Sharing the Joy on Sampler Weekend

On February 20 & 21, Cincinnati celebrated the arts all around us with the Fine Arts Fund's annual Sampler Weekend, sponsored by Macy's. Our city was filled with thousands of people visiting over 50 venues like theaters, museums, community art centers, libraries, schools, and beyond, for shows, exhibits, and hands-on activities throughout the entire Cincinnati region. Creative things – music, dance, storytelling, theatre, painting, and much more – happened all over the place, from the center of the city to the suburbs.

Our Kick Off and Sampler Weekend are creating a big buzz in Cincinnati that is giving our businesses a boost. Last week was a great example of the types of things that happen all over our community, all year long, bringing us together.

To see MANY more photos taken during Sampler Weekend, click here.

Want to support the arts in our community? Click here to donate to the Fine Arts Fund today!

Reading Lessons: The Art Thief

In the evening, I like to escape into a novel and I'm almost always reading one. (Hardly a weekend goes by without a visit to my neighborhood library -- luckily mine is open on Saturdays and Sundays.)

Last night, I came across this paragraph in my current novel, The Art Thief, by Noah Charney. It's entirely consistent with everything we've learned in our recent research on how people think about "the arts" -- through the lens of the contemporary protagonist who is tracking a series of thefts of paintings.

"[Art crime] was considered high class. At the top level of the caste system, art crime was socially acceptable, even thought of as prestigious and intriguing. It was the only serious crime for which the public tended to root for the criminals....The average citizen felt somewhat detached, and sometimes threatened, by fine art. It was considered elite and elusive...and therefore frightening to many. It was with some satisfaction that the public read about gracefully orchestrated art thefts. It was a combination of voyeurism into a glamorous world apart, and a satisfying jab at an institution that felt exclusive."

'Sharing Art' -- Community Competition

Cincinnati, OH – The Fine Arts Fund is planning a community competition for everyone as part of this year's annual Sampler Weekend. The staff is inviting submissions that celebrate the way our large and small arts events across the region bring people together and make Greater Cincinnati a vibrant place to live, work, play, and stay.

Utilizing word-of-mouth tools like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, the Fine Arts Fund staffers are letting the community know about this opportunity to share their art. There is just one guideline: the design must incorporate artists' view of 'Sharing Art'. Beginning on January 20, 2010, the Fine Arts Fund staff will post submissions and invite everyone in our community to vote on the designs.

The Fine Arts Fund leaders plan to print the winning design on tote bags and give them to partygoers at the Friends For the Arts Party, held at the Contemporary Arts Center on the Saturday of Sampler Weekend. Sampler Weekend will be on Saturday February 20 and Sunday February 21 and is an annual event when creative things happen all over the place – music, dance, storytelling, theatre, painting, and much more. Area residents and visitors enjoy these events every year and can find more information about Sampler Weekend by visiting www.FineArtsFund.org/sampler.

“It'll be great to see how people across the community celebrate the way arts connect us and make our region so much fun,” said Margy Waller, Vice President of Arts & Culture Partnership at the Fine Arts Fund.

To view details about the contest and the application form for submissions, please click here.

Holiday Art: The Slide Show

What We Wore to Secret ArtWorks

Just before the Thanksgiving break, we went to see the Secret ArtWorks revealed at a party in the Westin Hotel. We got a little distracted by the wearable artworks, but managed to find some to time to enjoy sharing the exhibit with our friends too.

Even the hotel and our public square were dressed for the holidays. Here's what we wore.

Conversations on the Streetcar Line

Lunch Conversation at Arnold's

Yesterday was a day for citizen conversations. All afternoon and late into the evening, we were talking about what's next.

We started with a lunch crowd at Arnold's (setting of regular music sessions), discussing the use of social media (twitter, tumblr, blogger, facebook, linkedin, myspace, etc.) by arts and culture presenters to talk about dance, music, museums, galleries, and so on. The hottest part of the conversation occurred when we started to consider whether tweets and photos and video are good for sharing the art.

Is tweeting just disruptive? Or is it a good way to reach a new audience and connect people around the art? Should we be glad that people are using the new tools to share art? Or worried? And is there anything we can do about it anyway? Should we just embrace it and see it as an opportunity?

Later, at the Coffee Emporium (an amazing space with art and dialogue) and in another group of media types (F.O.T. you might say) we plotted about making sure the casino is a good fit for the neighborhood, and is designed to benefit our local economy and businesses. Some wondered: the casino will benefit immensely from the streetcar - will the developers help to pay for it?




As always - there was art all around us.

Lighting Art

President Obama: Here's an Idea for You

Cool. President Obama and Our First Lady Michelle sponsored another music day at the White House this week.

Twelve Cincinnati students were among the thirty five chosen to perform for the President and his guests.

Before the concert, the President highlighted an issue of our music culture that we should work to ...um, you know, CHANGE.

Why can't we applaud to show our appreciation for classical musicians?

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At the evening concert, Obama tried to put the audience at ease by telling the crowd that even President Kennedy wasn't always sure when to clap during classical performances and had to get a signal from his social secretary on when to applaud.

"Fortunately, I have Michelle to tell me when to applaud," he joked. "The rest of you are on your own."

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Why do the rules require silence during the whole performance of a piece of classical music?

Silly - if we want more people to share and enjoy music, we should all show the joy when we like something. That would be more fun for everyone (including the musicians) and removes a barrier for newcomers.

Instead - as the President points out...we make this one form of music different from others by creating insiders and outsiders: people who know the cultural norms and people who don't.

Here's a tip for the President. You could do even more for classical music by changing the rules. Set the new norm: applauding when we like something - no matter where we are or what the music!

Flash Mob Dancers Splashdance at Findlay Market

Yes - we did it again! After our surprise Splash Dance in September - the dancers were clamoring for a chance to surprise Cincinnatians again.

So, on Sunday November 1 we invited everyone to join us for repeat performances.

It was a sparkling fall day in Cincinnati and the dancers came from all across the area for a short practice session at the Ballet. Then we walked over to Findlay Market and surprised the shoppers.



After, we took a quick drive across the river to Newport on the Levee for a last dance.

Dancing at Newport on the Levee