“Fake Accounts” by Lauren Oyler
Although I am leery of, and usually bored by, novels about the internet, a world in which I have little to zero interest, Lauren Oyler’s
January / February Issue of Aeqai Online
Aeqai has just posted its annual combined January/February issue, and we’ve found quite a few wonderful shows to review, even during this quiet/frustrating time defined
Whistling in the Dark: “Frank Duveneck: American Master” at Cincinnati Art Museum, December 18, 2020-March 28, 2021
It’s long been discussed whether Duveneck’s lasting contribution to American art is more as a painter or a teacher. As a painter, his influence has
Going Home: “And the Presence of Light” at the Weston Gallery
The new installation at the Weston Gallery called “And the Presence of Light” by Oberlin, OH based artist Johnny Coleman is inspired by the story
SOS Art Retrospective: 2016-2020
For their annual SOS ART 2021, the Kennedy Heights Arts center is presenting a retrospective of the past five years of SOS shows. In a
Landscape without Landscape: “Bukang Y. Kim: Journey to the East” at Dayton Art Institute, November 7, 2020-February 14, 2021
Editor’s Note: This show has been extended until August 15, 2021 In writing about Bukang Yu Kim’s extraordinary solo show of ten paintings at the
“Pressing On: Prints by Members of the Tiger Lily Press,” Caza Sikes, through February 28, 2021
Printmaking encompasses a myriad of techniques. The processes can be complicated. The equipment is specialized. And often expensive. Some artists have the wherewithal to set
Cincinnati Art Galleries Continues Its Longstanding Tradition of Panorama
There are many longstanding traditions in Cincinnati. Panorama of Cincinnati Art is one of them. Randy and Michele Sandler opened Cincinnati Art Galleries in 1983
Fotofolio: Glenna Jennings
“At Table” (2005-ongoing) Glenna’s statement and bio: Place and Space are consistent themes in my work, which ranges from documentary and constructed photography to socially-engaged
Spelunking Through “Substrata” at EPOCH Gallery
The entryway to “Substrata” at EPOCH Gallery consigns you to a steep snowy slope several yards from a building appearing as a futuristic ski lodge.
An Exhibition of Two Textile Artists Carolyn Mazloomi :“A Piece if My Mind” and Heather Jones: “A Sense of Place” January 30 – February 27, 2021 Alice and Harris Weston Art Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio
“Every human being in the world has a “cradle to grave” relationship with textiles.” These words by Carolyn Mazloomi contextualize her choice of quilts as
Lights, Camera and Memes – Art in the Age of Digital Immediacy
The Night Gallery is a gem within the maze of LA’s Industrial District. “Headlines” by Derek Boshier and “Screen Time” by Luke Murphy and Christine
“Let Me Tell You What I Mean” by Joan Didion
I have long believed that Joan Didion has the greatest mind of any writer, thinker, essayist, reporter, anywhere in the world during her long writing
“That Old Country Music” by Kevin Barry
Kevin Barry, whose 2019 novel “Night Boat to Tangier” was one of that year’s best novels, has returned with a gorgeous book of short stories,
December Issue of Aeqai Online
Our very short December issue of Aeqai has just posted. Because of the recent spiking of COVID, very few museums and galleries are open; some
Tania Candiani: Sounding Labor, Silent Bodies at the Contemporary Arts Center
I walked into the second floor gallery just as the choir began imitating the sound of pigs being slaughtered. “Four Industries,” the mesmerizing centerpiece of
Slim Aarons, Twenty20 (Miller Gallery Pop-Up shop)
For decades, from the 1950s through 1970s, Slim Aarons (1916-2006) recorded the lives of the “rich and famous” He caught them at their favorite watering
Survey of a Century of Cincinnati Art
Cincinnati Art Galleries is on the bandwagon of regionalism with its current offering entitled: Panorama of Cincinnati Art 2020. The Queen City stands out historically
Top 10 Los Angeles Exhibitions of 2020
Little need be said about the strangeness of 2020: A year inundated with historic events has brought to a standstill the customs and contact that
Best Fiction of 2020
2020 was a terrible year for most of us, between a rampaging and terrifying pandemic and a bizarre election that tested the very limits of
Fotofolio: Marcella Hackbardt
“My Rooms” Marcella’s statement and bio: In this body of work, My Rooms, I construct photographs that evoke a place and a persona, introducing and
Art Galleries at Area Universities Offer Varying Experiences
I talked with several directors of art galleries at area universities. Kitty Uetz, MFA, has been director of Xavier University Art Gallery since 1997. It
“Ma and What Now My Friend?” at Aicon Gallery, NYC
Mequitta Ahuja first gained serious traction in the art world for her self-portraits, a deceivingly straightforward genre whose many contradictions she skillfully exposed. Where most
Our World and Others: “Art Ascendant: Creativity Triumphs Over Chaos,” at Cincinnati Art Galleries, October 23, 2020-November 27, 2020
“Art Ascendant” at Cincinnati Art Galleries on 6th Street is a great show to see on a fall day. It’s a full show, with about
Weary, but Awake: Black and Brown Faces at the Cincinnati Art Museum
The Cincinnati-based Paloozanoire organization dedicates itself to creative collaborations and community health, linking the arts to the pursuit of mental wellness. In 2020, when the
