Home Is Where the Art Is

Last week I had the opportunity to interview local advocate and writer, Gregory Flannery after visiting Isolation and Togetherness at The Carnegie. While I continue to engage the subject of homelessness and the arts, I wanted to also highlight the work by a few other artists showing as part of this show. Like the photographs in the main gallery, these artists explore images and notions of home through painting and sculpture.

Marcia Alscher is easily one of my favorite local artists. After 25 years as an architect, she began painting. Her small paintings of houses are expressions of color and geometric form. But while they are minimalist in style and exhibited together they may seem to be exercises in abstraction, each of these paintings are portraits. By eliminating the decorative elements of a building, Alscher reveals through color and line its core beauty. Normally we tend to look at architectural ornamentation that offer hints of history and culture. However, Alscher's precisionist approach exposes a culture of everyday life. This becomes much more apparent with this group of paintings that include not only 19th Century buildings in Covington, but also portraits of buildings in Italy. Architectural elements such as the dome of Florence, Italy set these buildings apart from those found near her studio. But the palette also changes. The colors recall for me the glow of the 17th Century Italianate landscapes. In these paintings, the color as much as the line help us to see the essence of home.

The work of Mallory Feltz also deals with notions of home and space. These works center around the familiarity of the two places the artist has lived, Cincinnati and Baton Rouge. Noting each city's tie to waterways, images and symbolism of bridges dominate the gallery. Her focus on familiar spaces though recognizes that home is not just the architectural building. Her assemblages are made of found pieces that reinforce the domestic space. Embroidery, yarn and fabric are elements highlighting the homemade. Feltz is also interested in our movement and interactions in these spaces. This is highlighted especially well in the repetition of bridges as symbol as well as actual spaces in both cities. Moving through the gallery space from images of Cincinnati and those of Baton Rouge seems to be an invitation by the artist to join her as she makes connections between the two cities, between objects and space, thus forcing a new familiarity on our connection to home.

These artists and others like Dominic Sansone, Sherman Cahal, Patrick Meier, and Alan Grizzell as well as the photography exhibit make Isolation & Togetherness at The Carnegie a remarkably engaging show exploring our connection to home and each other.

HomeWord: The Betts House

Looking at the homes of the earliest settlers in Cincinnati reveals an excited commitment to sow ones seeds in a new place. The Betts House, built in 1804 is Cincinnati's oldest residence in the downtown area and Ohio's oldest brick structure on its original site. The stability of the brick structure alone may be testament to the intended permanence of home in this river valley. However, the record of the Betts family westward migration reveals a commitment to the Queen City. Born in New Jersey, William and Phebe (nee Stevens) Betts first moved to Pennsylvania for a few years before finally settling in Cincinnati in 1800. Five Betts generations were raised in the home! Even the earthquake of 1811 failed to rock the structure of the house or the resolve of the family to maintain a home for decades.

The Federal Style architecture of the Betts House was a very popular style during the late 1700s through the early 1800s. With its balanced proportions and repeated analytical lines of geometry, the style is inspired by ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The adoption of this style during America's early decades was a conscious effort to create a visual link to earlier democracies. The visual language of symmetry and stability reflect the commitment of the earliest settlers.

At 416 Clark Street, the Betts House is located in the Betts-Longworth Historic District, just northwest of downtown Cincinnati. The neighborhood is characterized by a variety of architectural styles. Along with the Greek Revival , there is Italianate and the Queen Anne Style, and yet some buildings are transitional; adopting many styles. Yet the neighborhood has a cohesive feel. Amid the varying decorative elements, the brick work and stone facades are pulled together through a vertical design filling these long narrow lots.

Unlike many historical homes open for public tours, the Betts House is unfurnished. This is not to say the house is empty. Betts House Director, Julie Carpenter has been developing some wonderful programming related to the architectural and cultural history of Cincinnati. As with many of our cultural centers, the Betts House hosts children's educational programming in the summer as well as events and special exhibits during the holidays. But because the house is not furnished with original artifacts once belonging to the Betts family, Ms. Carpenter opens the space up as a gallery for local artists, who share an interest in the built environment and regional history.

Last spring, the Betts House opened HOME WORK, an exhibition of items for the home inspired by architectural decorative elements found in Over-the-Rhine. Currently exhibited is From Queen City to Porkopolis: Prints of Cincinnati from 1860 to 1890. These are truly breathtaking images of notable events in the city's history. And coming up for the holidays, the Betts House will exhibit recent paintings by Marcia Alscher along with the annual celebration of Christmas in the 1800s.

Using the home as a space for exhibiting local artists and histories keep the house fresh. New perspectives and conversations provide continued learning and celebration of the region. The stability and commitment to Cincinnati continues in the Betts family home as it now functions as a living history.