ArtsWave’s community campaign launches Thursday, Feb. 1, and continues through April 26.
Campaign kickoff – the Make Waves Beer Party – is at Braxton Brewing Co. in Covington, 5-8 p.m. Feb. 1. Everyone’s invited to lift a glass to the arts. Part of the proceeds from every beer sold will go to the annual fundraising campaign. Is the arts’ ripple effect real? Learn more about measurable results…
You’ll hear the term “Make Waves” a lot during the campaign. It references the ripple effect of the arts on the community.
The ArtsWave Sampler Weekend, a tradition for 30 years, has been reimagined for 2018 and reborn as ArtsWave Days, brought to you by Macy’s. (Scroll down for a list of events.)
Curated arts events will take place on Saturdays, Feb. 3 through April 21, with more than 100 events at 39 venues – and targeted to different interests. Examples include a Play Day for kids, Feb. 3, and a Date Night on Feb. 17 with wine and performances at Cincy Shakes, The Transept and Ensemble Theatre. You can even play your flute or violin on the stage at Music Hall.
Other key elements of the 2018 campaign:
CincySings: The 5th choral competition is bigger than ever, with the finals April 10 at Music Hall.
A new affinity group, Pride Affinity, will provide rewards and invitations to special events.
A YP party, Feb. 28, 6-8 p.m., at Music Hall.
A new Rewards program (more below) with the ultimate reward being tickets to “Hamilton” with dinner, overnight stay, and breakfast.
Chairing it all is Jim Henning, Duke Energy’s state president for utility operations in Ohio and Kentucky.
ArtsWave Days: 12 free events
ArtsWave reimagined its traditional Sampler weekend, and came up with 12 separate events known as ArtsWave Days, Brought to you by Macy’s. Each Saturday between Feb. 3 and April 21, the ArtsWave Days will feature curated events with a different theme, focus and venue.
Feb. 3, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Play Day
Visit the new home of The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati and experience jazz, drama, improv and creative classes and take in performances of “The Cat in the Hat” and “Maya Angelou: A Writer’s Legacy.” At Cincinnati Shakespeare Co., make egg shakers and then perform! Enjoy the Children’s Choir’s Bel Canto Choir, find out Why Shakespeare through an interactive performance and enjoy A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Stop by The Carnegie and enjoy hands-on art making and drama games. At the Campbell County Library, experience ballet performances from CCM, face painting from Rainbow Faces, catch Roundabout Opera’s “Trip Jones and Case of the Missing Music” and enjoy Jumping over the Moon with Madcap Puppets. At The Opera Express, see live, short performances in a rig.
Feb.10, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. I (heart) Arts!
Sing, move, listen and create at Clifton Cultural Arts Center. Create pottery, sculpture, dance, music and visual arts at Fitton Center for Creative Arts. Enjoy belly dancing and kung fu at Fairfield Community Arts Center. Make your own outfit and compete in a fashion show at Kennedy Heights Arts Center. Enjoy Hip Hop and Filipino dance at Wyoming Fine Arts Center. Try your hand at anime at The Barn. Experience Storied Threads, Behringer-Crawford’s new exhibit, profiling local textile artists. Enjoy silhouette art at Campbell County Library in Alexandria. Listen to a cappella gospel and R&B at Campbell County Library in Newport. Enjoy full access to Pyramid Center Sculpture Park. Hoop dance and sing at Irish Heritage Center. Contemporary Dance Theater offers a new look at dance with interactive dancing and a craft activity.
Feb. 17, 6-7:30 p.m. Date Night
Wine tasting with performances, followed by shows at three OTR venues. At Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, you’ll enjoy wine tasting while being serenaded by Tracy Walker, singing folk, blues, jazz, and rock, followed by a performance of “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.” At the Transept, sip wine and take in the Queen Cincy Opera singing popular songs about love and wine, with an 8 p.m. performance of the Cincinnati Symphony’s Orchestra performing Ravel’s La Valse. At Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, Full Moon Ranch will play Americana and folk while you enjoy your wine, prior to the last performance, an 8 p.m. show of the 2018 Tony award winner, “The Humans.”
Feb. 24, 3-5 p.m. Beer Choir Games, Urban Artifact, 1660 Blue Rock St.
Join us at Urban Artifact from 3-5 p.m. as members from over 25 local choral organizations (May Festival Chorus, MUSE, Cincinnati Boychoir, Cincinnati Children’s Choir, Cincinnati Men’s Chorus, and choirs from UC and Xavier University) organized by the Greater Cincinnati Choral Consortium lead us in a sing-along in traditional beer haul style. Download the Beer Choir Hymnal to practice beforehand. $1 per beer sold during event will benefit ArtsWave.
