TRUTH
AND
RECONCILIATION ARTIST SHOWCASE
VISUAL ART EXHIBITION July 16–October 31, 2021 National Underground Railroad Freedom Center FILM SHORTS July 17, 11:00am–5:00pm Harriet Tubman Theater National Underground Railroad Freedom Center LIVE PERFORMANCES July 18, 3:00–9:00pm Memorial Hall
WELCOME
MESSAGE FROM ARTSWAVE’S PRESIDENT & CEO IT WOULD BE EASY TO ASSUME THAT ARTSWAVE’S NEW BLACK & BROWN ARTIST GRANTS program on the theme of “Truth and Reconciliation” was born out of 2020’s crises of racial and social injustice. In fact, the partnership between ArtsWave and the City of Cincinnati, founders of the program, was several years in the making. Thanks go to ArtsWave Life Trustee Dick Rosenthal for initiating early conversations with City Councilmember Greg Landsman. We discussed multiple ways that ArtsWave and the City could impact our community by partnering, including events funding, public art and education. Ultimately, Councilmember Landsman decided that funding for Cincinnati’s Black and Brown artists could make a difference – and he was right. He quietly and successfully championed the inclusion of funding for these grants in the last city budget. And once the project began to form, it was Toilynn O’Neal Turner, founder of the Robert O’Neal Multicultural Art Center (ROMAC), who was instrumental in helping to guide the process while providing excellent counsel throughout. Thanks also to Duke Energy and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, along with Fifth Third Bank and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, for adding dollars to the program so that we could support more artists and extend the opportunity to other counties in the region. In total, we received 54 applications and were able to make 27 awards thanks to these donors and others to ArtsWave’s Arts Vibrancy Recovery Fund. Their support also enabled us to showcase the artists in partnership with the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and Memorial Hall. Deep gratitude to ArtsWave’s own Janice Liebenberg, director of equitable arts advancement and the corporate campaign, for putting heart and soul into the success of this initiative. The last year was also marked by extreme financial uncertainty for independent artists due to loss of work during the pandemic. Councilmember Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney championed artist relief grants through the CARES Act, administered by ArtsWave in late 2020. Our thanks to her and the entire City of Cincinnati City Council and Mayor John Cranley for supporting both the Black & Brown Artist Grants and the Cincinnati Arts Access Fund for artists. The work of the 27 artists profiled here gives insight into their personal pain and struggles caused by overt and systemic racism. But through their art, they illustrate hope and optimism that their stories will educate and push us forward to a place of greater equity and understanding. I thank each of them for sharing their truth with us. Sincerely,
ALECIA KINTNER | ArtsWave, President & CEO
Front cover: Triune by Annie Ruth, Back cover: (Clockwise from top left) Painted Pieces of TRUTH and Spoken Words of RECONCILIATION by Brent Billingsley, Envision Findlay by Brandon Hawkins, We Are The Story: A Visual Response to Racism by Kathy Wade, 13th & Republic: All Us, All Love by Darnell Pierre Benjamin, Black Box by Michael Coppage, and Bro’Kin River by Kareem K. A. Simpson.
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WELCOME MESSAGE FROM NATIONAL UNDERGROUND RAILROAD FREEDOM CENTER PRESIDENT & COO ART HA S THE POWER TO TR ANSFORM. TO UPLIFT AND empower. To inspire and ignite. Art can provide a safe space for expression, where one can use the full passion of their soul without fear. A canvas, a dancefloor, a lined sheet of paper can be a space where the exposed nerves of cultural trauma can find catharsis. Art can create room for dialogue, where two people can have a conversation through or in front of a piece of art, unafraid of the reflection we may see in the piece. The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center strives every day to promote understanding through education. Through the Truth & Reconciliation Visual Art Exhibition, we hope these works will provide a platform for these artists to educate our community about the beautifully diverse world around us. We are honored to partner with ArtsWave and the talented artists from across Greater Cincinnati on the Truth & Reconciliation Artist Showcase. Together, we hope we can heal as we move ever closer to an equal and equitable future.
