Surprise Dance, Song, and Mobile Galleries Kick Off Annual Campaign for the Arts

CINCINNATI (February 17, 2010) – The 2010 Annual Community Campaign for the arts launched today with something new: surprises—music, painting, dancing, and storytelling—that happened all across our region.

Late last year, the Fine Arts Fund quietly invited artists to join in the fun.

Artists Pam Kravetz, Carla Lamb, and Karen Saunders organized young people from Harrison, Cincinnati, and West Chester to turn buses into mobile galleries. Inspired by the Newport Aquarium and Krohn Conservatory, they created the art in secret at the bus terminals on each side of the river. Passengers who boarded certain buses on TANK and Metro routes today shared a magical experience of color, imagination, and creativity.

On other routes during the day, members of Pones Inc., took over buses with their form of guerilla art: storytelling, movement, and song.

Meanwhile, dancers from Anaya Gypsy Dance filled the public space at the Fountain Place Macy’s with tribal belly dancing throughout the lunch hour. And people in Carew Tower’s Arcade were surprised by Liz Vosmeier accompanied by Music Director Alan Patrick Kenny singing "I'd Rather Watch You", from Adding Machine: A Musical -- the current hit show at Know Theatre.

The annual community campaign—when people all across the region contribute to support the arts—runs for ten weeks starting today and wrapping up on April 29, 2010. Last year the community invested 11 million dollars from 38,500 contributors to the campaign. Through contributions made to the annual community campaign, the Fine Arts Fund supports nearly 100 large and small arts organizations.

“Greater Cincinnati is incredibly fortunate to have so many supporters of the creative things happening in large and small ways throughout our region. The arts connect people and make our neighborhoods vibrant, benefiting us all. Our hope is that the community will contribute at the same level as last year, despite an economy that remains very challenging for many. We should all be proud of what we've created here and make sure we keep the arts all around us!” said Julie Janson, President, Duke Energy Ohio and Kentucky and Fine Arts Fund Campaign Chair.

Campaign leaders are excited about seeking new supporters for the arts. “As broad as the support is now, we know that many more people are involved in the arts and will make a donation if we ask. This year, all of those new donations will be matched by a generous grant from the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./US Bank Foundation. Every dollar from a new contributor will mean 2 dollars to benefit our community through the arts, " said Mary McCullough-Hudson, President of the Fine Arts Fund.

Arts and community organizations will host many other events this week. The 24th annual Fine Arts Fund Sampler Weekend, sponsored by Macy’s, will be on February 20 & 21. And for the second year, the Friends For the Arts are hosting a party: ArtAlive, on Saturday, February 20 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Contemporary Arts Center.

For more information about the Fine Arts Fund, Sampler Weekend, and the campaign, please visit www.fineartsfund.org or call (513) 871-2787.

Note – We will post video and photos on our site shortly. If you need these sooner, please call!

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2010 Fine Arts Fund Sampler Weekend

2010 Fine Arts Fund Sampler Weekend, sponsored by Macy’s

Scheduled for February 20 & 21, 2010

CINCINNATI (FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE) – People from all over the region will come together at more than 130 free performances during the Fine Arts Fund Sampler Weekend, sponsored by Macy's, on Saturday and Sunday, February 20 & 21.

Over 50 venues like theaters, museums, community art centers, libraries, schools, and other places, will host shows and hands-on activities throughout the entire Cincinnati region. Creative things -- music, dance, storytelling, theatre, painting, and much more -- will be happening all over the place.

All events are free and open to the public. Please visit www.fineartsfund.org/sampler for the most up-to-date information.

The Fine Arts Fund Sampler Weekend is a celebration of the way the arts bring people together from all across our region and marks the first weekend of the annual Fine Arts Fund Campaign. Last year, 38,500 community contributors donated $11 million to the campaign.

“The Fine Arts Fund Sampler Weekend gives the entire Cincinnati region a chance to share a wide variety of experiences together,” says Mary McCullough Hudson, President of the Fine Arts Fund. “We invite everyone to see their favorites and try something new with family, friends, and neighbors.”

The variety of experiences grows this year with the addition of new Spirit of the Arts events. This new feature offers several musical performances at three places of worship over the course of the weekend. And a number of community arts centers will host performances and fun activities.

