The fireworks of Riverfest signal the cultural end of summer in these parts. Traditionally, that would usher in a transitional week or two as indoor seasons ramp up. No more. There’s so much to do, see and hear this week that one would never guess we’re supposed to be “between” seasons. If your ears aren’t still ringing too much from Sunday’s extravaganza, here are just some of the good bets for the coming week.
FotoFocus
We’ve told you in multiple stories about the incredible variety of events in store as part of the 2024 FotoFocus biennial. The visual tide is starting to roll in, and what’s opening just in the coming days gives you an idea of how broadly this event casts its net.
Thursday
Columbus College of Art & Design, “I Was Here” | 6 p.m. Beeler Gallery, 60 Cleveland Ave., Columbus, OH 43215. 614-222-3270. DETAILS: Works by emerging and underrepresented artists offer insights on disability, gender and sexual identity, aging, ancestry and community through photography, video, performance, collage and mixed media. Runs through Nov. 2.
Friday
The Contemporary Dayton, “Flora” and “Precious Blood” | 6 p.m. 25 W Fourth St., Dayton, OH 45402. 937-224.3822. DETAILS: “Flora,” in the Mitosis Gallery, shows Sean Wilkinson’s ongoing work with plants at Dayton’s Five Rivers MetroParks. Wilkinson was a mentor to Curtis Mann, a Dayton native whose “Precious Blood” is in the Brandt and Thomsen galleries. Mann affixes images to glass to create sculptural collages. Both run through Dec. 21.
Dana L. Wiley Gallery, “Michael Malone: Portrait of An American Organic Farmer” and “Paths of the Ecliptic” | 7 p.m. 1001 E. Second St., Dayton, OH 45402. 937-475-3794. DETAILS: Exhibitions by photographer and filmmaker Gary Beeber (“Michael Malone”) and photographer and educator Tracy Longley-Cook (“Paths”). Both run through Oct. 27.
Saturday
Kennedy Heights Arts Center, “Chapter 2, A Subtle Farewell to the Inner Child” | 6 p.m. 6546 Montgomery Road, Kennedy Heights. 513-631-4278. DETAILS: This solo exhibition by Gee Horton explores the inner child, black masculinity and the human spirit. More about Gee here. Runs through Nov. 2.
Thursday, Sept. 5
Clifton Cultural Arts Center, Rooftop Sessions | 6:30 p.m. 3412 Clifton Ave., Clifton. 513-497-2860. DETAILS: The CCAC’s new home is a lot more than an art gallery. With the worst of summer’s heat behind us (fingers crossed), even the roof is a venue. The Rooftop Sessions showcase local musicians on Thursdays through mid-October. First up is Jess Lamb, whose musical influences span pop, hip hop, rock and electronic music.
Mariemont Players, “Clybourne Park” | 7:30 p.m. Walton Creek Theater, 4101 Walton Creek Road, Mariemont. 513-501-1718. DETAILS: Community theater isn’t usually a venue for hot-button subjects, but Mariemont Players isn’t shying away from tough topics in playwright Bruce Norris’ squirm-inducing satire about race and property in the Clybourne Park community. First we’re in 1959, as white residents try to keep a Black family from moving in; then, 50 years later, the residents, now mostly Black, confront gentrification. Runs weekends through Sept. 22.
Friday, Sept. 6
Cincinnati Ballet, Kaplan New Works | 7:30 p.m. Jarson-Kaplan Theater, Aronoff Center, 650 Walnut St., Fountain District, downtown. 513-621-5219. DETAILS: Is it already that time? Yes, indeed. The perennial fan favorite is back for 2024 with four world premiere commissions from choreographers Darrell Grand Moultrie (American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, etc.), Christian Denice, Caroline Dahm and Gustavo Ramirez. Ten performances through Sept. 15.
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, “Fat Ham” | 7:30 p.m. Otto M. Budig Theater, 1195 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. 513-381-2273. DETAILS: As we told you in March, Cincy Shakes is balancing its core missions – presenting the Bard’s canon while crafting new works and innovative productions. This season’s Project Hamlet serves up three very different modern takes on the Prince of Denmark. The first, “Fat Ham,” is a barbecue-flavored Pulitzer Prize- and Tony-winning retelling by James Ijames that serves its revenge char-cold. Ijames’s lens is that of Black masculinity: The protagonist, Juicy, is a queer Black man who knows Hamlet’s story and tries to break the cycles of trauma and violence. There’s plenty of humor, too. Runs through Sept. 22.
Saturday, Sept. 7
Civic Garden Center, Fall Native Plant Festival | 9 a.m.-3 p.m. 2715 Reading Road, Avondale. 513-221-0981. DETAILS: With so many bulldozers and cranes at work in the city’s uptown neighborhoods, it’s understandable that you might have overlooked the Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati at Reading and Taft roads. Here’s your chance to get acquainted. Besides native plants from local growers, the annual festival includes educational sessions through the day, live music, food and drinks, and family-friendly activities. You’ll learn something whether you don’t know what a native plant is or have been growing them for years.
(Photo by Jennifer Marie Guenther)
Mount Airy, TrailFest | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 5083 Colerain Ave, Mount Airy. 513-357-2604. DETAILS: TrailFest promotes Cincinnati’s natural environment through partnerships with various organizations and resources. Home base is Oak Ridge Lodge, which will host speakers, activities, vendors, children’s entertainment, raffles, music and food trucks.
The Carnegie, Cincinnati Art Book Fair | Noon-6 p.m. 1028 Scott Blvd., Covington. 859-957-1940. DETAILS: This artist-run fair showcases books, catalogs, monographs, periodicals, prints and zines by more than 50 (mostly) Midwest artists and vendors.
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, American Roots: Songs of the Underground Railroad | 7:30 p.m. 50 East Freedom Way, The Banks, downtown. 513-333-7500. DETAILS: The Summermusik festival finished on a high note last month (a D, for the record), but the spirit lingers in this special event. Soprano Victoria Ellington, backed by a Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra string quartet, performs spirituals and other traditional Black folk songs that gave hope to those seeking freedom. There’ll be works by Black composers, too. Historian and author Ann Hagedorn gives a talk at 6:45.
Sunday, Sept. 8
Art on Vine | Noon-6 p.m. Washington Park, 1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. DETAILS: This festive monthly event heads indoors for cold months, so take advantage of this outdoor opportunity. More than 80 of Ohio’s makers and doers showcase their work and wares.
Tuesday, Sept. 10
Cincinnati Pops, John Legend | 7:30 p.m. Riverbend Music Center, 6295 Kellogg Ave., Anderson Twp. 513-232-5882. DETAILS: The Legend-ary EGOT winner joins the Pops under Anthony Parnther for stories and, of course, lots of songs – likely many from the singer’s latest album, the somewhat unimaginatively but efficiently titled “Legend.”
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