1628 Ltd. Art Opening - Campus Creatives: Ohio Valley's Emerging Artists

Campus Creatives features 10 local artist students from 4 different academic institutions: Alex Albrecht (Mount St. Joseph University), Aleni Antalis (Xavier University), Kate Ensor (Miami University), Alfonso Huckleberry II (Mount St. Joseph University), Healim Hwoang (University of Cincinnati), Brianna Lude (University of Cincinnati), Nicholas Namyar (Xavier University), James Plattner (University of Cincinnati), Orion Inez Varona-Alvarez (University of Cincinnati), and Jenna Wood (Xavier University).

Cincinnati is living proof that you don’t have to be in Chicago or New York to find a thriving artistic community. In fact, many of the most talented and exciting artists in the contemporary scene are living, learning, and creating in smaller – but just as passionate – cities all over the country. We are lucky to find ourselves here, in an area with not just one, but many different prestigious universities with art programs. These institutions are shaping the current generation of artists, providing them the guidance to discover their creative voice, and the community to help hone and nurture that newfound self-understanding.

The Ohio Valley’s creative community is vibrant, unique, and on the cutting edge of the contemporary scene. This is due in no small part to the artists studying and creating in our local programs, which grow and adapt with each academic year. Though they come from many different places, and many may find themselves scattered all across the globe after graduation, their time here, in these cities and within these institutions, will have forever shaped their journey as an artist. From the practical skills learned, to the friendships foraged, to the body of work created that finally feels “right”, our local art programs give these students the time and space to radically change contemporary art, as well as their own understanding of themselves and what they want to put out into the world.

Campus Creatives highlights the work being made by emerging artists from four local institutions: Mount St. Joseph University, University of Cincinnati, Miami University, and Xavier University. With this latest generation comes a shift in our local artistic community, which can only be understood by exploring the work of those whose voices are quickly moving towards the forefront.