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A photograph of Ariel Vivanco, standing in front of a body of water.
Feb
24
AAC Alum From Across the Globe
  • Posted By : Chelsey Hughes/
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Alumni From Across the Globe Will Judge Minumental 32

Minumental has been an annual exhibit since 1987 and has become one of our most well-attended shows. This will be the first time Minumental has been both online and in-person due to COVID-19, and online sales will begin Friday, February 26 at 3:20 pm. This allowed us to invite in our Alumni living across the globe to judge this years exhibition, Ariel Vivanco, Erin Overmann, and Julio Labra.

Ariel Vivanco

A photograph of Ariel Vivanco, standing in front of a body of water.
a collection of Ariel's work. Black and white illusrtations.
Ariel Vivanco is a Hispanic-American artist from San Antonio, Texas. She graduated with a BFA in Painting & Drawing and a minor in Art History from the Art Academy of Cincinnati in 2017. She currently lives and works in Seoul, South Korea. 
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Erin Overmann

A photograph of Erin Overman sitting at her work desk.
“After graduating from Art Academy of Cincinnati with a degree in Illustration (almost a decade ago!), I decided to pursue animation in Ireland. My dog Mose and I moved to Dublin, Ireland to further my education. Since graduating (again), I have worked on four tv series, three short films, and one feature film. I am currently living in medieval Kilkenny, Ireland, and am employed by Cartoon Saloon. My professional focus is location design/ background production / concept art. I am by no means an animator, but I help build the illusional 2d platform for the character to sit and if well designed – belong. 
I look forward to the Minumentals Exhibition and seeing all the amazing work!
Thank you for having me around 🙂 ” – Erin
WEBSITE
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Julio Labra

A collection of work from Julio Labra's Instagram page.
“Julio Labra, born in Idaho Falls, Idaho in 1989, is an artist working in Asia. He is a painter whose works are representational of his nomadic life. Having never lived in one place for more than a year, Julio’s work depicts the journey and search for his identity.
He received his MFA in painting from Laguna College of Art and Design in 2014, and his BFA in illustration from Art Academy of Cincinnati in 2012.”
(Julio currently lives in Tokyo, Japan with his wife. Julio has been discovering what his studio practice looks like amidst the pandemic while traveling throughout Japan. His series “Drifting Studio”, “Drifting Studio 2” explores where he has lived while in Japan and what his studio spaces look like, how he creates, and how he adapts. ) added by Caroline, feel free to use this paired with his statement above. 
WEBSITE
SOCIAL
A cake made in the shape of a bunny.
Bunny Cake awarded to Julia Waldorf in 2016

The Viewer’s Choice Award will also look different this year. Traditionally the recipient of this award receives a Bunny cake, made with love by an AAC Alumni Association member, but this year the recipient will receive a custom tote bag printed and designed by AAC Alum, Savannah Vadges..


An image of a student going through a portfolio of artwork.
Feb
18
The Scholastic Impact
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The Scholastic Impact: A Local High School’s Perspective

Jodi Kessler and Stephanie Gauer both teach visual arts at Lakota West where the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program is a longstanding annual tradition for students (grades 10-12.) They appreciate Scholastic for introducing young creatives to a bigger picture than the classroom can provide on its own. It demonstrates how art is more than something you do for a grade, or a hobby, or a core requirement.

 

“I think [Scholastic] really validates what we do in the classroom with the students,” says Kessler. “What we’re trying to convince them in class is that what we’re teaching them really applies to their lives. And that they can use art as a platform and a voice.”

“When they get that email or that certificate or see that artwork hanging in a show… it really is impactful. They remember those awards the rest of their lives. And they take pride in that. It gives them confidence to move forward into their adulthood.”

Scholastic also exposes their students to a broader community of peers beyond their usual bubble. And it gives them a chance to compete.

“It’s an important step in learning how to deal with acceptance and rejection. And looking at your work in a more critical way,” says Gauer. “But then also just looking at what other students the same age as you are creating.”

Having your work seen and appreciated by a complete stranger can be much more impactful than praise from a parent or teacher. And Scholastic provides a space for that to happen.

“[W]hen we enter these competitions and when they earn awards or win accolades, it really validates that their voice was heard,” says Kessler. “And it’s so much more meaningful to them to hear someone else tell them ‘good job— this is amazing art.’ Instead of hearing it from their teacher.”