Some of the most successful events return to this year’s lineup, including the Get Smart About Art festival at Music Hall sponsored by P & G, Gospel Sunday Brunches at Ballet Tech Cincinnati, and Arte Latino at Su Casa.

For a complete listing of performances, exhibits and activities, please visit www.fineartsfund.org/sampler.

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'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, the application form for submissions, and other information about Sampler Weekend and annual community campaign, visit the website at www.FineArtsFund.org.

Surprise Holiday Singers Spread Holiday Cheer

Cincinnatians surprised visitors when they burst into song at the 64th annual Duke Energy holiday train display Saturday afternoon. Hundreds of people, coordinated by the Fine Arts Fund staff and friends, joined in singing songs of the season.


Accompanied by a band of train engineers on harmonicas and one former Cincinnati Symphony clarinetist on his tonette, people from all parts of the metro area and all walks of life came together to share some holiday cheer with the community. One of the train engineers has been working on the train display for 62 years and has assisted with many surprise events, but this was his first flash mob caroling.


“Similar to Cincinnati’s Splash Dance in September, a few people shared an interest in singing together as a surprise. We invited friends, family, and volunteers to share the joy of the season and the vibrancy of our regional holiday events,” said Margy Waller, Vice President at the Fine Arts Fund.


Participants were invited by email to help with the Fine Arts Fund annual campaign for the arts by participating in a surprise community event nicknamed the "Do-Re-Mi". They pledged to keep the secret via an online sign-up form. With no more information than the date and time of the event, over 150 people agreed to participate.


Later, these volunteers and readers of the My.Arts.Blog on the Fine Arts Fund website were invited to vote on their favorite holiday song to sing. Just days before the event, participants received a few details: meet at 4th and Main Streets in Cincinnati and be familiar with the lyrics of the two songs that received the most votes online: Jingle Bells and Winter Wonderland.


On the day of the event, carolers erupted in song filling the lobby of the Duke Energy train display with sounds of the season. Families waiting in line to see the trains joined in for a few moments before returning to holiday activities.



Note: Video of the surprise caroling will be available on our YouTube channel and website shortly.

Volunteers from throughout the region start working on the Fine Arts Fund Community Campaign

Cincinnati, OH–December 21, 2009–The Fine Arts Fund kicked off an important part of the 2010 annual community campaign with a tea and performance from Jamie Leigh Medina, a member of Cincinnati Opera’s education tour this fall and winter, at Cincinnati Opera on Thursday, December 3, 2009. While the 2010 campaign, under the leadership of Julie Janson, President, Duke Energy Ohio & Kentucky, Duke Energy Corporation, does not officially get underway until February 17, 2010, dozens of volunteers from across the region begin working on this broad-based effort before the end of the year.

This part of the annual campaign fills a unique niche–community volunteers encourage their friends, family, and neighbors to support theatres, galleries, and art centers throughout the region by contributing to the Fine Arts Fund community campaign. This group is vital to the overall success of the campaign as it provides an opportunity for individuals who do not participate in workplace-based campaigns to support the arts in our community.

Many of our volunteers have given more than 10 years of service supporting the efforts of the Fine Arts Fund. Christine G. Meyer celebrates her leadership of this grassroots effort as Chair of the Residential Division for 25 years.

“Through this neighbor to neighbor effort, volunteers broaden the base of support for the arts across our region through the Fine Arts Fund annual community campaign,” said Christine Meyer.

Special thanks to the Community Chair Leaders of the Residential Division*: Marilyn Bailey, Ceal Belew, Heather Bennett, Lanita Bradley Boyd, Bama Atkins Brand, Betty Cookendorfer, Dea Huber, Florence Johnson, Linda Johnson, Ruth Lowenthal, Ann Meranus, Joan Miller, Pati Redmond, Bettie Romine, and Joan Sloneker.

*Click here for photos of these volunteers.

Surprise Flash Dance Celebrates Cincinnati

People from across greater Cincinnati came together for a flash dance on Thursday evening.

Hundreds of people volunteered their time and resources as they planned the surprise dance over the past eight weeks.

