Captain ArtWorks: The Blog for Art Superheroes

Room By Room Gallery Opening!

2009-09-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

Last Final Friday's gallery opening at ArtWorks was almost overwhelming. Each piece of artwork was so full of detail, warmth, and love that the idea of needing to take in each of the works featured in the gallery that night filled me with urgency-- and I'd even seen most of the pieces in progress throughout the summer! The 103 works created by the Room by Room project were getting their first and only gallery showing before they're installed in their permanent home, Cincinnati's Ronald McDonald House, giving everyone and anyone an opportunity to see the glowing collection of work.

With large pieces crafted around themes from the seasons to favorite foods, or triptychs featuring fanciful versions of the apprentices who worked on the project with maps from various countries serving as a motif, every piece was absolutely unique and immaculately crafted. With such a glorious abundance of beauty it was near impossible for me to choose a favorite piece, and I contented myself with simply rotating around the gallery in awed wonder again and again.

Other highlights of the gallery included the delicious pink-frosted heart cookies that I've come to connect with all things wonderful (such as ArtWorks and Room by Room); the stimulating conversation, native to a gallery full of such fascinating people; and the thrill of seeing my own artwork, created at the Room by Room workshop day, on display among the others!

So, even if you weren't able to attend the opening, I hope this gave you a glimpse into what a warm and heartfelt event it was and will encourage you to come to ArtWorks soon to see the gallery for yourself!

Room by Room Gallery: Friday, August 28th!

2009-08-25T17:21:00.000-07:00

Before the art created by the Room by Room project this summer is moved to its permanent home in the Ronald McDonald House, the 103 works of art will be stopping by the ArtWorks Gallery for everyone and anyone to come take a look! Join us this Friday, August 28th for the gallery opening, from 6-8 pm at ArtWorks (811 Race St, Cincinnati, OH, 45202). See you there!

Flashback

2009-08-24T17:14:00.000-07:00

The Northside Mural team all dressed up for their last huzzah!

After an extended back-to-school hiatus, Writer Woman has returned to present some relics of the summer program. Though it may be hard to imagine, on these surprisingly cool final days of August, the summer program ended in a blaze of white hot sunshine. So put on your sun screen and take a trip down memory lane with me!

The last day of the summer program was a day of festivities. While many projects celebrated the end of the summer and the completion of their artwork, the Northside mural wins the award for best shindig, though they got some help from the wonderful artists of Visionaries and Voices. When I arrived at the mural, I was almost so distracted by the tantalizing tables set with grill-out fixings, watermelon, blueberry chocolate cake, chips, and cool drinks that I couldn't focus on the mural that was serving as backdrops. Almost. For no matter what stunning smorgasbords might be arrayed nearby, the Northside mural really takes the cake. Bold, colorful, and a celebration in its own right, the Visionaries and Voices wall, Northside, and Cincinnati as a whole are brighter for having this mural.

ArtWorks in the Press (3)!

2009-07-28T18:03:00.000-07:00

From multiple newspaper articles written about ArtWorks projects to various pieces featured on local television, the ArtWorks 2009 summer projects have frequently been in the spotlight as of late. Check out this, most recent, moment in the limelight!

http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story/Jim-Tarbell-Mural-Coming-To-Downtown/FhZTGdQpNUibRIEXOXalhg.cspx

Stay Tuned!

2009-07-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

This summer passed in layers of paint, in levels of scaffolding, in pieces of paper and the curves of hearts. I find myself thinking about the past six weeks in retrospect—usually in terms of the progress the murals were making at the time, funnily enough. Thinking of the first and second weeks of ArtWorks fills my mind with the murmur of presentations and the percussive sound of wire brushes scraping against brick walls. As the second week becomes the third in my mind, I smell primer and see the bright white of a newly painted wall. Color materializes in thoughts of the fourth week. With the fifth week comes the laughter and warmth of ArtWorks Day. Now, I close my eyes to see detailed images decorating vibrant walls, huge expanses of carefully layered paint shining with the two-fold glow of the sight of the (almost) finished product as well as my memories of earlier stages.

