ARTS & CULTURE
A rendering of ArtWork’s ArtPark in Walnut Hills
ArtWorks boosts Walnut Hills presence with ArtPark, Gaines mural ArtWorks has broken ground on ArtPark, an urban gathering space and visual arts showcase that will become a permanent part of its creative campus in Cincinnati’s Walnut Hills neighborhood. The park will feature sculptures, greenspace and other creative elements focused on making the area a draw for residents. A focal point is a mural by celebrated American artist Charles Gaines – his first mural design. “Numbers and Trees: Cincinnati Cottonwoods” is an extension of
Gaines’ well-known tree series. Twenty-one ArtWorks apprentices, ages 14 to 21, are collaborating with a team of teaching artists to create the mural. Work began in early June. ArtWorks called ArtPark and its broader creative campus a “catalytic investment” in Walnut Hills. Located at the corner of Gilbert Avenue and Curtis Street, the park is at the center of the neighborhood’s growing arts district. artworkscincinnati.org
Local neon workshop merges with American Sign Museum Neonworks of Cincinnati has merged with the American Sign Museum, creating an expanded partnership between the Camp Washington institutions. Neonworks, a full-time neon workshop, was located inside the ASM building even before the museum, which started in 2005, moved into it in 2012. Since then, Neonworks staff has offered glass bending demonstrations as part of museum tours. The merger creates “exciting symmetries showcasing neon and glass bending as an art form and integral part of the sign industry,”
said ASM Director David Dupee. ASM’s mission is to educate the community about the history of the sign industry and its contributions to commerce and the American landscape. Neonworks will continue as a standalone company while serving as part of the museum. Tom Wartman, Neonworks founder and president, will remain, along with three employees. On July 13, ASM expanded into 200,000 square feet of previously unfinished space inside its current home, doubling its size. americansignmuseum.org
Neonworks founder Tom Wartman
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AUGUST 2024
Movers & Makers