1. Cincinnati Home and Garden Show
Growing up on a farm, I was always told not to "rush the seasons." Dad meant that we shouldn't plant (or harvest) too soon, but when I look at the calendar and see that it's nearly March, I still think "almost spring." This is the perfect time to get a jump on those home improvement projects we've been dreaming about all winter long, and there's no better place to find inspiration than at the Cincinnati Home and Garden Show, which returns after a year hiatus. You can shop for home-related products and services, connect with industry experts and see displays to help inspire your next home improvement project. It's a big show, too, spanning two weeks and featuring over 400 booths to explore. New this year is a feature called "Ask a Designer" where you can bring photos, drawings or even vision boards to garner inspiration from the area's leading designers.
The show runs 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday this weekend, then continues next week from Thursday through Sunday at Duke Energy Convention Center, 525 Elm St., Downtown. Admission is $14 at the door or $12 advance if purchased online. Ages 12 and under get in free. cincinnatihomeandgardenshow.com.
2. 20th Century Cincinnati
Home shows aren't always about the latest trends and projects. 20th Century Cincinnati is the region's largest vintage modern shopping event, featuring more than 50 select dealers specializing in 20th century modernist furniture, decorative arts, lighting, accessories and fashion apparel. If you are a fan or collector of the avant-garde art, architecture, furnishings, decor and fashions that emerged between WWI and the Information Age, this is the show for you. You'll find arts and crafts, art deco, machine age, streamline, midcentury modern and op/pop art represented here, as well as a special exhibit called Herstory: Women Designers in the Modern Age, which focuses on a selection of work by women designers during the modern era.
The show runs from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Sharonville Convention Center, 11355 Chester Road. Early bird entry takes place from 9-11 a.m. Saturday and costs $35, $25 advance. Regular admission is $10 and is good for both days. queencityshows.com.
3. Special Exhibitions from Black Artists at CAM
Two new special exhibitions from Black artists open Friday at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Working Together: The Photographs of the Kamoinge Workshop is the first major museum exhibition about the groundbreaking African American photographers' collective Kamoinge Workshop, which formed in New York in 1963. The exhibition chronicles the formative years of the workshop and features more than 150 photographs by 14 of the group's early members, as well as the photographer Roy DeCarava, a key mentor in the workshop's first years.
The second exhibition pays tribute to David Driskell's legacy as an American artist and educator. Icons of Nature and History brings together more than 50 highlights from his distinguished career, surveying the artist's paintings from the 1950s forward. One of the most revered American artists of his generation, Driskell's vibrant paintings, prints and collages combine keen observations of America with the imagery and aesthetic innovations of the African diaspora.
Both exhibitions run through May 15. Tickets are $12, which grants admission to both special exhibitions. Cincinnati Art Museum is located at 953 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams. cincinnatiartmuseum.org.
4. NFTxCincinnati presents: Unfit
Here's a different kind of art exhibition. A group of artists, collectors and enthusiasts of digital art are bringing Unfit, an immersive NFT gallery, to Sample Space at The Banks (140 Marian Spencer Way, Downtown). So what the heck is an NFT gallery? NFT galleries are a sort of evolution of fine art collecting, only with digital art. NFT stands for "non-fungible token," which basically means it is original digital art (drawings, music, etc.) that, due to its unique digital code, is guaranteed to be original rather than a copy. Most NFTs are part of the Ethereum blockchain, a type of cryptocurrency. The blockchain creates a unique token, so even though a digital file can be copied numerous times, NFTs are designed to give you something that cannot be copied: ownership of the work. Think of it like buying a real-life Picasso: only one person can own the original.
If this all leaves you scratching your head in puzzlement, you aren't alone. Unfit is designed to help you understand and become comfortable with the ins and outs of crypto and digital art by hosting panel discussions from industry experts and offering educational resources. And there will also be plenty of immersive NFT digital works from artists around the world on show and offer. Local and regional artists include Dylan Graves, Annie Burke, Andrew VanSickle and more, and international artist works include BuffMonster, Damien Hurst, Dalek, Ian Murray and Shepard Fairey.
The panel/speaker sessions run from noon-4 p.m. Friday with the gallery party following from 6-10 p.m. The gallery will be open from noon-5 p.m. Saturday as well. It's free to attend. Register: unfit-art.com.
5. "Hamlet"
The mysterious death of a king casts young Hamlet – the rightful heir to the crown – in the role of reluctant avenger after his brother's unconventional ascension to the throne and the queen's bed. Incest and intrigue, murder and madness, triumph and treachery all combine to paint one of the most complex and compelling portraits in all of English literature. Featuring Sara Clark portraying a reverse gendered Hamlet.
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company's production features multimedia design by Brave Berlin, the founding creative directors of Blink, creating an immersive theatrical experience. It opens Friday at 1195 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with additional performances through March 26. Tickets start at $58, with discounted seats for seniors and students. 513-381-2273; cincyshakes.com.
Honorable mention: Oscar-Nominated Shorts
With the Academy Awards a month away, it's time to binge-watch if you want to see all the nominations. Here's your chance to see the Oscar-nominated short films over the next three weekends, courtesy of Cincinnati World Cinema. You'll have the chance to see engaging stories featuring the people and cultures of Afghanistan, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, The Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The shorts are broken down into three programs: documentaries (program A), animation (program B), and live action (program C). In-person screenings take place at the Garfield Theatre (719 Race St., Downtown). Advance tickets for individual programs are $15. Same-day combo tickets are $24. See website for times. Runs Friday-Sunday through March 13. cincyworldcinema.org.
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