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CINCINNATI – The powerful artworks in 30 Americans, an exhibition featuring many of the most important African-American artists of the last four decades, are only part of the experience for visitors at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Through programming and events, the museum hopes to start a community dialogue about contemporary issues through art.

In addition, within the museum’s Western & Southern gallery where the exhibition is displayed, guests have a chance to express reactions to the art on cards placed on the wall. Visitors are also encouraged to share their thoughts about things they’ve seen in the exhibition on social media, using #CAM30.

30 Americans Exhibition information

On view now through August 28, 2016, 60 conversation-starting pieces, drawn from the acclaimed Rubell Family Collection, Miami, and from the Cincinnati Art Museum’s permanent collection, highlight issues of race, gender, and historical identity in contemporary culture. Public tours are available several times a week. To plan your visit, please visit http://www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org/events-programs/events-list/.

30 Americans Programming and Events

Every Sunday, Now – August 28, 2 – 2:30 p.m.

30 in 30

Become a part of the conversation with 30 in 30. Each week explore the themes, concepts, and artworks of 30 Americans in this 30 minute program led by guest speakers and local organizations. Discover this exiting exhibition and the issues surrounding it through conversations, music, and artistic responses in a casual relaxed environment where your voice can be heard. 

Free admission.

April 2, 12 – 4 p.m. 

Family First Saturday: 30 Americans Community Day

This fun-filled day is perfect for the whole family. We’re celebrating our new exhibition, 30 Americans, and the amazing diversity we have in this country with a special scavenger hunt, visits from local artists, special performances and much more.

Free admission. Reservations not required.

Free transportation from three locations available 1 – 3 p.m.

Meet at one of the following places for free Community Day busing. Buses leave the area at 1 p.m. and depart from the Art Museum 3 p.m., returning to the area by 3:30 p.m. Reserve space by calling (513) 639-2342 or emailing [email protected] with the total number of participants (space for 50).

Reservations required.

Mason Community Center

6050 Mason Montgomery Rd.

Mason, OH 45040

Kenton County Library – Erlanger Branch

402 Kenton Lands Road

Erlanger, KY 41018

Silverton School

7451 Montgomery Rd.

Silverton, OH 45236

April 9, 12 – 2 p.m.

Slow Art Day: Take time to look at 30 Americans

One day each year people all over the world visit local museums and galleries to look at art slowly. Participants will look at four works of art for 15 minutes each and then meet to discuss their experience. A special slow tour at 12 p.m. and provided sketching materials can help you take a closer look at the exhilarating 30 Americans exhibition. Slow lookers are also invited to the Slow Art Day discussion, held in the Rosenthal Education Center at 1:00 p.m.
Free admission. Reservations recommended.

April 10, 2 p.m.

MUSE: African American composers

Part-gallery talk and part-classical music concert, this program explores the intersection of the visual arts and music throughout history. Each month, students from the University of Cincinnati examine a different era through the lens of the Art Museum’s permanent collection.  Every Muse program features a gallery talk presented by a College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) student, as well as live concerts by students from the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM).
Free admission. Reservations not required. Seating limited.

April 16, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.

ASL Tour: 30 Americans

A certified American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter joins an Art Museum docent each month for a free tour of one of our special exhibitions. The topic of this month’s tour is 30 Americans, which is an exhibition that showcases art by many of the most important African American artists of the last three decades.

Free admission. Reservations required.

April 23, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Connect: Diversity in Art

Connect is a program specifically designed for adults with developmental disabilities and their caregivers.  Join museum educators for a themed multisensory exploration of art from the permanent collection and special exhibitions, followed by an art making project. This month we will explore themes of diversity and identity through the 30 Americans exhibition.
Free admission. Reservations required.

April 23, 2 – 4 p.m.

Young Artist Open Studio: Visiting Artist Cedric Cox  

Designed for Teens, ages 13–19
This open studio runs in the HOMAGO format (Hanging out, Messing Around, Geeking Out) and allows teens to show up and work on whatever they would like. Teens may bring their own projects, use the common available materials (drawing materials, paint, clay), or work with the prepared “art-prompt” of the day. During this special Young Artist Open Studio, local artist Cedric Cox will work with teens.
Free admission. Reservations not required.

May 15, 1 – 3 p.m.

Creative Encounters: Identity

Explore the Art Museum, experiment with art, and express your creativity in this monthly program for adult visitors. Take inspiration from the artists of 30 Americans who explore concepts of race and identity before creating your own work of art that reveals your true self.

$5 for Art Museum Members and college students. $10 for general admission. Reservations required.

Mid-May – Aug. 28, 2016, Tuesday – Sunday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The Forum

Starting in May, a community resource room for 30 Americans will open at Art Museum to provide additional space for repose and reflection. Nicknamed “The Forum” and located in the Sara M. and Michelle Vance Waddell Gallery (G125), it will contain books, artist videos, and other resources for those who wish to further engage the art—and the social issues these artworks address.