Throughout my chronological thoughts of the summer, images of Room by Room, Stage Crew, Tapestry, and Glass Canopy also arise, with thoughts of Rookwood Mosaic tagging on near the end. No matter how much or how little time I was able to spend with each project this summer, every one of them has made their mark on me, and I won’t soon forget the people I’ve met and creativity I’ve seen.

Thanks are due, of course. To the ArtWorks staff for sharing their work place with Alex and I as well as for being such a great, impromptu teaching staff. Thanks to the O’Bryonville, Clifton Heights, and Over the Rhine mural teams for letting us dine with them on various occasions, and thanks to Over the Rhine for sharing your ice cream with us! (We must admit that we’re especially grateful for that one.) And a final thanks to all of the projects for putting up with our questioning and filming, for being so friendly in the face of impending interviews, and always welcoming us onto your projects.

Though it may already be the "end" of another ArtWorks summer, we all know that art—and ArtWorks—never stops. I’ll continue to update the blog periodically with information as to when mural dedications will be held, how they go, when gallery openings at ArtWorks occur, and exciting news about this year’s Secret ArtWorks. So, though it may be goodbye to summer 2009, there’s just more good stuff coming. Stay creative and stay tuned!

Day in the Life

2009-07-24T19:37:00.000-07:00

Alex and I are proud to present the finished product of our Day in the Life film. View it now, right here on your very favorite ArtWorks blog!

Last Call

2009-07-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

Before the Summer 2009 ArtWorks programs draw to a close, I wanted to reiterate a call to you, apprentices, for anything you might want to submit to the blog yourself! I’d love to post your photos, stories, memories, comments, videos, quotes… the list goes on and on! I know Room by Room had a weekly bake-off—were there any results? And what about those rap lyrics that Tower Place surprised us with at ArtWorks Day—willing to share? Anything and everything would be great to see, and I’d love to share your work and stories with the ArtWorks world at large. Comment here, contact me on Facebook, or email me directly at aolundsmith@gmail.com

ArtWorks in the Press (2)!

2009-07-23T06:08:00.001-07:00

Check out this article, published in the Cincinnati Enquirer on July 23rd, about the ArtWorks projects that are partnering with the Ronald McDonald House this summer!

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090723/ENT07/907230340/A+heartfelt+gift+from+ArtWorks

HeartWorks

2009-07-22T07:54:00.000-07:00

Hearts already created by the Room by Room team

This past Saturday, the 18^th, brought me my second day-in-the-life experience of the ArtWorks summer—though perhaps it would more accurately be described as an hour-in-the-life. Saturday was Room by Room’s heart-making workshop, and I attended in order make a small heart for the Ronald McDonald House, as well as experience the wonder that is Room by Room first hand.

As soon as I entered Room by Room’s studio, an atmosphere of excitement and inspiration was immediately apparent. Apprentices roamed from table to table offering friendly advice and helping those attending the workshop execute some of the more difficult techniques used to make the hearts. A table overflowing with picture books, stamps, stencils, patterned paper, and textiles provided material for heart-makers to work with, and apprentices helped everyone get started by offering one of two heart stencils to for heart-makers to choose to work with.

After I’d finished making my heart, I viewed the shelf where finished hearts made that day were drying, which was a gift in itself. Each heart was different from the next, and all were beautiful, complex with layered papers, colors, and healing thoughts sent towards the families who will eventually view them. When I left the room, smelling of paint and glue, I was inspired by the thought of the work that Room by Room does every day and happy that I’d had the chance to contribute myself.

Breaking News from.... Covington!

2009-07-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

Check out the hilarious Covington news report, which they presented at ArtWorks Day.

