CINCINNATI—ArtWorks’ new public gathering space, located across from its soon-to-open permanent building in Walnut Hills, will be named the Hannan ArtPark presented by Fifth Third Foundation. With this new name, ArtWorks 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.
Shafer, a longtime advocate for ArtWorks, made the first donation to ArtWorks’ Painting the Future Together campaign. 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. Thanks to a leadership gift from the Fifth Third Foundation, the vision for the new Hannan ArtPark is becoming a reality this summer and fall. The transformation is already underway, with Triversity spearheading the development at the corner of Gilbert Ave and Curtis Street.
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.
To join the mural, ArtWorks is thrilled to announce the addition of a new interactive sculpture and monument celebrating Walnut Hills. This sculpture will be designed by acclaimed American Artist, Social Activist and Educator 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. 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,” said Colleen Houston, CEO & Artistic Director of ArtWorks. Initial funding for this monument was provided by the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Jr., Haile Foundation.
ArtWorks is inviting Walnut Hills residents to participate in the creation of this community monument. Free workshops led by Local Artists Kathryne Gardette and Gary Dangel will be held at ArtWorks’ new building, 2429 Gilbert Ave., on Wednesday, Sept 4 from 4 – 6 p.m., and Saturday, Sept 7 from 2 – 4 p.m., offering residents the opportunity to contribute designs and patterns to be incorporated into the sculpture. Sign up for workshops to contribute to this vibrant new art piece.
In his artist statement, Lugo said: “Beyond recontextualizing historic ceramics, my studio practice is rooted in honoring the contributions of people of color, celebrating the community & culture I come from, and creating visual space for folks whose stories are seldom represented.”
He said: “By adding an archway to each sculpture, I invite viewers to step inside and become the subject of the artwork, much like the portrait vignettes in my pottery; the sculpture becomes a monument to empower and remind the viewer that their story, family, culture, and identity are worthy of recognition. I believe public sculpture is not only one of the most accessible forms of art but, an incredible opportunity to embody the surrounding community.”
Lugo is completing a multi-faceted, two-year community project in Philadelphia that will culminate in the installation of three public sculptures in October 2024.
In addition to the mural and sculpture, a sculptural bike rack, greenspace, parking designed to also be a plaza for community events and additional features will make the area a draw for the community. Two new crosswalks will better connect the Hannan ArtPark presented by Fifth Third Foundation 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.
This catalytic investment as part of ArtWorks’ newly renovated building at 2429 Gilbert Ave. 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 this spring.
About the Artist
Roberto Lugo is a Philadelphia-based artist, ceramicist, social activist, poet, and educator. Lugo uses classical pottery forms in conjunction with portraiture and surface design reminiscent of his North Philadelphia upbringing and Hip Hop culture to highlight themes of poverty, inequality, and racial injustice. Lugo’s works utilize traditional European and Asian ceramic techniques reimagined with a 21st-century street sensibility. Their hand-painted surfaces feature classic decorative patterns and motifs combined with elements of modern urban graffiti and portraits of individuals whose faces are historically absent on this type of luxury item — people like Sojourner Truth, Dr. Cornel West, and The Notorious BIG, as well as Lugo’s family members and, very often, himself. Lugo holds a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and an MFA from Penn State. His work has been featured in exhibitions at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, and the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, among others. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including a 2023 Heinz Award, a Philadelphia’s Cultural Treasures award, a 2019 Pew Fellowship, a Cynthia Hazen Polsky and Leon Polsky Rome Prize, and a US Artist Award. His work is found in the permanent collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The High Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Brooklyn Museum, the Walters Art Museum, and more.
About ArtWorks
Since 1996, ArtWorks has collaborated with community organizations and residents, businesses, governments, foundations, and nonprofits to create works of art that have helped to define Greater Cincinnati’s global reputation as an arts destination. Its mural program has made Cincinnati the #1 City for Street Art in USA Today’s 2024 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards. By employing and training over 3,500 professional artists and engaging 4,000 teens and young adults, ages 14-24, ArtWorks is actively investing in the creative economy. Through job creation that supports local talent and mentorship programs that pair professional artists with diverse teams of young people, their programs foster the development of 21st-century career-readiness skills. ArtWorks has created a vibrant citywide gallery with more than 14,000 public and private art projects over the last 28 years. Among these are more than 300 permanent outdoor murals that contribute to Cincinnati’s rich cultural tapestry, enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. ArtWorks partners with Hamilton County and Talbert House for seasonal apprentice funding. It also receives ongoing support from the City of Cincinnati, the Ohio Arts Council, ArtsWave, and individual donors.