Gauer says that their classes begin preparing for Scholastic as early as October. And it’s a learning experience every step of the way. Starting out, you learn to photograph and format your own work to the correct resolution size for digital submission. If you’re submitting a portfolio, you learn to write an artist statement. And in a “normal” year, if you win a regional award, you have to mat your work for the exhibition in February/March. For many students, Scholastic is the first time they’ve ever dealt with a mail-in entry form.

“These kids have grown up in a digital world where they don’t send letters in the mail. They don’t know what a stamp is [… So] it’s not just about the artwork. It’s about giving [the students] that experience of what it’s like to enter or apply for something. And just the amount of time and work that goes into that process […] Scholastic is a big part of our classroom.”

When looking back on her own career, Gauer credits a high school experience for getting the ball rolling. “I was lucky enough to participate in a program at my high school where we could go to the elementary school and teach a lesson […] I started noticing I felt really comfortable in front of the classroom. And I was relatively a very shy kid.”

Both Gauer and Kessler have seen Scholastic play a similar role for their students. It’s an opportunity for them to discover art as something they’re good at. Something they might continue pursuing.

“We’re so thankful that the Art Academy took Scholastic on,” says Kessler. “There used to be [one person] who did it and really worked their tail off for years and years and years […] I think it makes sense that a local arts college takes this on for our kids. It’s a lot of work on their part, and we appreciate that they do it. We truly appreciate it.”

A student working on a drawing.
A student photographing a drawing.

View all the work HERE at the Scholastic Art & Writing Virtual Exhibition. 


An image of three paintings depicting POC.
Feb
11
Nytaya Babbitt: Emerging Artist
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"Nytaya collaborates with her sitters to share their experiences in their own words. Then she uses the interview and a photograph given to her by the collaborator as inspiration for a painted portrait. Not only does the concept and execution feature Black Women who are often invisible in our culture, but it shares their stories intimately and honorifically giving agency and importance to the women portrayed."

Emily Hanako Momohara, Associate Professor, Photography

 

Emerging Artist Award & 2021 Valedictorian

2021 has just begun but, for AAC student Nytaya Babbitt, this has already been a year to remember. In January, Babbitt was named SummerFair Cincinnati’s Emerging Young Artist, beating out twenty finalists that their professors selected from area colleges.

Then Academic Dean, Paige Williams, announced that Nytaya was the class of 2021 Valedictorian.

We wanted to ask Nytaya a few questions about what these accomplishments mean to her and how she got here. It comes as no surprise that even though they’re in the final semester of their senior year, they made time to respond and were quick to reply.
Q & A with Nytaya Babbitt
Q: When did you come to Cincinnati?
A: I came to Cincinnati my sophomore year after transferring schools from Memphis.
 
Q: Where did you grow up, and what was it like? Was art always a part of your life?
A: I grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, around a lot of kind and hardworking individuals. My parents were charitable to a fault, and that trait passed down to me. When I began showing an interest in art my parents were the first people to help me cultivate that interest. The interest in art started around 3rd grade, which prompted my parents to help me get into a performing arts school that spanned from 4th-12th grade. So, in terms of, ” has art always been a part of life,” most of it yes.
 
Q: How has your work transformed over your time at the AAC?
A: AAC has given me a lot of room to direct myself as an artist. Professors at AAC helped me cultivate language and discussions around my work that I didn’t think were possible.
 
Q: How do you choose your subjects?
A:  I usually choose subjects that have directly impacted me and how I go about my life. 
 
Q: How did it feel when Paige Williams told you that you were the 2021 Valedictorian?
A: When Paige told me I was valedictorian, I physically felt the air leave my body. I was so happy. I never thought that I could achieve something like that because I know other great students are working alongside me. To say I was elated is an understatement.
 
Q: Have you told your family; if so how did they react to your accomplishment?
A: The first people I told were my mom and dad. My dad said no one in his family had achieved that before, so he was proud of me, and my mom made me repeat myself to make sure she heard it right. They were both extremely proud.
 
Q: What are your plans after you graduate?
A: My immediate plans are to find an apartment so I can move to Cincinnati. Then spend the next year making art and working so next school term I can enter in an MFA program for painting and drawing.
 
