Posts in Arts + Culture
Celebrating Cincinnati Pride: From 1973 to 2024

Cincinnati Pride, like other Pride demonstrations across the United States and the world, began at The Stonewall, a club in New York City that was at the center of a police raid in 1969. The Stonewall was a popular place for Black drag queens, transgender and gender nonconforming folks, and others in the community. The demonstrations in response to the raid became a defining moment in history. While these demonstrations were not the first in the L.G.B.T.Q+ rights movement, it was the instance that these issues became more visible – and impactful. In the years following Stonewall, parades and demonstrations began across the country – including in Cincinnati.

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Alison Rampa: An Improv Life

Alison Rampa knows something about setting a scene. Entering her mid-century modern home with twinkle lights and books lining the shelves in her family room, jazz music playing quietly in the background, and candles lit all over, it felt like a scene in a movie. With Alison’s infectious laugh and the smell of coffee in the air, we felt immediately at home as we sat down for a chat about her life and work as a middle school English teacher, leader of a women’s theater company, and founder of a body-positive summer camp for adult women. 

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Rebecca Nava Soto on Indigenous Roots, the Creative Process, and Motherhood

I met Rebecca by responding to a call for volunteers at the Wavepool Gallery back in March – even as strangers, we easily slid into an exchange of expression, direction and trust as we brought her vision to life for TLACUĀ PAHTIĀ. Across the two shows I’ve had the honor of helping her install, we’ve shared intimate words of wisdom, encouragement and vulnerability. These rich moments were embedded in the materials we lay on the ground as ephemeral offerings – an ode to the beauty of sacred communication over time on Earth. 

Coming back to interview her for Women of Cincy was a full circle moment. Nothing can be done to recreate the beautiful conversations we’ve had over the last nine months, but this feature was an opportunity to capture something that could be easily shared with the world; a chance for others to get a glimpse of the perspective Rebecca brings to the community. 

We met at her studio and worked on an experimental mixed media art piece while chatting. As we intuitively played with her selection of colored wood shavings, our hearts opened organically.

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Pam Remmel: On Crochet and Common Beer

Pam Remmel is a self-proclaimed “typical Westsider” – born and raised in Delhi, she never dreamed of leaving the west side of Cincinnati, and married “an Elder boy” with the same vision. They raised their children here, and play with grandchildren here, and now co-own the brewery that sits at the center of it all: West Side Brewing. We joined her there to chat about crocheting, good beer and memory, specifically that of her late mother. Pam was nominated for Women of Cincy by a stranger, who bought a blanket created by Pam’s mother. It’s the story behind this blanket that brings us here today.

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Julia Lipovsky and the Joyful Responsibility of an Artist

I met Julia Lipovsky at the studio she co-owns with her partner in Northside, and it looked exactly how I imagined it would: neatly organized, brightly colored, and sprinkled with sentimental mementos with unironic mise en place. We sat down on a red leather couch next to the old hair shoppe windows, sharing vulnerable tears in memory of loved ones who continue to influence the work she produces today, and discussed the importance of making time for play in a world that tends to be too serious. 

Her energy is comforting and inviting. With an infectious smile and aura that sings in warm colors, Julia kindly gave me a hug of hope and a spark of inspiration for the days to come.

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Celebrating 50 Years of Cincinnati Pride

Cincinnati Pride began in April 1973 as a small gathering of celebration, support, and visibility. Over the years, it has changed and transformed and is now a staple of the Cincinnati summer. More than 100,000 people gathered downtown, and we joined the festivities on Saturday, June 24, to speak to just a few in the eager crowd waiting for the parade to begin. With increasing rollbacks on protections for the LGBTQ+ and queer communities, we knew it was necessary to highlight why Pride is as important now as it was 50 years ago.

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Goddess of the Blues: Cheryl Renée

Cincinnati native, world-traveled musician and “Goddess of the Blues,” Cheryl Renee is the kind of gal you’d want to have in your band. Not only is she an incredible pianist and singer, but she’s humble, spunky and self-sufficient. Cheryl has toured the world and continues to keep herself busy in Cincinnati’s music scene. But she doesn’t need the applause – she can often be seen shooing away the enthusiastic clapping and cheers after every set. No, there isn’t a need to remind her how good she is – she already knows. (But we’ll continue to be fan girls in the audience anyway).

