ArtWorks 2021 Annual Report: The Season of Stronger Together by ArtWorks

WHO WE ARE

Since 1996, ArtWorks has collaborated with community organizations and residents, businesses, governments, foundations, and nonprofits to build creative works of art that have built our region’s global reputation as an arts destination. ArtWorks has employed and trained more than 3,500 professional artists and 4,000 youth, ages 14 – 21. We invest in our creative economy and support local talent, pairing professional artists to inspire and mentor diverse teams of youth, helping them build 21st century career-readiness skills. Over the past 25 years, this collaborative approach has created a citywide gallery with more than 14,000 public and private art projects, including more than 240 permanent outdoor murals.

What We Do

Artist & Youth Workforce Development

Young people take ownership of their work and community when they know their work makes a difference. Through ArtWorks’ core Youth Apprenticeship Program and the ArtWorks V2 Gallery, young artists receive mentoring, hands-on experiential learning, and professional development opportunities. Each opportunity with ArtWorks helps young people gain key workplace skills, setting them up for thriving futures. We aim to help build a more creative Cincinnati that retains the incredible talent of the upcoming generation.

Public Art & Creative Services

Studies show that investments in public art can improve safety, increase tourism, create new jobs, and combat social isolation and anxiety. Through community collaboration, ArtWorks facilitates

public art commissions, calls-to-artists, and more, to create high quality art outcomes that the community can benefit from for decades.

Community Engagement

One of the most meaningful effects of public art is that it creates spaces that make people feel represented, fosters community ties, and gives people a sense of ownership and belonging in their neighborhoods. Through consulting, developing neighborhood public art plans, and nurturing year-over-year partnerships in neighborhoods, ArtWorks invests in centering the vision of residents and neighborhood leaders. Community engagement comes in many forms, from attending Community Council meetings, getting design input from residents, activating public spaces with artmaking activities, and more, with the goal of creating artworks that are responsive to community histories and current needs.

2021 At A Glance

artists & creatives employed

in wages paid to artists, creatives, and arts professionals 207 youth engaged through the ArtWorks V2 Gallery & paid apprenticeships 44 community partnerships formed to create transformative civic and public art projects and provide robust professional development experiences for youth and artists 187 works of art created, including 45 permanent public murals & installations 17 neighborhoods directly invested in through public art

mural tours provided to the community

Program Results

ArtWorks uses an online learning and evaluation platform, Hello Insight, to measure Career Readiness and Social Emotional Learning skill development.

people engaged through in-person and virtual events, programs, and classes

93% of youth made meaningful gains in two or more career capacities that encapsulates collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity 97% of youth reported leaving the program with good or great career/workforce knowledge 99% of youth reported program satisfaction and would recommend to a friend

348

$1.5M+

359

4,876

186 Youth Apprentices employed 5:1 Youth Apprentice to Teaching Artist ratio 59% from under-resourced households 64 Greater Cincinnati neighborhoods represented Race Gender Meet Our Youth Apprentices A Diversity of Talent

Working Together

Throughout the last decade, ArtWorks has participated as a stakeholder in the Avondale community’s Quality of Life Plan, which includes public art as an important way for the community to elevate its history, preserve its future, promote safety, create vibrancy, and increase neighborhood and civic pride.

To activate the goal of promoting safety, ArtWorks imagined a project where youth and police interact through a facilitated exchange of prompts and questions with the goals of better understanding the perspective of one another, finding common ground, and learning from each other, as well as working side-byside on art production for the community.

Prior to this project, the Cincinnati Police Department had limited programming for positively engaging with youth, and ArtWorks provided the Cincinnati Police Department with an opportunity to build empathy, mutual understanding, and a stronger community.

