A ROMANCE WITH THE WEST
Henry Farny and Joseph H. Sharp had both established themselves as prominent artists in Cincinnati by the 1880s. They are best known for the romance they had with the American West. Farny, who grew up with members of the Seneca nation as neighbors, devoted himself to Native American subjects after a trip to see Sioux Chief Sitting Bull. Farny is said to have later piqued the interest of Sharp, who went on to spend most summers living and painting among the Sioux, Crow, Cheyenne, and Pueblo tribes. The works of both men still bring to life the faces and traditions of the vanished West.

THE RISE OF ART-CARVED FURNITURE
Cincinnati society, mirroring the values of the rest of America and Europe in the nineteenth century, believed a woman’s place was in the home. Even in the arts, only pursuits which lent beauty to the home were considered proper for a lady. This set the stage for the boom in art-carved furniture in Cincinnati. In 1873, English immigrant Benn Pitman began teaching a course in wood carving at the School of Design. Women from Cincinnati’s upper levels of society flocked to the course. Following Pitman’s guidance and designs, they created thousands of pieces over the next few decades which rivaled the quality of the finest aesthetic movement furniture in America.

STAR-CROSSED LOVERS
Raucous, well-liked, and respected as a gifted teacher, Frank Duveneck had become a driving force in the art world by 1875. Three years later, he met painter Lizzie Boott. The two inspired each others' work during their love affair and short marriage. When Lizzie died of pneumonia in 1888, Duveneck produced his most moving and personal work, a funerary statue in bronze of Lizzie. The plaster prototype will be seen as an enduring reminder of two people’s passion for their art and each other in The Cincinnati Wing.

DUELING DIVAS
In the 1880s, Cincinnati leapt to international prominence as a leader in ceramics. Not only did it have an abundance of the natural resources needed for a thriving ceramics industry, it had Mary Louise McLaughlin and Maria (pronounced Mar-EYE-a) Longworth Nichols Storer, two of the most important figures in the history of the medium. Their bitter rivalry inspired them to push the boundaries of china painting, decoration under the glaze, and studio porcelain. Each made inestimable contributions to the advancement of ceramics and helped ensure that the story of American art pottery begins in Cincinnati.

A KING IN THE QUEEN CITY
Often described as quirky, Nicholas Longworth was the embodiment of the eccentric philanthropist. Perhaps because of his impoverished childhood, he became the champion of the "Devil’s poor"—rascals, thieves, and prostitutes nobody else would help. He also had a weakness for artists. It is said he never turned away a promising artist in need of funding, including the rising African American painter Robert S. Duncanson. Longworth purchased the existing works of struggling artists and commissioned others. His mansion housed the most prestigious art collection in the city, which artists were free to study for inspiration. In 1840, the editor of the New York Star wrote, "What is there in the atmosphere of Cincinnati, that has so thoroughly awakened the arts of sculpture and painting?" The writer apparently never met Nicholas Longworth.