Q: What advice do you have for young artists?
A:  I would say be as genuine as you can be and become a sponge, soaking up lessons and advice
 
 

When you scan this QR code, you will be taken to an audio recording of an interview that Nytaya Babbitt recorded with her subject.


A photo of AAC students holding certificates for scholarships they received.
Feb
09
Cincinnati Art Club Annual Scholarship Competition 2021 – 2022
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Cincinnati Art Club Scholarship

The Cincinnati Art Club, in keeping with its 130+ year tradition of advancing the knowledge and love of art through education, is pleased to announce its annual scholarship competition for post-secondary Fine Arts students.  

Multiple scholarships of up to $1500 will be awarded in March of 2021 for the 2021 – 2022 academic year.  

 Submission of applications is now open. Deadline for submission is February 28th 2021.  

Applicants must demonstrate exemplary artistic accomplishment in the production of original artwork in traditional visual arts media, including painting, drawing, and sculpture. 

 Qualifying applicants must  

  1. Be a full time student majoring in Fine Arts  
  2. Currently be in their first, second or third year of study (i.e. The competition is not open to entering freshman,  graduating seniors, or students enrolled in graduate degree programs.) 
  3. Reside within a 50-mile radius of Cincinnati or be full time students at an accredited post-secondary institution located within a 50 mile radius of Cincinnati. 

To apply, simply follow the instructions below. 

Email inquiries can be sent to scholarships@cincinnatiartclub.com.   

Cincinnati Art Club Scholarship Application Instructions 

Send an email to scholarships@cincinnatiartclub.com with the following information: 

  1. Your full name 
  2. Your full mailing address 
  3. Your email address 
  4. Your phone number 
  5. Name of school 
  6. Name of one academic reference 
  7. Your current GPA 
  8. Attach sample images of six works of art or provide link to a personal website with at least six works of art. 
  9. At least 3 of the 6 works must demonstrate a mastery of traditional art disciplines such as representational life drawing, painting, and/or sculpture 
  10. The other 3 works can represent the student’s personal artistic direction and vision. 
Previous Cincinnati Art Scholarship Recipients

Henry Burdsall 20-21

Alazandra Townsend 19-20

Nicole McClure 18-20

Hailey McElroy 17-18

Tiffany Tran 16-17


David Michael Butler is painting a mural on the side of the Art Academy of Cincinnati.
Feb
01
Art and Protest: Q&A with Art Academy of Cincinnati’s Head of Illustration
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Animation Career Review: Q&A with Art Academy of Cincinnati’s Head of Illustration

Animation Career Review has had the great fortune of being able to interview some of the most interesting and knowledgeable people in the animation world. Below is the interview they conducted with our Head of Illustration, David Michael Butler.

Students at the Art Academy of Cincinnati live by the school’s mantra to “Make art, and make a difference.” The school boldly empowers both students and faculty to break rules in favor of punctuating their artistic voice in meaningful ways that resonate. AAC’s Illustration department is symbolic of the school’s approach as a whole. It includes a rigorous curriculum that introduces students to a variety of mediums- from drawing and design to animation and narrative. Culminating in a B.F.A., graduates possess broad skill sets that enable them to both carve a career and confront challenges with their art.

The Illustration department is led by illustrator and Assistant Professor David Michael Butler who brings his passion for art and culture to everything he does. As a person of color, Butler leverages illustration to challenge the status quo and confront issues of social justice in society. He doesn’t shy away from meeting students “where they are” in his words, and he encourages them to explore the issues that matter. We recently caught up with Butler to ask him about the Illustration major at Art Academy of Cincinnati, as well as the current state of art within the Black Lives Matter movement and beyond. 

ACR: David, before we deep dive into illustration at Art Academy of Cincinnati I want to start with you. At what point in your life did you decide that art was going to be your path, and how did you go about developing your skills?

David Michael Butler:  Like most artists, I started drawing cartoons and illustrating my favorite superheroes in comic books at about eight years old. Fortunately, I have a family who is supportive of the arts and artists themselves. My step-pop was a performing arts teacher at the School of Creative & Performing Arts which brought our family to Cincinnati from St. Louis. As a teenager, I had a really great set of art teachers and a lot of mentors who helped me hone my skills. I started making work professionally when I was about fourteen. I got a job at Kings Island in Cincinnati as a caricature artist, and I honed my skills throughout high school working long hours. I wanted to be an animator, but really got involved with illustration towards my senior year of high school. I wanted to see more people like myself within these fictitious narratives, so I started telling stories and never stopped.