Stretching 90 feet along a former firehouse in Avondale is a bold and colorful message that artist/designer Jeni Jenkins hopes will become a mantra for the neighborhood. The phrase, “Hear Us Out!,” is spoken by teenage figures at one end and echoed by the images of police officers at the other. Both groups plead with arms extended and upraised palms. The mural resulted from mediated community and police conversations that took place to resolve ongoing conflicts in the neighborhood between the two groups. “At one of the meetings, I had the kids draw and write what they wanted to say, and one of the kids came up with the phrase, Hear Us Out,” Jenkins says. “I was like, that’s it!” ArtWorks youth apprentices, many of whom were hired from the Avondale neighborhood, and police helped paint the mural alongside each other, and the figures pictured in the mural are based on real people. Jenkins believes it’s a good message which shows the police are willing to come to the table and the kids are interested in building a more positive community.

A Tribute to John Ruthven

Master wildlife artist John Ruthven considered his 2013 ArtWorks collaboration on the Martha, the Last Passenger Pigeon mural one of the highlights of his career, according to Ruthven’s grandson, Matt Weissman. John Ruthven had always hoped to paint another mural with ArtWorks, but sadly passed away in 2020 before that could happen. The Judy and John Ruthven Foundation partnered with ArtWorks and the City of Milford to carry out John’s final wishes and paint a John Ruthven mural, bringing Milford its first mural. A barren retaining wall was transformed into a 2,500-square-foot canvas on which Ruthven’s images of birds native to the region were painted larger than life.

Lead teaching artist Jim Effler produced the work with the help of three teaching artists and 10 youth apprentices. “He would have loved to have painted right alongside them,” Matt Weissman says. “I can’t think of a better tribute to my grandfather than this mural.” Friends, family, and leaders from John’s favorite non-profits were also invited to paint in honor of John as a fitting tribute.

WORK

— Matt Weissman, Judy & John Ruthven Foundation

John Ruthven | Intersection of Wooster Pike and Glendale Milford Road, Milford

“TO KEEP HIS

ALIVE, WE WANTED A LOCATION WHERE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE WOULD SEE HIS IMAGES. ”

“The foremost goal of Casa Colina is to be a place of welcome and in turn a safe space for conversation, community, and creativity. The bright colors and patterned imagery act as a tool to pull people in, both community members and new visitors alike. During the project, individuals from diverse backgrounds would stop by and ask questions or simply say hello. Those positive interactions are just the beginning of what Casa Colina will do to create connectedness through art.”

— Karla Batres Gilvin, Co-Designer & Lead Teaching Artist

Casa Colina | 821 Purcell Avenue, East Price Hill

Planting Roots

The Looking to Tomorrow mural serves as an eastern gateway to the Walnut Hills business district, and symbolizes a growing, thriving community. This mural is the first in the city that incorporates living plants that are supported with a full, built-in irrigation system created by Urban Blooms. For the many community businesses, organizations, and individuals who shared their thoughts and ideas, it’s a dream come true. This project has been a long time in the making. Nearly four years ago, ArtWorks conducted surveys and community engagement with business owners and residents to inform public art gateways for the Walnut Hills business district. For the mural, multi-media artist April Sunami, who has family ties to the neighborhood, depicts a confident female figure, face upraised, eyes closed with a slight smile as she looks toward a stylized sun and dreams of a bright future. Colorful swirls and meandering plant paths serve as her flowing hair. “The cool thing is how it will grow and change throughout the seasons,” says Samantha Reeves, Executive Director of the Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation.

Looking to Tomorrow | 1037 E. McMillan Street, Walnut Hills

— Samantha Reeves, Executive Director, Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation

Amplifying Black History, Leadership, & Voices

The Manse Hotel, an important and historic site listed in the Negro Motorist Green Book and host to every African American celebrity who came to Cincinnati from 1940 through the 1960s, was recently saved by the Walnut Hills community. To celebrate and pay tribute to its history and impact, the Walnut Hills community approached ArtWorks to create a mural. When designing the Sky’s the Limit mural, local artist Cedric Michael Cox drew inspiration from the hotel’s rich history and the neighborhood’s illustrious African-American past, present, and future. Hotel owner Horace Sudduth is depicted to the left of the main image of a young woman looking inquisitive and optimistic. “I thought about all the churches in the area, so there’s the idea of stained glass in vibrant colors throughout the design,” Cox says, as well as shadowy references to slavery, open hands symbolizing opportunity, and a youth pointing to a sun that is a compass. “The day I met the young apprentice artists, I gave each of them my favorite mural brush,” Cox says. This was a tangible way to inspire them as they created a work to inspire others. Youth Apprentices working on the project who attended school nearby shared they didn’t learn this important part of history in school and are glad to now have this knowledge through working on this project.

