Capital Campaigns to fund two theaters in metroplex Shakespeare new performance space named Otto M. Budig Theatre In the September 2015 issue of Aeqai, I discussed Cincinnati’s cultural building boom, as evidenced by the renovations and expansions at Christ Church, Cincinnati Union Terminal, and Music Hall.  Now we are seeing additional major building projects for […]

Downtown Cincinnati is experiencing the biggest cultural building boom since the 1880s.  If planning capital projects for arts and education is an indication of confidence in the economy, it appears that we are moving out of the so-called “Great Recession.”  Museums, theaters, and Downtown restaurants are bustling with popular performances at the Aronoff Center, which […]

Architectural Design one Focus of People’s Liberty Grantmaking Civic-minded Individuals Gain Support for Creative Initiatives People’s Liberty staff leaders describe the operation as a philanthropic laboratory.  This forward-looking, deep-pockets organization, which values disruptive ideas and innovative methods, is changing the character of local philanthropy and the face of urban neighborhoods.  People’s Liberty is a collaboration […]

Architecture defines the visual identity of a city.  It is the principal ingredient in the mix of things that gives us a sense of a place.  One way to communicate urban identity is through the challenging practice of architectural photography.  A stunning exhibition of this visual art form, focusing on Cincinnati and Munich, Germany, is […]

We have heard a lot of talk (positive and negative) about local architecture in recent months. And I, for one, am glad that architecture has become a hot topic.  With the economic revival, construction has come back with a healthy mix of public and private projects.  We are encouraged by the ongoing renovation and reuse […]

Paul Muller, AIA, the Executive Director of the Cincinnati Preservation Association (CPA), was trained as an architect.  His profession, along with his experience with, and passion for, historic preservation, make him ideally suited to lead the CPA.  That training is especially relevant now that concern for preservation of modernist and postmodernist architecture is growing locally […]

Artist Peter Waite approaches architectural panel painting as an experienced tourist explores a new city. He takes in the recommended key sights and then discovers the fascinating hidden places that most tourists and residents miss. His impressions of Cincinnati are embodied in a solo exhibition, The Cincinnati Series, at the Carl Solway Gallery in the […]

Michael Graves, the most celebrated graduate of the University of Cincinnati School of Architecture, died at his home in Princeton, New Jersey, March 12, 2015.  Graves, who was 80, became widely known as a visionary architectural designer in the 1980s.  His so-called Post Modernism style, along with Philip Johnson’s, electrified the public and started a […]

Has  the practice of architecture declined in recent years? Are we seeing more “bad” and “ugly” than “good” and “beautiful” buildings? And who is to judge?  The architectural press and mainstream media have recently shown renewed interest in the state of architectural practice and criticism.  Some of our best-known pundits picked up on Frank Gehry’s […]

Art Basel Miami, the most flamboyant art fair in North America ran December 3-7, 2014, at the Miami Beach Convention Center.  More than 70,000 people attended this 17th annual event, which features a curated collection of international galleries that specialize in cutting-edge contemporary art.  The art attracts collectors, art professionals, and celebrities who come to […]

Dennis Harrington, director of the Alice F. and Harris K. Weston Art Gallery, Downtown at the Cincinnati Arts Association’s Aronoff Center for the Arts, has put together a provocative and witty show for this holiday season. The three featured artists offer contrasting views on design and the human spirit. These three excellent solo exhibitions, which […]

Cincinnatians have heard a lot lately about saving our architectural icons, namely Cincinnati Union Terminal and Music Hall.  A number of people have asked me who and what determines an icon?  These are fascinating questions, and I have given them some thought and scholarly inquiry, which I share here with our readers.  My Merriman-Webster dictionary […]

Cincinnati Preservation Association was founded in 1964 as the Miami Purchase Association.  An attractive exhibition about CPA and its work, “Celebrating 50 Years of Working Together to Save Historic Places,” which was curated by CPA and the Cincinnati History Museum, is on display in the Culture Gallery of the Cincinnati Museum Center.  It s free […]

STILLS captivates with sophisticated themes and representative young artists Michael Lowe Gallery. 905 Vine Street, Cincinnati OH 45202 Stills is one of six “featured” exhibitions created for the October 2012 FotoFocus Biennial. it was curated by San Francisco publisher and collector Nion McEvoy and FotoFocus artistic director Kevin Moore. The pair brought together works by […]

The spirit of Daniel Burnham hovers over Fourth Street in Downtown Cincinnati.  The famous Chicago architect and his associates created four commercial office buildings in Cincinnati’s financial district in the early twentieth century. And with the recent conversion of the shuttered Bartlett Building into a Marriott Renaissance hotel, the Burnham name is the buzzword for […]