At one point I was able to make enough money to start art school and buy my first car. 

I went to the Columbus College of Art and Design to become an illustrator and found my love for painting. In college, I worked freelance as a caricature artist and an illustrator for multiple publications. I also did a lot of free work as an intern and was an assistant to a local artist. Pretty much anything I could get my hands on I took as an opportunity to learn and explore my craft. That led me to my graduate school pursuits of getting my MFA in Philadelphia at the University of the Arts. Ever since, I’ve been teaching illustration at the college level which led me here to AAC. It’s like a full circle moment as Cincinnati is the city where I got the creative bug.

ACR:  What were the merits of Art Academy of Cincinnati that attracted you to it as both an artist and educator? 

DMB: As a young artist in Cincinnati, I was always fascinated with the Art Academy- especially when it was attached to the Cincinnati Art Museum. Back in the day, I loved going to see the artwork at the museum; I watched students going in and out of the building for the AAC and told myself, “one day I’m gonna be in that building.” When the opportunity came to direct AAC’s Illustration program, I jumped at the chance to be a part of the legacy that is Art Academy of Cincinnati. I saw a great opportunity to build a new legacy and environment for students of today and share what I learned in my journey as a creative.

ACR:  On that note, as the new Head of the Illustration program at AAC, what are your goals for the program and its students?

DMB:  Challenge, honesty and forward-thinking are my teaching methods. I try to meet every student where they are in their creative process and empower them to challenge themselves beyond what they feel their capabilities are. I also make sure I am as honest as I can be about the creative industry which they are pursuing. I don’t sugarcoat things; I let them know that there will be challenges. It’s a fun career to pursue, but also one of the toughest industries to be in. 

Knowing that, I make sure our program is pushing students to not only learn the skills of traditional methods of making, but also the new digital trends in industry. Times are different, and there are a myriad of ways to make money as an illustrator within the commercial art industry. The model has changed, so as a program and as educators we must change with it. That means maintaining our practice as creatives while being willing to humble ourselves and learn the new ways of the industry in order to pass the knowledge on to our students.

ACR:  Talk about the ‘tools’ of today’s illustrators, and how your students get comfortable working with them.

DMB:  Our students come into the AAC with many different skill sets and career aspirations. But the tools and skills needed as an artist have not changed very much. Understanding the basics of drawing, color, the elements of design, the theoretical frameworks of art, being able to communicate visually and understand composition, and learning skills on traditional and digital methods all play a role in how undergraduate students learn best. 

We try to build a culture of mastering your tools so you can create the work that you want at the highest caliber you can. In the major, we teach everything from drawing, painting, type, to learning how to turn your illustrations into moving designs, making motion comics, and even animation shorts. Because the industry is ever-changing, we try to give students lessons in all the tools at their disposal to build their toolbox of skill sets. This way they will be able to find work in multiple industries and survive the business as best they can. 

We also strive to create a culture of collaboration amongst students. In all my classes, I drive home the fact that the largest resource they have within their creative careers are each other. Moving up in this industry isn’t a stretch from the bottom to the top, it’s a stretch from left to right. Those next to you who are as hungry as you will be your best resources for bouncing ideas, collaborating on projects, and staffing your projects.

ACR: Your Illustration students are finding their creative voices and developing their skills at an unprecedented time. Some of your students helped you with a series of murals depicting themes of racial justice- one of which was recently defaced. What have the conversations been like in the department amidst the Black Lives Matter movement?

DMB: Fortunately, I work at an institution that believes Black Lives Matter. Which is a very comforting thing for me to know as a black professor at a predominantly white institution. The Black Lives Matter mural I did on campus was a cathartic pursuit. With the wave of blood shed by vigilante and state-sanctioned violence, I had a lot of feelings that I needed to get out. But I also saw that the conversation surrounding black and brown women- especially queer and trans women- was being lost. So for the mural, I wanted to spotlight those stories through an illustrated character of a creative protester who personified those identities and couple that image with a poem excerpt done by an amazing poet friend of mine, Barbara Fant, called ‘Brown Bodies Bending’. 

