All Oak Hills High School students electing to enroll in an Art and Design Department course will develop a Competitive Advantage, Appreciation of the Arts, Creative Thinking and Problem Solving Skills, Interdisciplinary Connections, Social and Global Awareness, and Career Preparation related to Visual Communication.
Studio San Giuseppe Gallery recently invited area artists, art educators, college students, and MSJ alumni to submit assemblage, found object sculpture, and/or wall mounted artworks for a juried exhibition. Cincinnati artists Michael Thompson and Jim Tucker adjudicated and curated the exhibit from the submissions.
Michael Thompson is a multimedia artist, designer, and poet. He takes on the role of artist as archivist; collecting things, spaces, and histories to add to his art and life. Michael has held positions as Artist-in-Residence at The Cincinnati Art Museum and The Contemporary Arts Center. His practice utilizes painting, sculpture, poetry, and installation as he explores creative empathy, human ecology, and nuance within the black experience. Michael recently received ArtsWave’s Truth and Reconciliation Grant for his project, “Sanctuaries” which gives insight into the sacred spaces of BIPOC creatives as a manner of combatting a trauma-focused narrative within media and culture.
Jim Tucker has worked with ArtWorks, the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Art Academy of Cincinnati, the Contemporary Arts Center, and the Cincinnati Parks Foundation. As a muralist, he has produced and painted more than 20 murals, created in collaboration with ArtWorks. Jim has held the position of co-artist-in-residence for the Cincinnati Art Museum’s Rosenthal Education Center, where he co-created with Michael Thompson an interactive installation enjoyed by more than 50,000 museum visitors. Along with his fine art and mural practices, Jim works as an Illustrator and commercial artist. He uses his bold, dynamic style and love of storytelling to bring his client’s ideas to life. These include Arizona State University, the Western & Southern Tennis Tournament, BrewDog USA, and several other Ohio-based breweries.
Current and former OHLSD Art and Design teachers were selected to participate in the exhibition alongside several alumni!
OHHS and MSJU Alumni and New Art Teacher: Alyssa McRoberts
Retired OHLSD Art and Design Teacher exhibiting include: Reyne Davis Sylvia Dick Sherry Middendorf-Fuller Jan Thomas
Current OHHS Art and Design Teacher: Jamie Schorsch
The exhibition will run January 17th – February 12th, 2025 in Studio San Giuseppe Art Gallery at Mount St. Joseph University. An opening gallery reception will take place on January 26th, 2025 from 4:00-6:00 pm.
The Taft Museum of Art’s Artists Reaching Classrooms program (ARC) immerses high school art students in Cincinnati’s visual arts community, artistic practices, exhibitions, and marketing strategies while exposing them to careers in the arts. This year, Drawing and Printmaking students are participating in this amazing program which consists of 1 museum visit and 4 classroom visits during the 1st semester, culminating in an exhibition at the Annex Gallery in the winter. This semester, students have been working alongside Cedric Michael Cox to experience the practices of a professional artist firsthand. Cedric also lead students in the creation of a collaborative artwork based upon the theme of “I/Us”, and an individual piece, for the Annex Gallery exhibition.
The experiences culminate in the creation of original artworks for exhibition at the Annex Gallery. Students were challenged to consider their interpretation of “The Beauty Within” or “Sacred Space” and generated works that demonstrate their approach to the term after brainstorming, project planning, and setting up their own resource images. Using a model for Juried Exhibitions, students selected 6 artworks for framing for the exhibition, 6 artworks that will be matted for the physical display in addition to sculptures, and the remaining will be displayed in a virtual exhibition in the gallery space.
Congratulations to the 6 Drawing and Printmaking students who were selected for framed participation in this year’s exhibition:
Madison Haley Cody Leopold Lilliana McGuire Baylee Moorman Alexandra See Aurora Studenka
Madison HaleyCody LeopoldLilliana McGuireBaylee MoormanAlexandra SeeAurora Studenka
Congratulations to the 6 Drawing and Printmaking students who were selected for matted participation or sculptural display in this year’s exhibition:
Grace Gray Sofia Grillo Tepe Brandin Henderson Colin Klaserner Sydney Lehman Alexis Predmore Lukas Schwab Natalie Weil
Sofia Grillo TepeColin KlasernerSydney LehmanAlexis PredmoreLukas SchwabNatalie Weil
The Taft ARC Exhibition will open at the Annex Gallery, 1310 Pendleton St., Cincinnati, OH 45202, on February 16th and run through March 28th, 2025. The OHHS Drawing and Printmaking students will be exhibiting alongside students participating from: Aiken H.S., McNichols H.S., Princeton H.S., School for Creative and Performing Arts, Spencer Center for Gifted and Exceptional Students, Walnut Hills H.S., and Western Hills H.S.
