Photograph by Andrew Doench
Photograph by Andrew Doench
ArtWorks marked its 30-year anniversary over the summer by announcing a new organizational name, 1001 Colors. CEO and Artistic Director Colleen Houston says the name literally revealed itself to the arts education nonprofit during renovation of its new creative campus centered in a historic building at 2429 Gilbert Ave. in Walnut Hills.
The formerly empty building borders another creative neighborhood alcove, Five Points Alley, and is a few doors down from MORTAR’s new headquarters. The organization renovated a vacant lot across the street into the Hannan Art Park, just up from the new office building for Keep Cincinnati Beautiful.
“When you see all of those projects side by side and then go on a small walking tour and see how the Walnut Hills business district is evolving, it’s really fun to be a part of that creative energy,” says Houston.
The Gilbert Avenue building, which originally housed Bolce Paint Company, welcomed ArtWorks in April 2025 and allowed the organization to house all of its programming, artist studios, and gallery under one roof for the first time. During the renovation process, workers discovered pastel-colored beams and a number of handpainted signs, including one reading “1000 & 1 Colors.”
Photograph by Andrew Doench
“At the time, that phrase inspired every creative decision we made as we designed our creative campus,” says Houston. The result? A campus as bold as the organization’s decades-long legacy of producing public art across the Cincinnati region.
Photograph by Andrew Doench
Each bathroom in the building has different colored grout, and every stairwell is a distinct hue. Other features include a Pantone-inspired donor wall and yo-yo lights designed by Andrew Neyer. Since opening last year, 1001 Colors has hosted two major art conferences, Americans for the Arts and the Ohio Arts Council.
“We like this idea that the name 1001 Colors revealed itself to us,” says Houston. “It ended up on a lot of our short lists. We ultimately selected it because it was unique, memorable, and iconic.”
The rebrand stemmed from a growing need to distinguish the organization from others called ArtWorks, of which there are dozens across the country—including several in Ohio and one nearby in Lexington, Kentucky. 1001 Colors also distinguishes the organization from another local fixture, ArtsWave.
“We’ve made a big impact in 30 years,” says Houston. “We want to continue to attract national funding and recognition. We want to be distinctive in the national space as well as locally. It was a business decision, at the end of the day, to have a name we could own and trademark.”
Photograph by Andrew Doench
Despite the name change and new space, the organization’s mission of producing public art by employing both youth and professional artists remains the same. Houston says 1001 Colors hosted 13 major art projects over the summer, including a mural of Ohio’s Tuskegee Airmen in honor of America’s 250th anniversary. Northside also received a tribute to local arts educator Frank Herrmann that wraps around his longtime studio and coincides with the launch of a scholarship in his name for students going into the arts.
“With each and every project, we feel how transformative the organization is,” says Houston. “When you think about the scale of that overall, it’s awe-inspiring. For the apprentices working in the 1001 Colors program, they can’t remember a Cincinnati that didn’t have the murals. They’ve always lived in a city full of art and color.”
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