Together, the words and the image created a narrative that provokes conversation around the reality of being brown-bodied in American culture. Your existence is constantly challenged by the environment that you’re placed, to the point where you feel like you’re burning to exist. This reality is a little hard to take for those who oppose the viewpoint of our existence. So that’s why I feel the mural was vandalized recently. Most folks don’t want to believe that their existence creates such a tormented experience for others. 

Events like this create for great conversation between faculty and students. I took the opportunity to talk about the power of the visual image and its role throughout the history of civil disobedience through time. The visual image has always been the way that we told our stories and communicated with one another as black and brown people from all nations. It’s how we’ve documented ourselves and it’s also how we have challenged power. Students get a front row seat to that when they see something like this happen on our campus. And they understand how important their work will be in the future and how much of an asset they are to the zeitgeist of resistance on a global scale. 

ACR: That very much speaks to the power of art…

DMB:  Any artist can make a difference today- from a single Instagram post to an animation they put out into the community. All creative pursuits have power to move the culture and make the world we hope for. That’s why on a historic level, as Toni Morrison would put it, artists were murdered, imprisoned, and even at times tortured publicly by those in power. Because people who want to control others know the power of art. They know that you can motivate folks to move when they want them to stay still. So in this case, we are able to show our students that they have power even when they feel powerless. It’s a big responsibility.

ACR: How do themes of social and racial justice appear in the curriculum or co-curricular activities?

DMB: As long as I am here, I teach using the experience that I have. My experience is utilizing art as a platform of resistance/activism and bringing more awareness to black creativity and innovation in the industry of visual image. I feel it’s our responsibility as a program to employ these themes within our curricula as much as possible. For example, if I’m talking about artists to my students, I’m usually talking about artists of color and women artists; not because I don’t believe that white male artists are important to the culture of art, but I know that within their own experience and research students have a higher probability of being introduced to artists who are men and often artists who are white. So seeing me working as an artist is important because it shows them that folks of all identities create work and are successful in doing that. I try to push against the norm that artists are white and male as much as I can. That has a larger effect on the student process than we have data for. I also push against the norms that students need to hide their identities within their work. I advocate that the place where they are within their work needs to be shared to create space for those behind them.

As far as the co-curricular experience, students are taking the reins in a powerful way on campus. With the help of our student support services, they are creating student groups for themselves to get involved with their local communities. They are participating in local protests. They are working with local nonprofits to advocate and bring awareness to campaigns that help create the world that they want to see. And they are often holding us accountable as a staff/faculty to create the learning environment that they need to feel supported and survive.

ACR:  Cincinnati was recently added to the Arts Vibrancy Index report as among the most vibrant artistic communities in the country. What’s the present ‘landscape’ like in Cincinnati for artists and creative thinkers, and how do you prepare students for what the region has to offer?

DMB: The scene in Cincinnati is very rich and fruitful for artists. There are great funding opportunities and community partners to connect with. There are also many industries to get involved in from advertising firms, to corporate work, editorial illustration, public art, and entrepreneurial/contract work. Fortunately, Cincinnati and other cities in Ohio provide a rare opportunity for artists to work and live comfortably without having a myriad of jobs to maintain their creative practice. The city is affordable, and work is fairly easy to find if you know how to move within the business. 

Providing the tools needed to survive in the industry is what we do most as educators. I don’t want anybody coming out of my class without the skills that they need to survive. I try to treat every class that I teach as an opportunity to create a new professional. Which is why I can often be seen as a tough professor, but I am often fair as a professor as well. I know that everybody comes into school as an individual with a set of needs, and I try to acquiesce to them as much as possible but I also want to prepare them for the industry in the city that they live in. There’s a lot of talent In a medium-size town, so I try to prepare them for that reality.

ACR:  And they have opportunities to work with local and regional partners?

DMB: Yes. We often collaborate with community partners in a lot of our classes at the Academy and provide students with as many opportunities to connect with working artists and businesses that hire artists. A lot of this work is done by our career services department, but as professors we try to empower students to do the things that they need to get into the businesses that they want. It used to be a fairly straight line- you would go to school, they would have a career event at the end of your four years, you’d get an internship or an entry-level job, and work your way through a corporation or institution. That is not the case as often anymore. Work is more self-motivated, entrepreneurial, and contracted throughout the industry.

