Organizational Information

ArtWorks' Vision

ArtWorks is the creative and economic engine which unites citizens to transform our region

ArtWorks' Mission

ArtWorks empowers and inspires the creative community to transform our everyday environments through employment, apprenticeships, education, community partnerships, and civic engagement.

About ArtWorks

• Founded in 1996, ArtWorks is a non-profit arts organization that empowers and inspires the creative community to transform our everyday environments through employment, apprenticeships, education, community partnerships, and civic engagement.
  
  
• 1996 marked the inaugural ArtWorks Summer Program, a job training and employment program in the arts for talented Greater Cincinnati area teenagers.
  
  
• The ArtWorks Summer Program hires youth aged 14 - 21 to work with professional artists to make innovative public art to enrich the Greater Cincinnati community.
  
  
• Since 1996, ArtWorks has employed over 2,500 area youth and 500 professional artists to create over 300 public works of art throughout Greater Cincinnati.
  
  
• Hired teenagers, on average, come from as many as three states, 60 zip codes, 67 schools, and 75 neighborhoods. Ethnic makeup on average is 37% African American, 6% Other, 4% Asian, 1% Latino and 52% Caucasian. (Each program year the demographics shift slightly, but remain fairly consistent with the above composition.)
  
  
• Notable ArtWorks public art projects include The Outdoor Museum, Mirror Lake at Eden Park, Queen City Art Racks, Scoop City Art and, of course, The Big Pig Gig.
  
  
• ArtWorks' summer mural program is an award-winning community beautification and teen employment initiative developed by Mayor Mark Mallory. To date, ArtWorks has created 56 murals in 32 Cincinnati neighborhoods and 5 nearby Cities!
  
  
• As a part of this summer program, ArtWorks teen Apprentices have painted more than 60,000 square feet of outdoor walls across Greater Cincinnati. Cars pass ArtWorks murals more than 200 million times a year (Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments Traffic Count).
  
  
• ArtWorks' ever-growing list of partners includes Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Cincinnati, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati Art Museum, Taft Museum of Art, Duke Energy Convention Center, the Arts Consortium, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, the Cincinnati Park Board, Media Bridges, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Preparatory Department, Newport on the Levee, CityBeat, Metro, Drums for Peace and many more.
  
  
• SpringBoard, founded in June 2011 by ArtWorks, is a business planning and development program for artists, artisans and creative entrepreneurs that targets sustainability in small business. SpringBoard offers entrepreneurs a variety of resources to achieve their artistic and economic goals by creating a unique and collaborative learning environment. Through a nine-week course convening three hours each week, creatives will build a comprehensive business plan and learn valuable marketing and finance management skills. Access to resources and an opportunity to develop relationships with other entrepreneurs and community partners will set up these small businesses for success.

• CityBeat Best of Cincinnati Award: Best Arts Organization - 2008
  
  
• CityBeat Best of Cincinnati Award: Best Use of Public Funds: MuralWorks - 2008
  
  
• CityBeat Best of Cincinnati Award: Best Fundraiser: Secret ArtWorks - 2008
  
  
• AAM Museum Publications Design Competition Award for Polar - 2007
  
  
• Cincinnati Magazine , Best Public Art, The Outdoor Museum - 2006
  
  
• CityBeat Best of Cincinnati Award - Best way to trick people into liking public art, Scoop City Ice Cream Truck - 2005
  
  
• Ohio Society of Professional Journalists awards EDITORIAL INK the Best Defense of Literacy award -2004
  
  
• CityBeat Best of Cincinnati Award -"Best Hope for the Future" Editorial Ink - 2004
  
  
• Post Corbett Award, Special Awards Category - 2001
  
  
• Ohio Arts Education Association Distinguished Organization for Art Education - 2001
  
  
• Downtown Residence Council Community Outreach - 2001
  
  
• CityBeat Best of Cincinnati Award- Best Arts Organization - 2000
  
  
• Post Corbett Finalist for Community/Educational Programming, Extraordinary Events - 2000
  
  
• Recognized by the State of Ohio as one of the leading programs of its kind - 1999
  
  
• CityBeat, Best Outdoor Education Program, Best Neighborhood Arts Organization - 1998
  
  
• Post Corbett Award for Community/Educational Programming, Extraordinary Events Category finalist - 1997
  
  
• Cincinnati Magazine, Best Outdoor Education Program - 1996
  
  
• Recognized for programming by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and Cincinnati Mayor Roxanne Qualls at Gallery 37, Chicago - 1996