Have you overheard Shakespeare at the airport?  Seen the Ballet at the ballpark? Enjoyed a symphony under the stars?  You may not have known it, but that’s ArtsWave in Action. 

While many arts organizations make their primary home in Cincinnati’s downtown core, they are also active with programming in communities throughout the region. ArtsWave helps facilitate this through a program called “ArtsWave Presents”. In the last year alone, with special funds from the Schmidlapp Trusts and CVG, we brought arts programming from established arts groups into nearly 20 community venue partners.

ArtsWave developed a “menu” of diverse arts experiences in cooperation with its arts partners. Among others, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Ballet, Playhouse in the Park, Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, May Festival, and Cincinnati Opera collaborated with ArtsWave to present performances and activities at community arts centers, recreation centers, libraries, and college campuses. Locations included Batavia, Loveland, Middletown, Fairfield, Springfield Township, Milford, Lebanon, Oxford, Warren County and across Northern Kentucky.

As one example, the Greater Milford Area Historical Society (GMAHS) hosted a performance of Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s  A Midsummer Night’s Dream on August 3, 2014, at the Miami Township Community Park Pavilion for 1,800 attendees. These included multi-generational families, couples, groups sharing picnics, and youth cast members from the Milford Theatre Guild. The performance attracted residents from even further away – Brown County, for example – who shared they had no access to this type of programming close to home.  “During the evening we had many folks stop by and actually say ‘Thank You’ for bringing this special event to Clermont County,” said Donna Amann, GMAHS Administrator.

By providing opportunities for people to experience the arts where they live, ArtsWave helps to ensure that the benefits of the arts reach everyone in our community. Many ArtsWave Presents programs are free or low-cost for audience members, and designed to appeal to people of all ages. ArtsWave works with its partners to select venues that are well-established as community gathering places, helping to build their brand and reputation.  Through shared arts experiences, neighbors build stronger relationships with each and community pride.

ArtsWave Presents also programmed monthly performances at CVG and at our annual Art in the Park Day at Great American Ball Park. These pop-up performances give visitors and residents a taste of our amazing arts scene and our region’s creative, innovative spirit. 

Have you enjoyed an ArtsWave Presents event? Tell us about it on Twitter using #ArtsWavePresents