The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic made its mark on just about every facet of our society, in Cincinnati and all over the world. Entertainment and leisure, academics and athletics; they’ve all been hindered in some way as the world grapples with returning to some semblance of normalcy. As of June 10, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine gave the green light for several different leisure centers to begin reopening. Among the venues listed are museums and art galleries.
Cincinnati is host to more than a dozen museums that reach across the city and a staple in that history is the Contemporary Arts Center, downtown. The CAC is looking to reopen its doors beginning June 24.
The reopening will initially be for members only. The CAC will fully open its doors to the public starting July 1.
If you don’t want to wait a week to get back in to see current exhibits — including street artist Vhils’ explosive solo show Haze — you can get a jumpstart and become a member on the CAC’s website.
If you are planning to attend either of the openings, the CAC asks guests to make a reservation in order to limit the amount of traffic entering the building in accordance with CDC guidelines on reduced capacity and social distancing. Entry tickets are still free and visitors are strongly encouraged to wear masks.
“Our challenging times demand work. We are looking forward, as we reopen, to stepping into this space bravely, with humility, and with the intention to engage in true, open-minded dialogue around the most pressing issues of our lifetime,” CAC Director Raphaela Platow said in a statement.
Coupled with the CAC’s reopening on July 1 will be the debut of Mexico City-based artist Tania Candiani’s exhibition Sounding Labor: Silent Bodies. The CAC describes the show as, “Rooted in the industrial history of Cincinnati, Candiani’s poetic, yet urgent, exhibition elevates voices in our societies that often remain unnoticed, and examines alternative narratives to the dominant histories of power.”
The exhibition’s centerpiece is a film produced here in Cincinnati entitled Four Industries. It features members of the local all-women’s choir, MUSE, “reciting the disappeared sounds of manufacturing and production that formerly animated this city.”
The Contemporary Arts Center is located at 44 E. Sixth St., Downtown. For more information, visit contemporaryartscenter.org.
This article appears in The Summer Guide.