Hearts of Glass

2009-07-20T08:10:00.000-07:00

The last project to begin this summer, Rookwood Mosaic gave their presentation to members of Ronald McDonald House and ArtWorks on Friday, July 17^th. Not only impressing all audience members with their poise and confidently projected voices, the project also presented some of the hearts they’d already made, which were beautifully designed in rich colors of glass and Rookwood tiles.

After getting full approval from the Ronald McDonald House and taking a short tour of the House, the apprentices headed out on a special field trip to the studio of Edward Casagrande, a Cincinnati artist who has created many works of art for the Ronald McDonald House.

Mr. Casagrande is a sculptor who works with metal, and entering his studio is like entering a glimmering forest. Graceful designs in shades of shining gray and iridescent green glitter with whirling ornaments, and larger pieces display fanciful cut-outs of hearts and stars. The apprentices watched on attentively as Mr. Casagrande demonstrated the function of many of the machines he uses in order to create his sculptures and shared his philosophy on art and life. Rookwood Mosaic should go back to work on Monday with a new understanding of all that Ronald McDonald House can mean to people after their presentation, and fresh inspiration from their field trip.

View Mr. Casagrande's website at www.earthorchestra.com

Reaching the Finish Line!

2009-07-20T06:24:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to our first finished project! Glass Canopy, whose last week of work ended on the 17^th, has completed the seemingly magical canopy of glass they designed and created for the Ronald McDonald House. The canopy will be installed this fall.

ArtWorks Day

2009-07-17T06:37:00.000-07:00

ArtWorks day commences at the Carnegie Center in Covington

Jake Speed of Jake Speed and the Freddies entertains an audience full of apprentices

Stage Crew enacts a day in the life on their project using massively realistic props

The Northside mural project prepares to perform a dance routine, dressed in hard hats and collars inspired by Raymond Thundersky.

Room by Room presents a variation on their earlier presentation to the ArtWorks Day audience with the additions of "Glue!" and "Lots of glue!" tagged on to the end.

From “Chase and Kate Plus Eight,” presented by O’Bryonville, to the musical stylings of Tapestry, ArtWorks Day was a whirlwind of celebration, insanity, and wild dance routines. All held together by the skillful and hilarious emceeing of Jake Speed (who only added to the impression that ArtWorks Day had somehow been transformed into a musical), the presentations flowed smoothly, each offering a special glimpse into the personality and progress of each project.

I also thought I'd post the summary I wrote of the summer that I shared yesterday, because it's for all of you:

It’s been a relatively cool summer. Breezes and clouds have kept mural apprentices at a comfortable temperature as they paint, while other projects have remained snug in their studios. But, literal weather aside, it’s undeniable—this summer was hot! The burning colors of murals spreading like lava over city walls, sparks flying from the brainstorming minds in Room by Room conversations, heat—absolutely not metaphorical—emanating from the Glass Canopy’s kilns… the connections are endless, and easy to see. So though some mural apprentices may be quite proud of the tans they’ve cultivated over these last five weeks, the fact of the matter is that ArtWorks has created its own little suns at the heart of communities throughout Cincinnati this summer, and each and every one of us is a shiny ArtWorks sunbeam.

On Tour

2009-07-14T06:52:00.000-07:00

A Clifton Heights apprentice works on painting in architectural details

Because of the incessant way the Documentary team tours the ArtWorks project circuit, one might think we would have had enough of driving from project to project and seeing what’s going on there. But not so! Today Alex and I had a new ArtWorks experience (for us, at least): we went on an ArtWorks tour! On the tour, we went to four murals—Northside, South Cumminsville, Over-the-Rhine, and Clifton Heights.

Each mural is making stunning and inspiring progress. South Cumminsville’s mural design showcases a surreal style, using architectural arches to frame scenes from the neighborhood. With a summery blue sky completely painted in, the apprentices at South Cumminsville are now moving on to filling in details, such as the flying hotdogs and glowing red crystal ball, which both make starring appearances in the mural.

