Gateway Arts Festival Kicks Off This Saturday

by OTR on October 18, 2012, 10 comments

Gateway Arts Festival - Contained

The first Gateway Arts Festival starts Saturday, October 20 with “Contained” an outdoor photography exhibit at Grammer’s Bar. The exhibit is 11 shipping containers transformed into mobile galleries featuring regionally, nationally and internationally acclaimed artists, produced in partnership with FOTOFOCUS. Contained is an internationally acknowledged photography show that is free to the public. The event will include an outdoor bar, live performances, food, an OTR raffle and more. Over 40 independent businesses in OTR have donated to the raffle with prizes over $150. The Emery Theatre revival project, The Requiem Project, is producing the Gateway Arts Festival and Contained. Here’s a description from the Requeim Project’s website:

Contained, the inaugural exhibit at the Gateway Arts Festival, features outdoor, site-specific glimpses into the contemporary conversation of photography and a unique look into lens-based fine art. Participating artists have created photographic experiences within the boundaries of 11 large steel shipping containers. The photo-based installations create experiences that surround the viewer, reference sculptural installation practices, and respond to the volume within the confines of the space.

The event is open from 2pm until midnight and is free to the public with a suggested donation of five dollars.

For full exhibition details, visit FOTOFOCUS or the Emery Theatre.

  • BathtubGin

    This is really frustrating. I can’t find a thorough description of the “festival,” since everything is describing limited-time events. The festival is from 10/20-11/3. Are the only times to see anything related to the festival coincident with the times listed on the flyer? Is there something on-going that can be seen at times outside those listed on the flyer?

    Why would it be said that the festival runs from 10/20-11/3 if the only dates relevant are 10/20, 10/26, and 10/27+11/3 (by appointment only)?

    It seems like no one associated with the festival wants to make clear what it actually is. This blog entry has a little more information, but not much.

    Less focus on the opening event and more focus on the festival as a whole, please!

    Promotion fail.

    • OTR Blog

      This post is about the opening event. I also researched the the festival and was similarly frustrated. When I know more, I’ll share it. Thanks for your comment.

      • BathtubGin

        Thanks for taking my comment the right way. I didn’t mean to attack your post. I am legitimately interested in the festival, which gave me an emotional reaction (frustration) when I couldn’t find useful info.

        • http://www.facebook.com/tara.l.gordon.1 Tara Lindsey Gordon

          Sure…. I am sorry you cannot join us this weekend, but please visit EmeryTheatre.com about up-coming events.

    • http://www.facebook.com/tara.l.gordon.1 Tara Lindsey Gordon

      Hi There…

      I am happy to explain and offer more information:

      The Gateway Arts Festival is the first of its kind in OTR. It is produced by The Requiem Project, the non-profit company re-estbalishing the historic Emery Theatre on Walnut Street as an arts center.

      One of the commitments of the company is to champion all of the investments in OTR, and when we were selecting an off-site venue we chose Grammers as it is on the other end of Walnut Street; part of our mission is to “light up” Walnut Street as Vine and Main are quite vibrant right now but there are aspects of Walnut Street that are still a bit dark. The Emery’s re-opening as a venue that will eventually seat 1500 will have a great impact on Walnut Street.

      Contained is the first exhibit and is produced in collaboration with FotoFocus (http://www.fotofocuscincinnati.org/node/163), which is a city-wide festival that celebrates photography and lens based art and incorporates over 60 venues in Cincinnati.

      Contained is a feature for Fotofocus and open to everyone for free.
      The exhibit opens tomorrow at 2PM and there will be an OTR raffle, live music and food through-out the day and night (that is the festival aspect).

      The exhibit, Contained is twelve shipping containers transformed into independent galleries that feature region, national and international artists. For example, Ilkka Halso is an artist from Finland and this is his second show in the US. His first show was at PS1MOMA in New York City. David Rosenthal, the director of Prarie Gallery is also one of the featured artists. I am including images of both containers. Each gallery is different and speaks to a different aspect of lens based art.

      The opening is on Saturday, October 20th (tomorrow) and the exhibit closes on November 3rd. The exhibit is open all Saturdays by appointment until November 3 and there will be a special reception on Friday, October 26 (Final Friday).
      Over 40 independent businesses in OTR have donated raffle prizes up to $300.

      Please stop by… This is a truly special event and arts exhibit.

  • http://www.facebook.com/tara.l.gordon.1 Tara Lindsey Gordon

    I see there was some confusion below. I believe I have answered the questions inside my comment. These are a few more images. Please join us on Saturday, over 50 OTR business are involved and magnificent artists.

    • BathtubGin

      I can’t make it to Contained, but you mention it being a part of a city-wide festival, which I might be able to make it to. Unfortunately, I can’t find any info on that festival (other than about one thing, Contained). If there’s no info available to someone spending energy to find out about it, I don’t know how anyone expects the festival to be a success.

      • http://www.facebook.com/tara.l.gordon.1 Tara Lindsey Gordon

        The city-wide festival is FotoFocus.

        Here is the link: http://www.fotofocuscincinnati.org

        • BathtubGin

          Okay, thanks. I sort of get it now. It would be nice to have a calendar, where you can click a day and the day is broken down into time slots, where it tells you places that are open at the time with links to what is showing at that time on that date in that location. Especially as it pertains to special things which are a part of the festival, since it seems like a lot of things on the FotoFocus site are things which are going on anyway (e.g. exhibits at museums around the city). (The calendar on the site doesn’t do this at all. It has events posted outside the “festival” dates, and it has nothing posted on the festival dates after 10/27.)

          I’m still left wondering what the cohesion is that warrants this being called a “festival”, when the website dedicated to the festival seems, at best, marginally focused on things to see and places to go specifically during the festival’s duration.

          • rp

            FOTOFOCUS EVENTS: http://www.fotofocuscincinnati.org/calendar

            FOTOFOCUS is the CITY WIDE photography biennial event celebrating lens-based art (30 days of art exhibits featuring over 500 artists in over 50 venues throughout the region: fotofocuscincinnati.org). The calendar of all FOTOFOCUS events can be accessed by clicking the link above.
            FOTOFOCUS has partnered with a myriad of local and regional arts organizations to encourage diverse art experiences, aiming to support community engagement and artistic collaborations. The Gateway Arts Festival: Contained is but one of the many, many offerings of FOTOFOCUS.
            The Gateway Arts Festival: Contained is an exhibit open each Saturday until the conclusion of FOTOFOCUS. The Gateway Arts Festival is a day-long exhibition with art, performances, and food. 2-midnight. The exhibit, Contained, is open each Saturday thereafter until the conclusion of FOTOFOCUS. Please come!

            The Requiem Project is the producing partner of The Gateway Arts Festival: Contained. The Requiem Project is the non-profit organization producing the event on October 20 (The Gateway Festival) and the ensuing Saturday showings.

            FOTOFOCUS is a separate non-profit organization serving as a catalyst for organizations such as The Requiem Project to create unique exhibits that spotlight historical and contemporary photography and lens-based art.

            We hope to see you there.