Examples of Charley Harper’s art are on countless gift shop shelves: mugs, gift cards, calendars, puzzles, planners, coasters, wind chimes, earrings, tiles – his images are everywhere. But what about Edie Harper, Charley’s wife? A new exhibit at the Taft Museum of Art gives Edie her due.
If you’re new to Cincinnati, then you know: The first question you were asked was “Where did you go to high school?” The second : “Where are you from?” If you ask Charla Weiss, you’re in for a treat. Her answer illuminates a personality informed by a kaleidoscope of landscapes and cultures and a passionate appreciation for the arts.
Over the years, Tamia Stinson has been described in many ways: serial entrepreneur, Slumber Party Dance-off Champion, visionary, “Purple Rain” aficionado, spreadsheet nerd. There is a bit of truth in each one of those, though I prefer to think of her as a matchmaker. She prefers “connector” to describe her work.
If you’re asked to picture the CEO of a major U.S. zoo, the image you conjure might look a lot like David Jenike. Tall, friendly and decked out in logoed work shirt, pants and boots, he could as easily be heading to pitch in on exhibit construction as to a media interview.
Paraag Maddiwar finally had a moment to catch his breath. The executive director of Asianati had just gotten through that organization’s marquee annual event, the Asian Food Fest. This year’s estimated attendance, buoyed by nearly perfect weather, was at least 150,000 exceeding last year’s 125,000.
Todd Palmeter doesn’t want buildings named for him. The CEO of Great Parks of Hamilton County is building his legacy outdoors. As he approaches his seventh anniversary in the system’s top job, he’s overseeing a major overhaul of its facilities and a refinement of its mission.
At age 18, Oliver (“Ollie”) Kroner wanted an adventure. Following the example of his Peace Corps parents, the newly minted Walnut Hills High School graduate joined Americorps and headed to New Mexico. He bought a 1970s single-wide trailer and spent a year working on trails and fire management in a national forest.
Nearly a decade ago, Easterseals stopped being a sheltered workshop and became a social enterprise. “Our competitors do not hire the people we hire, but we compete. And let me tell you, the companies buying what we are selling do not give two shakes about who works here. They just want the job done.”
The term “space activation” may seem squishy and confusing, but at 3CDC it boils down to maintaining two vibrant neighborhoods. The fact that those two neighborhoods are downtown and OTR means a lot of people are depending on Samad. “We are always answering the question of how do we keep our neighborhood vibrant and safe,” Samad said.
Mike Deininger and Carolyn Deininger’s story is a tale of love and art and leaps of faith. For the last 18 years, their gift shop and gallery MiCA 12/v has been a fixture on the corner for which it’s named, showcasing design-based, handmade local art at 12th and Vine streets.
