Help Buy and Build the Art House
Donation protected
Imagine if the Eiffel tower, the Pyramids of Giza, or the Statue of Liberty were for sale. As improbable as that reality is, the idea of selling an iconic landmark, an important institution, or selling a monument that has become a meaningful symbol is unsettling. The Art House in Fort Thomas is one such iconic landmark.
Located in the beautiful historic City of Fort Thomas Kentucky, minutes South of downtown Cincinnati Ohio, the Art House in Fort Thomas is for sale for $225,000. We need your help in helping the organization securing the necessary funds to purchase this property .
While you may not have a vested interest in this recently rescued and renovated 100 years old building let me first tell you who we are, what we do, and what is at stake.
Who Are we?
The Art House in Fort Thomas was created by INKAA Education Program in November 2014 to be part:
• An art business incubator
• An art gallery
• A local artisan retail shop
• An arts education organization
• And a volunteer run artists collaborative
The Art House currently houses over 72 independent artists and artisan, over 20 small artisan created businesses, and 5 organizations and partners that regularly utilize the Art House space for events, classes, and meetings. Founded by the INKAA Education Program, the Art House is more than a building; it’s a culmination of innovative ideas and a collective of talented creatives in a place and space where creatives and art-based businesses can grow and develop. The building may belong to BBT Bank but the Art House and what it stands for belongs to the community.
Our Mission and Vision
The mission of the Art House is to provide equitable access to the arts and art opportunities to established, independent, emerging, and aspiring artists and artisans from the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky areas. We are unique because we provide free critical business support services for artists and artisans from building websites, to hosting art business seminars, to providing free studio space, to connecting emerging artists with mentors and other market opportunities.
Consider this:
Independent artists and artisans often face genuine obstacles when seeking support, resources, opportunities, and the funding necessary to continue their work, achieve success, and realize their dreams. A lot of artists and artisans struggle with the "business side" of the art world. Most artists and artisans just want to create and not be distracted by other concerns such as building websites, social media, marketing et cetera. Like many human endeavors the realities of the 'business side' of the art marketplace often places undue strain, stress, and barriers upon creatives that sometime gets in the way of artists and artisans achieving their dreams and successes. Anecdotal evidence would suggest that the difference between a successful artist and the proverbial 'starving artist' is often a combination of factors with access to market opportunities and increased exposure being primary obstacles for many artists.
Consider any creative work or person considered to be an artist-whether they are a musician, dancer, clothing designer, architect, culinary artists, athlete or writer; there are always very talented people that never get the chance to realize their dreams or achieve success. Fortunately, our vison and mission is to be one conduit to help bridge that gap of success for independent artists and artisans on an individual basis through education, mentoring, and the provision of critical support services and resources.
What have We Accomplished in our First Year?
• Since incorporating in August 2014 INKAA Education Program opened the Art House in Fort Thomas on 15 November 2014. The Art House is located at 19 N. Fort Thomas Avenue Fort Thomas, Kentucky. It is a beautiful three story, newly renovated, 100 years old brick building that is approximately 2500 square feet.
• We are a volunteer run organization with no paid staff.
• Up-to-date the Art House host approximately 20 small art related businesses as partners and over 70 local independent artists and artisans have their creations at the Art House.
• The Art House space is shared by over 5 organizations giving them the space to develop and grow including: Young Rembrandts, Gallery to Go, EverSpark, Random Acts of Art, RiverSpan Arts Alliance, and the Independent Northern Kentucky Artists and Artisans Education Program, Inc. (INKAA)-the founding organization behind the Art House in Fort Thomas.
• We have provided art studio space to 8 artists on the third floor space of the Art House.
• We have helped independent artists create 7 officially registered small businesses in Kentucky and Ohio.
• We have connected our members with buyers, new customers, and new collectors thereby increasing sales and revenue for our artists and artisans.
• We have donated goods and services to help over 10 local organizations and fundraising campaigns for various good causes including: Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestra, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Mommy Has Breast Cancer, Inc., Pink Ribbon Girls, the American Cancer Society, the Brighton Center, Moyer Elementary School, Catholic Charities SW Ohio, Pets in Need (Petcasso 2015), the Humane Society, the KASSIE Project.
• We have provided free art classes for pre-school children on a weekly basis through our Mommy and Me program and KY-mmunity Outreach initiatives. We have served over 76 youth under the age of 6 in less than a year.
• We have provided free small group and private art lesson with master artists for children and teenagers once a week through the Creative Corner. The age ranges have been 6 to 17 years old.
• We have hosted various art classes ranging from crocheting to jewelry making to pottery glazing averaging three times a month in various forms including our most popular Dine and Design events.