Artist Rachel Linneman recently visited the AP Art and Design students for an interactive workshop as a part of this year’s Contemporary Arts Center School Outreach Program. The CAC SOP offers students from grades 2 through 12 a comprehensive, immersive experience with contemporary art. Running from September through May, this year-long program includes an in-school orientation, two guided tours of CAC exhibitions, a classroom project tied to the exhibition led by a local artist, and a spring visit to an artist’s studio. Program docents work with the same class throughout the year, fostering continuity and rapport with the students. Many docents have developed long-standing relationships with the schools and teachers they support, providing consistent guidance and engagement year after year.
Rachel Linnemann is an Appalachian artist teaching at the University of Cincinnati where she received her Master’s in Fine Art in 2021. She graduated from Northern Kentucky University in 2012 with a Bachelor’s degree in Studio Art and a minor in Psychology. Linnemann was chosen for the Revealed early career artist series for the Sculpture Center and will have a 2024 solo show. She has worked as a professional Artist, Educator, and Preparator for various organizations such as the Cincinnati Art Museum (OH), Bucknell University (PA), Artworks Cincinnati (OH), and Applied Imagination (KY). Linnemann recently completed a residency with the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, Ohio where she exhibited for the show Emerge. Her work has been shown in Ohio, Michigan, Greece, Louisiana, Indiana, Maryland, and Kentucky. She works across media to develop a language surrounding mental health, growth, resilience, and joy.
Linnemann is a found objects artist, utilizing recognizable objects of labor and femininity to celebrate her Appalachian ancestors. Reflecting on her upbringing, she is examining generational trauma and generational knowledge and its connection to labor. She often heard stories of hardship partnered with stories of gratitude and strength. There was an understanding of the darkness of the world balanced with the gratitude for the present moment and an emphasis on knowledge being protection from the past. Like a butterfly perched on barbed wire, one a symbol of freedom and something delicate, another a symbol of strength and oppression, Linnemann’s memories are a balance of opposition.
During the workshop, students explored concept of identity through individual collages and selected, and archived, found objects of personal significance in the creation of a collaborative ‘community pie’ piece. The idea of constructing multiple views of the self, and components that make up community, created connection to the Barbara Probst exhibition at the CAC, ‘Subjective Evidence’, that focused on multiple vantage points capturing a single scene and moment in time. Throughout the year, students will create artworks inspired by their experiences with the CAC SOP and will participate in an exhibition in the Spring of 2025.
The Taft Museum of Art’s Artists Reaching Classrooms program (ARC) immerses high school art students in Cincinnati’s visual arts community, artistic practices, exhibitions, and marketing strategies while exposing them to careers in the arts. This year, Drawing and Printmaking students are participating in this amazing program which consists of 1 museum visit and 4 classroom visits during the 1st semester, culminating in an exhibition at the Annex Gallery in the winter. This year, students will be working alongside Cedric Michael Cox to experience the practices of a professional artist firsthand. Cedric will also lead students in the creation of a collaborative artwork, and an individual piece, for the Annex Gallery exhibition.
Cedric Michael Cox is best known for his paintings and drawings that merge surrealism and representational abstraction. As a student at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP), Cox was awarded a fellowship to study at the Glasgow School of Art in Scotland. After receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting in 1999, he began to exhibit regionally and nationally. In addition to his work being in corporate collections, Cox has executed several large murals in various public and private schools in The Cincinnati Region. Cox’s past exhibitions include The Contemporary Arts Center of Cincinnati, The Weston Art Gallery, The Columbus Art Museum, the Dayton Art Institute, Five Myles Gallery in Brooklyn, the Museum of Science and Industry and Gallery Guichard in Chicago, and The Taft Museum of Art. In 2019, Cox’s work was exhibited at the 21c Museum Hotel in Cincinnati; in 2020, he had a solo exhibition at James Ratliff Gallery in Sedona, Arizona. A 20-year retrospective exhibition was created for Caza Sikes Gallery, along with a commissioned body of work for the Kinley Hotel Cincinnati in 2020. In 2021, a series of 64 paintings were installed for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. In 2022, Cox created work in the Metro Dayton Library west branch; and this past summer, he executed four new murals for the community of Avondale that stand as monuments to the healing spirit of joy and community pride.
