For more than a decade, FotoFocus has brought attention to photography and lens-based art, creating a platform for both established and emerging artists locally and internationally. The Art Academy of Cincinnati (AAC) is a participating venue in its seventh iteration “FotoFocus has been such a fantastic partner within the exhibitions presented in the region and at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, and they have enabled a unique platform for student learning to propel their studio practice,” says Joe Girandola, president and CEO at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. “In addition to the Biennial, FotoFocus also curates amazing presentations in off-cycle Biennial years to continue to engage the city of Cincinnati by hosting artists from around the globe.”
Every other year FotoFocus’s Biennial brings more than 100 lens-based art projects at museums, galleries, universities, and public spaces throughout Greater Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, and Northern Kentucky. It’ s the largest lens-based exhibition program of its kind in the country. This year AAC will showcase a total of six Biennial exhibits across several galleries, offering a wide range of lens-based works. Those exhibits are:
Student Reflections
Art Academy of Cincinnati: Chidlaw Gallery
September 27, 2024–October 25, 2024
Artwork by current Art Academy of Cincinnati (AAC) students working with lens-based materials and equipment, allowing the public to gain insight into the perspective of college art students in the contemporary age.
Contested Ground
Art Academy of Cincinnati: McClure Gallery
September 27, 2024–October 25, 2024
Photographic landscapes and portraits by Art Academy of Cincinnati alumni photographers Taylor Dorrell and Cody Perkins, taking on the spatial impact of the Amazon facilities in Greater Cincinnati.
Deeply Rooted
Art Academy of Cincinnati: Pearlman Gallery
September 27, 2024–October 25, 2024
Curated by students at AAC, Deeply Rooted highlights artists Vikesh Kapoor, Tomiko Jones, and André Ramos-Woodard, telling multi-generational stories of traditions. (More on this below.)
Another First Impression
Art Academy of Cincinnati: SITE1212
September 27, 2024–November 1, 2024
This group exhibition brings together six artists from across the region to present a collection of original photographs, essays, and interviews that invite the viewer to embrace the complexity of the Midwest’s diverse tapestry.
Digressions
Art Academy of Cincinnati: SITE1212
September 27, 2024–November 1, 2024
Digressions, an exhibition and corresponding book, weaves through an unspecified space and unfolds through experiences, relationships, and histories of growing up and living in the Midwest.
Humphrey Gets His Flowers
Art Academy of Cincinnati: SITE1212
September 27, 2024–November 1, 2024
A combination of archival video, large-scale projection, mixed media collages, and photography following members of the performance collective Mute-N-Heard, organized by artist Michael Coppage in 2005
Beyond the artist exhibitions, AAC actively engages students in the Biennial through dedicated coursework and opportunities to showcase their own artwork, which Girandola says gives students a lesson in the full process of putting together an art exhibit. “Since the start, FotoFocus has been instrumental in creating opportunities for our students to explore new pathways of expression. The continued effort for FotoFocus to continually champion photography and lens-based work has created a ripple effect throughout the city of Cincinnati and region, impacting our students and our organization,” says Girandola. During the course of the class, head of photography major and interim studio arts chair Emily Hanako Momohara guides students as they individually and collaboratively form a professional exhibition of work—Deeply Rooted. Students researched artists and works to create the fully-realized exhibition of lens-based or photo-inclusive works.
Girandola recognizes the strength of the connection between AAC and FotoFocus, and how it contributes to student growth. “Mary Ellen Goetke—an Art Academy alumna and former FotoFocus Executive Director—definitely created the pathway for current Executive Director Katherine Ryckman Siegwarth to expand the excellence of programming and reach locally and regionally of the Biennial,” he says. “Katherine and the incredible team she guides at FotoFocus enables success and our students have definitely benefitted from the multitude of projects presented over the years.”
New this school year, AAC is partnering with FotoFocus for a student engagement program called the FotoFocus Insighters. Insighters was developed with the goal of encouraging exploration of photography events and lens-based projects in the community. Students of all concentrations with an interest in photography are invited to sign up for this free program and will receive invitations to Insighters-exclusive gallery tours, receptions, and other FotoFocus programs such as the annual Symposium and Spring Lecture.
This year the AAC is showcasing exhibits in the sponsored space, SITE1212—named for its address on Jackson Street in Over-the-Rhine. Left vacant after a local business relocated, the 8,000-square-foot space is now home to a renovated gallery. Multi-disciplinary artist Ian Strange from Australia was one of the first exhibitors. SITE1212 will be open for the Biennial event September through October.
Join AAC for the Biennial Opening Weekend
Join AAC for a tour and opening reception on September 27 at 5 p.m. at SITE1212. Each of the six projects will be open through October at the AAC. One in the Pearlman Gallery, one in Chidlaw, one in McClure, and three at SITE1212.
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