• We host a weekly art program for 4 to 11 homeschooled children from the community. This class is taught by one of our volunteers-Annie Brown.
• We have created an inclusive art initiative called Artism that regularly serves 6 individuals with special needs and over 15 parents, guardians, teachers, and caretakers of individuals with special needs. Several of our emerging artists are on the Autism Spectrum.
• We have hosted 6 art business seminars by bringing in experts and guest speakers from the world of art to speak to established, emerging, and aspiring artists and artisans about the art world and the business side of art.
• We have built websites and social media sites for 5 independent artists and artisans. Here is an example: www.BobMobarry.com.
• We regularly research and submit applications for competitions, shows, scholarships, grants, fellowships, apprenticeships, and special events on behalf of our collaborative members.
• We have developed a cadre of accomplished artists and artisan as mentors and have begun pairing them together with emerging artist at the Art House.
• We have hosted 11 themed art shows that were curated by the members and were well attended by the public.
• We have increased traffic from around the region to the Fort Thomas area as well as enhanced the public’s interest in art, the business side of art, and understanding the creative side of producing art.
• We regularly collaborate and work with other community organizations, organizational leaders, businesses, and business owners including: the Boone County Visual Arts Society; the Highlands United Church of Christ with Pastor Ryan Byers; Gallery to Go and owner Chris Franzen Smith; EverSpark owned by Kristie Dierig; RiverSpan Regional Arts Alliance with Executive Director Bruce Olson; various Fort Thomas home schooled groups; the City of Fort Thomas; Bowman's Framing and Art owned by Ken Bowman; Hiudt Unlimited owned by artist Brie Hiudt; and the Art Institute of Cincinnati College of Graphic Design and the Children's Art Academy of Fort Thomas owned by John and Cyndi Mendel;
• We regularly connect artists and artisans with other galleries and boutiques including; Under the Stars in Batavia Ohio, the Scene Ultra Lounge in Cincinnati, and Circle of Hope Artisans in Bellevue Kentucky;
• We worked with community leaders, businesses, and the City of Fort Thomas to create a successful seasonal fine arts and crafts art walk event called Art Around Towne (www.ArtAroundTowneFT.com). This was Fort Thomas' first official community art walk event.
• In our first year of operation here is some of what we accomplished:
• We have provided critical business support services to artists and artisans including hosting art business seminars and workshops, building free websites, researching opportunities on their behalf, connecting emerging artists with mentors, connecting artists with other galleries and display opportunities, and we have even given free studio space to working artists on the thirds floor of the Art House. Our efforts have helped our members get published and recognized in local and national art publications, win awards for their art work, appear in galleries and juried shows across the nation, and even have work selected to be displayed at the Kentucky State Capital Building.
• We worked with the City of Fort Thomas, the community, local business owners, and independent artists and artisans to create the Art around Towne art walk, a fine arts and craft fair that is poised to become one of Northern Kentucky’s largest and most successful art fairs.
• We hosted monthly, member curated, theme-based art shows in our gallery featuring a diverse group of established, emerging and aspiring local artists and artisans. Our monthly shows gave many creatives their first opportunity to present their work to the public and in many cases was the fan on the flames of their desire to reignite their passion for art. Many of our children’s art programs and adult students resulted in the creation of work that was displayed during our art shows. The moment a child or a blooming artist sees their work being displayed for the first time in public is priceless. During our first year we have displayed and sold the work of over 215 diverse local artists and artisans from various backgrounds and in different stages of their artistry. In the Art House you will see works from internationally renowned sculptors next to the works of a late bloomer that recently reignited their passion for exploring their creativity. This makes our environment rare in the art world…that is why we are not just a gallery or an art retailer or an art education program…the Art House is an innovative idea, a collective of diverse visions and passions, a community of diverse creatives.
• Each month we host fun and engaging art classes, events, and parties including our signature Dine and Design, Creative Corner, and Crafters Circle events. Our Dine and Design Pot parties are a blast! Our watercolor, crocheting, fiber arts, painting, and jewelry making classes have been favorites as well and have given many people, young and old, the opportunity to explore their creativity in a safe and fun environment.
• However, we are serious about our community outreach (KY-mmunity Outreach) initiatives. Beyond our frequent donations to local charities and fundraising efforts we have made a concerted effort to be inclusive and serve underserved populations including the elderly, disabled veterans, and artists with special needs. We have partnered with groups like the Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary to help raise funds for local disabled veterans as well Mommy Has Breast Cancer, Fort Thomas Prom to Dawn, CET TV and many other organizations and groups to help raise money for worthy causes. As a father of a creative son on the Autism spectrum it was very important to me to ensure that our Artism program serve individuals and families with special needs. Many more of our efforts and accomplishments.