WOODROW KEOWN, JR. | National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, President & COO
MESSAGE FROM ROMAC FOUNDING DIRECTOR A RTI STS H AV E A LWAYS B E E N AT TH E FO R E F RO NT O F awakening our consciousness, appreciation and passion. Art as activism uses creativity as a catalyst to demand change, challenge stereotypes and reimagine Blackness, while simultaneously empowering and inspiring people. The artists a part of the Truth and Reconciliation themed showcase embodies art that exposes and builds dialogue to resolve issues of social justice. This experiences has been an excellent way to introduce the Robert O’Neal Multicultural Art Center (ROMAC). Our mission is dedicated to celebrating, advancing, and preserving African American culture and achievement through arts, history, and education, while also uplifting the rich diversity of artists and cultures of Greater Cincinnati. Art is a cultural tool that humanizes and actualizes the emotions, grievances, joys and fears of those who may not have another place to voice concerns. I am proud to be a part of this capacity building and historical movement.
TOILYNN O’NEAL TURNER | Robert O’Neal Multicultural Art Center (ROMAC), Founding Director
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WELCOME MESSAGE FROM CINCINNATI CITY COUNCILMEMBER CINCINNATI IS HOME TO MANY INCREDIBLE ARTISTS WHO enrich our communities. In particular, local Black and Brown artists have long harnessed their creativity to chronicle our uneven progress toward overcoming racism and division. But despite the beauty and meaning these artists bring to all our lives, too many of them struggle to find the support they need to be successful. This grant program represents a commitment from the City, alongside Artswave and our other amazing private-sector partners, to seriously invest in these talented local artists. It is a powerful way to lift up their voices and bring our community together, and I am grateful to have had to opportunity to see it to fruition. Cities that invest in people – ALL people – are more successful. It’s the key to creating healthy, empowered communities where families and children can thrive, and we must continue to fight for it.
GREG LANDSMAN | Cincinnati City Councilmember
MESSAGE FROM CINCINNATI CITY COUNCILMEMBER ART IS A FORCE THAT CROSSES THE BOUNDARIES OF RACE, ethnicity, gender, culture and even socioeconomic background. It creates the ability to see and feel another’s experience -- and in that moment, the wall that separates one human being from another begins to crumble. Art connects us as a human race. During the pandemic, we discovered that 47 percent of artists were unemployed, and we created the Cincinnati Arts Access Fund (CAAF) to provide emergency relief. Artists will “pay back” the funds by sharing their talent with the Cincinnati community in ways that they themselves will choose. We are grateful to ArtsWave for managing the CAAF and for the work that ArtsWave does to support the arts and to make us more fully human.
JAN-MICHELE KEARNEY | Cincinnati City Councilmember
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FEATURED ARTISTS DARNELL PIERRE BENJAMIN Project: 13th & Republic: All Us, All Love Darnell Pierre Benjamin, Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Artist Awardee, has been a professional actor, dancer, director, choreographer and educator for about 15 years. He started exploring the world of ballet, which eventually led him to study modern, ballroom, jazz, tap, and hip hop. He attended University of Louisiana at Lafayette and earned a BFA in Performing Arts, followed by the University of Houston, where he earned his MFA in Classical Theatre Performance, with an emphasis in Shakespeare. After landing in Cincinnati in 2009, Darnell became an Associate Artist and Resident Ensemble Member with Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. He’s also co-producer of a successful, annual cabaret that gives all of its donations to deserving LGBTQ organizations. He regularly works as an Actor’s Equity Association performer and choreographer at places like Ensemble Theatre, Know Theatre, and The Carnegie Performing Arts Center. Darnell has taught at UC’s College-Conservatory of Music, Xavier University, University of Houston, and Northern Kentucky University.