Similarly, Clifton Heights has filled in the broad swaths of colors needed for their mural and are now doing detail work, working specifically on the many architectural landmarks of Clifton Heights that are featured in the mural, such as the old Fairview German Language School building and Old St. George church.

Even if you don’t have a chance to go on a tour with ArtWorks, you should certainly make a point to take a small tour yourself. The summer will be finished all too soon, and your time to catch a “before and after” is running out!

Glass Canopy Blog!

2009-07-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

Check out Glass Canopy's personal blog!

http://brazeestudios.com/

Caps and Capes

2009-07-10T07:34:00.000-07:00

Reporting at Covington mural

It’s been a jam-packed week for each and every ArtWorks summer project, and the Documentary project is no exception. This week, FilmMan and WriterWoman have donned their capes and caps (translate as: reflective vests and hard hats) and flown from project to project, gathering footage, recording voice-overs, and interviewing, interviewing, interviewing.

We’ve been working with two specific outcomes in mind: a Day in the Life film and a MuralWorks film. Having already gathered all of the footage we need for Day in the Life (which, among other things, involved an adventure into West Chester at 6 in the morning), all we have to do now is compile the many clips, cuts and recordings that we’ve collected so far into a manageable whole.

Our MuralWorks film is also gaining momentum. Though Alex and I might feel we’ve interviewed enough people to last a lifetime of MuralWorks films, we actually have a few more to go. But once we’ve interviewed our last staff member, community member, or past mural recipient, FilmMan will be free to edit and the MuralWorks film will be underway.

So we’re eagerly looking forward to ArtWorks day, coming right up on July 16th, where we’ll both get to view your presentations (which, from what we’ve seen, promise to be extremely entertaining) and present our own work. See you there!

Presentations, Continued, Continued

2009-07-10T06:50:00.000-07:00

Even as the ArtWorks summer program reaches and quickly surpasses its halfway point, a few last presentations make their mark. The Room by Room presentation, which took place on June 30^th, was of particular note. The beautifully choreographed presentation, which included a slideshow as well as well-rehearsed speeches prepared by each apprentice, brought many members of the audience to tears. Just as inspiring was the artwork presented to the Ronald McDonald House—gorgeous mixed media installation pieces which will bring new life to many of the rooms in the Ronald McDonald House. To see the inspiring nature of this presentation for yourself, watch the video below!

Primary Colors

2009-07-10T06:12:00.000-07:00

An Evanston apprentice begins to paint with bold colors and shapes

Though different in almost every respect, including size, shape, and colors being used, the Covington and Evanston Murals have both made progress in a very exciting way—they’ve begun adding color to their murals as of July 2^nd.

Muted grays, tans, and blues are emerging from the creamy background of Covington’s wall in the shapes of trees with complicated ridges of leaves, flittering blue birds, and people with large noses and wide eyes. A whimsical mural, the subdued palette being used will help to emphasize the antics of the many colorful animals that will roam throughout the mural’s panels, leading the viewer on a virtual tour of Covington and its landmarks.

On the other end of the spectrum is the Evanston mural. Big, bright, and bold, its large geometric shapes and intense colors immediately catch the eye of passersby, who stop to stare for moments on end before moving on their way. On such dim, cool days as the ones we’ve been having this week just before the 4^th of July, the paints that Evanston is working with seem almost to jump from their buckets and into the surrounding air, warming the landscape of Evanston with pale pink, rich blue, and vibrant orange.

So a colorful congratulations to those murals who’ve broken into their paint buckets: Covington and Evanston to be sure, but also Columbia Tusculum, Northside, and Clifton Heights. Not just a promise of the great things these murals are bringing to both the apprentices working on them and the communities of Greater Cincinnati, there’s also the simple fact that these colorful new visions are, in the words of one Evanston apprentice, “Really pretty.”

ArtWorks in the Press!