From Enslavement to Emancipation: Sky’s the Limit | 1001 Lincoln Avenue, Walnut Hills

ArtWorks V2 Gallery | Now located at 929 E. McMillan Street, Walnut Hills

Thank You to Our Healthcare Heroes

Facing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, no group of people have been more deserving of our thanks, praise, and admiration than healthcare workers. Those working on the frontlines at hospitals have put their lives on the line every day. To honor their commitment and dedication, St. Elizabeth Healthcare of Northern Kentucky partnered with ArtWorks to say a public and very big thank you with the Healthcare Heroes Save the Day mural on the western side of Newport on the Levee. This mural was produced in conjunction with the 160th anniversary of St. Elizabeth Healthcare. The mural, measuring 59 feet by 91 feet, can be seen from the Taylor Southgate Bridge and depicts a Marvel comic book-style, masked female healthcare worker

looking south, assuring all, “I’m Right Here!” A bubble “Thank You” symbolizes a grateful community. The mural was designed by Covington based design firm BLDG. “We can never thank our healthcare heroes enough for the sacrifices they’ve made throughout this pandemic,” said Matt Hollenkamp, Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations at St. Elizabeth Healthcare. “This mural not only allows us to express our gratitude for healthcare workers throughout our region and world, but to also reflect on our past 160 years of care and celebrate our next 160 years of being right here for our patients and community.”

— Matt Hollenkamp, St. Elizabeth Healthcare

“It is certainly a nod to St. Elizabeth healthcare heroes, but it’s really a tribute to every healthcare worker around the world.”

| Western Dock of Newport on the Levee, Newport, KY

Liabilities Accounts Payable $4,590 Accrued Expenses $50,914 Notes Payable $430,000 $485,504 Net Assets Without Donor Restrictions $1,187,653 With Donor Restrictions $380,953 $1,568,606 2021 Finances Revenue Individual $340,232 Foundations/Corporate $1,320,276 Government $855,822 Other $35,755 Donated Services & Products $62,247 Total Revenue $2,614,332 Expenses Programs $1,670,946 Administrative $189,922 Fundraising $387,566 Total Expenses $2,248,434 Assets Cash and cash equivalents $640,979 Investments $297,774 Receivables $392,434 Prepaid Expense $16,640 Property and Equipment, Net $706,283 $2,054,110 19 Total Net Assets & Liabilities $2,054,110 ArtWorks Audited Statement of Financial Position