BRENT BILLINGSLEY Project: Painted Pieces of TRUTH and Spoken Words of RECONCILIATION Brent Billingsley, Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Artist Awardee, graduated from Miami University with a degree in fine art. During his last semester there, he developed a love for black and white imagery. His media of choice is reduction woodblock cutting, but he also works with ink, acrylics and pastels. Brent worked with at-risk African American youth while at Miami through mentoring and as direct care staff at numerous group homes. After graduating, he continued his education with a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Cincinnati. He believes that art can be utilized to reach youth in a plethora of spiritual, social, and therapeutic ways. Brent has themed his art surrounding the institution of family and 1960s genre imagery. His imagery is a remembrance of connection to loved ones and a time when a people stood for something worth fighting for.
PRESTON CHARLES III Project: A Citizen’s Journey in Truth and Reconciliation: The Roots of Racism Preston Charles III, Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Artist Awardee, knew at a young age that music was his favorite area of study, so he didn’t have to be pushed to learn it. After hearing a performance by Itzhak Pearlman on his violin, Preston was awestruck and felt in his soul that the instrument had chosen him. After years of growth and practice Preston was able to make it into the Walnut Hills High School Senior Orchestra his eighth grade year, and since then, from travelling the world and partaking in national competitions, he’s had many life changing experiences. Music has always been key in his development and connection of understanding the world. He had good teachers who pushed, encouraged, corrected, and challenged but most importantly really loved sharing music with others. For the past decade Preston has been offering private lessons at home, with students ranging from 3 years old to their 60s.
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FEATURED ARTISTS DAVID CHOATE Project: Liberty – Injustice For All David Anthony Choate Jr., Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Artist Awardee, was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, and has spent most of his life here in Cincinnati, where he attended the School for Creative and Performing Arts. Later dance training included time at the Cincinnati Ballet Academy, DeLa Arts Center and Planet Dance. He became a member of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company 2 and a touring artist with Bi-Okoto Drum and Dance Theatre. During this time he also pursued a degree in Business Administration from Union Institute and University. David is the Founding Artistic Director of Revolution Dance Theatre, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building cultural diversity in dance and leveling the playing field for minority dance students. He is the resident Lighting Designer for Crossroads Uptown and an active member of the International Association of Theatrical Stagehands. He’s been invited to become a member of Cincinnati Ballet’s Young Professionals Program and an advisor on SCPA’s Alumni Panel.
MICHAEL COPPAGE Project: Black Box Originally from Chicago, Michael Coppage, Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Artist Awardee, has lived and worked in Cincinnati since 2007. His work addresses the appropriation of African-American culture, demonization of black men and what he calls the “systematic” destabilization of black people in America. His recent micro-residency at the Contemporary Arts Center entitled “BLACK BOX” was a community impact project aimed at demystifying black men and creating authentic experiences that replace bias and preconceived notions. Michael earned a BFA in Sculpture from Memphis College of Art and an MFA in Studio Art from The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Primarily a mixed media artist, he’s traveled around the world extensively and has work in a number of private collections. He also co-created a therapeutic art program called PIECES at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where he works with adolescent psychiatric patients to create large-scale portraits.
ERIN FUNG Project: Isolation Commissions: The Past We Step Into Erin Fung, Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Artist Awardee, has established herself as one of the most sought after clarinetists in North America and has performed extensively with the Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Victoria, and Winnipeg symphony orchestras. She currently performs as the principal clarinetist of the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra and acting principal clarinetist of the Lexington Philharmonic. Erin is also a passionate advocate for music education and currently teaches as the Adjunct Professor of Clarinet at Xavier University. Previously, she served as the clarinet professor at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta and has given masterclasses and taught at Mount Royal University, the University of Calgary, and McGill University. She served as Project Director for MusAid, a nonprofit organization dedicated to collecting instrument donations and coordinating volunteer music teachers for youth in developing countries.
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FEATURED ARTISTS BRANDON HAWKINS Project: Envision Findlay Brandon “Illzotic” Hawkins, Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Artist Awardee, is a visual artist and instructor with over 13 years of experience. He has his Bachelor of Arts from UC’s College of Arts & Sciences in African and African American Studies and earned his certificate in Fine Arts from DAAP. Infusing his love for history and art, he has created his own “Illzotic” technique for art and design. In January 2016, Brandon and his wife launched their company Soul Palette, which is a unique mobile concept of customizable painting experiences. He also led ArtWorks apprentices as a Lead Teaching Artist to complete three projects in Avondale during 2018 and 2019. Brandon works as the Visual Arts Instructor at Elementz in Over-theRhine and is the Team Building Facilitator at Visionaries and Voices, which provides creative opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities. His ultimate mission and dream is to bless others with his talent for painting and arts.