2009-07-09T08:15:00.000-07:00

One of our own recently made it into the Cincinnati Enquirer! In case you didn’t see the article, published on July 8th, a scan of it is attached here.

Also, Clifton Heights was featured on Channel 9 on July 1st. The story can be seen here: http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story/Mural-Going-Up-In-Clifton-Heights/z3fouUevHUCoySgiRwCEAw.cspx

Pirates or Ninjas?

2009-07-09T06:27:00.000-07:00

Priming at Over the Rhine!

One of the first mural projects to begin painting their wall, Over-the-Rhine’s building has slowly made the transition from a pale mauve to a gleaming blanket of white. The mural prep process begins with scraping at the wall with wire-bristled brushed to remove grime and create a smooth surface on which to paint. When I asked the apprentices how they know the wall’s been scraped enough, one replied, laughing, “When it stops misting, basically,” referring to the fine clouds of brick dust that billow from their busily scraping brushes.

As the chorus of wire brushes serenaded me, I looked out from the scaffolding and into nearby Washington Park. Though I felt a bit guilty, gazing at the view as the mural apprentices scraped, I couldn’t help admiring it—Over-the-Rhine’s scaffolding provides the perfect vantage point from which to survey Washington Park and the stately red of Music Hall rising behind the full green trees. Then again, the apprentices don’t seem to be missing the view too much—as the days of wire-brushing become hour after hour of priming, there is very little moaning or groaning to be found, heard only, perhaps, from the apprentice who arrives last each morning and is therefore assigned the task of wiping away the drips of white paint that fall onto the bottom of the wall from paintbrushes higher up on the scaffolding. Besides the dismay and gentle teasing which accompany this job, though, everything said at Over-the-Rhine is shiningly lighthearted. Calls of “Which is better: pirates or ninjas?” or “Werewolves or vampires?” echo from apprentice to apprentice, mingling with the voices of teaching artists as they advocate frequent water breaks.

Though I’m not sure if the question of ninjas or pirates was ever satisfactorily answered, there’s no question about the successful progress Over-the-Rhine’s made on their mural.

Intelligent Designs

2009-07-06T10:25:00.000-07:00

Screen printing at Tower Place

Though Tower Place Mall was eerily empty when the Documentary team went to visit the Tower Place project one morning last week, the room where the apprentices were working was bright and pleasant. Stretched across the buttery yellow wood of the floor and sketching as they searched through the books which were scattered across the room, the studio was a vision of artistry. Tower Place is creating panels that feature Cincinnati landmarks held within decorative frames. The panels will be hung later in Tower Place Mall. When we visited on the 23rd, the apprentices were working on these decorative frames, the assortment of books sprawled across the room serving as their inspiration. Some books were full of floral Victorian bouquets, others had image after image of henna designs within their pages, and still others offered up stylized Art Nouveau prints for the perusal of apprentices. Even with all of this inspiration before them, some apprentices decided to go it alone. One, Vincent, was working freehand. "I'm already kind of interested in this stuff," he said. "I've just got designs in my head."

Just a few days later, when we visited the team as they worked at the Clay Street Press, we saw the designs beginning to become a reality. Using a computer to make the designs crisp and flawless, the image of a decorative frame was then placed on a light board before being transferred onto transparent paper. I also saw the image designed to go inside this frame-- a light-filled picture of Cincinnati's iconic Museum Center. These images will later be screen printed together to form a finished product both historic and fun, drawing on the work Tower Place brainstormed earlier as well as real images from Cincinnati.

Presentations, Continued

2009-07-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

Enjoy this video of the Visionaries and Voices Mural presentation in Northside on June 19th! For more reading on this fabulous project, see the “Presenting…Presentations” entry, below.