Free admission. Reservations not required.

May 21, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

See the Story Book Club: Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

Do you love to read and also Love art? Join librarians from the Public Library and Hamilton County and members of the Art Museum staff for this bi-monthly book club. Join us this month to discuss Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. Winner of a 1953 National Book Award, Invisible Man chronicles the issues facing African Americans in the early twentieth century and is also the subject of a painting by Glenn Ligon from the Art Museum collection that is featured in 30 Americans.

Free admission. Reservations not required.

May 27, 5 – 9 p.m.

Art After Dark: 30 Americans

Enjoy full access to our galleries after hours, live entertainment and docent-led tours throughout the night on the last Friday of every month. Art After Dark is a FREE event with drinks and appetizers available for purchase. Reservations not required.

May 29 2:00 p.m.

30 Americans Film Series:  Do the Right Thing

In one of his most popular films, Spike Lee combines humor, drama and music to expose the absurdity of racism. Do the Right Thing moves its cast of characters through a minefield of sensations over the course of the hottest day of the year. This blood-boiling, 24-hour period will change the lives of its residents forever.

FREE film screening. Reservations not required.

June 5, 2 – 4 p.m.

Sketching Sunday in The Forum
Join us in The Forum, our 30 Americans resource room for a special Sketching Sunday session led by a guest artist.

Free admission. Reservations not required.

Opening June 9 and 10

30 Americans Plus…The Region

As a complement to the 30 Americans exhibition at the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Art Academy of Cincinnati and the DAAP Galleries, University of Cincinnati have collaborated on the presentation of 30 Americans Plus...The Region. This exhibition, in two parts, recognizes visual expressions offered by African American artists in our community. Featuring work in a wide range of media and materials, the perspectives of current practitioners will be accompanied by seminal figures from the past three decades. The work exhibited by these accomplished regional artists contributes to the conversation about African American experiences and heritage, and the present state of the arts in the region. Free admission. Reservations not required.

June 11, 2 – 3 p.m.

InDepth: 30 Americans

Join the Art Museum’s curatorial staff for an in-depth look at 30 Americans. This expanded gallery talk will provide comprehensive information and insight into this exciting and important exhibit of contemporary art.
Free admission. Reservations required.

June 20-24, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Summer Camp: Art Now!

What’s happening in the art world? You’ll find out this week as we discover different trends in contemporary art each day! The Cincinnati Art Museum is the place for fun and creativity this summer. Delve into art with this week of summer camps packed with exciting art projects, gallery games, and interactive activities! Each week, children will discover all aspects of visual art through various themes and activities taught by highly skilled educators and museum staff. Designed for children ages 6-12.

$175 for Art Museum Members (Family level or higher). $225 for general admission.

July 9, 2 – 3 p.m.

InDepth: 30 Americans

Join the Art Museum’s curatorial staff for an in-depth look at 30 Americans. This expanded gallery talk will provide comprehensive information and insight into this exciting and important exhibit of contemporary art.
Free admission. Reservations required.

July 20, 7 p.m.

Art and Social Justice

Each Art and… talk explores the ideas and concepts of the Art Museum’s exhibitions and collections through a variety of different lenses. For Art and Social Justice, Cincinnati Art Museum curator Brian Sholis will be joined by a speaker from the Ohio Innocence Project to discuss the themes of social justice and discrimination that surround many of the works in 30 Americans.

Free for Art Museum Members. $10 for general admission. $5 for students/seniors.

July 31, 2 p.m.

30 Americans Film Series: Cincinnati Goddamn

Cincinnati’s own troubled past becomes the subject of this documentary which looks at the three days of civil unrest and protest in 2001 that was sparked by the Cincinnati police’s murder of unarmed men. This poignant and powerful story of injustice is told through news reports, first-person accounts and cinema verité footage of the surviving families’ long-suffering battle for justice.

Free admission. Reservations not required.

August 17, 9 p.m.

30 Americans Film Series: The Wiz in Washington Park

In honor of 30 Americans and in partnership with 3CDC’s Summer Cinema in Washington Park, come enjoy the 1978 classic family film, The Wiz, starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. With its urban reimagining of the magical land of Oz and a hit soundtrack produced by Quincy Jones, you’re sure to be singing along. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy this free movie underneath the stars.

Free admission. Reservations not required.

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About the Cincinnati Art Museum

The Cincinnati Art Museum is supported by the generosity of individuals and businesses that give annually to ArtsWave. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Cincinnati Art Museum with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Cincinnati Art Museum gratefully acknowledges operating support from the City of Cincinnati, as well as our members.

General admission to the Cincinnati Art Museum is always free. The museum is open Tuesday – Sunday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.