Updates from the PAR-Projects blog...

As our first week of thanks (#TogetherWeGrow) comes to a close, we'd like to solute an outstanding project that was spearheaded by the Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation. This one was dynamic, historic and quite tasty — Fireside Pizza. Oftentimes we hear about and/or read about new developments, but never quite know where they came from, what considerations were made, or even just who was really involved. Did someone swoop in from out of town? Was the community involved in the conversation? Do the tenants fit the neighborhood? The great news, is that this time around everything was done right, mostly thanks to the WHRF and their consistent engagement with the people of Walnut Hills. If you live in Cincinnati and have ever been to a Crafty Super Market or an outdoor even at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center , you may recognize the pizza trailer in this photo. Four or five years ago, that's how Fireside got its start. They make quick, crispy crust, delicious pies,

"Why even care about a Foundation in Walnut Hills?" - It seems like a good question at face value. "I mean really, foundations just donate dollars to kids and stuff ...right?" - Umm... let's stop there. A few days ago, we announced we'd be collaborating with the Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation in 2015. We thought it would stir up a little more excitement, but then a conversation with the WHRF events coordinator was recalled. Just weeks ago, she mention something to the tune of "We're not even really a 'foundation' in the typical sense, which confuses a lot of people when they see our name." So, who and/or what is Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation? - As their website notes: We are the community development corporation serving Walnut Hills and East Walnut Hills.  We believe a quality physical place is a driver of a healthy, safe, thriving community. So, we work to improve the physical environment of our neighborho

You know the term, a picture is worth a thousand words... When we paused for the picture above, all we knew is that we were enjoying our beverages; we were enjoying our conversation about the future of Cincinnati; we were enjoying sharing thoughts on how each of us was doing our part to help; and maybe most importantly, we were enjoying the work of the Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation — the creators of September's Food Truck Festival (2014). And for clarity the four different "WEs" represented in this photo are End Slavery Cincinnati , Mortar Cincinnati , Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation , and us of course ( PAR-Projects ). #TogetherWeGrow Given this information, the motivation of Fuel Cincinnati , plus the title of this post, we've decided to do something a little different as we approach this holiday season of giving. We're giving the spotlight to some folks we've worked with in the past, as well as a few organizations we'll be working

It's cold out there people... So as we begin finalizing our collaborations and plans for the warmth of 2015, we thought we'd take a look at some of the major things we've been able to accomplish in our short existence. To help illustrate some of the highlights you may not be aware of, we've put together a few images for your enjoyment. And worth noting, as you'll see, we're especially proud of the development we've been able to spark with our hard work, our volunteers' hard work, plus a bit of creativity and donor support. That said, after viewing our graphic below, we hope you'll consider joining our current fundraising campaign. For the first time in our history, we're offering affordable memberships, which will help us (finally) raise the extra funds we need to start building an art & education center for Northside, Cincinnati. So after enjoying some pics, please consider joining us over at...     + http://bit.ly/par500 We ne

If you follow us on social media, you probably already know... WE LAUNCHED OUR FIRST MEMBERSHIP DRIVE / FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN LATE LAST WEEK AND WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT IT ALL! Excitement aside, we are pleasantly surprised with the amount of positive response we've received since day one (actually prior to day one if we're being honest) — as our first week goal was to simply recruit 10 new members (at $40 each) and raise a solid $400. To our delight, after just 7 days, we ended up with 12 new members and over $900 in the till ...not bad right?!? That said, onward we go... During week two, we'll be calming down our number of posts to social media (just a bit); but in the same breath, we'll be asking our new members to start helping us get the word out, so you may see a post or two... here & there. The primary goal of this campaign is to build community after all. So really, our biggest hope is for our members to get as excited about this project as

