Author: Ellen Muse

Artigo at Home

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 you need for a fun and creative night in. Five themed experiences were designed by local professional artists, drawn from their unique arts practice.

• Dream Weaving by Latausha Cox takes the concept of vision boards to new heights as you build a web of your dreams with fibers, paper and more.
• Mail Art by Lindsey (Sparklezilla) Whittle, inspired by artist Ray Johnson, will have you creating artful collages to mail to friends, neighbors or strangers.
• Create abstract watercolor paintings guided by acclaimed artist, Cedric Michael Cox, with Watercolor Painting Party.
• Metamorph: A Game of Change by The Idea Factory incorporates elements of the absurd and the subconscious into a silly, surrealist parlor game for indoors or out.
• Step out of your comfort zone and try some performance art with prompts and props with Fluxus: Performance and Play, presented by Lindsey (Sparklezilla) Whittle.

Each box contains instructions and materials for a 1-2 hour interactive activity for families, couples or friends to create lasting memories from the comfort of your living room. No prior experience is necessary – just a sense of adventure!

Artigo at Home boxes are $39 – $59 for up to 4 participants. Custom kits for groups up to 10 are available as well. Order online for curbside pick-up at Kennedy Heights Arts Center or select delivery via US mail (for an additional fee).

ORDER NOW

The Legacy Continues

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 in the 1920s and 1930s following the Great Migration during which thousands of African Americans left the south and moved north. It was marked by a flourishing of art, music and literature that reflected the history and experience of African Americans.

In celebration of Black History Month, Juneteenth Cincinnati is collaborating with Kennedy Heights Arts Center to present a multi-faceted celebration of the Harlem Renaissance from February 27 to March 27, 2021.

A Celebration of the Harlem Renaissance will highlight the artistic and cultural achievements and enduring legacy of this era through an art exhibition, poetry reading, dance and jazz performances. 

Specially designed curriculum for intermediate and high school classrooms will allow local students to interact with the project. Students will learn about the social, cultural and political circumstances which gave rise to the Harlem Renaissance and the influences that inspired the work of the artists, writers, and musicians of the period, and create their own Harlem Renaissance inspired work.

“I want students to understand the positive impact of African Americans in our country, how big the movement was, to know their history and build their self-esteem,” said Juneteenth Cincinnati President Lydia Morgan. “I want this experience to help them recognize their importance and use it to aspire to greater things.”

The centerpiece of the project is an exhibition of commissioned new works by contemporary artists inspired by artists of the Harlem Renaissance.

Reflections of the Harlem Renaissance: the legacy continues, curated by Lex Nycole and Gee Horton, pays homage to the Harlem Renaissance era and how its artistic endeavors have shifted the American cultural, economic and political landscape. 12 contemporary artists have created new works, in their own mediums, in a way that authentically pays tribute to the artists of that era. The exhibition will be on view from February 27 – March 27 in Kennedy Heights Arts Center’s Lindner Gallery at 6620 Montgomery Road, as well as online.

Artists include: Paris Abstract, Asmara, Cedric Michael Cox, FEALART, Cherie Garces, Lance Johnson, Hannah Jones, Prosper Jones, Natasha Quitano, Skye Schaffner, Ike Slimster, and TC Flowers.

“The artistic, literary and musical contributions of Harlem Renaissance artists continue to serve as an inspiration for today’s artists,” remarked co-curator Lex Nycole. “It was a time where holding your tongue was scoffed upon and dwelling in your authenticity became the only elixir for success. An era that has paved an impenetrable path to greatness for anyone who so chooses to follow.”

A Celebration of the Harlem Renaissance will also include a series of free, virtual performances on the four Saturdays in March.

An Evening of Jazz
Premieres March 6 at 7:30 p.m. • Available to stream through March 27
Cincinnati Public Schools jazz faculty and prominent local jazz artists perform music of the Harlem Renaissance. Legendary jazz selections such as Duke Ellington’s Mood Indigo and Caravan and Fats Waller’s Ain’t Misbehavin’ will be performed.

