Summer is culturally here, even if the solstice is still a few weeks away. In some cities, that might mean less culture. Not here. We just move it outside. There’s also a visual cornucopia of art openings indoors this week to delight the eye. Read on and plan your busy week ahead.
Take it outside…
Free outdoor concerts | various venues. DETAILS: In Cincinnati, the sound of summer is music. Sure, there are plenty of ticketed concerts to see big name acts at places like Riverbend. It’s easy to forget, though, just how much free music there is around town, covering a really broad range of styles and genres. If you want to get out of the house, it almost doesn’t matter what day it is; there’s free music waiting for you. Here’s a look at the most prolific venues:
- Fountain Square: It’s been the heart of the city for 150 years, and you can thank the folks at 3CDC for keeping it fresh with a constant parade of evening music. New on Mondays this year is Strings on the Square – a quartet from StringSource playing pop arrangements near the bar. (See them play indoors above.) Back again this year are Jazz at the Square (Tuesdays); Southern Sessions – folk, roots and Americana (Wednesdays); and Salsa on the Square (Thursdays).
- Washington Park: Over-the-Rhine’s living room offers summerlong series for jazz (Mondays) and bluegrass, roots and Americana (Thursdays).
- Smale Park: Cincinnati Parks offers regular performances at two venues on the river, the Schmidlapp Event Lawn and the Castellini Esplanade.
- But wait, there’s more: Some Cincinnati neighborhoods, like Clifton (see below), have concert series. So do several suburbs, like Greenhills and Covington/Devou Park. Meaning you shouldn’t have to look far if you’re in the mood to groove.
Check out M&M’s comprehensive online listings for easy reference.
Wednesday, June 3
CCAC, Comet Bluegrass All-Stars | 7 p.m. Burnet Woods Bandstand, 3298 Clifton Ave., Clifton. 513-497-2860. DETAILS: Even before it had a permanent home, the Clifton Cultural Arts Center excelled at bringing music to its community. This summer it offers two concerts series, Wednesdays in the Woods, weekly at the Burnet Woods bandstand, and Saturdays in the Park, monthly at Inwood Park in Mount Auburn. Kicking off the 18th Wednesday series are a local favorite, the Comet Bluegrass All-Stars. It’s also Sustainability and Conservation Night, so look for representatives of local organizations focused on the environment, conservation and sustainable practices.
Thursday, June 4
ARTclectic Gallery, “Endless Summer” | 5-8 p.m. 6249 Stewart Ave., Silverton. 513-822-5200. DETAILS: The latest show from ARTclectic puts the spotlight on works by about a dozen artists from the Cincinnati region – and you can claim one for yourself (for a small fee, naturally). Exhibition runs through Aug. 31.
Eisele Gallery, two exhibitions | 6-9 p.m. 2838 Observatory Ave., Hyde Park. 513-791-7717. DETAILS: Two exhibitions open tonight. A solo exhibition of recent paintings by Cincinnati artist Trish Weeks shows her exploration of color, movement and contemporary abstraction. Also opening is “Dayton Now,” featuring painting, sculpture, and mixed-media works by more than a dozen emerging and established Dayton, Ohio-area artists.
Photo by John Faherty.
Mercantile Library, “Falcons!” | 6 p.m.,Mercantile Library, 414 Walnut St., downtown. 513-621-0717. DETAILS: One of the seasonal pleasures of spring in Cincinnati is watching the return of peregrine falcons to nest on a window ledge outside the Mercantile Library (that’s 11 floors up, you know). These days, we can follow the parents’ comings and goings, the eggs and then chicks personally thanks to social media. Tonight, though, you can visit in person and learn about nature’s fastest animal (their hunting dives can crack 200 mph) with Jeff Hays of RAPTOR Inc. and David Orban of the Cincinnati Zoo. John Faherty, the Mercantile’s executive director and prodigious poster of peregrine photos, moderates the discussion.
