sos art cincinnati

Events and Exhibitions

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Latest Publications

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The “Race & the City Art” book documents the 2022 SOS ART project that consisted of artistic responses by invited Greater Cincinnati artists (poets, visual artists, performers), each artist responding with their own poem, visual art, or performance to one of the eleven chapters of the book: Race and the City: Work, Community, and Protest in Cincinnati, 1820-1970, edited by Henry Louis Taylor, Jr., and published in 1993. The book represents a history of Black Cincinnati from 1820 to 1970 and compiles academic studies by twelve authors who address various aspects of Black life during that period, highlighting the racial situation prevailing at that time in employment, real estate, ghettos, segregation, leadership, etc. 14 local poets, 40 local visual artists and 2 local performing groups, took part in the project, adding their own artistic response to the original book, also their reflection about the current racial situation in Cincinnati.

“Cartoons for Peace and Justice”, a new project of SOS ART, consists of a series of cartoon books, each on a given theme of peace of justice. Each book is composed of 2 stories illustrated by two different Greater Cincinnati artists. These books are given free to local elementary and middle schools to share with their students and have their content discussed at some point in the classroom. The first two books have just been published. One, on the theme of Hunger, comprises 2 stories: “Lunch Time,” written and illustrated by Kate Rowekamp, and “Heaping Harvest,” written by Kate Rowekamp and illustrated by Madyson Haynes. The other, on the theme of Environment, comprises 2 stories: “A Conversation,” written and illustrated by Billy Simms, and “The Forest,” written by Billy Simms and illustrated by Matt Reed. Please feel free to share these books with children you know and to contact us (sosartcincinnati@gmail.com) for any additional questions or information.

“For A Better World 2023” is the 20th yearly book of Poems and Drawings on Peace and Justice by Greater Cincinnati Artists published by SOS ART. It includes poems by 76 local poets and drawings by 34 local visual artists, all on the themes of peace and justice.

“Human Rights” Portfolio of Woodcut Prints
by Artists from Oaxaca and Cincinnati

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Latest Videos

SOS ART 2022

The “SOS ART 22” video documents the SOS ART 2022 and USA Miniprints exhibit that took place at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, June and July 2022. The exhibit comprised artworks by more than 150 Greater Cincinnati artists and 50 printmakers from all over the United States, all on the themes of Peace and Justice.

Voices from Czechia, 2022

“Voices from Czechia”, after Oaxaca/Mexico and Lebanon, was the 3^rd “Voices from…” organized by SOS ART and curated by Saad Ghosn, its President. Its meant to share with the Cincinnati audience artworks which reflected the social and cultural reality of Czech printmakers. The show comprised 121 prints of various printmaking techniques, by 31 Czech artists, emerging or well established, young and old, a couple already dead. It took place at Kennedy Heights Arts Center, July to September 2022, and was accompanied by a Czech cultural and a Czech movie mini-festivals. It goal of the exhibit and of its accompanying activities was to contribute, within the Cincinnati community, to cultural exchange and enrichment, to promote cross cultural understanding and appreciation; also to illustrate the power of art as a contributor to a universal better world. In case you were not able to see the show in person, please watch the video below that documents it.

Race & the City Art Event, May 14, 2022

Please watch the short video below summarizing and highlighting the May 14, 2022, “Race & the City Art Event”, organized by SOS ART, and in which took part 14 local poets, 40 local visual artists and 2 local performing groups, each adding their own artistic response to one of the chapters of the book “Race and the City: Work, Community, and Protest in Cincinnati, 1820-1970”, edited by Henry Louis Taylor, Jr. Participating in the event were also the editor and 2 of the authors, Charles F. Casey-Leininger and Nancy Bertaux.

You can also watch the video documenting the entirety of the event here.

SOS ART Retrospective 2016-2020

The “SOS ART Retrospective 2016-2020” video documents the artworks on peace and justice included in the exhibit of the same name. They consist of selected artworks by more than 90 Greater Cincinnati artists who had participated in the annual SOS ART exhibits between 2016 and 2020. The video also features mini interviews of 60 of the participating artists.