At Home in Harlem hosted by Jennie Wright
March 13 at 7:30 pm
Poet and performer Jennie Wright will host At Home in Harlem, an immersive poetry experience and open mic via Zoom. Local poets will read their work; and adult and teen poets are invited to sign up for a time slot to read during the open mic.

Revolution Dance Theatre | Resilience: Rising to Renaissance
Premieres March 20 at 7:30 p.m. • Available to stream through March 27
Revolution Dance Theatre celebrates the spirit of African American excellence and the legacy of African American resilience in this dance tribute to the Harlem Renaissance. In this spirited work, RDT showcases the incredible artistic contributions made by African Americans against the backdrop of Jim Crow, racial disparity, and inequality in America.

CPS Students Perform Music of the Harlem Renaissance
March 27 at 7:30 pm
The Cincinnati Public Schools Elementary Jazz Orchestra and the Middle School Jazz Orchestra directed by Dr. Isidore Rudnick present a musical tribute to the great Harlem Renaissance musicians Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, and Billie Holiday. The orchestras will be joined by special guest artist, brilliant Louisville saxophonist, Ron Jones.

All performances are free and accessible through the project’s website at www.renaissanceincincy.org. After the release dates, videos of each performance will be available for viewing on demand. Art activities for students and curriculum for teachers are available for free download on the project website, as well.

Join us in the celebration of the Harlem Renaissance, as we pay homage to an era that has undoubtedly changed African American history and culture forever.

Delivering Joy to Seniors

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 self-quarantining at home or in senior living communities. Unfortunately, social isolation—while beneficial from a physical health standpoint during the pandemic— has the potential of causing loneliness which can lead to depression, anxiety or other health problems.

So, Kennedy Heights Arts Center and Episcopal Retirement Services (ERS) have teamed up to combat social isolation and deliver joy to our region’s seniors this holiday season—and you can help.

Everyone is invited to create a handmade gift for an older adult in need. For a donation of $45, you can order a Joy Delivery kit including materials and instructions to create a personalized card and a hand-painted mug, soap and dish, or embroidered scarf. Make your items at home, then drop it off at Kennedy Heights Arts Center to be packaged and delivered to a senior living in one of the ERS communities, or give the gift to an elderly neighbor or family member.

This holiday season will look quite different from previous years. With more seniors forced to celebrate the holidays alone, we must find creative ways to stay connected. Art can be a great way to connect with our elders in a personal and uplifting way.

Let’s spread some joy.

Lifting Voices for Racial Justice

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 for Black artists’ voices to be seen and heard through the exhibition UPRISING.

Spaced throughout the grounds of the Arts Center are works by 10 Black Cincinnati artists: Cherie Garces, Melvin Grier, Terence Hammonds, Gee Horton, Hannah Jones, Jimi Jones, Cynthia Lockhart, Ricci Michaels, Thom Shaw and Gilbert Young. Each use the power of art to illuminate and tackle issues of racial justice and boldly advocate for change.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to increase the accessibility of this exhibit, the artwork was printed large-scale and installed outdoors to be viewed as a drive-through experience, or to be explored on foot.

UPRISING is on view now until November 28th and is generously sponsored by The George and Margaret McLane Foundation, ArtsWave, and FotoFocus.

Thank you to filmmaker Biz Young and FotoFocus for produced this video!

Image above by Will Jones Photo

Our Commitment to our Community

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 Floyd – and Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the countless black people before them who have lost their lives in racist acts. The pain and trauma that black people are experiencing every day in our city and across our nation is real.

We see you. We hear you. We stand with you.

Since its founding 16 years ago by local residents, Kennedy Heights Arts Center has striven to be a place where all are welcome, seen and valued. We are proud to be part of an intentionally integrated neighborhood and to engage with a wonderfully diverse community.