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Dr. Hou-mei 后楣 Sung 宋: Educating Cincinnati on East Asian art and discovering a ‘magic mirror’

Dr. Hou-mei 后楣 Sung 宋 knows the challenge of overseeing an East Asian collection in a Western art museum. The collection, housed in a wing of the Cincinnati Art Museum, consists of paintings on scrolls, pottery, statues, plates, knives, armor – and one very special mirror – that were gifts, donations, or are on loan. Throughout our time together on a cold February afternoon, Dr. Sung emphasized the importance of art education in breaking down cultural and language barriers. 

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February Events: Black History Month, Valentine’s Day, Art, and more!

Ready to escape the grey clouds and cold weather? We are, too! That’s why we assembled just a few of the many events happening around town this month. With new art exhibits, dance performances, Black History Month programs, sweet treats, crafting, and more, you can celebrate our community by supporting locally organized events.

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Women of Cincy Gift Guide: Winter 2022

As another year comes to a close, we are reminded again of how important it is to support your local small businesses during the holiday season. Where you spend your dollar matters – using your dollar to uplift local businesses strengthens the community and our city. The good news is that we have a wealth of hidden small business treasures all around, ready to be found! The holidays are a time to give to our loved ones – let’s include our city and community on our list this year.

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Abiyah: Cincinnati Music Legend With *Still More to Come

On a beautiful autumn morning at the Mariemont Concourse, Women of Cincy sat down with Abiyah, a multi-genre singer, songwriter, recording artist, and musical muse. For more than 20 years, Abiyah has been engaging fans in Cincinnati and around the globe with her boundary-blurring musical styles of floetry, hip-hop, beatbox, indie-rock, and more. Listening to her music has been described as “like getting blitzed by Maya Angelou and Chuck D at the same time!” Meet Abiyah, a woman with a deep, distinctive laugh, who laughs often, and who will be rocking the musical scene in Cincinnati for years to come.

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A Chat with Cincinnati Comedy Queen Kelly Collette on Life and Covens

Talking to Kelly Collette is so easy. From the moment I met her, it felt like I’d known her as a friend for years. She is the person you spend a Friday night with on the couch with a glass of wine, talking until 3 a.m. She is a warm, comforting presence wrapped in a mischievous smile, and finished off with a joke.

Kelly has toured comedy clubs and performed on stages across the country. She has headlined festivals, worked with the Cincinnati Reds, and opened for sold-out crowds. We met on a sunny afternoon in the middle of a buzzing Findlay Market – grills were smoking meat while families ate at nearby tables. Our conversation – filled with laughs and jokes – spanned from Kelly’s earliest days of open mic nights to the moments she said, “Oh, I’ve made it.”

You can see Kelly perform live at Sam Adams Taproom on October 6 along with fellow comedians Karinne Turnbow, Gretchen Schultz, and Ossia Dwyer! All ticket proceeds go toward Women of Cincy.

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Artist Cynthia Lockhart on Art, Passion, and Using Your Gifts

It only takes a few milliseconds to feel the sparking energy that radiates from Cynthia Lockhart—it’s the kind of glittering comfort you want to bottle up and drink when you’re having a low day. She exudes confidence through a contagious smile, fabulous wardrobe, and lively charisma; her words travel with passion and leave a residual feeling of encouragement.

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Novelist Sheila Williams on Telling Black Women's Stories and Creating an Opera for Cincinnati

There may be no better place to spend a rainy Monday evening than amid the shelves of a cozy bookstore. Add coffee, laughter, and great conversation, and it’s instant magic.

This was the setting in early June when I sat down with Sheila Williams at Roebling Point Books & Coffee. Williams is the author of six novels, including Dancing on the Edge of the Roof, adapted into a Netflix film starring Alfre Woodard in 2018, The Secret Women, and the recently released Things Past Telling. Today, Williams calls northern Kentucky home, but she proudly notes that she is “a product of Columbus Public Schools.”

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