Tia Brown on Community-Based Art in the West End
With stacks of art supplies, colorful paintings, and children’s drawings decorating the room, the West End Art Gallery’s bright space is reminiscent of the best kind of art classroom.
Tia and Michael Brown started the nonprofit art center as a place for the community to find a positive form of expression. The “WE Gallery,” as Tia calls it, began as pop-up workshops in neighborhood buildings. It’s turned into a labor of love for the Browns, with a dedicated space, mobile mural painting events, two hyper-local coloring books, and art-supply grab bags as COVID-19 restricted in-person workshops.
We talked to Tia to learn more about community art via video conference call, and then got together for a socially distanced tour to see the space in person.
Interview by Suzanne Wilder. Photography by Karly Nemeth.
Tell us about yourself and the West End Art Gallery.
My husband and I have always loved art. He’s an artist; I don’t consider myself an artist, but I do love to be creative and crafty and things like that. We love art: what it brought to our lives, how it was a positive way to express ourselves. It was just something we did on the regular.
We were attending church on the West End at Bright Star Community Church; we decided to move to the West End to be in the neighborhood where our church is, and found there wasn’t anything art-based for the community. There were some activities, but it was more provocative or fine art – not something accessible to the community. It wasn’t really family-friendly. We were like, why don’t we start doing some art workshops in the West End?
My husband had been through Mortar [a Cincinnati-based entrepreneurship program] with his lawn care company. We decided to go through Mortar with the idea for the West End Art Gallery. The following year in 2017, we started doing art workshops wherever we could. At the Y.M.C.A., at the Neighborhood House, wherever someone would let us use some space. The workshops are open to the community – mostly for the West End, but if someone shows up from another neighborhood, they’re more than welcome. The events are totally free to attend. It’s been a lot of fun.
We just love art and wanted to make sure there was something in the community encouraging families to come in together – and have the opportunity for artists to come in and lead workshops, get a small payment for their time, and get them involved in the community.
We brought art supplies that we already had, basically trying to make something out of nothing. We’d apply for grants here and there, and went through our nonprofit application. I went to a pitch competition; I didn’t win, but we got $500 and used it for art supplies.
Eventually we were able to get our own space, too. I started working at the Neighborhood House down here in the West End. Right next door, there was an apartment building with a vacant storefront on the first floor. I reached out to the owner to say, “Hey, we’d love to have a dedicated spot if we could.” He appreciated art and what it does for a community and allowed us to use the space. The neighborhood got some funding (for improvements to community space) and we were able to get two years of rent covered and some improvements to the building.
We just love art and wanted to make sure there was something in the community encouraging families to come in together – and have the opportunity for artists to come in and lead workshops, get a small payment for their time, and get them involved in the community.
It’s been a lot of responsibility. My husband and I both work outside of this, we have a child, and we’re active in our church. It’s been a labor of love from creating it to getting it up and running. We’re excited about meeting new people who want to keep it going and share our vision.
Tell me about your day job. You are working at the Seven Hills Neighborhood Houses? What do you do there?
I'm the community engagement director. The director, Alexis Kidd, knew about us doing art workshops. I had been working for the city, and I left that job and was staying home with my son. We were transitioning to living in the West End, and my son got to be preschool age. I had mentioned to Alexis that I was looking for part-time work, and Alexis had gotten funding for a part-time community engagement coordinator. It just worked out.
I was basically hired to keep the community working and focused and moving toward the goals they put into place in the West End Speaks Community Plan. It was basically looking at the plan and looking at the goals to find resources, build social bridges, and improve the neighborhood through community-focused ideas.
What has kept you tied to the West End? What is it that makes it special for you?
Initially, it’s been the church. It will continue to be that – the fact that we were spending so much time at the church working and serving. We wanted to be close to the church to support it however we could. That has been the main thing.
Then we thought, while we’re here, how else could we support our community? Through the gallery, through my position at the Neighborhood House, and just being a part of the community.
How has COVID-19 and the pandemic restrictions affected the gallery’s work?
COVID has been a challenge. You want to stay active, relevant, and engaged in making an impact in the community. When COVID happened (initially), we canceled our in-person workshops. I didn’t want people getting sick at events. We followed the lead of schools. We put together art bags with art supplies and gave them away at the front desk of the Neighborhood House. We’ve done two editions of the West End coloring book, which have been given out to the community.
I used to look down on myself – I was “Miss Miscellaneous.” I could do a little bit of a lot of things. But now I see I’m versatile.
We then had an idea to do a mobile mural project. We asked ourselves, “What can we do to be out in the community, even though we’re not having workshops?” We asked some local foundations (United Way of Greater Cincinnati and the Haile Foundation) for money to get a pickup truck, thinking we could put a mural in the back and let people contribute. Grab a brush, paint some, and move on. We got a pickup truck, my husband refinished it, and then we decided to paint the first two murals on each side of the truck. One of the sides was an outline of a mountain scene.
The first event with the truck was at our church’s “Trunk or Treat.” After they got their candy, people were able to walk by the truck and paint it. A few weeks later, we were out at the Neighborhood House for an event and painted the other side of the truck. We did another mobile mural of the Regal Theater at a Santa’s Workshop event. The canvas is there, people can come and paint them, and we create this beautiful work of art that celebrates some aspect of the neighborhood.
You said earlier you don’t consider yourself an artist.
No. I like to paint; I like to craft; I like to make jewelry. I like making stuff, but I wouldn’t consider myself an artist. When I was single, I did do a lot of abstract painting for myself, for expression, as just a healthy thing to do. I do love and appreciate art. My husband – it’s his gift. He’s so talented.
What would you say your gifts are?
I used to look down on myself – I was “Miss Miscellaneous.” I could do a little bit of a lot of things. But now I see I’m versatile: I can start a nonprofit; I can do social media; I can write grants; I can help create and update a webpage. I think I have an administrative gift.
I do enjoy singing, which I get to do at our church. I’m in the choir. It’s an awesome thing to carry a tune and praise God with this instrument. It’s another form of creative expression for me.
Tell me about an influential woman (or women) in your life.
My mom, because I get my work ethic from her. She’s just been so strong through the years. I see how strong she is and what real love looks like. She’s amazing. And my mother-in-law, who is a woman of very strong faith; it encourages me to keep growing in my faith. My Aunt Gladys, who gave her life to her family with selflessness but balance.
I’ve said a lot of good things about Alexis Kidd. She – just like me – is not originally from Cincinnati. (I’m from New Castle, Pennsylvania, originally.) She has a lot of love for the West End and she’s always willing to stand up for the things she believes in. I’ve learned a lot from her: how to make time for myself and still be compassionate; how to support the community and lend your talents and gifts for the betterment of others; how to be a good leader and a wonderful boss.
The West End Art Gallery is located at 1721 Baymiller St. in Cincinnati. Find information about upcoming mobile mural events, the next West End coloring book, and how to support it on the gallery’s Facebook page.