Yet, we are all too aware of the multi-hundred year legacy of white supremacy and systemic racism in our country, and how institutions like ours have been complicit in that system of oppression. We have to be willing to do the hard work to put an end to racism, to brutality, to inequities.

We stand firmly opposed to all forms of racism and injustice, and move forward with purpose to create a more equitable future.

These are some of the immediate and longer-term actions we are taking to advance racial justice, both externally with our community and internally with our team.

• We are pausing other projects to make space for discerning our vision and to amplify the voices and messages our community needs to hear, at this critical time.
• We hold space for dialogue, particularly elevating the voices of young people in our community. We are partnering with Elementz and Tellus Zine to host conversations and creative expression with teens about what justice looks like to them–providing a safe space to share their feelings and experiences, expand understanding, and envision actionable steps they and we can take to create change.
• We believe in the powerful role that art can play in affecting social change. We hold space for diverse voices, perspectives and stories through the creation and presentation of art. In the near future, we are collaborating with Art Beyond Boundaries to host an exhibition of work by African American artists speaking out against injustice. Going forward, we commit to collaborate with more artists of color.
• We pledge our commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and access at all levels of our organization. Kennedy Heights Arts Center is joining with 54 arts and culture organizations across the globe in the OF/BY/FOR ALL Change Network. In the coming year and beyond, our board and staff will be listening deeply and engaging with diverse community members to carry out the important work of transforming the way we work to be truly of, by and for our community.

We know these actions are a small piece of what is needed. We are equally committed to engaging in this conversation with all of you and finding ways to create more value. We welcome your input, ideas and involvement. If you would like to contribute to any of these initiatives or suggest others, please contact us.

We have hope that, together, we can bring forth much needed tides of change.

Sincerely,

Creativity in the Time of COVID-19

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 for sure: creative expression is needed now more than ever. Your KHAC team has been working on ideas to help keep you creative and connected during this time of social distance. We will be sharing content online, including a virtual gallery, and linking you with other great arts resources you can access from home. 

Just because we are exercising social distance, it doesn’t mean we can’t connect and support each other. Our new Facebook group, Cincy Show and Tell, is an inclusive space to share the creative things you’re making, crafting, singing, playing, cooking, performing…. All the things that are keeping us sane during this home quarantine. More than 250 people have joined so far, and their ingenuity is inspiring.

We know, however, that not all families have computers and internet access at home, so we are distributing free creativity kits to make sure everyone has access to enriching arts learning activities during this challenging time. The kits are given to local families during Cincinnati Public Schools’ lunch distribution at Woodford Paideia Academy (3716 Woodford Rd) on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 11-12.

Great for kids of all ages, each Creativity Kit includes an art lesson with all materials provided, as well as imaginative activities kids can do at home with no special supplies (just their creative brain!). Anyone is welcome to pick up a kit at Woodford, whether or not you are getting food. We also have extra kits available on the front porch at the Arts Center; so if you are out for a walk, feel free to pick up one!

We welcome your ideas, too! If you have suggestions for other ways to connect and stay creative during this time, please send me an email at ellen@kennedyarts.org. We are all in this together.

Take care of yourself, and each other.

Ellen

Art is our Super Power

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 Center, we have seen how arts and culture connect us—to start conversations we might not otherwise have, to celebrate our commonalities, to overcome differences.

Teens collaborate with professional artists and each other to create projects about issues they care about from homelessness to bullying–and make a difference in their community.

Diverse artists of all practices and skill levels come together weekly in a supportive, nurturing space in Open Studio. They create much more than artwork—they create community.

Elementary students in Cincinnati Public Schools collaborate with artists and musicians in the classroom and after school. They create art installations, play in jazz and string orchestras, perform plays, and sing in a chorus—soaring beyond their expectations.

Kennedy Heights Arts Center provides free and low-cost arts experiences for more than 5,000 people every year–including art education classes for youth and adults, summer camps, artist residencies in the community, programs in public schools, Teen Artists for Change, diverse exhibitions, public art projects, and cultural events from Winterfest to Jazz in the Heights.

