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July 14 16 30 2023 National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
RWUEBLRCIOCMTKE MESSAGE FROM ARTSWAVE S PRESIDENT CEO Dear Friends ArtsWave is proud to present the third annual showcase of new works by 18 of the region s leading Black and Brown artists supported by the City of Cincinnati Duke Energy Greater Cincinnati Foundation Fifth Third Bank Macy s and Cincinnati Children s Hospital Medical Center We gratefully acknowledge our program host the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center This year s showcase on the theme of Truth Healing features visual art fashion design painting and sculpture along with video documentaries film and podcasts There are also original musical compositions theater dance and multidisciplinary works The artists were selected by ArtsWave s panel of community stakeholders in a competitive process for funding last fall Out of 48 proposals the 18 chosen artists were determined to best capture the ideas of truth and healing Each received 10 000 to execute their project In addition to financial support for the creation of new art works the program helps artists develop valuable business and entrepreneurial skills This year s artists received professional development courses conducted by Wave Pool plus monthly networking and progress meetings with ArtsWave staff For the first time Orange Barrel Media OBM joined the program as a promotional partner featuring the artists on digital displays this summer Since its beginning ArtsWave s Black and Brown Artist Program has funded nearly 70 artists with 750 000 in artist commissions Part of our Diversity Equity Inclusion and Access plan Lifting As We Learn the program is one way in which ArtsWave is intentionally increasing resources for Black and Brown arts throughout the region Through their art these artists are interpreting the struggles and glimpses of hope in front of us Their stories are meant to inspire change It is our responsibility to stop listen and move forward with intentionality to create a more just kind and welcoming world ALECIA KINTNER ArtsWave President CEO Cover Artwork Michael Thompson 2 TRUTH HEALING ARTIST SHOWCASE
WRUEBLRCIOCMTKE MESSAGE FROM THE NATIONAL UNDERGROUND RAILROAD FREEDOM CENTER S PRESIDENT COO Art has the incredible power to convey emotions experiences and messages where words fail us It moves us and motivates us It reveals as much about ourselves as it does about the artist behind it The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is proud to be a host of ArtsWave s Truth Healing Artist Showcase part of their Black and Brown Artist Program For artists from communities that are so often muted ArtsWave is providing a platform through which they can showcase their voice their talent and their unique experiences We are honored to host these artists and to amplify their voices as they share their truths In standing before these works of art in witnessing these powerful performances we will hear their stories and with an introspective mind open our hearts to the shared beauty of our humanity and begin the healing process that will spur us closer toward inclusive freedom for all WOODROW WOODY KEOWN JR National Underground Railroad Freedom Center President COO MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR OF CINCINNATI Congratulations on the 2023 Truth Healing Artist Showcase This program is an amazing resource for Cincinnati s community of talented diverse artists We are extremely proud to be nationally recognized for our artistic footprint and resources and showcases like these are exactly what encourage us to keep pushing forward The Truth Healing Artist Showcase is a part of a rich fabric of exhibitions that provide unique outlets for artistic expression empowering local artists and stories for the benefit of every resident in the region Thank you to ArtsWave and every partner for continuing this program A core mission of mine and our entire city is building our future with equity in the center of the frame By uplifting our Black and Brown artists we are promoting a powerful and equitable community that will keep Cincinnati as a national leader in the arts On behalf of the City of Cincinnati congratulations again and I look forward to welcoming the showcase s visitors to immerse themselves in the stories these talented artists present AFTAB PUREVAL Mayor of Cincinnati TRUTH HEALING ARTIST SHOWCASE 3
