What memories do you have from summer camp — maybe swimming in the lake, hiking in the woods or paddling a canoe? Think again. How about memories of playing chess, redecorating rooms, honing skills in sports, music or art or even swinging from a trapeze?  

I’ve always been able to find art in Cincinnati. From seeing the paintings created by an art class at SCPA, where I’m currently a senior, to being inspired by exhibits at the Cincinnati Art Museum or the Contemporary Arts Center, it’s been fairly easy to nourish my passion for art in my hometown.   

Ah, summer: a time of blissful carelessness, rash decisions, heat-induced mistakes and occasionally painful life lessons. (Remember Sallie May from the summer of ’01? Didn’t think so.) The old adage that art imitates life couldn’t be truer than during the months of May to September, when Hollywood peels off its clothes and adopts that “go big or go home” mindset.  

For art-museum lovers, one of the best things about hot summers in Cincinnati is the proximity to nearby cities whose museums and public galleries have exhibitions. This makes shows in Dayton, Columbus, Louisville, Lexington and Indianapolis easily reachable. But before we set off on a two-hour drive to see another city’s work, let’s look at the shows local institutions have planned for the summer. Then we’ll hit the road.   

The first big stakes will be driven into the ground in May, but the real support structure for the summer of 2009’s attempt to propel the industry’s dreams of box-office glory just might be a scattered collection of projects that could bring niche audiences under the big tent.  

It takes a certain amount of faith to be in a band. For Andrea Summer and Tye VonAllmen, being in Cincinnati’s Artists & Authors is a test of all of their various faiths — the faith that musicians have in each other when they play together.  

The cooler weather has screwed up my internal calendar, and the kids are headed back to school next week. Is summer over already?