Stars and Butterflies

2009-06-29T06:45:00.001-07:00

An apprentice bends glass stringer over a small flame

Brilliantly colored pieces of glass glimmer in Glass Canopy’s dim studio, which is punctuated with the pinprick glows of the small tea candles they use to heat and bend thinner strips of glass, called stringer, which they layer over larger panel for details and more complicated effects.

Looking something like a beautiful laboratory, sketches of the designs the apprentices plan to create adorn the walls, featuring butterflies, a moon and sun, a mother and child, and other whimsical images. Two kilns open to reveal finished pieces as well as tests that show how certain combinations of glass look once they’ve been fired. Larger sheets of glass line the edges of the room, glowing with rich golds, blues, purples, and greens.

Glass Canopy is setting right to work. “There’s no time for practice,” says apprentice Lindsey Daniels as she works. “With only three weeks, we can’t, really.” Despite this, the apprentices are already creating art with what looks like practiced skill. Small glass stars are filling opaque skies, hearts popping up in the green leaves of a glass tree, and, just like that, a glass canopy for Ronald McDonald House is well underway.

Presenting...Presentations!

2009-06-26T09:50:00.000-07:00

Northside apprentices present at their 6/19 presentation

Apprentice Ihsan looks at part of the Northside mural design

Since the Northside mural presentation last Friday, it’s been all presentations all the time for the ArtWorks documentary team. Besides getting the privilege of seeing all of the stunning mural designs, we also learned a little bit about each neighborhood, saw the apprentices dressed in their best, and sampled plenty of delicious food. I know I’m supposed to be a journalistic superhero, but it would be impossible to do each mural full justice here. Instead, I’ll just give some highlights.

Northside mural’s presentation in the Visionaries and Voices gallery was a fabulous way to kick off the summer. With a full audience and a practiced and effortless presentation, everyone in the room was utterly transported from the warm blue room and into a completely new land—one of circus tents and thunderbolts shining in the sky, both motifs that figured prominently in Northside’s mural. Designed by Antonio Adams in honor of Raymond Thundersky, the mural was eagerly accepted by the community and is sure to remain both an inspiring work of art and a profound memorial to a local artist for many years.

Columbia Tusculum’s presentation was transporting as well, sending each visitor into a different era as soon as they entered the studio. With soft classical music playing in the background and a smorgasbord of delicate sandwiches, delicious cookies, and whimsical teacups filled with sweet tea looking tempting against one wall, Columbia Tusculum outdid themselves in creating a very convincing Victorian High Tea for visitors to enjoy.

And then there was our own presentation, which, though we might be a little biased, we thought was wonderful. Presented to the ArtWorks staff at our headquarters on Race Street, Alex and I asked questions and answered questions, pitched our ideas for the three different documentaries we hope to complete, and showed off our lovely schedule for planning, filming, and editing. Inspired by all of the accomplished presentations we’ve been visiting lately, we also threw in a brief history of ArtWorks—just in case anyone didn’t know.

I Heart Ronald McDonald House

2009-06-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

Room by Room apprentices set to work in their studio

Uninhibited by the preliminary activities such as priming and power washing that keep murals busy their first few days, Room by Room has already been getting to work. A favorite place for the documentary team to retreat on days with less-than-pleasant weather, Room by Room’s studio at the Essex is always cheery, with upbeat music playing and happily sketching apprentices included. When not in their studio brainstorming, sharing inspiring song lyrics, or learning about stencils and mandalas last week, the apprentices were out on a field trip touring the Ronald McDonald House, the site for their completed artwork.

Ronald McDonald Houses are truly a godsend for hundreds of families whose critically ill children must remain either in or near a hospital for extended periods of time. With a brand new addition to the house recently added, the facility is able to serve more families than ever, and is now the fourth largest Ronald McDonald House in the world. Because of the many services it must provide on a very limited budget, though, Ronald McDonald House is unable to make each room personal in the way they’d like to, so, at the moment, most of the rooms are like hotel rooms: warm and pleasant, but sort of impersonal.