FEATURED ARTISTS ASHA AMA Project AGAPE Artist Bio Asha Ama is a fashion designer and Project Runway all star She has designed for Zendaya Little Big Town and Lizzo s Special tour As a Black woman she often is misunderstood She is able to thrive in fashion because she was raised with a great knowledge of self that she tries to impart to others In 2021 Cincinnati proclaimed Asha Ama Bias Daniels Day and she was the Taft Museum s Duncanson Artist in Residence In 2022 she debuted her New Moon collection and exhibit to two sold out shows at the Contemporary Arts Center and later showed at the Cincinnati Art Museum Project Description AGAPE is a couture collection of men s and womenswear exploring gender fluidity and Black people s intentional separation in relation to our unique ability to possess agape love The world has strategically broken down our connection to our own identity and each other and yet Black people still find ways to dream find each other and love it s in our blood We are the survivors of those that chose to survive and our entire existence is made from pure selfless love What happens when we fulfill the prophecy and fall in love with each other again JULIA O BIANCO Project Togetherness Artist Bio Julia Orquera Bianco was born in Argentina and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Universidad del Museo Social Argentino In 2018 she graduated from the MFA program at Roski School of Art and Design and then earned a Certificate on Sustainability She is currently a student at Cincinnati Permaculture Institute Bianco works by interrogating constructs resulting from modern Western culture and collective memory through the experience of migration Identity then becomes something constantly being renegotiated in deep relation with the environment She uses labor to build knowledge and understanding of place experiencing it while remembering Project Description The tent is made with canvas dropcloth cyanotyped and further intervened by the artist Part of the cyanotype work was made using organic matter collected in Burnet Woods Inside the tent a series of uneven handmade cushions invoke the idea of gathering around a fire In the center of the tent stacks of poems written collectively during the Walking the Winter sessions can be found Writing prompts allow visitors to reflect on what it means to be and to make in community Togetherness is a work meant to be inhabited and interacted with a space for healing rest and reflection created with collaboration from Robin Klebau Jennifer Beach Derek Beach Madelyn McArthur and Curtis Graves Inspired by time spent collectively during the winter months Bianco creates a form of shelter that invokes the feeling of the winter in the woods as well as the feeling of a safe space to simply be with others 4 TRUTH HEALING ARTIST SHOWCASE
FEATURED ARTISTS BRENT BILLINGSLEY Project I m Still Listening Artist Bio Brent Billingsley is an artist and an empowering voice behind youth He s also a behavioral health specialist at Cincinnati Children s Hospital Medical Center Psychiatry and the CEO of ARTE a nonprofit geared toward utilizing therapeutic artistic engagement and the performing arts The goal is to utilize art as rhetorical vernacular and encourage people to do something they have never done before acknowledge the exertion forfeit maladaptive ideations and upon one s own artistic epiphany act on it Brent believes that the world can be changed through art through children and through us Project Description A continuation of the I m Listening project showcasing police community engagement this final product is a line of hand designed costume painted artistically rendered garments created by high school students With content arising from a series of facilitated discussions with students teachers and police the creation of these T shirts empowered youth through creativity design relationship building self esteem continuity of care artistic drainage of emotions focus and fun PRESTON BELL CHARLES III Project Divided Roots Seeing Is Believing Artist Bio Preston brings the violin outside of the classical realm into a modern immersive musical experience It s hard to produce something new in today s world but he has steadily produced original tunes playing the violin in a way that demands not just to be heard but experienced This past year Preston helped create and score the documentary A Citizen s Journey Through Truth Reconciliation a project powered by ArtsWave that can be found on his website makeithappenmusic com Project Description A dual media project Divided Roots utilizes video and audio elements to tell the stories of Cincinnati A love letter to the region audiences will be immersed in the community like never before the good bad ugly and everything in between The project will show not only how African Americans have shaped what Cincinnati is today but how they ll continue to shape it in years to come TRUTH HEALING ARTIST SHOWCASE 5
