The “Race and the City – Art” book documents the 2022 SOS ART project that consisted of artistic responses by invited Greater Cincinnati artists (poets, visual artists, performers), each artist responding with their own poem, visual art, or performance to one of the eleven chapters of the book: Race and the City: Work, Community, and Protest in Cincinnati, 1820-1970, edited by Henry Louis Taylor, Jr., and published in 1993. The book represents a history of Black Cincinnati from 1820 to 1970 and compiles academic studies by twelve authors who address various aspects of Black life during that period, highlighting the racial situation prevailing at that time in employment, real estate, ghettos, segregation, leadership, etc. 14 local poets, 40 local visual artists, and 2 local performing groups, took part in the project, adding their own artistic response to the original book, also their reflection about the current racial situation in Cincinnati

The launching of the book, featuring artwork by OHHS Drawing and Printmaking students, will take place on April 27th, from 5:30-8:30 pm, at the Walnut Hills Public Library.

Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Since the competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated. 

This is a prestigious competition. The winning artwork will represent the 8th District in Washington, D.C., by being displayed in the U.S. Capitol as part of a year-long exhibit. The winning artist may receive free round-trip airfares for the national winners’ reception in Washington, D.C., and be eligible for a scholarship from prestigious art and design college. Other winners’ pieces will be showcased at my Washington, DC, and district offices for the next year.

This year, Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park and Museum hosted the exhibition of works submitted by students in schools throughout District 8. In total, there were over 200 entries from students in the congressional district!

Congratulations to the following students on their awards at this year’s competition:

Honorable Mention: All Media
Brenda Schirmer

Honorable Mention: All Media
Sarah Young

2nd Place: All Media
Tiffany Truong

Congratulations to all of this year’s OHHS Art and Design students who submitted work for this year’s competition and exhibition. Artwork will be on display from April 19th through 23rd, with an Awards Reception taking place on April 22nd.

Anna Ackman
Molly Audretch
Mayson Buckley
Kendall Crum
Scout Estes
Jada Kidd
Molly Lorenz
Sophia Osborne
Marshall Shorten
Jordan Tinsley
Olivia Widener
Corey Willett
Lydia Wilson
Andrew Wubbolding

Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Since the competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated. 

This is a prestigious competition. The winning artwork will represent the 8th District in Washington, D.C., by being displayed in the U.S. Capitol as part of a year-long exhibit. The winning artist may receive free round-trip airfares for the national winners’ reception in Washington, D.C., and be eligible for a scholarship from prestigious art and design college. Other winners’ pieces will be showcased at my Washington, DC, and district offices for the next year.

This year, Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park and Museum will host the exhibition of works submitted by students in schools throughout District 8. Artwork will be on display from April 19th through 23rd, with an Awards Reception taking place on April 22nd.

Congratulations and best of luck to this year’s OHHS Art and Design students who were encouraged by Ms. Schorsch to submit work for this year’s competition! Stay tuned for information regarding competition results!

Anna Ackman
Molly Audretch
Mayson Buckley
Kendall Crum
Scout Estes
Jada Kidd
Molly Lorenz
Sophia Osborne
Brenna Schirmer
Marshall Shorten
Jordan Tinsley
Tiffany Truong
Olivia Widener
Corey Willett
Lydia Wilson
Andrew Wubbolding
Sarah Young

“The Memory Project” is a nonprofit organization that invites art teachers and their students to create portraits for youth around the world who have faced substantial challenges, such as neglect, abuse, loss of parents, and extreme poverty. Over the past seven years, Drawing and Printmaking and NAHS students have created over 420 portraits for children in Madagascar, the Philippines, and Syrian refugees in Jordan, Puerto Rico, the Rohingya in Rakhine, Columbia, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Sierra Leone. This year, students at OHHS will be creating portraits for 20 Syrian children.

The portraits the students created are for Syrian refugee children who have spent their lives living along the border, they will remind each child of their own strength and beauty; it will show them that someone living far away is paying attention to the challenges that they face. The ultimate goal of the project is to create portraits to help the children feel valued and important, to know that many people care about their well-being, and to act as meaningful pieces of personal history in the future. The project also provides an opportunity for students to practice kindness and global awareness.

“The Memory Project” portraits are created by students enrolled in the Drawing and Printmaking course (grades 9-12). Below are some of the highlights of the OHHS Drawing and Printmaking students’ resulting artworks:

The Rain Barrel Art Project, now in its 10th year, was created to promote the use of rain barrels throughout the Ohio River Valley area through a creative and educational medium. The Rain Barrel Art Project desires to educate people on environmental issues like stormwater runoff, watersheds, and water conservation.

Rain barrels continue to grow in popularity across the country. However, one of its biggest drawbacks is its dull appearance. Some people are less likely to use them given their negative aesthetic impact on residential and commercial landscaping, even though they conserve water and save money. The “Save Local Waters” initiative believes that producing beautiful artistic rain barrels that have unique painted details will make them more desirable and naturally increase interest to promote their use.

This year, OHHS artists in Ms. Kopf’s Painting and Public Art and Ms. Schorsch’s National Art Honor Society created 5 Rain Barrels for the event! Completed Rain Barrels will be displayed at the Cincinnati Zoo from March 27th through April 27th with the Online Auction taking place April 18th through 28th and Artist Reception on April 27th.

Congratulations to Bri Brown, Teagan Charles, Evie Neuhaus, Avril Predmore, and Leah Stolla on the selection of their design by the “Save Local Waters” committee for this year’s event!