Next event:

April:
Creating Amazing Places: Street Art for Cincinnati
Discussion Leader: Margy Waller

We're having a conversation about street art at bARTer Lab -- and then we're going to create some!

We hope you'll join us for this two-part event over two evenings in April and May. 

On April 9, we'll have a discussion with a group of key players -- city officials, police, artists, developers, neighborhood leaders, and more. 

We'll try to answer questions like these:

What is street art? Is it temporary and/or permanent? Is it visual and/or performance-based?
What is the value of street art? What is good street art? 
What's legal street art? 
What kind of street art do we want to encourage?

Then, we'll spend some time planning an event for May 14.

On May 14, somewhere in the downtown area - we'll create the street art we plan

OH! aaannnnddd the Know Underground bar will be OPEN!

2011-2012 Schedule:

October 10, 2011
November 14, 2011
December 12, 2011
January 9, 2012
February 13, 2012
March 12, 2012
April 9, 2012
May 14, 2012

DECEMBER

An exploration into the developing and existing community in Downtown Cincinnati and Over the Rhine.  Attendees heard from Michael Cureton, Assistant Police Chief for District 1; Josh Springs, Executive Director for the Cincinnati Coalition of the Homeless and  John Ridley a representative from the homeless community.  

After being split into small groups we created artistic representations of what we gained/learned from the discussion, ideas to influence positive change in the community, and collaborations that can create power in the OTR.

www.cincihomeless.org/

JANUARY

It’s about being comfortable in your own skin, with yourself so that you can be comfortable with others wherever you are. Guests brought comfort items and cookies and milk were available.

Serenity Fisher, Aretta Baumgartner, and Robin O'Neal Kissel helped us identify who we are based on   the Myers-Briggs Temperament Index (MBTI). We then learned about our own unique qualities and how that can influence our art. A small group board game indicated it wasn’t as easy as you might think to guess a strangers personality type and even discover your own.

FEBRUARY

The business of business is business; the business of art is enlightenment.

For Valentine’s Day we had a date with Frank Hibrandt. This lab focused on identifying the thought processes we use in getting a project done and how important it is to have "non-artists" involved. This conversation spurred thoughts about the reach of the arts community and how we can encourage "non-artists" to become a part of it.   

MARCH

Close your eyes.  Listen to the sounds around you.  Now Listen to the room you're in.  Listen beyond the building, outside on the street.  Now focus inward and listen to your internal thoughts, your body, the space you are filling.

Host Harper Lee led the March bARTer lab through a series of exercises (including some ultra fun group finger painting) that focused on listening.  Discussion ranged from how artists listen (or don't) to who audiences listen to (or don't).  No matter who you chose to listen to or not, we all need to be heard as both artists and audience members.

http://ghostlightcalliope.com/

APRIL

Kelly Richey, a professional local musician led April’s bARTer lab. She like many of us had confused her talent for her purpose. By creating and practicing her 21 day plan she was able to step into her day "in tune" and ready to play her best performance- Life. She shared her experiences with success with this plan and offered us all an opportunity to try it on for size . A blog was created for guests to continue sharing their experiences with this plan. You can find it at http://www.kellyrichey.com/  Don’t forget Life is the ultimate art project!