FEATURED ARTISTS MICHAEL COPPAGE Project Hands Behind Your Back from The 12 Commandments series Artist Bio Michael Coppage is a conceptual artist using an interdisciplinary dialectical approach to address social issues He is a three time recipient of ArtsWave s Black and Brown Artist Program grant and also received Ohio s Pretrial Justice grant and Awesome Foundation grants in New York and Philadelphia He completed a TEDx Talk titled Everybody s Racist and it s OK His most successful project is BLACK BOX a community impact project aimed at demystifying Blackness that s impacted more than 2 million people in 20 countries to date Coppage has several public works set for completion in 2023 Project Description The 12 Commandments series is a play on words using the 10 commandments and 12 a slang term from rap culture meaning police Directly in conflict with commandments like thou shalt not kill and thou shalt not bear false witness police have historically used their power to demonize arrest maim and kill Black people This sculpture highlights how even compliance with these commands can end in death This project is not meant to demonize police but to highlight the assertion of power over Black bodies and the systemic issues that arise as a result DESIRAE THE SILENT POET HOSLEY Project Social Therapy Are We Healing Artist Bio Desirae The Silent Poet Hosley was born and raised in Cincinnati Known for being the quietest person on the scene it s astounding to see such a little lady with such a big voice that packs a powerful punch She is a spoken word artist motivational speaker actress and community organizer Because of her background as a peer advocate and rape crisis counselor her poetry helps the reader to open their hearts and minds Applauded for not being apologetic for any of the words that come out of her mouth this has helped her be fearless and attain many of her great accomplishments Project Description Social Therapy Are We Healing is a fivepart documentary series with a live audience featuring an open dialogue questioning whether the arts are a healing source for the BIPOC community or a trigger of recurring events without restoration of peace These conversations will open the door to understanding how an artist s art is more than a conversation It s a way to rebuild connection after grieving past experiences 6 TRUTH HEALING ARTIST SHOWCASE
FEATURED ARTISTS DEQAH HUSSEIN WETZEL Project Urban Renewal Means Negro Removal Artist Bio Deqah Hussein Wetzel is an artist preservationist and urban historian who uses creative and innovative media like her podcast Urban Roots to uplift and amplify Black voices Her work dives deep to unearth little known stories from urban history by speaking directly to communities impacted by top down urban planning practices like urban renewal and gentrification Deqah is also the founder of an anti racist community preservation nonprofit Urbanist Media which seeks to elevate underrepresented voices by helping preserve the stories and places significant to people of color Project Description Urban Renewal Means Negro Removal is a follow up to Deqah s 2021 documentary Lost Voice of Cincinnati Through archival photographs historic aerials and modern drone footage it illustrates the physical changes that the construction of Interstates 71 and 74 caused in three predominantly African American neighborhoods in Cincinnati Evanston Avondale and South Cumminsville Interstate highways have a complicated place in American history providing direct downtown access to those living outside of the city center while systematically dividing and confining Black communities These projects triggered socioeconomic decline in BIPOC neighborhoods that continue to linger Deqah offers a human centered way to understand their consequences In the words of James Baldwin urban renewal means Negro removal that is what it means CHENELLE JONES Project Yemaya Sista to the Distant Yet Rising Star Artist Bio Chenelle Jones is a dancer with CA 2 pronounced see ay squared a creative street dance troupe founded by Black women driven to uplift latent passion in all people through dance CA 2 is an acronym for confidently creating active achievers With teammates Camille Jones and Anaya Ni Kole Chenelle performs street dance a fusion of authentic Hip Hop and contemporary original choreography freestyle Project Description This project elevates the artistic practices of dance and DJ ing as modes of storytelling The three part story utilizes the mythology of Yemaya to explore the journey and battle for self acceptance faced by women of the African diaspora The CA 2 Dance Crew will lead the audience through each part of the story through dynamic dance Ultimately the message is one of defiance and represents Black Women reclaiming the right to live fully human existences free from confining standards bigoted opinions and racist sexist barriers that poison our sense of selfworth and hinder our spiritual ascension TRUTH HEALING ARTIST SHOWCASE 7