GARRY (GEE) HORTON Project: The Baobab Project Gee Horton, Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Artist Awardee, calls Cincinnati his home base now, but he grew up in Louisville and was the first in his family to graduate from college. He received his Master’s of Social Work from the University of Louisville, then found success coaching women’s basketball at the University of Louisville, Furman University and Xavier University. What may seem an unlikely pivot into the arts was actually a deferred passion that began from a young age when his gift of drawing was first noticed. As a self-taught artist (having taken just one art class in his life), Gee is currently articulating his craft from pencil to page through his full-time role with Gee Horton Studios. He made his museum debut at the Cincinnati Art Museum, where his piece “If I Ruled the World…” was shown in The Black & Brown Faces exhibit. He is currently an artist-in-residence at the Mercantile Library, where he’s working on a portrait of the famed Black abolitionist and writer Peter H. Clark.
DESIRAE HOSLEY Project: Social Therapy 2020: Beyond the Zoom Screen Desirae “The Silent Poet” Hosley, Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Artist Awardee, was born and raised in Cincinnati. She is a Spoken Word Artist, Performance Poet, Motivational Speaker, Actress, Health Advocate and Community Organizer who is applauded for not being apologetic for any of the words that come out of her mouth. Desirae has been featured in the University of Cincinnati’s 2008 and 2009 production of the Vagina Monologues, Cincy Fringe Festival, Poetry Museum Without Walls, Over-the-Rhine Community Housing’s production of Our Beloved Community and Peaslee Presents: Creative Expression for the Peaslee Neighborhood Center. She is also the founder and president of SlamCatz, the University of Cincinnati spoken word poetry slam and dialogue team, and is an active member of the Cincinnati Afrikan Rites of Passage Collective.
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FEATURED ARTISTS JASMINE HUMPHRIES Project: East Side X West End Jasmine C. Humphries, Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Artist Awardee, is a Cincinnati-based social designer/artist, entrepreneur, and yogi specializing in holistic community development. She strives to help build communities from the inside out and outside in. Her work ranges from teaching and youth leadership development to urban planning education and advocacy. Jasmine’s unique ability to connect themes, concepts, and ideas allows her to connect people to each other in relevant and organizations to audiences, extract meaning that simplifies complex systems, and bring life to “civic art” that tells stories in unimaginable ways. She is the co-founder of Heal ‘n Build, ViBE (Voices In the Built Environment), and Red Bike & Green Cincinnati. She’s been nationally recognized by the American Institute of Architects as a Design Justice Advocate and is a 2018 Next City Vanguard.
DEQAH HUSSEIN-WETZEL Project: Cincinnati’s Communities of Color: Lost Histories Series Deqah Hussein-Wetzel, Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Artist Awardee, is a Somali-American urban history scholar, podcaster, and architectural historian whose scholarly research interests are specific to mid-20th century African-American home life and the history of urban development. She wants to improve the lives of immigrants like those in her family who came as refugees from Somalia through gradual assimilation, rather than being forced to quickly conform to American life. Deqah finds that analysis and continued discourse on people and place is integral if American society has the potential to rectify past social welfare and racial equity mistakes. The atrocities of Jim Crow Era segregation and displacement practices are seen as problematic, yet they are subtlety replicated today through the gentrification of urban neighborhoods. Through scholarly writing, journalism, and media, she believes we have a chance to reach an American audience willing to understand that our shared social, political, and cultural history should not be overlooked.
