Gallery Visit

I recently visited the Prairie Art Gallery in Northside. This is a very community-minded, non-profit gallery. Their current exhibit, House, perfectly exemplifies the philosophy of the gallery.

Artist Tony Becker created House by collaborating with over 15 different community arts centers. Children of all backgrounds decorated paper origami houses with whatever they felt a home is; some featured cut-outs and written words, and some were decorated on the inside as well. Once Becker collected the houses, he spent many hours arranging them into large, sphere-shaped hanging mobiles, which turn slowly in the air currents.

a close-up view of Becker's largest sphere of houses

Tony Becker's exhibit manages to be engaging and compelling, without being cliched or sentimental. After talking with the gallery director, David Rosenthal, I understand why this exhibit is perfectly suited to the philosophy of the Prairie Gallery. Rosenthal chooses to exhibit work that is community-minded and unique. He prefers work that is a collaboration between artists and members of the neighborhoods in which they work, because art should function as a way to provide culture, pride, and purposeful expression.

a smaller sphere of houses

This exhibit will continue until April 8th. Go check it out!

4035 Hamilton Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45223

HOURS: Tuesday-Friday 10-6 and Saturday 10-4

Party at the Pendleton!

Being a waitress has its pros and cons. One of the biggest cons is that I work every Friday, and thus I never get to visit the Pendleton Art Center during Final Friday. Miracle: I got out of my shift last Friday night, called up my friend Caitlin (fellow art student) and we headed downtown to see some art!

the humble exterior

What is this Pendleton place, you ask?
It was originally built in 1909 as a shoe company. In September 1991, The Verdin Company, the world's oldest and largest bell and clock manufacturer, opened the building close to their world headquarters to promote and showcase local artisans. With eight floors of studios featuring original pine floors , eight foot arched windows and over 200 artists, PAC is the world's largest collection of artists under one roof.

The last Friday of every month, from 6 til 10, artists open their studios to the public. There all many types of artists here. Old, young, professionals, hobbyists, painters, sculptors, you get the idea. Most artists work with traditional subject matter, such as landscapes and portraits. Some artists' work is very affordable, while others sell their work for thousands of dollars.

wear comfortable shoes for lots of climbing!

Pendleton is unique because it gives the public a chance to purchase art directly from the artist, while seeing the artist in his or her own work space.

Caitlin and I took full advantage of the situation- we talked to as many artists as we could up until 9:59- and we asked how and why they worked, how they supported themselves, and what kind of advice they would offer to a young artist attempting to become professional. I can't believe I had never done that before- just TALKED to the artists- because it was easy, and they WANTED to talk! It gave me hope- this networking thing might not be so hard, after all.