Issues of the Day: How They Relate to Art
Emerging Arts Leaders had a creative and Facebook conversation about The Catalyst of Black Art on October 28. Participants included Emmitt Rider, education and community
Allora & Calzadilla’s “Specters of Noon” at The Menil Collection, Houston
Like the skies’ lightning, a flash of energy has come … to infuse its magic into history’s wavering course. …Then the gates of the possible
“War Zone” at Gallery Askew, 2868 Colerain Ave. Hours: 12:00-4:00pm Friday and Saturday. October 10 – November 21, 2020
On a dry breezy November Saturday morning I was greeted at the door of Gallery Askew by Stewart Goldman, creator of “War Zone.” The exhibit
Archie Rand: 60 Paintings from the Bible
“Whenever you are doing a painting or a series, you have to leave something electric in the picture, something horrifying on a personal level.” casual
New Religion in the Wake: Mark Steven Greenfield fights White Supremacists with “Black Madonna” and Baby Jesus
Tucked within a plaza of galleries you’ll find the William Turner Gallery in Santa Monica. On view until November 28th is the Black Madonna exhibition
Milano Chow Pulls Back the Curtain of Society’s Window Dressing, Peeking into Strangers’ Inner Lives
Milano Chow’s intricate black-and-white drawings at Bel Ami depict a dreamy world where decorous women peer out of elegant townhouses and pose languidly against ornate
Mindful Comparisons: Jennifer Grote at Indian Hill Gallery
Jennifer Grote’s work on display at Indian Hill Gallery is an exhibit for our time, for the very moment in which we are living. A
The Queen and The Crown
“Let’s meet digitally” … the phrase many hear most often these days. In addition to work meetings and social gatherings being moved to virtual formats,
“Landscapes of America: Joseph Orr” at Eisele Gallery
As leaves of autumn transition in our try-state region, Eisele Gallery presents twelve descriptive plein air paintings by Joseph Orr. Orr’s contemporary depictions of rural
“Metamorphosis,” Kennedy Heights Art Center, through Dec. 23
Kennedy Heights Art Center’s holiday exhibition is “Metamorphosis.” Featuring artists from the Kennedy Artist Collective, Mallory Feltz, director of exhibitions and public art, explains that
Fotofolio: John Chakeres
“Planar” John’s statement and bio: I see the world as an image from which I choose parts to create my photographs. For me, a wall
“Cold Millions” by Jess Walter
Among the finest historical fiction of 2020, Jess Walter’s novel “The Cold Millions” is one of the very best (the other two I’ve read this
“Afterlife” by Julia Alvarez
Julia Alvarez’s new novel, “Afterlife”, is one of those relatively short but nearly perfect novels that I used to associate so strongly with the late
“Shuggie Bain” by Douglas Stuart
“Shuggie Bain”, by Douglas Stuart, just won the prestigious Booker Award for fiction; I read it a couple of months ago, and it is an
Aeqai Benefit Art Sale
Aeqai is pleased to offer the following works for sale as part of our Annual Benefit. To purchase, please contact Cedric Cox at 513 485
October Issue of Aeqai Online
The October issue of Aeqai has just posted, and we have covered as many shows as we can find open, within reason, for your reading
More to the Story: “A Splendid Century: Cincinnati Art 1820-1920,” at the Taft Museum of Art, October 3, 2020-January 24, 2021
In the 18th and 19th centuries, there was a popular genre of fiction known as “It-Narratives” or “Novels of Circulation,” which told their stories in
Marjolijn Dijkman’s ‘Earthing Discharge’ at the Contemporary Arts Center
A few weeks ago I made my first visit to the Contemporary Arts Center since the pandemic’s beginning. After holding up my phone so the
Archiving Eden: Dornith Doherty at the Dayton Art Institute
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault on Spitsbergen Island, Norway opened in 2008 as the world’s largest secure seed storage. Located above the Arctic Circle, it
Social Justice and Art: How Do They Interact
Continuing my behind-the-scenes series is a look at smaller arts organizations and how they interact with the social justice movement. Starting off is Wave Pool,
“Stillness and Receptivity: Modes in Contemporary Photography and Painting” Indian Hill Gallery, September 18th through November 1st, 2020.
“Stillness and Receptivity: Modes in Contemporary Photography and Painting” Indian Hill Gallery, September 18th through November 1st, 2020. Participating Artists: Jonathan Eiten, Jordanne Renner,
Interview with Jymi Bolden
“Art is one of the oldest forms of creative expression. . .but often everything is explained in terms of the white male,” Jymi Bolden, black
Down the Rabbit Hole in Lesley Vance’s Surreal Abstractions
Evoking Modernist abstractions refracted through surreal prisms, Lesley Vance’s 13 paintings in “A Zebra Races Counterclockwise” showcase her brilliance as a colorist and contriver of
“Think Square 3: Virtual + In-Person Art Exhibit,” Cincinnati Learning Collaborative, through October 31, 2020
For “Think Square 3: Virtual + In-Person Art Exhibit” at the Cincinnati Learning Collaborative, 60 artists contributed 5” x 5” pieces, all presented in 12”
Mary Gordon’s “Payback”
The joys of reading fiction by Mary Gordon seem endless, and her newest novel, “Payback”, is one of her finest to date. I’ve been reading