Because of contributions from people like you, 100% of these creative experiences are accessible to everyone regardless of income.

Your support is critical. Your gift to Kennedy Heights Arts Center creates social connections and builds vibrant communities for all of us.

Be a Super Hero. Give to our Annual Fund Campaign today.

*Matthew Lieberman, Social, 2013.

Going Beyond our Dreams

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 school-wide arts and culture initiative. In this public elementary school where 99 percent of the students qualify for free and reduced lunch, all students play a musical instrument; work with professional artists-in-residence in art, music, dance and theatre; participate in fine art field studies; and experience arts integrated curriculum in the classroom.

We employ the power of the arts to enhance creativity, confidence, and academic achievement.

And the results are showing.

On the Ohio Department of Education’s recent school report card, Woodford raised its overall grade from an F to a C, and earned an A in the important “Gap Closing” score.

While there are many factors that affect test scores, there is no doubt that the arts are having a profound impact on these young students’ success.

77% of Woodford students feel the art activities increased their self-confidence; 75% reported working better with others; and 65% thought the arts helped them do better in school.

In addition to gaining artistic skills, they reported learning: “about self-control,” “how to work with other people and use your imagination,” and “how to give your all in all you do.”

As one child remarked, “I learned we can go beyond our dreams.”

TRANSFORM YOUNG LIVES
Give to the Annual Fund

Your support is critical. Your gift to Kennedy Heights Arts Center transforms the lives of hundreds of young people through arts and culture. And, you ensure that 100% of our programs remain accessible to everyone regardless of income.

DONATE NOW

Image by Will Jones Photo

I Come for the Community

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, artists of all practices and skill levels are invited to create in community in the studio at Kennedy Heights Arts Center, free of charge. With support from studio coordinator Lynne Gibb, adults paint, draw, work with clay, felt, knit – and share coffee and their lives.

When Lauren was diagnosed with cancer, she and her three sisters wanted to spend as much time together as they could. They decided to do something they all enjoy: making art. After all, Lauren was an artist who at one time had a studio in the Pendleton Art Center.

“The Sisters”, as we often called them, became regulars at Open Studio. As they joyfully painted together each week, they also bonded with everyone in the group.

After Lauren passed away this summer, Lynn, Lila and Lisa thought it would be difficult to come back to Open Studio without their sister. But the support they found here helped them heal. Now they have recruited their cousin Amy, and they are carrying on the artistic projects Lauren began.

Open Studio is a nurturing, creative space to explore, experiment and get inspired by other artists. But for its members, it is more than that.

As one remarked, “I come for the community.”

BE A COMMUNITY BUILDER
Give to the Annual Fund

Your support is critical. Your gift to Kennedy Heights Arts Center brings people together through diverse arts and cultural experiences like Open Studio. And, you ensure that 100% of our programs remain accessible to everyone regardless of income.

DONATE TODAY

Teens make art to make a difference

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 Artists for Change program, diverse students in grades 7-12 collaborate with professional artists and each other to create projects impacting social justice.

• Producing PSA videos for public access TV about teen mental health
• Creating a photo storytelling project raising awareness about homelessness
• Making a video for social media for The Caring Place food pantry

In the coming year, our Teen Editorial Board will be developing a new online ‘zine of creative expressions by teens, for teens, about issues that matter to them.

Teen Artists for Change “not only gave us the ability to voice our own opinions and ideas, it also gave us the chance to spread a powerful message,” said Riley (age 17). “(Kennedy Heights Arts Center) is a place that has allowed me to stretch my legs. I dream big and express my creativity, instead of hiding it.”

BE A CHANGE MAKER

Give to the Annual Fund

Your support is critical. Your gift to Kennedy Heights Arts Center provides a wide range of arts and cultural experiences for people of all ages, like Teen Artists for Change. And, you ensure that 100% of our programs remain accessible to everyone regardless of income.

DONATE TODAY