While walking through Washington Park during my lunch hour the other day, I came upon a table manned by two gentlemen and a dozen stacks of business cards. Each stack held its own inspirational message such as “Hearts are maps” and “Why not?” The cards were free to passersby. The two gentlemen were from the Art Academy of Cincinnati. After a short discussion with them, the elder artist offered to show me around the Art Academy’s loft style urban campus on Jackson Street. His name was Gary Gaffney, and a few days later he gave me a wonderful tour.
The Art Academy of Cincinnati was founded in 1869 and was located in Eden Park from 1887 to 2005. In 2005, the Art Academy moved to Over-the-Rhine and made a bold commitment to the neighborhood.
Here are a few snapshots from the tour of their voluminous space on Jackson Street. I mostly photographed the working studios and the views from the windows. The Art Academy connected two massive warehouses with a central atrium lobby and stairways that’s flooded with light from the massive skylights above. There is much more to the building than is shown in these photographs. The office spaces, conference rooms, computer labs, and attractive lobby areas are not the focus of this gallery. Enjoy:
The site of Mercer Commons which is under construction
Gary Gaffney – artist, teacher, tour guide
Many thanks to Gary for his kindness and hospitality!
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- The site of Mercer Commons which is under construction