SIRI HUEY Project: Black Unicorns, White Tears, Rainbows & Other Uncomfortable Truths for Uptight Wypipo Never has an artist been more open and honest on the stage than Siri Imani, Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Artist Awardee. She weaves together song and poetry to tell powerful stories of love and liberation, state and personal violence, social, environmental, racial and sexual justice, woman’s empowerment and human transcendence. She openly and poetically reflects on her life as a lesbian, Black, inner city youth and former college athlete. Siri is a boundary-breaking soul sister who has sharpened her art as a tool for popular education, community organizing and personal transcendence. She is a warrior woman writer not afraid to tell her personal truths and offer biting social commentary on the world we live in.
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FEATURED ARTISTS PRINCE LANG Project: St. James Community Garden Prince Lang, Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Artist Awardee, is committed to beautifying African American communities, championing public art, and investing in dynamic collaborations. He was born in between two major cities, New York City and Philadelphia, and raised by a single father. Prince received a BFA in Photography from the Parsons School of Design in 2017 and a BA in Literary Studies from Eugene Lang College in 2018. He was recently a recipient of the Fotofest’s John Herrin Memorial Scholarship for his work Master’s House. He is currently a Junior Fellow at Image Text Ithaca 2021 Symposium. He lives and works in Cincinnati with his amazing wife.
ANUPAMA MIRLE Project: World Dance Cincinnati Anupama Mirle , Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Master Artist, began learning dance at the age of 6 with various master dancers, including Dr. Padma Subramaniam and Dr. Jayashree Rajagopalan. She specializes in a south Indian classical dance called Bharatha Natyam; additionally, she is skilled with percussion instruments, holding four degrees in both dance and percussion. In 1990, Anupama moved to the U.S. and settled in the Cincinnati area. She established the Nrityarpana School of Performing Arts, which teaches the traditional style of Bharathanatyam. Founded in 2004, her school partners with local nonprofits to promote diversity in the arts at musuems and other dance companies. Anupama is an innovative, visionary choreographer. As an Ohio Arts Council Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Master, she has shared her dancing with several apprentices, including her son Vikrant Mirle.
LORENA MOLINA Project: Reconciliation Garden Lorena Molina, Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Artist Awardee, is a Salvadoran multidisciplinary artist and educator who is an Assistant Professor of Art at the University of Cincinnati. Through the use of photography, video, performance and installation, she explores identity, intimacy, pain, and how we witness the suffering of others. Her work is driven by the displacement experienced after a 12-year civil war in El Salvador forced her family to migrate to the United States. Lorena received her MFA degree from the University of Minnesota in 2015 and her BFA from California State University Fullerton in 2012. She’s been a recipient of the Diversity of Views and Experiences fellowship, The Christopher Cardozo Fellowship, Truth and Reconciliation grant from ArtsWave, and The Kala Art Institute fellowship. She has exhibited and performed both nationally and internationally, such as the Contemporary Arts Center, 621 Gallery, FSU Museum of Fine Arts, The Delaplaine Art Center, The Beijing Film Academy and all over the piazzas of Florence, Italy.
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FEATURED ARTISTS ANNIE RUTH NAPIER Project: On Her Shoulders Annie Ruth Napier, Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Master Artist, an internationally respected artist and arts educator based in Cincinnati, where she uses innovative strategies to make the arts experience both rewarding and relevant. She has published more than 25 volumes of poetry, books and articles for both children and adults. Her arts and education curriculum sets are used in educational and cultural institutions across the country. Annie Ruth earned a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from National University in San Diego, California. In 2001, she established Eye of the Artists Foundation, nonprofit that connects more arts programming and arts education to underserved communities. She is the founder of Dada Rafiki, a special celebration of women that acknowledges their contributions through visual art, poetry, song and dance. Dada Rafiki means “sister friend” in the Kiswahili language of East Africa.
REBECCA NAVA Project: The Edge Rebecca Nava, Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Artist Awardee, draws from her Mexican heritage and research into historic Mesoamerican culture to give voice to the often-silenced indigenous roots of the Latino immigrant population. Her installations of pine needles, copal resin, smoke, wood, and colored sawdust interweave Mayan tradition and story with current events and culture. Rebecca received her MFA in Painting from Boston University, where she worked under the tutelage of Guggenheim Award winning British painters John Walker and Graham Campbell, Mexican painter Alfredo Gisholt and Cincinnati painter Frank Herrmann. She has taught Fine Arts, Design, and Art History at Cincinnati State since 2008 and has served on the faculty of Miami University School of Art and the Art Academy of Cincinnati. She’s also served as the Lead Teaching Artist for 10 public murals through ArtWorks, three of which were her original work.
