Cincinnati and the Arts

Cincinnati Art Museum

• Located in scenic Eden Park 953 Eden Park DriveCincinnati, Ohio 45202

• Features an unparalleled art collection of more than 60,000 works spanning 6,000 years.

• hosts several national and international traveling exhibitions each year. 

• Open Tues-Sun>>>Admission is FREE!!

History

• Women’s Art Museum Association formed in 1876 to bring Art to Cincinnati

• 1881 – Cincinnati Museum Assoc. was formed with the intent of putting together a permanent museum.

• 1886 – The Cincinnati Art Museum opened in it’s present location.

Original Cincy Art Museum Bldg

• The original building has had major renovations over the years.– Generous support of several Cincinnatians

led to a collection in the tens of thousands

• 1907 & 1965 – Two new wings were added to the building.

• 1993 - $13 million renovation

• Today – Over 60k objects making it the larges collection in Ohio.

• Director – Aaron Betsky – Former director of the Netherlands Architecture Institute

Current Collections/Exhibits

• Wedded Perfection: Two Centuries of Wedding Gowns - Wedded Perfection unravels more than 200 years of the evolution of the wedding gown paralleled with the social, economic and political status of the women they adorned.

• Heavy Metal: Arms and Armor - Medieval tales from legend and literature, such as Robin Hood, King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, and the quest for the Holy Grail, come to life at the Cincinnati Art Museum

• Force of Nature - Contemporary Japanese ceramics and Barbizon paintings seem, at first, to be an unlikely pair. But through unique pairings of ceramics on loan from the Jeffrey and Carol Horvitz collection with the Art Museum’s Barbizon paintings, you will discover illuminating similarities

• Some Sights from The Cincinnati Art Museum (5:35)

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra• http://cincinnatisymphony.org/Hom

e.php• Director – Paavo Jarvi

– Paavo Järvi, one of the most sought-after conductors of his generation, became the 12th Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in September 2001. His dynamic leadership on the Cincinnati podium has captured international attention, attracted new artists to Cincinnati’s historic Music Hall and consistently won praise from critics. “Paavo Järvi (is) putting the Cincinnati Symphony on the map,” declared Gramophone Magazine on the cover of its February 2003 edition

History

• Founded in 1895, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is the fifth oldest orchestra in the United States and represents the evolution of 200 years of musical tradition in the Queen City.

• By the 19th century with the influx of German’s to Cincy..there was interest in musical organizations being created. – The Harmonical Society – German brass band– Apollonian Society – Had 40 members in their band– Orchestra of the Musical Society Fund

• On January 17, 1895 Frank Van der Stucken conducted the first concert of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

History Continued• Temporarily disbanded 1907-1909 due to $$• 1912 Ernst Kunwald, former conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, arrived. Under his

directorship the CSO made its first recording for Columbia in 1917

• 1958 by Max Rudolf, former conductor of the Metropolitan Opera, who led the CSO on a memorable 10-week world tour in 1966 (under the auspices of the United States Department of State) and a four-week European tour in 1969

• An exciting new dimension was added to the orchestra in 1984, with the opening of Riverbend Music Center-officially The Hulbert Taft, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, J. Ralph Corbett Pavilion. Riverbend, located on the banks of the Ohio River, has attracted national attention for its post-modernist design by architect Michael Graves.

• 1986, Jesús López-Cobos led the orchestra into a new era of international acclaim. He retired from the orchestra in August 2001 after 15 seasons, the longest tenure of any Music Director in the history of the CSO. He became Music Director Emeritus of the CSO in September 2001

• Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra: “Musical Seduction”

• March 25-17, 2010

Cincinnati Arts Association• www.cincinnatiarts.org

• Founded in 1992, the Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) is a not-for-profit organization that oversees the programming and management of the Tri-state’s finest performing arts venues – the Aronoff Center for the Arts and Music Hall – and is dedicated to supporting performing and visual arts.

• Each year, CAA presents a diverse schedule of events; serves upwards of 700,000 people in its venues; features the work of talented local, regional, and national artists in the Weston Art Gallery (located in the Aronoff Center); and supports the work of more than one dozen resident companies.

• Since the inception of its acclaimed arts education programs in 1995, CAA has reached nearly three-quarters of a million students.

Aronoff Theatre

Aronoff Theatre Cont’d

• The Aronoff Center for the Arts is located in the heart of downtown Cincinnati. Designed by renowned architect Cesar Pelli, the state-of-the-art facility opened in October 1995. The Center consists of three stunning performance spaces: Procter & Gamble Hall, Jarson-Kaplan Theater and Fifth Third Bank Theater.

In addition, the Aronoff Center also houses meeting and reception rooms, space for rehearsals and the Alice F. & Harris K. Weston Art Gallery.

• Cincinnati Ballet at the Aronoff Theatre (2:26)

Weston Art Gallery (inside the Aronoff)

• The Alice F. and Harris K. WESTON ART GALLERY, located in the Aronoff Center for the Arts, is Cincinnati's premier art space for the latest artist projects, collaborations, site-specific installations and new commissions. Located on two levels of the Aronoff Center for the Arts, the Weston Art Gallery is the staging ground for the most intriguing visual artists of the region. Exhibitions feature painting, sculpture, prints, photography, textiles, independent film, performance and electronic media. Ten diverse exhibitions are programmed annually in the gallery's 3,500 square foot museum-quality space

Music Hall

• Built in 1878 with private money raised from what is believed to be the nation's first matching grant fund drive, this Cincinnati showpiece has been renovated and updated and includes what is judged to be among the best and most beautiful concert theaters in the world.

