Making Waves Blog

I often am asked how ArtsWave makes grants with the dollars it raises through the annual community arts campaign. It’s a story we love to tell, with origins that date back decades ago.

The arts can play a powerful role in uncovering and celebrating our shared history. Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park is bringing a new, uniquely Cincinnati story to our region with Cincinnati King, a new play about the legendary King Records.

Five women who are redesigning the world of arts and design in Cincinnati shared their stories with ArtsWave's Women's Leadership Roundtable members.

From outdoor concerts to experimental theater festivals, summer in Cincinnati brings a host of opportunities to enjoy our region’s amazing arts scene with family and friends. Here are just a few upcoming highlights at the start of the summer season.

The arts have been in the news a lot over the past two weeks. In response to these stories, I’ve heard more than a few times that these results are impressive for “a city our size.” As much as I understand the sentiment and our region's population size, I think we are selling ourselves short with this qualifier. Within the space of twelve days, Cincinnati has done something that other cities, large or small or in between, can only envy. We’ve shown our unique capacity for collaborative action around things that we value—namely, a thriving, innovative, and inclusive arts scene.

What does it mean to be the largest community arts campaign in the country? $12,250,000 in community contributions is a big number, but it doesn’t capture the full scope of our region’s amazing commitment to the arts. Take a look at a few more impressive numbers from the 2015 campaign.

The Cincinnati Fringe Festival brings 150 artists, 45 productions, and over 170 performances to the Queen City each year. Performers from across the region and the globe look forward to this innovative and cutting-edge theatre festival to put new works in front of new audiences.

This ArtsWave partner company has seen amazing growth its ArtsWave campaign over the past two years. What's the secret to their success?

ArtsWave announced the successful completion of the 2015 Annual Community Campaign, with gifts totaling in excess of $12,212,657 in support of arts organizations across the region.

Last week I hosted 16 representatives from the Town and Chamber of Commerce of Opelika, Alabama. These distant neighbors had come to Cincinnati to learn more about how our city works, including how we support and involve the arts in civic life. I invited four arts colleagues to come help me tell our story and, as always when I listen to what our arts organizations are doing, I found myself inspired. It’s as if they are intentionally doubling their impact through amazing arts with impact on the community. Keep reading to find out how you can double your impact, too.

At ArtsWave, we hear many stories from our arts partners about the impact they are having on the community. Here are five small stories that had a big impression on different members of our staff this year.

Nearly two dozen Northern Kentucky Vietnam veterans shared their memories, emotions, and stories for the exhibit Vietnam: Our Story.

Earlier this month, ArtsWave announced three new Arts for Health grants to expand arts programs that improve health outcomes for Greater Cincinnati residents. This initiative is funded through restricted grants as part of the ArtsWave Community Campaign.

I’m inspired today by the IT group of First Financial Bank, one of 2015’s 270 business partners conducting ArtsWave campaigns. Their entry into an organization-wide sculpture competition took top prize, thanks to its ingenious incorporation of a list of required everyday materials transformed into something magical. Ladybug buttons, shredded paper grass, pipecleaner flowers and a popsicle stick birdhouse all were combined in a beautiful tabletop diorama.

A night filled with great food and drinks ending in a large group breaking out into song might typically be frowned upon in some Cincinnati establishments. However, when YPCC is there, it’s just a typical Tuesday night.

Paul Tomich and Gwen Kirles are co-chairs of the ArtsWave Young Professionals (YP) committee. This advisory group is comprised of more than 40 committed young professionals, ages 21 to 40, looking to get more involved and invested in Cincinnati’s vibrant arts community

On April 18, 2015, you might see groups of people in purple shirts running through Downtown Cincinnati in search of art. No, it’s not another marathon – it’s the Amazing Arts Race, ArtsWave’s signature Young Professionals’ event back for a third year.

ArtsWave announces three new Arts for Health grants to expand arts programs that improve health outcomes for Greater Cincinnati residents. ArtsWave believes that investing in Arts for Health partnerships can help expand the benefits of the arts to more people in our community, helping everyone to lead a healthy and creatively expressive life

Last night on April 8, ArtsWave hosted its second annual CincySings event at Cincinnati Music Hall. Hosted by artist Drew Lachey, the high-energy evening featured amazing performances by 11 employee choirs from top regional companies for a cheering crowd of more than 1,600.

The spring and summer bring a wide variety of arts events that reflect the diverse array of cultures and perspectives in our community. Expand your horizons this and experience the world in a new way through the arts. Discovering what connects us – that’s ArtsWave in Action.