ADEBOLA OLOWE Project: Irin Ajo - The Journey Adebola Olowe, Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Master Artist, founded the Bi-Okoto Cultural Institute and currently serves as its Artistic & Executive Director. He came to Cincinnati in 1989 as part of a Nigerian dance group called Oduchiala, which had been founded by his father and toured across a number of continents. The group disbanded during this tour, and Adebola decided to continue his studies at UC, where he discovered a need to educate Americans about Africa in all its diversity. One of his early performers was a native Cincinnatian who worked for Cincinnati Ballet, Jeaunita Weathersby. Because of her connections, the nascent Bi-Okoto was housed there and relied on volunteers. In time, the company expanded and settled in Bond Bill and later, Pleasant Ridge, where it has its own performance space, studios, costume and drum repair facilities, a recording space, conference room, and gallery. The center offers classes in the Hausa, Yoruba, and Twi languages from West Africa as well as cooking, visual arts, and sewing classes.
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FEATURED ARTISTS TYRA PATTERSON Project: Time Saved Vs. Time Served Art Exhibit Tyra Patterson , Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Artist Awardee, was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. On December 25, 2017, she walked out of prison after serving 23 years for crimes she did not commit. Today, she speaks at law schools, colleges, prisons, conferences and high schools, leveraging her story to educate people on injustice, mass incarceration and wrongful convictions. She works at the Ohio Justice & Policy Center, where she serves as the Director of Community Outreach. She is a member of the Board of Directors for Just Media and a proud Art For Justice Fund grantee, where she directs her energy toward systemic change. Tyra is involved in Cincinnati arts community, specifically advocating for the hiring of artists directly impacted by incarceration and pathways for entrepreneurship. She also uses art to educate people on issues of social, racial, gender and economic justice.
AWADAGIN PRATT Project: Awadagin Pratt: Black in America (BIA) Awadagin Pratt , Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Artist Awardee, is acclaimed for his musical insight and involving performances in recital and with symphony orchestras. Born in Pittsburgh, he began studying piano and violin at a young age. At the age of 16, he entered the University of Illinois to study piano, violin, and conducting. He enrolled at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, where he became the first student in school history to receive diplomas in three performance areas: piano, violin and conducting. Pratt won the Naumburg International Piano Competition in 1992 and later was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant. Since then, he has played numerous recitals in the U.S., including performances at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in L.A., Chicago’s Orchestra Hall and the NJ Performing Arts Center. He is currently a Professor of Piano at UC’s College-Conservatory of Music. He also served as Artistic Director of the World Piano Competition in Cincinnati and is currently Artistic Director of the Art of the Piano Festival at CCM.
JUAN GABRIEL MARTINEZ RUBIO Project: Nosotros/US Gabriel Martinez, Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Artist Awardee, is a dancer and choreographer originally from Mexico. He studied classical ballet technique and contemporary dance at Ballet Teatro del Espacio’s school and Danzjafora academy in Mexico City. Gabriel took workshops in Berlin with Renate Graziadei, Jeremy Nelson in Laborgras dance studio and Radialsystem. Gabriel has been teaching dance since 2007 for professional and amateur dancers in Mexico and has also taught workshops for performers of different disciplines including a theatre company for blind actors. He moved to Cincinnati in 2016 and worked with Mamluft & Co. Dance. In 2019, Gabriel started Dos-Corazones Productions with the aim of creating contemporary dance shows and multidisciplinary performances. One of its goals is to connect the Latino community to the arts and to bridge cultural divides. He created a festival for the dia de los muertos that included an original dance-theater piece that he created in both English and Spanish.
