Summer Arts Camps 2026

Unleash your creativity and imagination this summer at Kennedy Heights Arts Center! We offer a variety of one-week camps for youth ages 5-13 exploring visual arts, music, creative writing, photography, acting, animation, and design. 

Adult and Teen Classes

Nurture your creativity, develop skills, reconnect with community, and learn from professional artists! 

Registration for 7-week Spring term begins at 10:00 am on February 3, 2026, and ends at 5:00 pm the evening before the first day of class. 

SLIDING SCALE: Kennedy Heights Arts Center strives to make arts accessible to everyone. Sliding scale fees available for those in financial need. Click here for more information. 

CANCELLATION POLICY: Tuition is non-refundable, but can be transferred to another course if the student withdraws at least five days prior to the beginning of the program.

2023 Vibrancy Fellow: Erika NJ Allen

Kennedy Heights Arts Center is excited to announce our second Vibrancy Fellow of 2023: Erika NJ Allen.

The Vibrancy Fellowship is is a 5-month residency for early career BIPOC creatives in any discipline living in Cincinnati. The Fellowship aims to meet the needs of emerging artists in an environment that empowers them to take risks and explore new creative challenges while providing an array of opportunities for artists to share, showcase and deepen their community practice.

Erika NJ Allen is a is a Guatemalan born artist with roots that spread across many places. Allen’s artistic journey led her to receive a BFA in photography from the Art Academy of Cincinnati, and an MFA in Ceramics from Cranbrook Academy of Art.

In May 2019, during her senior year of BFA she underwent a hysterectomy. The aftermath of this clinical yet deeply personal medical procedure prompted a profound shift in her relationship with body and sustenance, and a different outlook on both life and art. As she reimagined her diet to support her recovery, she discovered a newfound intentionality in the consumption of fruits and vegetables. These produce items became meditative, guiding her journey towards regaining strength and vitality through clay. The resulting artworks are meticulously modeled after the produce she consumed, and each piece bears the imprints of real fruits. This blurs the distinction between what is genuine and what is artificial, as ceramic, and actual fruit coexist, symbolizing her body and medical implants — one undergoing decay while the other remains unchanged.

A transformative moment emerged when an ordinary banana unveiled an unexpected glazing technique, reshaping her porcelain and stoneware creations. This serendipitous discovery ignited a passion for experimenting with an array of produce. Furthermore, Erika’s banana artwork has transformed from its original aesthetic purpose to convey a political stance. It now symbolizes resilience in the face of hardship, representing how marginalized communities persist despite systemic obstacles.

As an artist and a survivor, she extends a hand to anyone who wishes to share their story. Art is the conduit through which she articulates a narrative of resilience and adaptation. Erika’s journey is an invitation to engage in a dialogue, to share in the human experience, and to witness the beauty that arises when we transform adversity into art.

In her five month fellowship at Kennedy Heights Arts Center, Erika hopes to focus on expanding her workshopping skills and interaction with community members.

RESILIENCE THROUGH CLAY
Workshops

Sundays, 1:00 – 3:00pm
Register for one month (consists of 2 Sundays), or every month!

September 10 & 24 – Empathy
October 8 & 22 – Unity
November 5 & 19 – Equity
January 14 & 28 – Diversity

Join 2023 Vibe Fellow Erika NJ Allen in a series of ceramic-infused workshops, where clay becomes a conduit for cultivating profound awareness.

Spanning the months of September, October, November, and January, we’ll use prompts such as empathy, unity, equity, and diversity to guide our making. See unity grow from personal input, reflecting interdependence with neighbors. Participants will have the opportunity to exhibit their works in the Kennedy Gallery at KHAC in early 2024, alongside some of Erika’s own artworks created during her fellowship.

All workshops are free but registration is required.

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Outreach Programs

We believe that the arts are for everyone. Kennedy Heights Arts Center provides a range of outreach programs that bring the arts out into the community. The goal of these programs is to provide access to high-quality arts education for everyone regardless of economic circumstance.

Our experienced team of arts educators offer ongoing classes as well as one-time programs in schools, libraries, community centers, group homes and other community settings. Some locations have included:

• Pleasant Ridge Montessori
• Silverton Elementary
• Woodford Academy
• Academy of World Languages
• Talbert House
• Cincinnati Public Libraries

For more information about bringing a Kennedy Heights Arts Center outreach program to your organization, please contact our Director of Education.

Cincinnati Jazz Academy

Since 2018, Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) and Kennedy Heights Arts Center (KHAC) have partnered to provide the Cincinnati Jazz Academy, a free after-school program inspiring students to develop their creative abilities through learning and performing the dynamic music of jazz.

The Cincinnati Jazz Academy is a nationally recognized after school music program for Cincinnati Public School students in 4th-12th grade. All Jazz Academy rehearsals take place at the Kennedy Heights Arts Center Lindner Annex located at 6620 Montgomery Road. Most groups rehearse once a week from 4:30-6:00 pm. The program was founded Dr. Isidore Rudnick, a nationally recognized music educator, jazz trombonist, conductor and composer.

The academy is led by Artistic Director Ralph DiSylvestro and Program manager Brandon Graves.

All students admitted to the Jazz Academy program receive a full tuition scholarship in the amount of $1,500. Each student is eligible to receive free transportation from their school to the Kennedy Heights Arts Center and after school snacks. A weekly private lesson will be provided, as well as weekly ensemble rehearsals. Students needing an instrument will be checked out an instrument for the entire school year. 

Jazz Academy ensembles perform several concerts per year in the community, concluding with the CPS International Jazz Festival at the Aronoff Center for the Arts.

In addition to the ensembles, we offer smaller advanced combo groups at the elementary, junior high and high school levels. The combos are reserved for Cincinnati Jazz Academy students who demonstrate high levels of commitment and dedication to playing jazz to allow them to advance their music training further, study with master guest artists, and have additional performance opportunities. 

To gain admission to the Jazz Academy program, students must: (1) be nominated by their CPS school music teacher or the Jazz Academy director; (2) demonstrate both an excellent CPS attendance record and discipline record; and (3) submit a completed and parent/guardian signed registration form. Parents/guardians will receive notification of their child’s acceptance into the jazz academy via e-mail or phone call.

To inquire about how your child might join the Cincinnati Jazz Academy, or for more information, please contact Artistic Director Ralph DiSylvestro at ralphdisylvestro@kennedyarts.org. 

More information can be found at cincinnatijazzacademy.org.

The Cincinnati Jazz Academy is a partnership between Kennedy Heights Arts Center and Cincinnati Public Schools with support from Activities Beyond the Classroom, Manuel D. and Rhoda Mayerson Foundation Artistic Excellence Fund, Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund of the Greenacres Foundation, Albert Harris, and private donors. 

Albert Harris