Welcome back to school, AAC community! We missed seeing your artistic spark light up our classrooms, studios, and galleries. While most of our students were on summer vacation from May to August, the AAC team kept the creative energy moving with exhibitions, fundraising events, and camp programming. Take a look!
May
Honored Former AAC Leader Paige Williams
Our far-reaching community gathered to honor Paige Williams—artist and former AAC Professor, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Academic Dean—who left her post in May after 30+ years of service to the institution. She has since joined Endicott College as their Dean of Visual and Performing Arts. Faculty, staff, alumni, and members of our generous community of donors celebrated her many years of service with a gallery exhibition and reception of her paintings and drawings.
A portion of Williams’ artwork was made available for purchase, and a percentage of the proceeds were donated to the Art Academy’s scholarship fund. Philanthropists Chip and Wendy Finke generously enabled “Double Your Impact in Honor of Paige Williams,” a matching gift commitment of $50,000 to establish a scholarship fund in Williams’ name. In total, the gallery exhibition and reception for Williams raised more than $126,000 for student scholarships at the Art Academy.
Hit the Links to Support AAC
Golfers and supporters of the Art Academy enjoyed a round of golf, spirited competition, and camaraderie at California Golf Course, hosted by AAC’s Board of Trustees. It was our Second Annual Golf Outing fundraiser. Golfers, sponsors, and donors alike brought in $14,700 to support our students!
June
Honored the Late Kelly Stevens with “Be Excellent to Each Other”
We hosted a weeklong exhibition in the Pearlman Gallery in honor of Kelly Stevens—a B.F.A. alumna and graduate student who passed away in late 2023. Titled Be Excellent to Each Other, the exhibition featured several paintings and sculptures that Stevens created. Her family and friends hosted a reception, giving the AAC community the chance to gather, view Stevens’ artwork, and share stories and memories.
Stevens was a passionate and talented artist who channeled the power and depth of her emotions into the art she created. She skillfully rendered vulnerable experiences into colorful, stirring works that embody themes of empathy, friendship, closeness and community. During her time at AAC, she earned her B.F.A., pursued her M.A.A.E., taught community education courses, and provided profound and endless support to her artistic peers.
Presented Duck Tape® Sculptures at Washington Park
Fourteen larger-than-life sculptures made entirely of Duck Tape® brand duct tape transferred from our studios on Jackson Street to Washington Park as part of the annual “Duck Tape® at the Park” exhibition. These vibrant works of art were created by AAC students and alumni, local artists, a class of sixth-grade students at Winton Woods Intermediate school (under the instruction of art teacher Harmony Main), and a class of sixth- and eighth-grade students at The Summit Country Day School (under the instruction of art teacher Samantha England).
After the exhibition, the sculptures were transported to Avon, Ohio, as part of a citywide, month-long event called the Duck Tape® Sculpture Scavenger Hunt, which is sponsored by Shurtape Technologies, LLC, the company that markets Duck Brand®.
Celebrated Pride with Family, Friends, and Neighbors
We celebrated the LGBTQ+ community during Pride month with a variety of events and engagements. Our student group QueerSpace held an exhibition in SITE1212, and a group of students and staff represented AAC in the annual Cincinnati Pride parade. We held a Pride-themed market for our community to shop local artists and vendors and enjoy drinks and music in SITE1212. In collaboration with Bloom OTR, we hosted a drag show and happy hour. Finally, we were pleased to host Cincy Vogue’s Beyonce Day Party, also in SITE1212.
Presented the Annual "S.O.S. Art Exhibition"
Our Pearlman, McClure and Chidlaw Galleries were filled with works across the artistic spectrum as part of the S.O.S. Art Exhibition. Organized by a collective of local and regional artists, works on view embodied creative expressions for peace and justice. More than 100 Greater Cincinnati artists were featured in this community art show.
Filmed a Commercial for AAC
Our marketing team worked with local production pros to film an all-new commercial for AAC! B.F.A. student Kennede Oninku played a lead role as an art student who attends AAC in the nineties. Her story arc is crosscut with co-lead and Cincinnati actor Dominique Lewis, who walks a similar creative journey set in modern day. We’ll debut the commercial soon!
July
Rested and Relaxed for Wellness Week
We closed our offices for the first week of July to give our AAC staff the opportunity to rest, relax, reset, and enjoy the July 4th holiday with family and friends.
Engaged Young Artists, Future Art Students, and Lifelong Learners
Our Office of Engagement educated hundreds of people throughout our robust series of summer programming! Throughout June and July, 353 K-12 students attended Camp Art Academy, Teen Academy and Future BFA Pre-College. We also taught 34 lifelong learners, ages 13 and up, in our ongoing Community Education series from June to August.
Hosted a One-Stop Dinner for New Students
Before our official student orientation, we invited new and incoming students to join us for dinner, gathering, and registration. Our AAC Student Affairs and Admissions teams hosted a one-stop dinner where incoming students could get a jump-start on meeting their peers, completing registration and paperwork for the 2024-2025 year, and becoming a member of the AAC community.
Presented an Exhibition of our M.A.A.E. Students
Six graduate students completed a semester of multidisciplinary work as part of our low-residency summer program. Working towards their Master’s of Art in Art Education, students took courses and worked independently in their own studios to focus deeply on their work and hone their artistic skills. Their semester culminated in an exhibition titled Labor of Love, presented in the Pearlman and McClure Galleries.
August
Welcomed New Stinkers to the AAC Community
During the week before classes started for the Fall semester, we held student orientation for new and first-year students and excitedly welcomed the AAC Class of 2028! Our Executive Leadership and Student Affairs teams trained a new class of resident advisors, ensured that incoming students dotted every i and crossed every t so that their semester started smoothly, and introduced new community members to the eclectic city of Cincinnati.
Welcome to our world, little stinkers! You’re going to love it here—and we can’t wait to see what you create.
