Did you feel it? That touch of fall in the air? That means the new arts season is starting. Orchestras, bands, theaters, museums, galleries – they’re all working to start the cultural year with a bang. Shutterbugs are in for a huge feast. We’ll help you with your itinerary. Read on.
It’s officially here…
FotoFocus Biennial opening | FotoFocus Center, 228 E Liberty St., Mount Auburn/Over-the-Rhine. 513-400-4027. DETAILS: Over the coming months, 65 venues across from Columbus to Northern Kentucky will host 74 exhibitions as part of the FotoFocus Biennial, the largest, themed, lens-based art celebration in the country. The 2026 biennial, the eighth, officially starts Wednesday and is the first since the opening of the FotoFocus Center. This year’s theme is “The Long View,” which considers aspects of time and perspective in photography and film, and how these mediums shape our understanding of the world. The opening program runs through Saturday. It helps establish the theme and unite the biennial’s broader programming. Check the schedule for artist talks, curator tours and receptions.
The FotoFocus opening coincides with the openings of several exhibitions around town. Here’s a look at the biggest:
- Cincinnati Art Museum: “Secrets of My Power” is a retrospective of the career of Nancy Rexroth, who in the 1970s rendered the rural world around Athens, Ohio, with a low-tech, plastic camera called the Diana. The exhibition also marks the unveiling of the Nancy Rexroth Collection at the museum, an archive of more than 150 rare or unique photographs, personal effects, tools and previously unseen artworks. Museum members’ reception 5-7 p.m. Thursday; runs through Jan. 3.
- Contemporary Arts Center: The CAC hosts two exhibitions. “Widline Cadet: Seremoni Disparisyon (Ritual [Dis]Appearance)” is just the second presentation of this solo exhibition that explores Cadet’s emigrating from Haiti to the U.S., family, memory and belonging. “In the Interest of Time” presents work by seven artists with ties to Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky who investigate the relationship of their subject matter to time. Members’ and FotoFocus passholders’ events: 5-8 p.m. and public reception: 8 p.m. Friday. Exhibits run through Feb. 7.
- Weston Art Gallery: The Aronoff Center’s gallery hosts two shows. “Compressed Tenses” showcases photography of Paul Mpagi Sepuya, while “Assisted Living” features works by George Rush. Dual opening reception 6 -8 p.m. Friday.
- Manifest Galleries: The East Walnut Hills gallery jumped the gun a bit, opening “The Sweep of Time: Beyond the Horizon” last weekend. The exhibit’s 15 works by 10 artists look at the idea that time can ease the weight of the present. Runs through Oct. 23.
Măcelaru and Marsalis at the CSO
Cincinnati Symphony opening weekend | Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. 513-381-3300. DETAILS: Not satisfied with just an opening night, the CSO opens Christian Măcelaru’s second season as music director with a minifestival that features collaborations with jazz legend Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Marsalis announced in January that he was stepping down after 40 years heading the Lincoln Center orchestra, so we’re lucky to get him as part of what’s effectively a farewell tour. Guest artists for the weekend are violinist Nicola Benedetti and the entire Lincoln Center group. Here’s what’s in store:
- Oct. 2, 7:30 p.m. Benedetti plays the first Bruch concerto, but the marquee piece is Marsalis’ Symphony No. 5, “Liberty,” a commission by a consortium of orchestras including the CSO in honor of the country’s 250th birthday. The JLCO and CSO join forces in the hourlong work.
- Oct. 3, 7:30 p.m. Benedetti and Măcelaru won a Grammy for their recording of Marsalis’ violin concerto. The two bring the piece to Music Hall on Saturday, along with a jazzy reworking of Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.”
- Oct 4, 5 p.m. The weekend celebration closes with a concert by the JLCO alone. Come hear why it’s regarded as one of America’s great musical ensembles.
