Updates from the PAR-Projects blog...

Our site is closed for the winter, so we're back on track with future site + education planning. With the help of our first successful Ohio Arts Council grant, our friends at Team B Architecture & Design have been hired to help us reimagine and create a phasing strategy for the construction (and full renovation) of our 6,000 square foot building and its attached courtyard. If you look closer at the image, you can get an early look at how our site planning is going. And if curious, some of our other partners are noted within the sketching as well. The good news?  To help inform the future of our Northside Headquarters, Team B has created a public input survey! If you're reading this before November 30th, 2018, you still have time to participate in this info-gathering session. Just click this sentence to be redirected to the short survey! Specifically, we're hoping you — residents and friends afar — will help inform the design of our space to help serve yo

Billy Colbert is a working artist and new media art professor at Delaware State University, who coincidentally started the university's New Media major at the beginning of his tenure. As an artist, he has extensively shown works of various media throughout the country. And concerning subject matter, many of his works examine cognitive dissonance in popular culture and celebrate the unsung contributions of American culture.   Colbert earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Frostburg State University in graphic design and his MFA from University of Delaware in Painting.  At the University of Delaware, Colbert was a Presidential Fellow.  In 1999, Colbert was awarded Best of Show and the Mixed Media Purchase Prize at the African American Museum in Dallas, Texas -- part of an art competition juried by MacArthur Genius Award winner, the late John T. Scott of New Orleans.   Aside from The African American Museum in Dallas, Texas, Colbert's work is featured in many pu

SOooo, this post was started on August 10th. Wow. It's currently the day before December and it's just posting. There's always been a bit of the good pain associated with Northside Summer Market and 2018 was no different. "Life" was just happening at high speeds this time around. After months of reflection, it seems the best plan is to continue with some of the transitions that took place this year — the new locations and a much more creatively engaged neighborhood were both successes. As I texted one of our supporters the day after, I believe we've finally figured this thing out. That said, we owe a number of apologies. The brewery was still awaiting occupancy and we didn't have central location vendors sign contracts, so when black clouds and heavy winds arrived, there was no real way to stop the panic that (somewhat understandably) ensued after the first three or four tents packed up their fragile work.  Prior to this year, we had never ex

See you soon Cincinnati! Susan Ferrari Rowley is a pioneer in the medium of fabric sculpture. Her career was launched in the late 1970s when she was selected to participate in “Young Americans: Fiber/Wood/Plastic/Leather,” a competition held every decade by the American Crafts Museum to discover artistic talents under the age of 30. A distinguished panel of judges chose Ferrari Rowley based on the novelty of her approach to sculpture. After gaining notoriety for her craft, the charismatic artist cemented a name for herself in Manhattan art circles, the result of a decade-long showing at the famed OK Harris Gallery. Today Ferrari Rowley who resides in Rochester, New York, divides her time between her career as an art professor and her love of pushing the boundaries of sculpture. Her latest large-scale piece ‘She’ will is currently on a six-month display at the international exhibition  “TIME SPACE EXISTENCE” in Venice, Italy. This iconic exhibition, being held as a collatera

 Hitting Pause:  We're considering this our People's Liberty moment . In that instance, one of the most influential experiments Cincinnati has (maybe ever) seen decided to hit the pause button. Not because they didn't have funding, not because they lost their direction; they did it because it didn't feel right. From what I personally understand, a leading factor was the mix of applicants wasn't yet a true "mix of applicants," and they felt they NEEDED to do something — retool, reinvestigate, reassess — in order to get things right. They cared about what they were trying to put forth and had to do the adult thing. PAUSE. And speaking as an observer, even in just casually visiting their website, the relaunch worked out really well. With that similarity in the rearview, and on behalf of PAR-Projects , I'm announcing the pause of The Street Festival portion of Northside Summer Market ....until 2020. This is happening for a number of reasons

The P.A.R. in PAR-Projects stands for Professional Artistic Research, so with each collaboration and each challenge we do our best to not just go with the easy answer (or someone else's solution) before taking time to consider multiple options, related to what we're trying to accomplish. Another aspect of our research is the kind found in a university setting. It can be challenge-based, project-based, or based in the simple desire to seek knowledge. We don't take deep dives like this at a specific pace, but we do enjoy sharing the work when it's complete. The remainder of this post is by Gabrielle Roach, our 2017 fellow. Her assignment was to observe the creative and/or community dynamics of Cincinnati, reflect on the work PAR-Projects does,  then create a meaningful piece of writing.  We believe she did a great job, and plan to pursue her proposal at some point down the line. And simply for clarity "Makers Mobile," which she refers to

To commemorate a decade of business in Cincinnati, our friends at Switch Lighting & Design are hosting a Grand Re-opening and fundraiser for PAR-Projects! Switch is owned and operated by Bertie Ray III and Drew Dearwester, who opened their first storefront on Vine Street in Over The Rhine, back in 2008.   Bertie's dynamic salesmanship and Drew's remarkable eye for design has set them apart as a team and their success has allowed them to open a second, much larger  location on West 4th Street in Downtown Cincinnati.   Both locations reflect their love of their business, along with the flexibility and power light has as a material for creating beauty.   For these reasons, Switch Lighting & Design has  become a Cincinnati landmark and now serves clientele from around the country.   PAR-Projects is honored to be part of the Grand Re-opening of the Vine Street location on Friday April 6th.   Join us for a night of inspiring design and the reveal of Switch'

Kailah Ware is a Cincinnati-raised photographer and film producer.  Since graduating from Wright State University, Kailah has worked on a number of local production projects, and recently won a People's Liberty grant for her project, 1 Degree of Separation .  What does community mean to you?   For me, community means support.  Everyone needs a community of people who share similar interest, a community that they can both build and depend on.  Building community is something that is ingrained in all of my artwork.  I am constantly looking for opportunities to connect with others and grow my community.  Why are you interested in PAR-Education or community education in general?   Community education is crucial to growing any community.  It gives a community the ability to grow and create together.  Co-creation is a powerful tool in getting to know the community you are part of.  What do you work toward in your free time? I write in my free time.  I am currently working to

Billy Simms is a printmaker, photographer, performer, and sculptor.   He recently received his MFA from Miami University, where he focused on printmaking.   He also holds an undergraduate degree in Theatrical Scenic and Lighting Design from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and a Masters degree in Special Education from The Johns Hopkins University. What does community mean to you? Being kind and supportive of others. Why are you interested in PAR- Education? It's an opportunity to interact and give back to the community. You’re a new addition to the crayon box. What color would you be and why? An eraser, so I can revise. What inspires you? My wife. What would you do in the event of a zombie apocalypse? Make sure that my cats are fed, their litter is scooped and that they are taken care of. #FunFact: I have written an award winning novel that has only one word. - - - - Billy's first FREE workshop launches Wednesday, March 1

Gabrielle Roach  was born in St. Louis, Missouri and raised in Terre Haute, Indiana. She received her BFA in painting and printmaking from Indiana State University in 2014 and was awarded a Master of Fine Arts degree from Miami University in 2017. What does community mean to you? Community to me, extends beyond just where you live.  Communities can be elective and centered around one's interests. As a creative, one of my most precious communities is that of the art world.  I've forged professional networks and life long friendships with fellow artists that are some of my most enriching and rewarding relationships. Why are you interested in PAR-Education? I'm interested in PAR-Education not only because I love teaching but also because I truly believe in the transformative power of the arts.  I also enjoy working within my community because I like to feel connected to the place I live and work and the people who make Cincinnati neat! You're a new ad