Photograph courtesy Art Academy of Cincinnati
You’re invited to step right up and enter zoOTRopia at the Art Academy of Cincinnati College of Art & Design for BLINK Festival of Art & Light. From Oct. 17 to 20, a four-day extravaganza of light, music, and curated oddities will take over all of Jackson Street in the heart of Over-the-Rhine with daytime and nighttime engagements that will captivate festivalgoers of all ages. Picture immersive light installations, dance performances, live animals, interactive street art, glass blowing, spoken-word poetry, DJ sets, food vendors, and much more.
The imaginative world of zoOTRopia represents a spirited collaboration between the Art Academy and the Cincinnati Zoo; American Sign Museum; Cincinnati Art Museum; School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA); Cincinnati Music Accelerator; Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD); University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (UC DAAP); and the Know Theatre.
“BLINK 2024 embraces the creative, cross-collaborative spirit that has put Cincinnati on the map globally. Partnering with some of Cincinnati’s finest organizations, Art Academy of Cincinnati and our students continue to push the boundaries to propel our mission that has been making an impact in the city for over 155 years,” says Art Academy President and CEO Joe Girandola.
zoOTRopia Event Schedule
- Thursday, Oct. 17: kickoff party, including a ceremonial lighting of the milk-crate sculpture, digital projection mapping in collaboration with The Mural ReMix team from CCAD, lantern display in collaboration with Cincinnati Zoo, and art created by Art Academy and SCPA students.
- Friday, Oct. 18: “Fired Fantasies,” including an interactive glass-blowing workshop led by Art Academy alumna Merritt Holdcraft, wood-fired delights for purchase, glow-in-the-dark facepainting, prize giveaways and games, and special performances by SCPA students led by SCPA Creative Director Maggie Perrino.
- Saturday, Oct. 19: “Saturday Night Fab 155 Fever,” including daytime animal encounters in collaboration with the Cincinnati Zoo Animal Ambassador program, and the return of Stinkstock: BLINK edition (emceed by Pam Kravetz and Crystal Tubes), featuring musical and spoken-word performances by Art Academy students and faculty including a special performance by Paul Jillz and Prosper Jones. There will also be a not-to-be-missed digital projection in collaboration with the Cincinnati Art Museum that features the Art Academy’s 155 years of alumni excellence.
- Sunday, Oct. 20: “Sunday Funday,” featuring an all-inclusive dance party and DJ sets by DJ 7Hills and Forealism
Collection from Cincinnati Art Museum for BLINK 2019.
Students and educators are playing a key role in activating the exhibition this year, a highlight of zoOTRopia. Hands-on activities and interactive displays will be present throughout the four-day event, encouraging folks of all ages to not only engage with but create arts and culture. At both daytime and nighttime programming, festivalgoers will have the chance to learn artistic techniques, watch artists work in real time, and make their own work.
Says Girandola, “As an educational institution, we’re fueled by a collective passion for artistic practice, and we see it as our responsibility to engage the community in that practice. We’re constantly inspired by our own world of visual artists, designers, and creative writers. Through events like BLINK, we invite you into the fold to create for yourself and make our broader world more vibrant and conscious.”
Students of the Art Academy and SCPA will be featured in installations and performances. Art Academy studio classes led by faculty members Keith Benjamin, Anna Christine Sands, and Stephen Kenny have dedicated coursework this semester for BLINK. SCPA students are led by SCPA Artistic Director Maggie Perrino.
Working closely with the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Art Academy will also pay tribute to its legacy of graduating groundbreaking artists. Notable alumni who will be featured in this tribute include (but aren’t limited to) Frank Duveneck, Charley and Edie Harper, John Ruthven, Tom Bacher, Petah Coyne, and Jenny Roesel Ustick. Selected works of theirs will be projected digitally as part of the exhibition.
For events like BLINK, Girandola sees a natural alignment of mission and vision. The Art Academy, now entering its 155th year as an artistic educational institution, seeks to empower creative individuals to reach their fullest artistic potential and make a difference in the world. BLINK, in a similar fashion, celebrates artistic innovation and stirs our collective and individual imaginations.
Says Girandola, “What can we see in new and exciting ways? What tools enable us to view things differently? How do we reflect and potentially shift the world around us? The arts have the unparalleled power to engage our minds and our communities in profound ways, and we’re proud to be a part of that with BLINK.”
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