CSO, Pride Brady Block Party | 6:30 p.m. Brady Music Center, 25 Race St., downtown. 513-381-3300. DETAILS: This year marks the fourth annual Pride Block Party to kick off Pride Month. Attendees can experience giveaways, food trucks and activities organized by more than a dozen partner organizations before the 8 p.m. Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra concert. Performers are to include Thorgy Thor from “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Anita Spritzer, and local drag performers Johnny Justice and Quasi Powell. Daniel Wiley conducts.
Friday, June 5
Solway Gallery, two exhibitions | 5-8 p.m. 424 Findlay St., West End. 513-621-0069. DETAILS: Twin exhibitions focus on two artists with Cincinnati ties. After 40 years as primarily a Cincinnati painter, Robert Fronk has created three-dimensional assemblages that incorporate wood-milled industrial foundry patterns – relics of Cincinnati’s famed 20th century machinist trades – billed as “Assisted Readymades.” Tom Marioni left Cincinnati for San Francisco after graduating from the Cincinnati Art Academy in the 1950s. “Drawings, Prints and Other Work” shows his art in several media. Runs through Aug. 28.
Ethos Art Collective, “Barns Unlimited” | 6-8 p.m. 7507 Hamilton Ave., Mount Healthy. 513-720-5195. DETAILS: Ethos Art Gallery is teaming with artist Robert Kroeger on a unique fundraiser exhibition. The show benefits Cardinal Land Conservancy, which recently received a donation of 30 acres of generations-old farmland near Finneytown. The crown jewel of the property is a more-than-200-year old barn, but it needs some work to make sure it’s around for another couple hundred or so. Kroeger is a fan of barns and has published three books on them. The exhibition features his paintings. Artist talk: June 20, 1 p.m. Runs through June 26.
Esquire Theatre, Bleak Week | 7 p.m. 320 Ludlow Ave., Clifton; 513-281-8750. DETAILS: The Esquire is one of 82 cinemas worldwide to take part in a weeklong look at films that venture into “the darkest sides of humanity and the bleakest points in human history.” The 17 movies cover a wide swath of cinematic history, from 1945’s “Detour” (1:40 p.m. Saturday) to 2017’s “The Killing of a Sacred Deer,” which opens the (dare we call it a) festival. In the latter, director Yorgos Lanthimos recasts the Euripides tragedy “Iphegenia in Aulis” as a modern horror story set – and filmed – in Cincinnati. Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman play the parents that must decide whether to make a cruel sacrifice to save their family. Films continue through June 11.
Saturday, June 6
Planet Dance, summer showcase | 5 p.m. Jarson-Kaplan Theater, 650 Walnut St., Downtown. 513-621-2787 (ARTS). DETAILS: Members of Exhale Dance Tribe join preprofessional program students of Planet Dance. Exhale celebrates the full range of modern and rhythm-based dance.
Sunday, June 7
Taste of Lebanon | Noon-7 p.m. (“God willing”) St. Anthony of Padua Maronite Catholic Church, 2530 Victory Parkway, Walnut Hills. DETAILS: You’ve had a whole week to recover from Taste of Cincinnati, and Panegyri is still weeks away. If you need a fix of Mediterranean food and culture now, though, have no fear: The fine folks at St. Anthony’s have your covered at their annual mahrajan (that’s Arabic for festival) celebrating all things Lebanese. (Why Lebanon? Because the Maronites are an Eastern Rite Catholic church based in Lebanon, that’s why.)
Tuesday, June 9
Woodward Cinema, “Pride” | 7 p.m., Woodward Theater, 1404 Main St., Over-the-Rhine; 513-345-7981. DETAILS: It’s no surprise that the Woodward’s film series, already a showcase for movies about marginalized people around the world, would screen an LGBTQ+ title during Pride month. It is a bit of a surprise, though, that the film chosen is director Matthew Warchus’ “Pride.” The warm-hearted 2014 comedy tells the story of gay U.K. activists that mobilize to help coal miners during the 1984-85 strike that saw Britain’s miners union essentially broken. Bill Nighy and Imelda Staunton top the bill, so you know it’s entertaining despite the bleak setting. Tickets are more pricey than usual because the events doubles as a fundraiser for the Democratic Socialists of America’s Metro Cincinnati chapter. Representatives from labor, LGBTQ+ and like-minded organizations will be on hand to share information and opportunities for involvement.
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