FEATURED ARTISTS ALAN LAWSON Project Legacy Artist Bio Alan Lawson is a musician and composer from Cincinnati At the age of 4 he began playing the violin and soon after started writing down the music he heard in his head Over the years he s won multiple awards including second place in the NAACP National Act So competition for contemporary music in 2008 and first place at the local level for classical music contemporary music and music composition in 2008 10 His love of music has led him to perform in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall Lincoln Center the White House and Cincinnati s own Music Hall Project Description Legacy is an original music composition for full orchestra strings woodwinds brass and percussion written to honor those who have fought for marginalized people s rights throughout history Celebrating MLK s march on Washington the piece encompasses the feelings of strength determination and unity telling an inspirational story through the universal language of music PABLO MEJIA Project Lejan a Artist Bio By the age of 6 Pablo knew only the life of a lower class Mexican child running free through flooded neighborhoods and finding joy in riding on the back of their mother s motorcycle As a young adult they took road trips through Latin America and began to discover their voice a product of those who have left everything behind Pablo s work walks the realities of arrival with the beauty of new lands and possibility contrasted with the pain we carried after that point Their vision is compounded by the strength and sacrifice inherent in immigration Project Description Lejan a is an expression of the new worlds we discover the distances we travel and the things we leave behind in search of freedom The need for this short film was inspired by the stories shared with the filmmaker at the Mexican American border in 2018 as they witnessed the exodus of thousands of people migrating north In fall 2022 they began to interview people from Central America who had made Cincinnati their new home Working with several members of one local family from Guatemala the filmmaker began to adapt their personal experiences of transition grief and hope The actors cast in this film have lived a version of this story Lejan a is the product of their narratives in collaboration with the artist s culminating in a modern tale of one woman s journey to find independence and call Cincinnati home 8 TRUTH HEALING ARTIST SHOWCASE
FEATURED ARTISTS DANIEL NOEL Project Nomad Artist Bio Daniel Noel s work as a musical and visual artist explores his complex relationship as a first generation immigrant navigating his adopted home while seeking love healing and community in a culture grappling with a complicated history Project Description Nomad is a series of songs written from the author s experience over a two year period It explores life as an immigrant and the challenges that can exist between two polarized spaces Themes of love heartbreak the pursuit of fitting in the unintentional consequences of expressing self through hair art and more fill the songs with a universality that ultimately points to healing and belonging GABRIEL MARTINEZ RUBIO Project Pato y Muerte Artist Bio Gabriel has developed his career as a dancer and choreographer between Mexico and the U S working with different dance and theater companies including Cincinnati s Mutual Dance Theatre He created Dos Corazones Productions in 2019 to connect the Hispanic community with the Greater Cincinnati community In 2021 and 2022 Gabriel received the Black and Brown Artist Program grant from ArtsWave and created NOSOTROS US a dance piece including video interviews about being an immigrant in Cincinnati and Monarca Lost Butterfly In Memoriam a multidisciplinary piece which pays homage to those who are lost during their immigration journey Project Description Pato y Muerte is a playful dance theater performance with a message suitable for children and adults The original script was based on a German tale and reflects the understanding of death friendship and loyalty in Mexico and other Latin cultures Death simply serves as a friendly reminder that although we mourn we also celebrate life loyalty and friendship Through this celebration as well as the bonds we create with others our loved ones continue living This project also includes free dance workshops for children in Spanish and English taking place in areas of the city accessible to diverse communities TRUTH HEALING ARTIST SHOWCASE 9
FEATURED ARTISTS ROWAN SALEM Project Viewpoints Embodied Middle Eastern Voices in Cincinnati Artist Bio Rowan Salem is a dance artist and educator originally from Massachusetts and currently based in Cincinnati She earned an MFA in Choreography and Performance as a Teaching Fellow Gretchen Moran Scholar at Smith College Her work incorporates compositional improvisation exploring perspective shifts through choreography and performance all through her embodied experience as an LGBTQ person Rowan s current teaching affiliations include Xavier University Northern Kentucky University and Cincinnati Ballet Academy at the Cincinnati Ballet Project Description Highlighting the stories of Cincinnati residents of Middle Eastern descent Viewpoints Embodied is a series of interviews and dance films Dance has the potential to uncover new points of view and showcase the diversity of backgrounds that make our communities