On March 12, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced an order to prohibit mass gatherings — aka 100 or more persons in a single space — in the state in response to concerns over the COVID-19 virus. Along with Mayor John Cranley declaring a state of emergency on March 11, this has triggered the cancellation of a number of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky events, both big and small.
In light of such developments, Camp Washington's Wave Pool gallery and "contemporary art fulfillment center" will move all of their large public events to a live-stream video format in lieu of face-to-face gatherings for the next month. (We're keeping track of cancellations and other announcements here.)
"Wave Pool builds community through contemporary art," a release reads. "To do this we gather together. We have classes, public programs, and large events. We understand the importance of convening as a community, enjoying art in person, and bonding through conversation, eye contact, and touch. However, we also prioritize the health and safety of our patrons, neighbors, and local and global communities, especially in a time of public crisis."
Affected events include their March 14 exhibition openings of Camp Street Corner, Edible City: An Art Atlas and Daniel Shieh's participatory art project Familiarly Foreign, meant to engage with local residents in a story-gathering process at The Welcome Project. Wave Pool will be interviewing the artists and showcase their work via their YouTube channel as well as their Facebook and Instagram feeds.
Though they will not host an opening party, the gallery and The Welcome Project will remain open from noon-9 p.m. on March 14 and encourage visitors to meet with all involved artists. With that in mind, they ask that guests come with their own safety in mind and assure that they will host fewer people at a time than normal and be sanitizing regularly.
As a reminder, here's a link to the CDC's guide for preventing COVID-19 spread in communities. Wash your hands y'all.
Wave Pool, 2940 Colerain Ave., Camp Washington, wavepoolgallery.org.