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FEATURED ARTISTS GAURAVI SHAH Project: T&R Sketch Show Gauravi Shah , Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Artist Awardee, aims to make culturally diverse comedy part of the new normal, as well as encourage and provide a platform for aspiring comedians of color. She’s a renaissance woman of many talents: nuclear physicist, amazing chef, Jeopardy contestant, and improv comedian. Recently transplanted from Toronto, her comedy training includes The Assembly Improv Theatre and Second City. Gauravi directs Hot Mic and teaches and coaches for Improv Cincinnati. Most recently, she directed the hit holiday musical Elfish.
DONALD SHERMAN Project: Black Broadway Musical Review Don Sherman, Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Master Artist, is Executive Director and President of the Cincinnati Black Theatre Company (CBTC) and created the Midwest Regional Black Theatre Festival in 1998, serving as its producer in 2002 and 2004. He is a recipient of numerous arts awards, including the 1998 Sowell Award and (with his wife, Paula Sherman) the Applause Magazine’s ImageMaker for developing youth through the art world. Don has been a theatre producer, director, teacher and playwright regionally for more than 30 years.
KAREEM K.A. SIMPSON Project: The Margaret Garner Project Kareem Antonio Simpson, Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Artist Awardee, is an author whose work challenges the notion of societal norms. He’s been published and exhibited nationally and locally. His Chronicles of a Boy Misunderstood (2013) is an eye-opening look into the lives of Black gay men, boldly addressing controversial issues like slavery, love, class, social status, racism and the LGBTQ community, spanning decades while unraveling an untold secret. K.A. is founder and chief imagination officer of SparkLight Creative Group, a personal and professional development agency that works with individuals, small businesses, and nonprofits to create space for growth. He was awarded the 2020 President’s Award by the Northern Kentucky NAACP for “his tireless effort to elevate the region’s Black community through personal and professional development and bringing their marginalized stories to life.” In addition, he received the 2020 “Heart of the Community Award” from the Center for Great Neighborhoods in Covington.
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FEATURED ARTISTS DEREK J. SNOW Project: Silas, The Uninvited Derek J. Snow , Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Artist Awardee, has been an active participant in the Cincinnati theatre community as an actor, writer and director for over 35 years. A graduate of the School for Creative and Performing Arts, he continued his education in NYC before returning to teach dramatic arts to inner-city youth in the public school system. Derek has been with the popular physical theatre group Performance Gallery for the past 18 years, which has produced an entry in every Cincinnati Fringe Festival since its inception. His written work has been produced in Atlanta, New Jersey, Cincinnati and Sydney, Australia. He’s also the founder of Missing Front Plate Productions, a company dedicated to producing works of BIPOC artists that are then used to teach cultural history through playwriting and an understanding of basic human rights.
TT STERN-ENZI Project: Critical Reflections TT Stern-Enzi , Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Artist Awardee, has spent 20 years as a freelance writer and film critic in the Cincinnati region for CityBeat and television affiliate Fox19, while earning distinction as an accredited critic on Rotten Tomatoes and membership in the Critics Choice Association. He began curating film programs at the Mini Microcinema and other regional venues, serving on the advisory board for the University of Cincinnati Center for Film & Media Studies and developing an educational curriculum for his WatchWriteNow initiative. TT served as lead programmer/curator for the rebranded Over-theRhine International Film Festival during its first two years before settling into the position of Artistic Director for the 2021 edition. He is also a Board Member of the Film Festival Alliance.
KATHY WADE Project: We Are The Story: A Visual Response to Racism Kathy Wade, Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Master Artist, is an EMMY-nominated, award-winning international jazz entertainer, producer, CEO, and bridge-builder in the community. She co-founded Learning Through Art, Inc., celebrating 29 years of building community through art impacting more than a million participants. She is the creator and executive producer of the national award-winning and four-time EMMY-nominated performing arts literacy program Books Alive! For Kids®. Learning Through Art anchors Kathy’s belief in giving back to the community. A graduate of Edgecliff College with a BA in Sociology, she holds a Master of Arts degree from UC’s College-Conservatory of Music.
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Thanks to our partner, the City of Cincinnati, and our generous sponsors:
Artwork: “I Call Upon the Elders” Annie Ruth