stronger K A SIMPSON Project FLIPd Cincinnati Ohio s Historic Places and Spaces Told through African American Stories Artist Bio Kareem K A Antonio Simpson is an author whose work challenges the notion of societal norms His work has been published and exhibited across the U S and throughout the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky region Simpson is author of Bro Kin RIVER 2021 an original 60 minute stage play based on the true story of Margaret Garner His other works include Chronicles of a Boy Misunderstood 2013 an eye opening look into the life of Black gay men Project Description FLIPd is an episodic podcast exploring the historic places and spaces of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Utilizing narrative storytelling archival audio and immersive soundscapes it reframes our understanding of the region s history by telling the often overlooked African American perspective 10 TRUTH HEALING ARTIST SHOWCASE
FEATURED ARTISTS REBECCA NAVA SOTO Project TLACU PAHTI To eat To heal Artist Bio Rebecca Nava Soto is a multidisciplinary Xicanx artist based in Ohio She uses mixed media painting digital media and ephemeral installations to explore themes of perception writing iconography language technology healing and mysticism Rebecca earned her BFA in Painting from the University of Cincinnati and an MFA in Painting from Boston University She currently serves on the faculty at the Art Academy of Cincinnati Her artistic practice includes collaborative efforts public artmaking and educational workshops focused on Indigenous Mesoamerican art and history Her latest art series has brought awareness and invited public support of contemporary indigenous preservation and regeneration initiatives Project Description TLACU PAHTI pronounced TLA KWA PAHTI A is an immersive installation that s a personal poetic response into the healing connection between people food and earth medicines originating in North American and Mesoam rican indigenous traditions As culture science and medical institutions embrace these modalities and bring them into the mainstream how can we learn from our past and responsibly honor the original holders of this wisdom This project raises awareness and invites public support of the Indigenous Medicine Conservation Fund a non profit dedicated to aiding communities in preserving their heritage including traditional medicine MICHAEL THOMPSON Project Murmurations Artist Bio Michael Thompson is an interdisciplinary artist designer ethnographer and poet whose practice focuses on human ecology and nuance as he weaves together ancient and contemporary mediums to create multiexperiential works of art He has been awarded the Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award two ArtsWave Grants the Cincinnati Art Club Award and the Carl B Westmoreland Fellowship Michael is a TEDx Speaker and Artist in Residence Emeritus at the Cincinnati Art Museum Contemporary Arts Center Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra He was a BLINK 2022 muralist and winner of the largest Secret Walls Battle in history Project Description Murmurations explores the mesmerizing group movement of thousands of starlings as they flock in intricate and undulating patterns during their congregate flight as well as the power of collective action to protect and progress our communities The work draws parallels between natural and human systems recognizing and marveling at the strength and beauty achieved when working for the common good The project aims to emphasize interconnectedness resilience and the transformative potential of collaboration by inviting contemplation of our efforts toward justice and dignity The painting serves as a testament to the collective capacity of voices actions and aspirations working toward a shared vision TRUTH HEALING ARTIST SHOWCASE 11
FEATURED ARTISTS SILAS TIBBS Project Attrition Artist Bio Silas Tibbs is a formally trained filmmaker writer and thespian who seeks to use the mesmerizing powers of the cinematic theatrical and visual arts to articulate the unutterable and deepest longings of every human His work though crossing many mediums forms and genres seeks to remain deeply human Project Description In an Orwellian style science fiction narrative Attrition shows the African American experience unfolding in a dystopian future The aftermath of a devastating protest leads to the establishment of a strict government department the Department of Social Regulation Our story follows a disillusioned Black war veteran and his wife who undergo a final interview for an opportunity that holds the potential to change their lives As their interview approaches they grapple with the oppressive system and the difficult choices they must make to navigate the intricacies of the African American experience within this Orwellian world DR JASON C WHITE Project Keep the Faith A Community Musical Artist Bio Dr Jason C White is an accomplished actor awardwinning