The votes are in: CityBeat’s Culture Maker of the Week is Joshua Stout.
Joshua was nominated by Katie Stout because “A truly creative person is willing to share their knowledge and ideas because they know there’s plenty more where that came from. Joshua (or Josh, as I call him) exemplifies that spirit.
He’s first and foremost a muralist. He painted the “Feed Me” mural of Audrey II in Covington, Wonderwoman near Newport on the Levee, Frankenstein in College Hill, Ballerina Hippos on 8th and Main, and he’s currently working on a massive project in Camp Washington near Mom ‘n Em.
His murals total over ten thousand square feet, but it’s his willingness to mentor younger artists, hand out spray paint cans to creatives who want to dabble, and lead little kids in making a mural at the CAC—it’s those things that make him a Culture Maker.
Josh’s empathy for others and his own vulnerability— he’s open about having autism, the challenge of being a working artist, and the tenderness of having a young kid—build truly deep connections with other people.
He’s not about glitz and glamour (although he does dress very cool), he’s about grit and self-expression. If that isn’t the ethos of Cincinnati, I don’t know what is.”
Cincinnati culture doesn’t just happen. It’s built every day by artists, musicians, chefs, organizers, performers, business owners, neighborhood champions and wonderfully weird people who give this city its personality.
That’s why CityBeat has Culture Maker of the Week, a contest celebrating the people who make Greater Cincinnati more vibrant, joyful, thoughtful and alive, whether they’re working center stage or quietly making things happen behind the scenes.
Nominees are submitted by you, and our editors pick the three up for voting. Nominate a Culture Maker here!