• Ghost Stories from Music Hall (5:28)

• www.cballet.org• Mission: To inspire hope

and joy in our community and beyond through the power and passion of dance. 

• Vision: To be a ballet company that sets the standard regionally and nationally for artistic excellence, vitality and financial responsibility

• Mantra: Everybody Dances! 

The Early Years• In the 2008-2009 Season, Cincinnati Ballet celebrated its 45th anniversary.

• The first official auditions were in 1963 at the YMCA, where 41 dancers were chosen from the 200 hopefuls. Debut performances took place at the University of Cincinnati’s Wilson Auditorium in 1964 and 1965. 

• In 1966, the directorship passed on to a young visionary named David McLain, who at the time also headed the Dance Division of CCM. CCM gave the new company great advantages; studio space for classes and rehearsals, access to talented students, and the use of Wilson Auditorium for performances. As the organization matured, McLain’s vision grew more ambitious.

• The company was re-named “Cincinnati Ballet Company” in 1968 and gained the talented Carmon DeLeone as music director.

Building Professional Status 1970 -1989

• In 1970 true professional status was achieved when ten salaried dancers were hired.

• The Nutcracker, which premiered in 1974 at Music Hall, was sponsored by Frisch’s Restaurants. To the everlasting gratitude of ballet audiences, Frisch’s has continued to do so for the past 35 years.

• Beginning in 1978, performances were also held at Music Hall. The schedule expanded from three series to five by 1980. The company’s name was shortened to “Cincinnati Ballet,” and in 1983 a sister-city arrangement had begun with New Orleans to further increase performing opportunities.

Making a Home: 1990-1996

• Through the great generosity of the Kaplan and Budig foundations, a permanent home was built for the company on Central Parkway at Liberty Street in 1994

• The Aronoff Center for the Arts became the permanent home for the repertoire

Set to Soar: 1997-Present

• Victoria Morgan was appointed artistic director in 1997 and CEO in 2008

• To date there have been three groundbreaking collaborations between Cincinnati Ballet and BalletMet Columbus

• Cincinnati Ballet has attracted top dancers from all over the United States and world.

• As Cincinnati Ballet begins to prepare for the 50th Anniversary during the 2013-2014 season, it is acknowledged as one of the country's leading midrange ballet companies

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park

• http://www.cincyplay.com/• The Cincinnati Playhouse in

the Park is a professional regional theatre committed to producing and presenting for diverse audiences the broadest range of theatre in an inviting theatrical environment. Our mission is accomplished through works of the highest caliber produced on stage in a fiscally responsible manner, and through stimulating educational and outreach programs.

• Located in historic Mt. Adams overlooking downtown Cincy

• the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park has been offering audiences the finest in professional theatre for nearly 50 years.

• Today the Playhouse offers

productions 10 months out of the year, attracting nearly 200,000 people annually to its two theatres, the 626-seat Robert S. Marx Theatre and the intimate Thompson Shelterhouse, which seats 225. Each show enjoys a run of at least four weeks, with eight performances per week.

• It began in 1959 with the dream of a young college student, Gerald Covell.

• The original Playhouse was confined to the park shelterhouse that now houses the Thompson Shelterhouse Theatre.

• Within a very few years, as sold-out houses became the norm, it became apparent that the success of the Playhouse would cause it to outgrow the Shelterhouse

• Although productions have been presented first and foremost for the Tristate, the Playhouse always has contributed to the national stage

• Since 1990, the Playhouse has produced at least one world premiere production each season.

• The Playhouse also has a long tradition of bringing theatre into young lives. Today, approximately 60,000 young people typically participate in a Playhouse program each year

• In 2004, the Playhouse was honored with the Regional Theatre Tony Award ®. One of the most coveted awards in the entertainment industry

• Playhouse in the Park TV Ad 1 (:31)

• Playhouse in the Park TV Ad 2 (:31)

• A Christmas Carol @Playhouse in the Park (3:26)

Taft Museum of Art

• National Historic Landmark built about 1820 for Martin Baum, is the oldest domestic wooden structure in situ locally and is considered one of the finest examples of Federal architecture in the Palladian style in the country.

• William Howard Taft accepted the nomination for U. S. president underneath the house's portico. 

• The Tafts bequeathed their historic home and private collection of 690 works of art to the people of Cincinnati in 1927.

• After extensive remodeling and updating, the Baum-Longworth-Taft House opened as the Taft Museum in 1932.

• The Taft Museum of Art reopened on May 15, 2004, following a major renovation and expansion, which includes a parking garage, the Fifth Third Gallery for special exhibitions, Dater Education Room, Luther Hall performance/lecture facility, larger Museum Shop, and a Café.

• Today, the Tafts' distinguished collections are displayed in the Federal villa, which stands as one of the finest small art museums in the nation.

Contemporary Arts Center

• http://contemporaryartscenter.org/

• Located @ 44 East 6th Street – Downtown

• Founded in 1939 – 1st Displays were put together in the basement of the Cincy Art Museum.

• Contemporary Art – modern works of art and interpretation that are done by current living artists.

• 1940 – Put on an exhibit of Picasso’s works