“It started with a few people from theater, dance, music, museums, and the Fine Arts Fund staff. We nicknamed ourselves the Creative Team and wrote to our family and friends and invited them to support our community arts by participating in a video filming,’ said Margy Waller, Vice President, Arts & Culture Partnership of the Fine Arts Fund. “Even though the initial invitation didn’t say what the participants would be doing, hundreds of people agreed to help out.”

The recruiting effort brought people together from across the entire region. Friends of musicians, actors, dancers, and staff of the region’s large and small arts organizations all participated in the flash dance surprise.

Participants had to pledge to keep the secret via the online sign-up for “The Ta-Da” surprise.They learned that they would be dancing and had three weeks to attend a rehearsal and practice at home with an online video breakdown of the dance.

Working with the video producers from Lightborne, The Creative Team spent an afternoon together picking the music. They chose songs by five local bands, all of which donated the music for the surprise: Chocolate Horse, The Kry Kids, Freekbass and Tobatius, The Hiders, and The Sweep.

Rehearsals started with sixteen “captains” recruited by the choreographers – Heather Britt and Alena O’Donnell, both Rhythm and Motion instructors at the Cincinnati Ballet.

The captains learned the dance in a Sunday session while Nutcracker auditions went on in the next room at the Ballet. They began teaching other volunteers during rehearsals scheduled in donated space at the Aronoff Center and the Know Theatre.

On Wednesday night, all of the dancers came together for the first time for a “dress” rehearsal in the Music Hall Ballroom – a practice space also donated for the flash dance surprise.

When the volunteer dancers ran through the routine, the collective effort and support for and from the arts community was apparent. “Dancers and organizers alike were smiling and teary from the shared experience,” said Waller.

On Thursday evening, dancers gathered on Fountain Square. They talked in small groups and listened to the opening band for Mid-Point Music Festival – also a partner in the Creative Team planning group. As the first band of the festival wrapped up, everyone on the square noticed as taped music started.

After three and half minutes of dancing, the dancers dispersed, smiling broadly, without a word. None were necessary.

Greater Cincinnati Invests over $10 million in the Arts

Cincinnati, OH-June 11, 2009

Arts organizations in our region learned today that area residents' donations to the campaign for the arts will add up to a $10.2 million dollar investment in arts organizations and events.

The Fine Arts Fund board approved recommendations by community volunteers for how to distribute $ 10,192,741 to arts organizations. Most of the donations provide critically important funding to cover the day-to-day expenses of 18 community-based arts groups, while a grants program supports additional initiatives by approximately 70 nonprofit groups. Taken together, this investment will support a wide range of valuable experiences including music, dance, art, and theater in communities all across our area.

Mark Serrianne, Chair, Fine Arts Fund Board of Trustees said, "The success of this year's campaign is strong affirmation we all value the arts. In these times, we often turn to activities that provide meaning in our lives and want to share these broadening and uplifting experiences with family and friends."

Forty volunteers participate in a thorough review of the capacity of arts organizations to ensure that grants provide as much benefit as possible to people across our area.

"Volunteers spend considerable time assessing the commitment and effort of arts organizations to increase access to the arts for everyone throughout our diverse region," commented Mitchel D. Livingston, Ph.D, Chair, Member Allocations Committee.

Eric K. Combs, Chair, Associate Member Allocations Committee remarked, "Our volunteersoffer guidance and support, while ensuring that the investments meet the interests of the tens of thousands of people in our region who donated to the campaign."

Later this year, the Fine Arts Fund will announce awards for community-based outreach and education initiatives funded by a small set-aside of campaign donations and special initiative funding from the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation, as well as the awards in the grant program.

These investments reflect the Fine Arts Fund's objectives:

• engaging the community in delivering experiences that benefit people,

• achieving educational excellence in schools through the arts,

• sustaining and strengthening a healthy arts and culture sector, and

• serving as a champion and catalyst for arts and culture.

You can see a complete list of organizations supported by the community campaign here.

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The Fine Arts Fund focuses on enhancing our community with arts and cultural experiences that offer joy, promote inclusion, and inspire creativity for a strong region.

To donate online, visit https://finearts.sbgpayments.com/.