REJOICE: A Retrospective of Avtar Gill the Cincinnati Hat Man features the many colorful handmade signs drawn and worn by Avtar Gill (aka the “Hat Man” of Cincinnati) at Thunder-Sky, Inc.
For about a decade prior to his death in January 2013, Gill had become somewhat of a local fixture at nearly any and every downtown event. Council meetings at City Hall, Reds games and Fountain Square rallies all were likely occasions at which one could find the vocal supporter of all things Cincinnati, encouraging people to “REJOICE” in whatever issue was at hand.
A diminutive white-bearded man, Gill stood out in any crowd despite his humble stature. Always wearing his oversized, hand-drawn, (typically) all caps messages which he affixed to a baseball cap with usually no more than a few strategically placed rubber bands, he documented everyday history in mundane yet sometimes profound ways.
REJOICE is on display through June 13 at Thunder-Sky, Inc., 4573 Hamilton Ave., Northside. More info: raymondthundersky.org.
This article appears in Apr 23-29, 2014.