The Drawing and Printmaking students recently visited the Taft Museum of Art where they engaged in docent-led tours of the galleries and worked alongside Cedric in the studio. Students synthesized Cedric’s approach in generating the composition for the collaborative piece the classes are painting together and created individual designs based upon the abstraction of their initials. This was the first time that most of the students had ever visited the community treasure that is the Taft Museum of Art!
This year, the Studio Art AP Drawing, 2D Design, 2D Design Photography, and 3D Design students had the amazing opportunity to participate in the Contemporary Arts Center’s School Outreach Program. The CAC School Outreach Program provides an intensive multi-layered experience with contemporary art for students in second through twelfth grade. Beginning in September and ending in May, the year-long program comprises an in-school orientation, two guided visits to CAC exhibitions, visits with a local artist, and a visit to a studio.
The program kicked off for the students in the fall, with their first visit to the CAC…for many, this was their first visit ever! Students were introduced to the iconic building, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, designed by Zaha Hadid. After learning about the history of the CAC, students toured exhibitions Zaha Hadid: A Permanent Nostalgia for Departure and Tai Shani: My Bodily Remains, Your Bodily Remains, and all the Bodily Remains that Ever Were and Ever WillBe. Students were also presented with the opportunity to hear OHHS Art and Design teacher Jamie Schorsch speak about her work on display as a part of the Wounded Healers exhibition.
Following their experience at the CAC, students visited the Wave Pool Gallery, located in Camp Washington. While there, they learned about community engagement in creating collaborative works and communicating messages of hope and resilience. As a part of the “Story Quilts” exhibition experience, students created their own squares to be added to a community quilt and we compiled their designs into a digital version as a reminder of their experience and their OHHS art community.
To kick off the last day of school before Spring Break, OHHS Art and Design teachers Bridget Dignan-Cummins and Jamie Schorsch organized a special experience for the Studio Art AP students. Artist Michael Thompson brought his expertise and passion for art to Oak Hills High School as part of the CAC’s School Outreach Program. Engaging with Studio Art AP students, Thompson shared invaluable insights into his creative process, inspirations, and the contemporary art scene. Through interactive discussions and demonstrations, students gained a deeper understanding of artistic expression and were inspired to explore their own creativity. Thompson’s visit not only enriched the students’ artistic knowledge but also fostered a sense of connection to the broader art community, leaving a lasting impact on their artistic journeys.
The final visit to the CAC offered the opportunity for students to not only view the exhibitions Jayson Musson: His History of Art and Felix Gonzalez-Torres: “Untitled” (L.A.) but also The SuperNatural at 21C Museum Hotel. The experience culminated with a visit to the Creativity Center to view the artworks they created individually, and collaboratively, based upon their experience with the program.
The School Outreach program culminates in a Student Art Exhibition showcasing the artwork of the students created in response to their experiences throughout the program. This exhibition showcasing their works will end with an event taking place on Sunday, May 19th at the Contemporary Arts Center from 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. The family-friendly event – held in the museum’s interactive UnMuseum and Creativity Center – is a wonderful showcase of creativity and a testament to the hard work of our young artists.
Milo Butts “Talisman”Rylee Dissinger “Scaling”Kalli Langdon “Ghosts of Music Hall”Finley Nguyen “Cinemas”
Space and The Body Influenced by the exhibitions Zaha Hadid: A Permanent Nostalgia for Departure and Tai Shani: My Bodily Remains, Your Bodily Remains, and all the Bodily Remains that Ever Were and Ever Will Be Milo Butts, Kalli Langdon, Finley Nguyen, and Rylee Dissinger created works in reaction to and addressing issues of the human form and spaces. Finley Nguyen’s “Cinemas,” represents the inability to separate yourself from the exaggerated online persona you put out to others to reach stardom. Finley’s intention was to portray the emotional distress of acting as a character. They distorted the artwork by integrating multiple media such as magazine clippings, photographs, canvas, and paint. Through “Talisman”, Milo Butts explored the questions of how they could reflect, as a trans person, the forced expectations, and the idea that we are only valued for what we can give, often placed upon myself and others with uteri in society. In “Ghosts of Music Hall”, Kalli Langdon explores the impact of urban legends of spaces and the traces that we leave behind in spaces through collaged digital imagery while Rylee Dissinger explores in “Scaling” the idea of surmounting your goals while also exploring the intersection of art and sports and the existence in two divergent worlds.