March 3, 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Jazz, Gospel & Arts, Eden Park
At the Cincinnati Art Museum, you will see spirituals in motion from Cincinnati Opera, a Protest Song Sing-in from Muse, Middle Eastern gypsy jazz fusion, Bollywood glamour from Cultural Center of India, and blues from John Ford. Afterwards, a free community preview performance of Cincinnati Playhouse’s “Marie and Rosetta,” the compelling life stories of two gospel singers.
March 10, 1-4 p.m. Get Active! with Support from Children’s Hospital
ArtsWave and FC Cincinnati host games on Sheakley Lawn at Nippert Stadium before the 4 p.m. game with Sacramento Republic. ArtsWave Pass members can get discounts to the game. Bollywood dancing from Nrityarpana School of Performing Arts, Drums Alive!, an interactive drumming program presented by Melodic Connections, and the Dance and Dash booth from MamLuft&Co Dance and Clifton Cultural Arts Center. UC’s CCM and Community Engagement will help you make your own blue and orange vuvuzela and all from recycled materials! Retired players will be available to sign autographs.
March 17, 1-4 p.m. Shamrock Family Fun
Celebrate St. Paddy’s Day with the entire family at Anderson Pavilion, with live entertainment, rides on Carol Ann’s Carousel and a free root beer bar throughout the afternoon. Learn to reel and jig with 4-Way, Cincinnati’s String Quartet featuring Irish Fiddle Champion Jack Boagard and dancers from the McGing School. Enjoy Peraza Music Workshop as you take in Irish, Celtic and Fiddle music. Clark & Jones Trio closes out the afternoon with Irish and Celtic music along with lively jigs.
March 24, 10 a.m .-3 p.m. Music Hall Open House
A second community-wide open house for Music Hall offers the chance to tour the newly renovated building, and choose from dozens of performances throughout the day from five resident organizations – the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Orchestra, and May Festival – and additional community arts partners. Join in and sing with the May Festival at 10 a.m., or bring your horn or violin and join the 2-3 p.m. poptet jam session conducted by CSO Pops Conductor John Morris Russell.
March 31, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Cincinnati Reds Kid’s Opening Day
Join ArtsWave and the Cincinnati Reds for arts and Opening Day activities for the entire family! We’ll have an ArtsWave tent with artists from Rainbow Faces to offer face painting plus so much more.
April 7, 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Be Our Guest Tea Parties, Sponsored by Dewey’s Pizza
The Cincinnati Ballet will perform “Beauty and the Beast” at 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., and whether you’re going to the show or not, you’re invited to a tea party across the street at the Contemporary Art Center, with Cincinnati Ballet, Flying Cloud Academy of Vintage Dance, Cincinnati Boychoir and Natyahasta School of Dance. Come down to The Banks outside the Great American Ballpark (on Freedom Way) and join choral groups from South and West Africa, an Arabic wedding procession, and princesses and princes dancing to the era of this beloved fable.
April 14, Art Walks, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Today’s the day to get out and walk the region! Starting at the Fitton Center (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.), you’ll get your map and tour the new StreetSpark murals as you take in Hamilton’s renaissance. After that, head over to Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park and Museum, which will be offering free admission for the day. If you’d rather hit OTR and the Central Business District, meet at the ArtsWave and ArtWorks office (noon-2 p.m.) and get a map, plus stop by to see Elementz Hip Hop to record your own rap, DJ, and learn an eight-count dance routine; then take in the Weston Art Gallery along your way to see two exhibits running concurrently. Or start at Hotel Covington (noon-2 p.m.), get your map and tour Covington’s murals as outlined by the Catalytic Fund.
April 21: Block Party, 6-9 p.m., Taft Museum of Art
A large festive event tent over the Taft garden will be jumping with a community block party in full swing. Guests will enjoy music, crafts, games, as well as food and themed-beverages for purchase. Live music will be performed by Bacchanal Steel Drum Band from 6-8 p.m. and Sharon McCullum from 8-9 p.m. Help celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Flying Pig Marathon, by participating in the Dream Big street art mural.
Inside, have full access to the Museum’s historic house and art collection, as well as the special exhibition, “Louis Comfort Tiffany: Treasures from the Driehaus Collection.”
For full details: ArtsWave.org/Days
Rewards for you
Looking for a few tangible rewards for your loyalty to the arts?
ArtsWave will launch a new loyalty program, ArtsWave Rewards, with weekly prizes throughout the 2018 community campaign. Grand prize is a Cincy Arts Staycation: two tickets to a performance of “Hamilton,” a room at the 21c Museum Hotel, dinner at Boca, breakfast at Metropole, and a $500 shopping spree at Macy’s, including personal shopper assistance.
To join ArtsWave Rewards: Download the ArtsWave Guide via its app, which can be found in the iPhone App Store and Android Google Play.
*This page will be updated throughout the campaign.