We try to empower our students to learn the skills they need to survive in an ever-changing industry. And we also give them skills for surviving in-between times when they are trying to find work. As an artist, no matter what I do in the industry I know I can always fall on doing live art events. I have been doing it since I was 14, so I know the industry fairly well and I have a lot of connections within the industry to help me find work when I am in-between jobs or projects that help me survive and provide for my family. All of us who are professors within the Illustration Department have those skills and share them as much as possible to show students that sometimes having a set of skills you can fall back on allows you to survive the business a bit better. That is just the reality that we exist in today. 

ACR: That’s an important point to make for aspiring artists, as there may be dry spells or periods of surviving on less…

DMB:  And also, the industry has less funding than it did in the past. A lot of institutions and corporations try to get Illustrators to do four different jobs in one position. This is an industry norm that needs to be changed, or at least modeled a different way so artists are compensated for the work that they do. I find too often that students take jobs for very little pay to simply survive and oftentimes it’s the fault of the client for taking advantage of young creators. A lot of corporations and businesses prey on the naïveté of young artists starting out to try and bleed them dry before they even get their start in the industry. So in order for us to provide a better industry for our students to go into, we have to advocate for proper pay and proper work conditions as working artists within our industry. And we need to educate those who are hiring creative workers to provide a fair environment for young artists to exist. There’s a level of literacy building that we need to do within our own community to change the norm for how we view and compensate artists.

ACR:  Last but not least, David, what do you want a prospective student to know about AAC’s Illustration program that they may overlook otherwise?

DMB: I want them to know that the Art Academy of Cincinnati provides a very rare opportunity for young artists. You have the opportunity to be creative from start to finish in your collegiate experience, and you have access to a small student population of collaborators of many identities to connect with. Rarely are there institutions that give you the opportunity to explore, try, fail, and try again at your craft. In our illustration program, we want our students to push themselves beyond their limits. We want them to have the freedom to explore the idiosyncratic career paths within the industry. The Academy as a whole is student centered. The bottom line is how much we support our students. We take feedback and are ever-changing as an institution to be better for the students. I don’t work with anyone who isn’t concerned for the progress and success of our students and our institutions. If you want a college that will work in partnership with you as a student, then choose AAC. I promise if you put in the work, you will not be disappointed.


A photograph of Christi Carli
Jan
28
Meet Our Alumni Council President
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Meet Our Alumni Council President, Christine Carli

Christine Carli pictured with Isabel Uria (BFA 2008)

“The first time I walked through the doors of the Art Academy, I knew I was home. Today, it is a great privilege for me to serve as President of the AAC Alumni Council, and I hope to make the Art Academy a home base of support, camaraderie, and inspiration for all our Alums—both near and far. In the coming year, we are planning new ways for our alumni community to re-engage with Art Academy and with one another. We envision an Alumni Council that connects, promotes, and supplies opportunities for all. We want to hear from you, and more importantly, we want you to know that you will always have a home here in Cincinnati. Stay tuned, be well, and make art!” 

Christine Carli, 2008 Alumnus

 

Christine currently works as an independent communications specialist, combining her design skills with her love of writing to create meaningful online content, speeches, and corporate communications. Formerly, Christine worked as the Director of Communications for ArtWorks. The Art Academy has played an integral role in her career path from the very beginning. She landed her first job in book marketing at F&W Publications based on the skills she learned from the Art Academy’s community education classes. She later enrolled full-time at the Art Academy to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Communication Design. Christine also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Media Arts with a minor in Spanish Literature from the University of Arizona.

Christine graduated from the AAC in 2008 with a degree in visual communication design. Christine has also been a docent at Cincinnati Art Museum for 20 years now! In her free time, Christine enjoys making ceramics and dabbling in printmaking.   

The Alumni Association is thrilled to have such a strong, determined woman to lead us in this next chapter. We look forward to all that Christine will do for the Alumni, AAC, and the community! 

Please join us in welcoming Christine as our Alumni President by sending congratulations and hello to alumni@artacademy.edu.  

