it’s these small, everyday acts of kindness that mean so much. Taking the time to create a card and write a message to someone is a priceless gift of your care, attention, and thought. You will brighten someone’s day–including your own!