Cincinnati Re-adventure: shepardfairey

Showing posts with label shepardfairey. Show all posts

The Art on Our Walls

Not only was our recent move a huge shift in location, but it was also Dan and my first time living together. Such a huge transition! It would have been easy for me to just move into Dan's place in Clifton, but it would have been *his* place. When we moved, we wanted to go somewhere neutral, where we could start a new kind of life together.

For me, a big part of the cohabiting transition has been art. Dan already had his favorite artwork framed, and we knew where it would hang in our new home. But since we knew we'd be moving, I'd been on the hunt for a piece of art that would represent me.

While strolling through Mica 12/v one day, I saw a print by VisuaLingual and it was love at first sight. Not only is it a gorgeous print set on vintage wallpaper, but it's a beautiful linguistic feat: a poem done entirely in anagrams for "Over-the-Rhine." It was everything I could ask for in a piece of artwork: a tribute to my new home, a quirky bit of style, a sweet piece of poetry... and a chance to support a local artist that I adore.

The Over-the-Rhine anagram print (still available through VisuaLingual's Etsy store, by the way) hangs in our kitchen area, between two windows that show off our view of the city.

Dan has a new piece of artwork as well. When Shepard Fairey visited for the inaugural kickoff of his Contemporary Art Center exhibition, he did a limited edition, signed print made specifically for (and of) the CAC. We weren't able to be there that night, so Dan was crestfallen that he wouldn't be able to nab one of the prints. But never question the awesomeness of the social network: I covertly asked our friend @5chw4r7z to pick up a copy of the print, and he generously did so. (Good thing, too, as the print sold out within hours.)

The print now hangs proudly in the little nook where you first walk into our home. It's impossible not to see it. It too is perfect for the space: the image is of a piece of Cincinnati's heritage, it acts as a timestamp for when we moved downtown, and the iconic, bold reds and blacks that Fairey is known for help it stand out against the exposed brick in our flat.

There is more art hanging in our new home... could it really be "home" without it? But these are the pieces that Dan and I bought together, and they're new to our home and our life together. I've already started to forget what this place looked like without them.

VisuaLingual's Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/visualingual
My anagram print: http://www.etsy.com/listing/35343641/over-the-rhine-cincinnati-anagram-print
Shepard Fairey's CAC exhibition: http://contemporaryartscenter.org/ShepardFairey
Shepard Fairey's print: http://www.contemporaryartscenter.org/RiseAbove

Contemporary Arts Center

The local web has been a bit clogged up with Shepard Fairey whatnot lately, but I need to throw another log on the fire. On Monday night, Dan and some friends of ours headed to the CAC to see the Shepard Fairey: Supply & Demand exhibition.

I had a great time at the CAC-- it had been a few years since I'd been there, and it had been much too long. One of the things I've been chastising myself for has been my lapse in visiting our awesome art resources in the city.

What a great way to hang out with friends, too. We spent an hour or two milling about the museum-- a work of art in itself, of course-- talking about art and sharing our opinions. I need to remember that there's more to do in this city than eat dinner and watch movies.

A side note for Cole: I finally wore my gold shoes! It was a bit too chilly for them, but sometimes you have to suck it up, eh? (Read about Cole's Golden Shoes resource site for women with PCOS, visit GoldenShoes.org.)

Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center on Twitter: http://twitter.com/cincycac
Website: http://www.contemporaryartscenter.org/

Mr. and Mrs. Downtown

I thought the 5chw4r7zs deserved a post of their own. Voila!

In case (somehow) you don't know these two, they are Bob & Erin Marie Schwartz, and they are Mr. and Mrs. Downtown. I hope one day to be half as connected to the city as these two are!

Oh, and there's also Dan. (Hi Dan.) Dan is holding a poster tube... Bob, in his infinite generosity, picked up a limited edition, signed and numbered Shepard Fairey print at the CAC opening. There were 450 and they were sold out by 10pm that night, and Dan and I couldn't make it to the event. We were really hoping to have that piece of art for our condo, and definitely couldn't have scored one without the help of 5chw4r7z. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

So we lunched together at Ingredients, and had a grand old time talking about the city. Can't wait to bump into the Downtowns again soon!

Shepard Fairey murals

Worth a thousand words, yeah?

I thought we had them all, but I've since learned that I missed a small one at Shake It Records. No big loss, as I look forward to any opportunity to head back over there.

I've also heard that there will be 30 murals in total, when Shepard Fairey is all finished... though these 6 (7) may be all for this particular installation. Word on the street (I literally heard this from a person on 14th Street) is that Fairey will be back in May with more murals.

High Street, Shepard Fairey mural

Dan and I have driven past High Street a hundred thousand times and never stopped in. This time was different-- they'd just had a Shepard Fairey mural installed, and we were curious to stop by and see it. And since we're suddenly in the market for awesome furniture anyway, might as well pop in before they close, yes?

I was warmly greeted as soon as I stepped inside. I was offered tea and we talked about the new mural. The salespeople were so kind and so helpful and so not in my way. I can't stress this enough... they were there when I wanted someone, and when I didn't they were nowhere in sight.

The store... is incredible. Everything I love, under one roof. Exquisite design, unique and so totally how I want our condo to look! (Some day, perhaps...)