playwright arts researcher and educator As a playwright his work helps audiences consider American history from diverse perspectives White is best known as the writer of the multi award nominated and NAACP award winning educational play The Dance The History of American Minstrelsy White is an Assistant Professor and the Coordinator of the Arts Administration Minor in the Department of Art at Xavier University In addition he s the author of Innovation in the Arts Concepts Theories and Practices a Routledge publication in the Global Creative Economy series Project Description Keep the Faith is a new community musical about the history of the Black church from 1619 to now inspired by Dr Henry Louis Gates PBS mini series The Black Church According to Gates The foundation of the African American spiritual journey was formed out of fragments of faith that our ancestors brought to this continent Together with diverse members of the local Cincinnati community Dr Jason C White Assistant Professor of Arts Administration at Xavier University and Terry Ridley Music Director at New Life Temple Church will facilitate a one hour demonstration of the first act Q A to follow 12 TRUTH HEALING ARTIST SHOWCASE
RUBRIC TK LOOKING FOR WAYS TO LOWER YOUR ENERGY BILL VISIT DUKE ENERGY COM SUMMERBILLS Duke Energy is proud to support ArtsWave s Black and Brown Artist Program BRING IMPACT HOME 205 MILLION INVESTED IN ARTS CULTURE SINCE 1996 gcfdn org givenow Making the communities we serve a Fifth Third better Fifth Third Bank is a proud supporter of ArtsWave s Black and Brown Artist Program Fifth Third Bank National Association Member FDIC TRUTH HEALING ARTIST SHOWCASE 13
RUBRIC TK Digital Showcase Celebration Join us Friday July 14 8 9 p m as the Truth Healing Showcase artists light up digital signs downtown Details at artswave org digital Thanks to promotional partner Orange Barrel Media for donating their canvases 14 TRUTH HEALING ARTIST SHOWCASE
FTING AS WE NSGCGAWNRREODAAWEETQESIDNULCITTWEOYLUASEIORNLNEAL WE LEARN LIFTI EARN LIFTING The arts can change hearts and minds ArtsWave is committed to leading a sector wide Diversity Equity Inclusion and Access plan Lifting as We Learn by allocating increased resources for Black and Brown arts working to diversify boards staff vendors and audiences across the arts sector and promoting and lifting ALL artistic voices in our community What the journey looks like Building the region s largest funding mechanisms for Black arts offering annual support and services for local Black led organizations and Black and Brown artists Showcasing and publicizing commissions of new work by Black and Brown artists each summer Coalescing culturally curious audiences by bringing leading national Black artists to Cincinnati through Flow an African American Arts Experience Calling on the region s 30 largest arts organizations to develop and track their own board approved DEIA plans Providing ongoing professional development and DEIA training for arts sector personnel and board members Offering board training and matching through Boardway Bound Convening arts professionals of color to create supportive new networks Give now to the arts that bring us ALL together
Friday July 14 National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Great Hall 9 10 a m Press conference and ribbon cutting Skirball Gallery 10 a m to 5 p m Public unveiling of the Truth Healing Visual Art Exhibition On display through September 10 Included artwork and artists AGAPE by Asha Ama Hands Behind Your Back by Michael Coppage TOGETHERNESS by Julia O Bianco I m Still Listening by Brent Billingsley Murmurations by Michael Thompson Downtown Cincinnati 8 9 p m Digital Showcase Celebration Details at artswave org digital Saturday July 15 National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Great Hall 9 10 a m Artist celebration Skirball Gallery 10 a m to 5 p m Truth Healing Visual Art Exhibition through September 10 Harriet Tubman Theater Live Performances 3 p m Pato y Muerte contemporary dance by Gabriel Martinez Rubio 3 45 p m FLIPd live podcast by K A Simpson 4 15 p m Nomad musical performance by Daniel Noel Xavier University Art Gallery A B Cohen Center 1 p m Keep the Faith by Dr Jason White Sundays July 16 and 30 National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Harriet Tubman Theater Film Festival 10 30 a m Social Therapy Are We Healing by Desirae Hosley 10 40 a m The 12 Commandments by Michael Coppage 10 50 a m I m Still Listening by Brent Billingsley 11 05 a m Viewpoints Embodied Middle Eastern Voices in Cincinnati by Rowan Salem 11 45 a m Yemaya Sista to the Distant Yet Rising Star by Chenelle Jones featuring CA 2 and WARMTH Culture 12 15 p m BREAK 12 45 p m Legacy by Alan Lawson 1 05 p m Urban Renewal Means Negro Removal by Deqah Hussein Wetzel 1 35 p m Divided Roots Seeing is Believing by Preston Bell Charles III 2 30 p m BREAK 3 05 p m Attrition by Silas Tibbs 3 35 p m Lejan a by Pablo Mejia