2021 PROJECTS, ARTISTS, & COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Designer

Batres Gilvin

Lead Teaching Artists

Bradley Gilvin

Karla Batres Gilvin

Youth Apprentices

Matin Bamba

Miles Brueggemeyer

Kyle Casey

Lyle Casey

Tana’ra Heard

Neema Kidoge

Marisa Middleton

Angela Ramirez

Bailey Rawsthorn

Kruti Mehta

Teaching Artist

Ashton Najarian Youth Apprentices

Adia Eagle

Danny LaCharity Rae Wilcox Kelli Woods

Cincinnati Recreation Center MuralWestwood

Designer

Taron Jordan

Teaching Artist

Jordan Haworth-Zermeno

Lead Teaching Artist

Sherman Parnell Youth Apprentice Wesley Ericson

FCC Club Mural –Heineken

Designer

Lightning Horse Industries Lead Artist Gypsy Schindler Artist

Hali Hutchinson

FCC Club Mural –First Financial Bank Designer

Lightning Horse Industries Lead Artist Christian Dallas

Trey Small Bri Wales

From Enslavement to Emancipation: Sky’s

The Limit Mural

Designer

Cedric Cox

Lead Teaching Artist

Adoria Maxberry

Youth Apprentices

Mori Anderson

Michelle Chen

Martin Emmanuel Adeleigh Karoutchi

LaDe Richardson

Trinity Stewart Osiris Tafari

Hard Rock Casino Mural Designer & Lead Artist

Jenny Roesel Ustick

Hear Us Out Mural Designer

Jeni Jenkins

Lead Teaching Artist

Jeni Jenkins

Junior Teaching Artist

Nytaya Babbitt

Youth Apprentices

Audrey Ballard

James Bond

Mae Douglas Ella Emanuel Kamryn Green

Aaron Krois

Palona Lanzador

Xavier McDaniel

Kiyaira Smith

Tamiren Wright

John Ruthven Mural

Master Artist

John Ruthven Designer

Jim Effler

Lead Teaching Artist

Jim Effler

Teaching Artists

Maria Fernandez Jack Thayer

Junior Teaching Artist

Claudia Giuffre Youth Apprentices

Aari Bess

Ella Emanuel Wesley Ericson Audrey Femia

Elise Gaskey Mallory Kurkjian Chelsea Lee Satchid Macharia Sarah Schaen Isabelle Witsken

Jackson Street

Produce Market in Partnership with The Heights Movement Apprentices

Aaliyah Burgos

Manny Ford

Looking to Tomorrow Mural Designer

April Sunami

Lead Teaching Artist

Jim Tucker

Junior Teaching Artist

Michael Thompson

Youth Apprentices

Lauren Dameron

Ian Darcy

Shalyla Elms

Savanna Innes

Timmy Jordan Jasper Murphy

Ethan Ortecho

Sylvie Tiro Liza Vologzhanin

Madisonville Nights Mural Designer Chase Melendez

Lead Teaching Artist

Chase Melendez Youth Apprentices

Luna Gee Jackman Land

Evja Lundgren LaDe Richardson

Madisonville Benches & Bike Racks Designer Sediment Design Mowgli’s Rainforest Murals Designer

Kate Tepe

Lead Teaching Artist

Tyler White

Junior Teaching Artist

Taylor Helms

Youth Apprentices

Greg Beridon

Nico Breen

Erica Curtis

Arlo Grimaldi

Tashiyah Halbert Adam Hale Savanna Innes

Danny LaCharity

Luke Morgan Aidan Prince

Reaching New Heights Mural Designer

Christian Dallas

Lead Teaching Artist

Christian Dallas

Youth Apprentices

Marin Emanuel

Take to the Water Mural Designer

Adrienne Gaither

Lead Teaching Artist

Lizzy Duquette Teaching Artists Eliana Batsakis

Emily Malott

Youth Apprentices

Kristian Bristol Aaliayah Ruff Anaya Cochrum Alyssa Baker Hanna Smith

Jo’Hanna Foster

Julia Bridges Maekenzye Mallicoat Dahlia Wang

The Healthcare Heroes Save the Day Mural Designer

BLDG

Lead Teaching Artist Evan Hildebrandt

Youth Apprentices

Angela Ramirez Wesley Ericson Hanna Smith

Bri Wales

Alyssa Baker

Tribute to J.P. Ball Mural Designer Taron Jordan

Lead Artist

Cece Padilla Artist

Kayla Blackerby

Truth & Reconciliation Projects

Youth Apprentices

James Bond

Marin Emanuel Ella Emanuel Wesley Ericson Donovan Helton Rashad Manuel Gabriella Mendez Lade Richardson Tamar Sella Leslie Walker

West End Legacy Mural Designer Kailah Ware

Lead Teaching Artist

Kailah Ware

Youth Apprentices

Shalyla Elms DaeQuan Ford Ron’Nique Robinson Brielle Wales

Community Partners 3CDC

Avondale Community Council

Ackermann Group Art Academy of Cincinnati

Avondale Development Corporation

Brandon Hawkins

Brent Billingsley

Cincinnati Art Museum

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

Cincinnati Police Department

Cincinnati Recreation Commission Cincy Nice

CVG

Duke Energy Convention Center

Ensemble Theater

Cincinnati FC Cincinnati

First Financial Bank Fourthwall Studios GE Aviation Gee Horton Hard Rock Casino LLC

Hero Flooring LLC John Ruthven Foundation La Soupe MCURC

Model Group MYCincinnati OAC Price Hill Will Rebecca Nava

ROOT Ambassadors: Sow Cincy, Erin Saul, Bishop Tate, Richmond Williams, and Jennifer Foster

School for Creative & Performing Arts

St. Elizabeth Healthcare Soul Bird Consulting

Strong Cincinnati The Heights Movement Thermo Fisher Scientific University of Cincinnati UpSpring

Urban Blooms Urban League Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation Wordplay Y2WK

American Scaffolding, Inc.