If you hadn't heard, Northside Rising, a 50/50 event benefiting both PAR-Projects and The Apple Street Market initiative is less than two weeks away! Please mark your calendars and help us celebrate the purchase of our new land & building in Northside. We're delighted to (already) be hosting:   + Young Heirlooms   + Baoku & The Image Afro Beat Band When: Saturday, August 30th  - Performances start at 7pm Where: 1662 Hoffner Street  - Cincinnati, OH 45223 As they become available, more details will be launched to www.NorthsideRising.com Free "tickets" are also available at www.NorthsideRising.Eventbrite.com

If you enjoyed our BIG NEWS announcing our new land deal, why not help us celebrate at our sculpture garden along the Mill Creek Bike Trail this weekend? This Saturday (July 26th), we'll be hosting Ryan and Kelly Fine (of the Young Heirlooms) for an intimate performance amongst the sculptural work of Kate Demske, Ben Lock, Meg Mitchell and Sean Mullany. And if the weather forecast holds up, it looks like it may be the perfect afternoon to grab your favorite folding chair and/or blanket and join us in celebration of our recent news! A map to help you find parking is pictured below. We hope to see you soon! + Date: Saturday, July 26th + Time: Noon - 3PM + Address: 3950 William P. Dooley By-Pass Want to invite friends via Facebook as well?   Just Click HERE.

Depending on when you tuned in to the efforts of PAR-Projects, you may or may not know our overarching goal is to build an art & education center for Northside Cincinnati, that focuses on teaching practical arts (e.g. graphic design, web building and studio-related skills) at a community accessible level. Well, we're one step closer now that we've purchased a parcel of land in Northside -- which happened to come with a small building that will be used for office space and outdoor performances. More about our upcoming plans, our structured rollout and our fundraising goals for this project will be launching soon. For now though, please enjoy knowing Northside officially has a new place for events, community gatherings and quite possibly an outdoor, family friendly movie theater! Also, PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS: The first major event in our new space is scheduled for Saturday August 30th! It will feature food, beverages, live music, interactive artwork and will bene

With Brass Meets Bronze 2 less than two weeks away, we thought we'd spotlight a few artists to give an idea of the artistic bar we're setting with this exhibition. Pictured here is one of Robert "Boomer" Moore's pieces that will be featured in Brass Meets Bronze 2. Made from Indigenous Ohio Clay, Stoneware, Slip-cast Whiteware, Glass and Wood, "Drink Me" is a process oriented piece that allows the artist to reflect on his responsibilities as a father. As the West Virginia-based artist states " More conceptual and sculptural in nature, these pieces predominantly have gained their identities from concepts of utility, pacification, and environments stemming from being a parent. As a new parent, I was submersed in new forms and ideas of utility. Ideas bounding from breast-feeding to the same toys I looked at when making pots. However, I found myself looking at toys not as playthings but rather as pacifiers and their importance that infants/kids pl

1,400 miles and counting... On Saturday, May 10th, the second year of Brass Meets Bronze lands in the heart of MainStrasse Village (Covington, KY) and it recently dawned on me that a lot of folks have no idea the lengths we're going to put this event together. With that in mind, we've decided to create a mini-blog series (thanks Ray) to loop people into this journey …and what could be more fitting than to start with the first major road trip?!? The adventure to bring some exciting out of town work to the Northern Kentucky/Southern Ohio region began last Thursday with a journey to meet up with Felandus Thames , a recent Yale grad who's creating all new work for Brass Meets Bronze 2. Our conversations were rewarding and when all was said and done, it was good to be in New York again …especially since the arts brought us there. Regretfully, we couldn't stay as a few other points were calling. From there, we rolled down to the Washington DC Metro Area to connec

"Cheers!" to an exciting 2014 season. We're looking forward to sharing all of our collaborative efforts ...and we hope you're ready.

Sometimes you just gotta take a break for a little dancin' and happiness! Hopefully your holiday season treated you well. Cheers to a happy 2014! And if you have a little time on your hands, the 24 Hour video experience can be found at: +  24HoursOfHappy.com