Contemporary Arts Center

05/28/2026

Join us this Friday, May 29, starting at 8 a.m. as we join CreativeMornings/Cincinnati in welcoming Alex Lippert as May's creative lecturer. CreativeMornings is a free global breakfast lecture series designed to build creative community through shared ideas and storytelling. Each month, CreativeMornings Cincinnati gathers designers, artists, makers, nonprofit leaders, and curious thinkers from across the region for a welcoming morning of reflection, inspiration, and connection.

Alex Lippert, based in Cincinnati, is a tintype photographer whose large-format work employs the historic wet plate collodion process of the mid-nineteenth century. Rooted in a material practice that embraces slowness and imperfection, her evolving body of work reflects an optimistic commitment to storytelling and to the aesthetic and conceptual possibilities that emerge through process-driven image-making.

05/27/2026

GUESS WHAT: You can now visit Contemporary Arts Center on Wednesdays.

Come in and view the eye-catching works of Michael Stillion in his exhibition "And then it was flowers." See how the artist explores the human condition and the passage of time through emotionally charged, visually layered compositions throughout CAC's 4th floor space.

Galleries + Shop CAC are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Members: Free
Kids 18 and under: Free
General Admission: $12
SNAP/ EBT Recipients: Free

Get your tickets today!
https://shopcincycac.org/products/cac-daily-admission

📷 "Michael Stillion: And then it was flowers." Photo: Wes Battoclette, 2026. Image courtesy of Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati

05/26/2026

"The Space We Hold" is a storytelling workshop and community reflection series inspired by Gee Horton’s exhibition "Chapter 4: In Another Lifetime."

Hosted by Brandon Isaac and Jamie-Lee Morris, the series invites participants into a shared space for writing, storytelling, memory work, and creative reflection. Each gathering begins with guided prompts and conversation before opening into a communal sharing space for stories, poetry, music, reflections, and works in progress.

Inspired by themes present throughout Horton’s work — memory, identity, vulnerability, imagination, and emotional inheritance — The Space We Hold centers storytelling as a way of connecting with ourselves and one another.

No prior writing or performance experience is necessary. All are welcome.

Fridays | 6 – 8 pm.
May 29 | June 26 | July 24

Free + Open to the Public. This event will be held on Level 5.

05/25/2026

Join Ciara LeRoy in her final week as our Artist in Residence!

Catch Ciara at the Downtown Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library on Wednesday from 4–6 p.m. or in the Creativity Center at CAC on Saturday from 1–3 p.m.

With her "Secret Words" theme, you can create embroidery pieces that capture the things we don't often say out loud.

05/24/2026

Join CAC every Thursday morning at 10:30 a.m. for some creative play time with your children!

Art Play uses hands-on art making activities, sensory stations, and yoga to excite and educate our youngest visitors. Drop in spaces are always available. In the summer months, this program is designed for children ages 2-10 and their parents or caregivers. Older and younger siblings are welcome and projects can be easily adapted to meet their needs. Start your morning with some coffee and treats from Urbana in CAC’s new cafe, then head up to Art Play for some interactive art making!

Art Play is free for CAC Members, and only $5 per child for non-members (there’s no fee for adults). There is no charge for participants with a valid SNAP or food assistance card (EBT).

📷 Amy Schardein

05/23/2026

Shop Small, Shop Local, Shop CAC

When you Shop CAC, you're not just purchasing artist-designed, handmade, locally and regionally sourced goods, you're joining a community that believes in art and artists.

Every purchase you make directly supports the Contemporary Arts Center, helping us bring innovative programs and exhibitions to life.

📷

05/22/2026

Meet the artist who uses photorealistic charcoal drawings, cyanotype, and immersive installations to explore intergenerational trauma and cultural legacy.

Gee Horton was born in 1983 in Louisville, Kentucky. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Thoams Moore University in 2006 and a Master of Social Work from the University of Louisville in 2008. His academic background in psychology and trauma therapy continues to inform his artistic approach.

After graduating, Horton coached college basketball at institutions including Xavier University, founded a nonprofit, and spent time working in corporate America. It wasn’t until a trip abroad with his wife that he realized he wanted to pursue art.

In 2020, Horton transitioned to working as a full-time artist. He initially experimented with abstract painting before discovering a stronger connection to charcoal as his primary medium. Over the past six years, he has developed a diverse body of work centered on the evolving narrative of his self-created character, Freeman Little.

View Horton’s works at the Contemporary Arts Center through Aug. 30.

Headshot of Gee Horton courtesy of Jon Medina.

05/22/2026

CAC will be closed on Monday, May 25 for Memorial Day.

05/19/2026

Start with a page, end with something personal. Join us for a special edition of Voices in Galleries, held in conjunction with Cereal Box Studio and inspired by Gee Horton’s exhibition "Chapter 4, In Another Lifetime." This two-day workshop invites participants to explore dreams, symbols, and personal narrative through hands-on bookmaking.

Beginning at CAC on May 23 with a guided tour through the exhibition, participants will respond to prompts using writing and image-making.

On the second day, hosted at Cereal Box Studio on June 6, these contributions will be transformed through risograph printing and assembled into unique, hand-bound books. Each participant leaves with a personal artifact shaped by both individual and shared storytelling.

Participants can sign up for a single workshop or attend the two-day series. CAC members can participate for free. Registration is required.

May 23, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
June 6, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

05/15/2026

Thanks to Cincinnati CityBeat for sharing the story of our new Community Gallery exhibition “Voices Unheard: Art, Identity and Experience.”

Be sure to join us this evening for the opening at 5 p.m. to see these remarkable works.

A new exhibition at the Contemporary Arts Center shines a light on an oft-ignored population in Cincinnati.

05/13/2026

Be a docent at the CAC!

As a CAC Docent, you will give tours to multigenerational audiences, be part of a tight social network of docents, receive behind-the-scenes CAC training on exhibitions, and make an impact on your community through leading conversations about contemporary art.

Learn more and apply at cincycac.org! Applications close July 24.