 


A picture of Paul Stephens
Jan
19
Paul Stephens Retires after 52 Years
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It’s Really Time to Diddy-Bop: Paul Stephens Retires after 52 Years

A Letter from Denise Watson

Dear Paul,

While I was likely watching That Girl, Bewitched, and Jeopardy with my mother in Corpus Christi, Texas, you were beginning your work at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. It was July 7, 1969. I followed 35 years later. 

As I was about to begin working as the Eden Park Office Administrator in 2004, Nancy Glier said “You are going to love Paul.” How right she was. I met a veteran of the United States Navy, who ran and oversaw massive ship engine control rooms – places I didn’t even know existed before you explained to me in detail all the steering gears, calibrators, air pressure valves, water cooling pumps, cylinders, gaskets, reverse start switches, and stringent checks and balances necessary to power a ship. In describing all those precision-dependent operations, you never mentioned the one key factor that made your ship engine control rooms work like clockwork – a meticulous, methodical, and mathematical mind that makes the difference between sinking and sailing.

Your descriptions helped me hear and see those levers, controls, machines, and valves, and I helped you imagine them all being painted various shades of pink and lilac. I found your funny bone and your ticklish spot, and I found in you someone whose trust and integrity are iron-clad. Period. Our talks have shaped much of my experience of the Art Academy. The halls and walls will not be the same without your voice, your laugh, and your eyes, which have seen everything – including Shonny, a tiny doll you suddenly found resting on your shoulder when I introduced you two.

Your dreams, stories, warnings, advice, poker-face jokes, and quiet observations will be with me for a long time. I will miss our conversations about your fascination with the history of Egypt and your desire to understand as much as possible about falling pins, tumblers, bolts, codes, and fake key holes after learning about Egypt’s highly complex wooden locks. Your enthusiasm ignited your passion and led to your becoming a locksmith and inventing some of your own locks – especially headlocks you’ve had to administer to thugs worthy of such treatment.

That aggressive jeepney driver who intentionally drove you off route into harm’s way in the Philippines learned a life lesson as he watched you pound the faces off of four fools who thought they were going to kill an American sailor traveling solo. What did he expect? You had to fight for your life, and I am so glad you did.

Thank you, Paul, for giving me a view into your dreams and your fears and for entrusting me with your gentle tears along the way. You are one of the most sweet-tempered people I know, and I will miss you.

When we celebrated your 50th Anniversary in 2019 – at that time one third of the history of the Art Academy – several AAC people thought it was your retirement party. Thank you for giving us two more years. Over these last 52 years, students, alumni, staff, and faculty have cherished you, and now it is hard to say goodbye. It doesn’t seem real. We all wish you the very best.

Love,
Denise


Jan
15
Celebrating a Community Hero at the Art Academy
  • Posted By : Chelsey Hughes/
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  • Under : AAC News
AAC Prof Lindsey Whittle working at a sewing machine.
AAC Professor, Lindsey Whittle working on a Hero Flag

Celebrating a Community Hero at the Art Academy

Looking back on a less-than-stellar 2020, the Art Academy’s Academic Dean Paige Williams can identify at least one bright spot. In the middle of team-teaching a senior thesis class last semester, she received an unexpected honor.

“We were interviewing [Lindsey Whittle] for our class—as an alum and an active artist in the community—and at the end of the interview [co-teacher Matt Hart] asked Lindsey if she had any recent projects she was excited about…”

So Whittle began describing her work as a Lead Artist for the local nonprofit ArtWorks, where she guides groups of paid Youth Apprentices in making art for the community. In the spring, they sewed face masks for essential workers, and over the summer they made personalized flags for one-hundred locally-nominated Community Heroes across Greater Cincinnati.

It was at this point that Whittle, who was being interviewed remotely, burst through the classroom door to present Williams with a Hero Flag of her own making, designed to honor Williams’ above-and-beyond contributions to the Art Academy over the past 30 years. She was surprised and blown away.

“She is always present for anyone who needs her at the Art Academy,” says Whittle, explaining her nomination of Williams. “And I feel like she just went really above and beyond during the pandemic […] She never asks credit for it, or asks for anybody to notice. She just naturally steps up and supports people.”