Friday, Oct. 2
Mutual Dance Theatre, South Chicago Dance Theatre | 7:30 p.m. Jarson-Kaplan Theater, Aronoff Center downtown. 513-621-2787. DETAILS: Mutual Dance Theatre isn’t missing a step in bringing exciting, innovative and often young dance companies to town. To get 2026-27 started, Mutual’s Jefferson James Contemporary Dance Theater Series offers the area debut of South Chicago Dance Theatre, the largest troupe slated for the season. The program includes an excerpt from artistic director Kia Smith’s “Josephine Project,” which traces her great-grandmother’s journey north out of the Jim Crow South, plus work by guest choreographers. Repeats 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
“The Art of Speaking Out: Stop Book Banning” | 5:30-7:30 p.m. Mercantile Library, 414 Walnut St., downtown. 513-621-0717. DETAILS: It’s not unusual for the Mercantile Library to host an event about art, but it’s rarely the host of an exhibition. Common cause in support of literary freedom sparked just that, though. “Stop Book Banning” is an invitational exhibition of original works inspired by banned books, censorship and intellectual freedom. Runs through Oct. 30 after Thursday’s opening reception (free but ticketed).
Playhouse in the Park, New Works Festival | 5 p.m. Rosenthal Shelterhouse Theatre, Mount Adams. 513-421-3888. DETAILS: After May’s successful pilot of the Made in Cincy: New Works Festival, the Playhouse is back with a second round. Three plays – by Amy Berryman, Tony Meneses and Maggie Lou Rader – will receive staged readings through the weekend. Saturday’s performance of “Talk” by Cincinnati-native Theresa Rebeck caps the minifestival. That world premiere production is the fruit of a PiP commission.
Saturday, Oct. 3
Cincinnati World Cinema, “Traces of Home” | 7 p.m. Garfield Theatre, 719 Race St., downtown. 859-957-3456 (FILM). DETAILS: Colette Ghunim isn’t connecting with her parents, nor they with her. Repairing those relationships leads her to the homes her parents were forced to leave as children in Mexico and Palestine. Ghunim’s documentary about those real-world and personal journeys has earned awards across North America, including the Grand Jury Prize at the DOC New York City Film Festival. Repeats 4 p.m. Sunday. A discussion follows each screening.
Kentucky Symphony, Three Kentucky Tenors | 7:30 p.m. Washington Park, 1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. 859-431-6216. DETAILS: Remember the hoopla when Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti joined forces as the Three Tenors? They sold out huge arenas with programs of opera favorites and Neapolitan songs. The KSO is ready to bring back that magic to launch its 35th season, but with three tenors home grown in the Bluegrass. Jesse Donner, Matthew Pearce and Daniel Weeks join music director James Cassidy for this greatest hits program. And, yes, I’ll be there, too, in my usual seat on stage. Come say hello.
Sunday, Oct. 4
CCJO, Scott Wojahn | 2 p.m. First Unitarian Church, 536 Linton St., Avondale. 513-227-1039. DETAILS: The Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra counts off its season with its first Jazz@First program of the year. Vocalist Scott Wojahn joins the Phil DeGreg Trio for an afternoon dubbed “The Art of the Unexpected.” Chalk that up to Wojahn’s fondness for putting his unique spin on songs one doesn’t think of as jazz standards. You know, songs by folks like Paul McCartney, Sting or Hank Williams. If that’s not appealing enough, your ticket even gets you wine and cheese at intermission.
Tuesday, Oct. 6
Cindependent: Female Directors of the Silent Era | 7:30 p.m. Woodward Theater, 1404 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. 513-345-7981. DETAILS: Besides reopening the Mariemont Theatre and hosting its annual festival at Memorial Hall, the folks at Cindependent are spreading its wings through a silent film series at the Woodward, called Reverse Shot, which looks at the early days of cinema through – dare I say it? – a fresh lens. The series kicks off with “A Brief HERstory: Female Directors of the Silent Era.” The evening includes four movies, running nine to 41 minutes, directed by women in roughly the film industry’s first 20 years. Live accompaniment will be provided by Leia Bulger and Annie D. A discussion led by Northern Kentucky University film professor Sara Drabik follows.
Discover more from Movers & Makers
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.