An Outside Chance
Artist Robert Lugo with a sculpture he created for a Philadelphia park.
Courtesy of ArtWorks.
Community Workshop
Saturday, Sept. 7, 2 – 4 p.m.
ArtWorks New Building
2429 Gilbert Ave.
ArtWorks invites Walnut Hills residents to participate in the creation of a new community monument in the Hannan ArtPark .
Join a free workshop led by artists Kathryne Gardette and Gary Dangel to contribute designs and patterns to be incorporated into the sculpture.
From vibrant murals on neighborhood walls and public art projects throughout the region, ArtWorks creates art that is meant to be experienced outside.
It is fitting, then, the arts non-profit is opening a dedicated art park across from its soon-to-open permanent building in Walnut Hills.
“When people think of ArtWorks, they think of public art, so it makes sense to have an outdoor space where we can showcase incredible sculptures and murals for everyone to enjoy,” says Jill Dunne, ArtWorks’ senior director of marketing and communications. “The Hannan ArtPark will be a place where the Walnut Hills community can come together, celebrate, and experience art in a shared, vibrant space.
The park is named in honor of the Hannan Family for their generous support of the Cincinnati community, especially their dedication to creating positive opportunities for teens and young adults through Saturday Hoops and ArtWorks. The Hannan ArtPark presented by Fifth Third Foundation honors the Hannan Family for their generous support of the Cincinnati community, especially their dedication to creating positive opportunities for teens and young adults through Saturday Hoops and ArtWorks.
Lauren Hannan Shafer, a board member at ArtWorks, Saturday Hoops, and the Cincinnati Art Museum, inspires each organization with her passion, leadership and support. Her father, Richard Hannan, the founder and president of Mercury Instruments, inspired her as an entrepreneur who demonstrated integrity, love of family and respect for all people
With a gift from the Fifth Third Foundation, the vision for the new Hannan ArtPark is becoming a reality. The transformation is already underway, with Triversity spearheading the development at the corner of Gilbert Ave and Curtis Street. This ambitious initiative is set to transform a vacant, blighted lot and breathe new life into the historic building across the street, creating a dynamic creative campus for ArtWorks and the community.
The first completed public art contribution on the site is a monumental mural by world-renowned American Artist Charles Gaines. In early August the work, “Numbers and Trees: Cincinnati Cottonwoods” (2024), was completed, after weeks of work by 21 apprentices (ages 14–21) and four professional teaching artists. This mural was sponsored by Sara and Michelle Vance Waddell and Ron and David Houck-Nebel.
The mural will be joined by a new interactive sculpture and monument celebrating Walnut Hills, designed by acclaimed artist, activist and tducator Roberto Lugo, in collaboration with members of the Walnut Hills community. Lugo, whose art uniquely blends hip-hop, history, politics, and his cultural heritage into formal ceramics, is no stranger to Cincinnati. He was an artist in residence for two weeks at the Cincinnati Art Museum in 2023, where his work is part of the museum’s permanent collection.
“ArtWorks was introduced to Roberto Lugo during his residency in Walnut Hills at the Cincinnati Art Museum. We were impressed by his commitment to community. We loved that he invited youth to join him in making ceramics in the museum, he honored local Cincinnatians in his artwork, and he gifted sculptures to many local nonprofits.” says Colleen Houston, CEO and artistic eirector of ArtWorks. “He is a truly inspiring artist and it is a great honor to bring a permanent public art monument to Walnut Hills created in tribute to our neighborhood.”
In addition to the mural and sculpture, a sculptural bike rack, greenspace, and a parking area designed to also be a plaza for community events will make the area a draw for the community. Two new crosswalks will better connect the Hannan ArtPark to the growing business district, and new plantings in the median will further enhance this investment in the growing arts and cultural corridor in Walnut Hills.
“We’ve seen the energy that 5 Points Alley brings to the neighborhood thanks to Cincy Nice and the Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation, and we want the Hannan ArtPark to expand on that,” says Dunne. “It will be a place where people can gather, meet, and connect, both now and well into the future.”
This catalytic investment is part of ArtWorks’ newly renovated building at 2429 Gilbert Ave. which will center arts in the heart of Walnut Hills, one block south of historic Peebles Corner. The growing arts district in Walnut Hills includes notable neighbors such as the Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Harriet Beecher Stowe House and CincyNice. ArtWorks plans to celebrate and dedicate the new building and the Hannan ArtPark presented by Fifth Third Foundation at a public event on Sunday, Nov. 17.