Ron Bates & Randy Lasley

Thomas & Cheryl Compton

Ernst & Young

David & Kathy Schmitt

Randy Smith & Carla Lamb

Clark & Ellen Sole Wyoming Ohio Cycling Foundation

$250 - $499

Gordon Barnhart

Donald Beck & Lawrence Eynon

Dana Beitner-Johnson

Abbot & Josie Thayer

Richard & Barbara Wagner

Nicole Ware Matt & Molly Weissman

Chuck & Peggy Landes

Bruce & Stephanie Laybourne

Mary LeGrand

John Liechty

Lisa Schneider Raymond Schumacher

Stephen Schwartz & Felice Marcus

Elaine Semancik

Dennis & Debra Duermit H. Richard Duval Peter & Michelle Ebstein Evie Estes

John Korn, American Scaffolding, Retired Pam Kravetz, Art Educator

Mark Mallory, Mark Mallory & Associates & 68th Mayor of Cincinnati

Joe Muraca, Ernst & Young Molly North, Al. Neyer

Tyra Patterson, Ohio Justice and Policy Center

Ken Pray, The Kroger Company, Retired Jens Rosenkrantz, Jr., The Annex Gallery

Connie Ross, Empower

Lisa Beshara Saia, Community Volunteer

RJ Sargent, 1819 Innovation Hub –

Randy Smith, Jack Rouse Associates Board Members Emeriti

Margie Schneider, Community Volunteer Mu Sinclaire, Ross, Sinclaire, & Associates Sara M. Vance Waddell, SVM Media

Colleen Houston, Chief Executive Officer

Sydney Fine, Senior Director, Impact Jane Keller, Senior Director, Finance & Talent Jeff Sperry, Senior Director, Advancement Karla Batres Gilvin, Director, Community Impact Christine Cheung, Coordinator, Development Database Zhaira Costiniano, Manager, Creative Projects

Devin Grimm, Manager, Creative Projects Sandra Guile, Director, Marketing and Communications Abby Kacen, Manager, Creative Projects

Dominique Khourv, Manager, Events and Donor Relations Heather Kruessel, Executive Assistant Liz Miller, Director, Creative Projects Sandra Okot-Kotber, Manager, Communications and Marketing

Francesca Peace, Manager, Finance Amy Scarpello, Director, Artist Impact Jim Tucker, Manager, Mural Studio

We thank the following outgoing staff members for their service:

Marquise Adkins, Manager, Artist Impact Liz Neidich, Manager, Development Sherman Parnell, Manager, Creative Projects Maddie Schneider, Executive Assistant & Office Manager

2021 Youth Apprentice Spotlight: Ella

Emanuel

Ella Emanuel, 18, has been an ArtWorks Youth Apprentice since 2018 and has worked on seven ArtWorks projects.

Ella was named our 2021 Biggie Award Winner, the highest honor given to an Apprentice each year. Ella not only possesses outstanding talent, she also has extraordinary leadership skills and has taken advantage of every opportunity at ArtWorks and beyond. Ella seeks mentorship opportunities and has leveraged her creative network to give back to the community outside of the workday. Ella’s Teaching Artist, Brett Billingsley, says “her inner-self is saturated with kindness, gentleness, and compassion.”

In 2021, Ella worked on Painted Pieces of Truth and Spoken Words of Reconciliation and the John Ruthven mural.

“I’VE LEARNED POWERFUL LESSONS FROM WORKING AT ARTWORKS. IT’S AN HONOR TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR SOMETHING I’M SO PASSIONATE ABOUT, WHICH IS THE ARTS AND TEAMWORK.”