Room by Room is partnering with Ronald McDonald House in order to change that. The plan is to create heart-themed artwork to hang in the different rooms, bringing art and joy into the rooms of the families who are facing such challenging times. The Room by Room apprentices, led by project manager Tina Westerkamp, gathered information and inspiration from their tour of the houses, noting architectural motifs and other such details to incorporate in their work. A place that truly affirms belief in the goodness of humanity, I could see clearly by the earnest concentration of each Room by Room apprentice as they walked through the rooms on their tour that they were going to, just as truly and earnestly, pour their hearts into these hearts.

Painted Ladies

2009-06-22T07:05:00.001-07:00

Columbia Tusculum apprentices sketching the local architecture

After a brief hike through the colorful—and hilly—streets of Columbia Tusculum, the Documentary Crew caught up with the Columbia Tusculum Mural project, gathered at the top of the hill, sketchbooks out and pencils brandished. Looking more like a class of DAAP students than a group of teen Apprentices, Columbia Tusculum was spending the morning sketching architecture drawn from the beautiful houses that surround their project. Fondly termed “Painted Ladies” these Victorian houses are decked out with intricate details and stunning coats of paint in rich and surprising shades. Zigzags of purple, pink and yellow are not uncommon on these houses, which, though often almost one hundred and fifty years old, are anything but sedate.

Project Manager Pam Kravetz told me that apprentices were drawing on the neighborhood’s treasure trove of color and design for inspiration to create borders that will later surround the panels of the murals they’ll be painting. Judging by the fact that even I was itching to sketch the beautiful architecture of the Painted Ladies, this mural’s in for some beautiful borders.

Introducing... FilmMan and WriterWoman!

2009-06-22T06:56:00.001-07:00

I’m Avery and the videos that will soon fill this blog are filmed and edited by Alex. You’ve probably seen us around by now, appearing in the midst of your projects, spying over your shoulders, and making sure to document it all. But let’s be fair—we can hardly ask questions of you and not give a little information about ourselves in return. So, here goes: I go to SCPA and Alex goes to Elder. When asked about his favorite food, Alex says he likes “barbecue, in general,” whereas I’m more of the fruit and vegetables type. Our hobbies are fairly obvious, with mine involving lots of writing, and Alex’s indicated when he admits that he can easily spend eight hours behind a computer, editing film. And this summer we’re all ArtWorks’, and all yours. Be sure to check in on this blog and be ready for interviews—led by our fearless photographer, Brandon, we’ll soon be coming to a project near you.

Giant Flamingos

2009-06-22T06:45:00.000-07:00

The Stage Crew team poses in front of the pouncing board at the scene shop

As soon Opening Day activities concluded on Monday the 15^th, the auditorium at the Cincinnati Art Museum exploded into motion and sound. The lingering applause faded into chattering, laughter, and the clicking of chairs folding up as Apprentices began to seek out their various projects. Some groups made their way directly into the warm green of Eden Park for get-to-know-you games and planning, some stopped for a lunch break, and some headed right out into the city for field trips. Stage Crew was one of the lucky projects that got to go on a field trip—to the Alice-in-Wonderlandesque kingdom of Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s scene shop.

You can’t help but notice the giant flamingo standing by the vending machines just inside the scene shop’s doors, and the strange sights didn’t stop there. Caricatures of various creatures crawled along the walls, leading Stage Crew’s small group back into the area of the shop where props from past shows are stored and believe me, your grandma’s attic’s got nothing on this place. Bicycles dangle from the ceiling, stacks of dishes and cups of all shapes, sizes, and colors fill the shelves, disembodied dummy heads and “blood” stained sheets lurk under stacks of tables and chairs of every imaginable description. Besides providing a great place to ransack if one needed to furnish a new apartment, Playhouse in the Park’s scene shop gave the Stage Crew apprentices a glimpse at the sort of work they’ll be undertaking in the next few weeks, and certainly got them inspired.