ArtsWave is leading the Greater Cincinnati arts sector in a new project over the next 18 months. After a year of collaboration and planning, this one-of-a-kind, 18-month initiative is ready to be unveiled: POWER OF HER.

POWER OF HER, presented by P&G, is an 18-month collaboration of organizations across the Greater Cincinnati region, united to activate and amplify women's voices in the arts. The initiative salutes the women who came before us, and honors female leadership and woman-centric works of all kinds, underscoring creativity as a vehicle for inclusion and equality. At its core, POWER OF HER is a celebration of the female voice and the many ways it champions a more diverse and vibrant world. It is unique from any community across the nation in its alignment and amplification of the voice of women through the arts.

Cincinnati Opera's Patty Beggs conceived the idea and is at the helm of the project — a fitting leader, as she is one of only a handful of female Opera leaders in the country. POWER OF HER is inspired by the many Cincinnati cultural and civic organizations which were founded by women and will be celebrating milestone anniversaries over the next year — the Taft Museum of Art's Historic House turns 200 years old, the Contemporary Arts Center celebrates 80 years over this time period, Cincinnati Ballet celebrates 60, ArtWorks turns 25, among many others, and each were founded (at least in part) and are run today by women.

These anniversaries coincide with the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which made women's suffrage the law of the land. It is important to note that not all women achieved the right to vote in 1920, and that the struggle continued for many through the Civil Rights Era in the 1960s. POWER OF HER includes programming, artistic collaborations, premieres and commissions, public speakers and more. In 2020, POWER OF HER will compile and produce a book that features 100 women who have shaped Cincinnati's arts.

"It's our hope that the POWER OF HER will jumpstart greater conversations and dialogue on what an inclusive community looks like and how we ensure continued growth going forward," says Procter & Gamble Executive Director, Global Diversity and Inclusion, Deanna Bass.

That catalyst for conversation will come in many forms:

• A special exhibition at the Cincinnati Art Museum will explore the role of women in art and art history through artworks from the museum's permanent collection created by female artists from the seventeenth century to today.
• Cincinnati Opera will feature women-centric works in their 100th Anniversary season, including "Fierce Grace: Jeannette Rankin," a song cycle by four female composers about the first woman elected to Congress. The season will also feature the world premiere of "Castor and Patience," with a libretto by Pulitzer Prize-winning U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith.
• Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is dedicating their entire 2019-2020 season the POWER OF HER initiative, calling it the "Season of the Woman."
• Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 125th Season (2019-2020) with programs recognizing three women conductors, 20 guest performers who are women, and compositions by women.
• Cincinnati Ballet's Kaplan New Works Series for the 2020-2021 Season will focus specifically on Women's Suffrage. "Art has the power to inspire new perspectives and the possibility of change. It's important that a women's voice be heard in any conversation, especially in the arts," says Victoria Morgan, Cincinnati Ballet Artistic Director.
• Learning Through Art's Books Alive! reading program includes selections that reinforce the significance of the 19th Amendment and POWER OF HER subject matter, with plans to be administered throughout Cincinnati Public Schools.
• The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati, as they celebrate their 100th Anniversary Season, is commissioning a song cycle for young people about the women's suffrage movement that will tour schools in 2019-2020.

These are just a handful of the 90+ events that are already on the calendar, with hundreds more expected to unfold over the next 18 months as part of the project.

In addition to P&G's presenting sponsorship, the initiative is supported by the Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee and other community leaders, with marketing support provided by LPK. ArtsWave is honored to organize and invest in such a significant and meaningful initiative. As we hear about each of the events and activities planned, there is so much we can share, learn from and find common understanding around.

For a list of upcoming POWER OF HER EVENTS through October, please click on the flyer below.

For a full list of POWER OF HER events, visit ArtsWave.org/HER.