— Ella Emanuel

PAINTING THE FUTURE TOGETHER!

In 2021, ArtWorks purchased a historic building near Peebles Corner in Walnut Hills with a big vision to transform the property into a future art center.

The building is adjacent to 5 Points Alley, a community-driven cultural, pocket park. The site of ArtWorks' future creative campus is catalytic and strategic in location, continuing to activate Gilbert Avenue as an arts and cultural corridor. Plans and fundraising are underway to invest in a full transformation of the building (originally home to the Bolce Paint Company and most recently Race Refrigeration) into multiple studios that support employing artists working year-round on civic projects, an art gallery, event spaces, offices, and community rooms. For ArtWorks, this is a big step towards a sustainable and permanent home, anchored in the Walnut Hills community.

By investing in and owning property, ArtWorks will reduce its overhead expenses and can contribute to the vitality of the Walnut Hills community.

Formerly known as Cincinnati’s second downtown, Walnut Hills has amazing history, culture, and potential. Having a central, accessible location on the bus line is important, and we are inspired to build on the recent investments by the Cincinnati Ballet’s relocation and the beautiful Cincinnati Art Museum Art Climb. ArtWorks is in the business district of Walnut Hills, just up the street, and as one more anchor arts organization, we proudly proclaim Walnut Hills as a leading arts community in Southwestern Ohio!

We are grateful to our board of directors, our advisory committee, our campaign cabinet leadership, our partners, and the Walnut Hills community for embracing this exciting step for ArtWorks and our potential to transform communities! Please join us as we are Painting the Future Together!

The Roots of Walnut Hills

Standing at nine stories tall, The Roots of Walnut Hills Mural highlights the neighborhood of Walnut Hills and celebrates the cultural heritage of the community. Key symbols are larger than life and are easily visible to passersby from blocks away. The corn represents Walnut Farm, founded by Reverend James Kemper, which soon became Walnut Hills. The book represents Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin which helped start the abolishment of slavery, and the railroad tracks represent the underground railroad where Walnut Hills was considered a convenient place for “passengers”. The broken chains represent James Bradley, a former slave who bought his own freedom, and the tree represents Eden Park. This unique and striking installation is now considered an artistic and cultural icon for the community.

The Roots of Walnut Hills

ARTIST/DESIGNER

The Roots of Walnut Hills

Taron

LEAD TEACHING ARTIST

JUNIOR TEACHING ARTIST

Jordon YOUTH APPRENTICES

Matthew Grote

presents MADE POSSIBLE BY SPECIAL THANKS TO Wallick Construction

Kayla Walker

PROJECT MANAGER Liz Miller

ARTWORKS RECEIVES ONGOING FUNDING FROM

2022 MURAL SEASON SPONSOR

Wallick Construction

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Report Design: Michelle D’Cruz, MDC Design Studio Printing: Cereal Box Studio and Seemless Printing Photography: J. Miles Wolf 2021 Mural Sponsor Ongoing Support presents MADE POSSIBLE BY SPECIAL THANKS TO Wallick Construction 2022 MURAL SEASON SPONSOR ARTWORKS RECEIVES ONGOING FUNDING FROM ARTIST/DESIGNER

Isabelle

| Grace

As part of our mission, ArtWorks paid

following creatives

create

report. Thank you for your contributions!

Taron Jordon YOUTH APPRENTICES Alyssa Baker

June Brown

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Tairen Fenhoff

Hageman

Kidoge

Aidan Prince

Makiyah Smith PROJECT MANAGER Liz Miller JUNIOR TEACHING ARTIST Kayla Walker LEAD TEACHING ARTIST Matthew Grote

A r t Works C i n

2022 MURAL SEASON SPONSOR

A r t Works C i n ci nn

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2022 presents MADE POSSIBLE BY

THANKS

Grote

ARTIST/DESIGNER

Taron

Matthew

A t Works C i ci ati.or

ARTWORKS.

“THE

MOST FORMATIVE YEARS OF MY LIFE HAVE BEEN WORK ING WITH

”

- Miles Bruggemeyer, Youth Apprentice, 2022