Williams stepped up, for example, to help coordinate the countless logistics involved in keeping a school running safely during a pandemic. This meant establishing new systems, regulations and room sign-ups; installing touchless toilet flushers and water filters; and acquiring all the necessary PPE.

“We formed a COVID task force, and we meet every week. And every decision we make has to be reconsidered and can change at any minute,” says Williams, admitting to some sleepless nights. “The reason it worked [last semester] was because students followed the guidelines […] I’m really proud of them. They were awesome.”

 

 

 

Williams’ respect for students comes through in her unofficial status as “Art Mom” and ally, which Whittle highlights on her Hero Flag. The flag’s design also reflects her love of painting, jogging, and keeping a sketchbook.

“I have this thing where I’m obsessed with paint chips from the paint store,” Williams adds, explaining the flag’s yellow paint-chip backdrop with embroidered color names. Then there’s the shimmering silver grid—a nod to her 2018 mylar installation at the Carnegie.

 

“I have just always looked up to Paige as an artist and teacher ever since I was a student there,” sums up Whittle (AAC ’07), who is now an AAC faculty member, teaching classes in Garment Design and Performance Art.

The Community Hero Flags were installed on Central Parkway, and two Art Academy students were among the apprentices who made them. Both LaDe Richardson and Lauren Fredrickson were recognized by ArtWorks for exceptional work, and Richardson was designated Top Apprentice for 2020.

“I feel like this [past] year gave us a lot of opportunity to see things in people that maybe cause us to lose hope… to stop believing in people a little,” says Whittle. “[But] ArtWorks was like ‘no, there’s still a lot of people that we should be inspired by.’”

(with special thanks to the National Flag Company for supply donations)


Two women sitting at a laptop.
Jan
14
Alumni Mentorship Pilot Program
  • Posted By : Chelsey Hughes/
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  • Under : AAC News

Alumni Mentorship Pilot Program

 

The Alumni Mentorship Pilot Program is a pilot program created by Professional Development and the Alumni Coordinator to help engage students who are in the final steps of their programs with alumni.  Our goal is to create connections between students and alumni so that they can help mentor, foster growth, ideas, and be there for students about to graduate and enter the ‘real world’.  With the tools and experience of alumni who have been through the BFA, MAE, and associate programs at AAC, as well as navigating life after art school, we hope that this can be a guiding light to those who are ready to move on to this next stage of life and their careers.  

This pilot program will be implemented in 2020/2021, with the intention to grow this program to be a part of an overarching mentorship program that includes both peer-to-peer and alumni mentorship and spans the entire AAC student and alumni experience.

The AAC Mentorship Program is designed to:

  • Provide an opportunity for incoming students to make an immediate connection with a Peer Mentor who can provide them with a full picture of life at the AAC
  • Cultivate community and support within the AAC
  • Offer leadership opportunities for Peer Mentors
  • Create connections between students and alumni so that alumni may help mentor, foster growth, and support students as they prepare to graduate and enter the ‘real world’
  • Offer leadership opportunities for Alumni Mentors

Get Involved

The Alumni Mentorship Pilot Program is currently looking for Alumni who are interested in becoming a mentor this year, starting February 1st.  If you can donate 1-2 hours per month from February-May please email our Alumni Coordinator, Caroline Bell, at caroline.bell@artacademy.edu.


Photograph of Caroline Bell
Dec
16
AAC Alumni Coordinator
  • Posted By : Chelsey Hughes/
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  • Under : AAC News

The Alumni Coordinator is a vital role to the Art Academy of Cincinnati (AAC). Fostering an environment of success and support reflective of the AAC’s mission and vision by working with the AAC Alumni Council. As Alumni Coordinator will represent the AAC in our community and promote new and existing alumni policies and programs. The Alumni Coordinator will work with the Alumni Council in developing, coordinating, and evaluating programs and projects that promote alumni relations. The Alumni Coordinator will also be facilitating and overseeing any alumni related event or fundraiser.

Meet Caroline Bell

Hello, my name is Caroline Bell, I am a recent graduate of the AAC, a 2020 pandemic grad! My major was in Photography with a Minor in Art History. I have a passion for education and creation, my future goal is to get my MFA and become a professor, so that I can help foster the growth of new artists! When not working, you will find me editing film scans, creating in my studio, enjoying the great outdoors, or hanging out with one or all 3 of my cats!


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