Office of Community Education
1212 Jackson Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Office Hours:
Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Phone: 513.562.8748
Fax: 513.562.8778
Email: commed@artacademy.edu

P&G Visual Art Outreach Program

For more information or to

receive a printed brochure
email the Community Education
department and specify

Art For Kids (5-12), Camp Art

Academy (5-12 or Adult/Teen

Over-the-Rhine
Community Art Project

The Over-the-Rhine Community Art Project is a collaborative
effort by the Art Academy of Cincinnati and Peaslee Neighborhood
Center to engage Over-the-Rhine residents in the process of
creating public art. This community-driven project involves
community participants at every level of the artistic process.

Phase ONE:
I Have A Dream of Peace Mosaic Bench (2001-2002)
Funded by the NLT Foundation in Boston and the SC Ministry
Foundation in Cincinnati.

Neighborhood residents and local artist came together to design
a sculptural mosaic bench, themed “I Have A Dream of Peace,”
now permanently located inWashington Park. Miami University
Center for Community Development generously provided studio
space for the artists on the first floor of buddy's place at 13th and
Vine Streets. Local businesses contributed generously to the
success of the project.

Images of peace were collected from photographs and children's
drawings and incorporated into the designs of the bench by the
project’s lead artist, Suzanne Fisher. The Over-the-Rhine
Community Council approved the designs and theme. Apprentice
artists from the neighborhood were funded through the Cincinnati
Recreation Commission's Arts for All programs. Over 200 people
of all ages became a part of the art making. The piece was
unveiled August 3, 2002 at the Over-the-Rhine Community Festival.






(Suzanne Fisher, Bench Artists; Keith Kutch, Bench Designer)


Phase Two:
Imagination Alley and the Imagine Peace and Unity
Archway (2002 – 2004)
Funded by the Fine Arts Fund and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

With the success of the previous project, an ongoing public art
group began; its purpose was to beautify this Cincinnati
neighborhood. Several mosaic panels based on children’s
drawings were installed in a pocket park in the 1300 block of
Vine Street named "Imagination Alley." Children from Memorial
Community Center created stepping-stones now located in the
garden at Memorial Community Center on Liberty Street. Their
designs were used as the basis for these larger mosaic wall pieces.

OTR residents were surveyed about the next large project and the
leading choice was a mosaic entranceway with the theme of Peace
and Unity. We call it: Imagine Peace and Unity.

In 2003, Ms. Fisher and assistants worked with neighborhood
residents in the open studio at 13th and Vine Streets. In addition,
they visited several locations in the neighborhood to create mosaic
panels for the archway’s columns. These locations included:
Washington Park School, the Drop-In Center, St. Francis Seraph Art
Club, and Peaslee Neighborhood Center. Young people from
Lighthouse Community Services also visited the studio to contribute
mosaics for this structure.

Standing approximately 16 feet high and weighing about 18 tons,
the entire piece was installed in September of 2004. This piece
reflects visions of peace and unity as designed by OTR neighborhood
residents. In addition to the individually created panels, Suzanne
Fisher used residents’ images and ideas in the final design of the
arch top.


(click to view)



Phase Three:
OTR Freedom Trail – Mosaic Welcome Mats/Signs (2004)
Funded by the Ohio Arts Council and the Fine Arts Fund

Each partnering organization and its participants worked with artist
Suzanne Fisher and assistants to design and create a mosaic sign
for its front entrance. The custom designed signs reflect each
organization’s struggle to encourage freedom and effect positive
change in the lives of neighborhood residents. In conjunction with
the mats/signs, a passport brochure was created that maps a
“freedom trail” to each of the organizations. Freedom Trail passports
were available to the public at each of the organizations and other
various locations. A celebration of this modern day Freedom Trail
occurred at Peaslee Neighborhood Center in September. Those
visiting had the opportunity to get their passports stamped as they
visited each stop.






Phase Four:
Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the John C. Griswold
Foundation, the Architectural Foundation of Cincinnati, and the City of
Cincinnati Clean and Safe grant.

“Imagination Alley” has become the first component in a ten-year
plan to turn this area into a neighborhood park. The combined effort of
Peaslee, Art Academy students, Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, IMPACT
Over the Rhine, Emanuel Community Center, the Sarah Center, the
Drop-In Center’s Full Circle Program and many others created 24
beautiful mosaic panels being installed in flower boxes and benches
in Imagination Alley. This, plus four more Freedom Trail signs,
mosaic wall panels, and a large Unity Tree were made in a studio
space at Peaslee Neighborhood Center.



Thanks to the University of Cincinnati, Frank Russell and The
University of Cincinnati Community Design Center, an outreach
program of the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning,
were enlisted to facilitate the planning process and create drawings.

In the Fall of 2005, the studio space moved to the Community
Outreach Room at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. We are looking
forward to making art and making friends with our new neighbors.