Molly Audretch, Milo Butts, Lizzie Schreibeis, Ethan Ridder, Sophia Reid, Brenna Schirmer, Leah Stolla, Anna Caito, Emma Brunnerk Jada Kidd, and Cora Mundstock
The Imprints We Leave Behind Ms. Jamie Schorsch’s Studio Art AP students collaborated on the creation of a piece influenced by the idea of Zaha Hadid’s ‘Urban Carpet’ and works from A Permanent Nostalgia for Departure. The Imprints We Leave Behind combines the unique impressions each student makes, both personally and on each other, and the forming of community. Inspired by the Wave Pool Gallery exhibition focused on the visualization of community through quilt making, students stitched together the individual elements they created in a design intended to leave the wall and enter the collective space, with the threads left exposed to add an element of entanglement with the viewer.
Cora Mundstock, Finley Nguyen, Lizzie Schreibeis, Ethan Ridder, Sophia Reid, Brenna Schirmer, Kalli Langdon, Leah Stolla, Anna Caito, Emma Brunner, Rain Magrum, Rylee Dissinger, Annie Riley, and Kaylyn Schirmer
The Memories Made Ms. Schorsch’s Studio Art AP students collaborated on the creation of a piece influenced by artifacts influenced by the various artists exhibiting in A Permanent Nostalgia for Departure. Additionally, students drew upon the influence of their visit with artist Michael Thompson and their exploration between nostalgia, personal histories, and remembrance. Students collaged personal pieces of ephemera together to craft an image that represents key points and memories in their life and added numeric coding, inspired by the artwork Ms. Schorsch exhibited in Wounded Healers, to memorialize key dates of significant impact in their lives. The composition was organized to reference the influence of the architectural design of the Contemporary Arts Center and represent the building of your own life.
Grace Gray, Kaden Korn, Ava Marsh, Kaitlyn Mueller, Alysse Niewoehner, and Averie Thomas
The Pursuit of Happiness Ms. Dignan-Cummins’ Studio Art 3dAP students collaborated to create a work of art inspired by spaces and the feelings siphoned from the characteristics of that space. The Pursuit of Happiness plunges into the conceptual journey each of us has when embarking upon our future beyond high school. The work visually represents an individual being tied to the superficial aspects that seem to hold them back from their determination to reach their fullest, untethered potential. Surrounded by the swirling components of day-to-day life, the viewer is challenged to consider what they would reach for as the brightest & most meaningful version of their life.
Tea Time Treasures Ms. Dignan-Cummins’ Studio Art 3dAP students collaborated to create a work of art inspired by spaces and the feelings siphoned from the characteristics of that space. Tea Time Treasures is inspired by the hard and soft nature of the realities represented in The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali. Working with the topics of melding together, fantasy worlds, and flowing liquid, the work asks the viewer to gather at their tea party. Tea, representing harmony and peace, is the central focus of this classical fantasy world where people of all values come together to gather in peace to discuss the hope for a better world.
Who I Am is Where I Am Sophia Boone, Madison Coser, Ashley Haarmeyer, Chloe Roberson, Aubrey Swagler, Maddie Weldele, Brennan Werner, and Allison Wuebbling
Ms. Dignan-Cummins’ Studio Art 3dAP students joined together to create a work of art inspired by spaces and the feelings siphoned from the characteristics of that space. Who I Am is Where I Am dives into the concept that each person holds values and aspects of their lives individually important and these guide the development of their lives. Much like in a museum, important works of art are placed on pedestals, elevated to stay in the viewer’s eyesight; each student created a small visual representation of a significant aspect in their lives that has guided and shaped them into the person they are becoming as they enter the real world.
OHHS Art and Design 