Call to action
Whatever you can donate is more than what we have. Any amount gets us closer to our goal and less wary of losing the Art House to an outside buyer. if you cannot donate then please pass along our efforts to a freind or associate. If you are on the fence and are not quite sure if you should donate to our organization then please stop by and visit or give us a call at (859) [phone redacted] or send us an email with your questions.
Respectfully submitted,
Parrish G. Monk
Director
Located in the beautiful historic City of Fort Thomas Kentucky, minutes South of downtown Cincinnati Ohio, the Art House in Fort Thomas is for sale for $225,000. We need your help in helping the organization securing the necessary funds to purchase this property .
While you may not have a vested interest in this recently rescued and renovated 100 years old building let me first tell you who we are, what we do, and what is at stake.
Who Are we?
The Art House in Fort Thomas was created by INKAA Education Program in November 2014 to be part:
• An art business incubator
• An art gallery
• A local artisan retail shop
• An arts education organization
• And a volunteer run artists collaborative
The Art House currently houses over 72 independent artists and artisan, over 20 small artisan created businesses, and 5 organizations and partners that regularly utilize the Art House space for events, classes, and meetings. Founded by the INKAA Education Program, the Art House is more than a building; it’s a culmination of innovative ideas and a collective of talented creatives in a place and space where creatives and art-based businesses can grow and develop. The building may belong to BBT Bank but the Art House and what it stands for belongs to the community.
Our Mission and Vision
The mission of the Art House is to provide equitable access to the arts and art opportunities to established, independent, emerging, and aspiring artists and artisans from the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky areas. We are unique because we provide free critical business support services for artists and artisans from building websites, to hosting art business seminars, to providing free studio space, to connecting emerging artists with mentors and other market opportunities.
Consider this:
Independent artists and artisans often face genuine obstacles when seeking support, resources, opportunities, and the funding necessary to continue their work, achieve success, and realize their dreams. A lot of artists and artisans struggle with the "business side" of the art world. Most artists and artisans just want to create and not be distracted by other concerns such as building websites, social media, marketing et cetera. Like many human endeavors the realities of the 'business side' of the art marketplace often places undue strain, stress, and barriers upon creatives that sometime gets in the way of artists and artisans achieving their dreams and successes. Anecdotal evidence would suggest that the difference between a successful artist and the proverbial 'starving artist' is often a combination of factors with access to market opportunities and increased exposure being primary obstacles for many artists.
Consider any creative work or person considered to be an artist-whether they are a musician, dancer, clothing designer, architect, culinary artists, athlete or writer; there are always very talented people that never get the chance to realize their dreams or achieve success. Fortunately, our vison and mission is to be one conduit to help bridge that gap of success for independent artists and artisans on an individual basis through education, mentoring, and the provision of critical support services and resources.
What have We Accomplished in our First Year?
• Since incorporating in August 2014 INKAA Education Program opened the Art House in Fort Thomas on 15 November 2014. The Art House is located at 19 N. Fort Thomas Avenue Fort Thomas, Kentucky. It is a beautiful three story, newly renovated, 100 years old brick building that is approximately 2500 square feet.
• We are a volunteer run organization with no paid staff.
• Up-to-date the Art House host approximately 20 small art related businesses as partners and over 70 local independent artists and artisans have their creations at the Art House.
• The Art House space is shared by over 5 organizations giving them the space to develop and grow including: Young Rembrandts, Gallery to Go, EverSpark, Random Acts of Art, RiverSpan Arts Alliance, and the Independent Northern Kentucky Artists and Artisans Education Program, Inc. (INKAA)-the founding organization behind the Art House in Fort Thomas.
• We have provided art studio space to 8 artists on the third floor space of the Art House.
• We have helped independent artists create 7 officially registered small businesses in Kentucky and Ohio.
• We have connected our members with buyers, new customers, and new collectors thereby increasing sales and revenue for our artists and artisans.
• We have donated goods and services to help over 10 local organizations and fundraising campaigns for various good causes including: Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestra, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Mommy Has Breast Cancer, Inc., Pink Ribbon Girls, the American Cancer Society, the Brighton Center, Moyer Elementary School, Catholic Charities SW Ohio, Pets in Need (Petcasso 2015), the Humane Society, the KASSIE Project.
• We have provided free art classes for pre-school children on a weekly basis through our Mommy and Me program and KY-mmunity Outreach initiatives. We have served over 76 youth under the age of 6 in less than a year.
• We have provided free small group and private art lesson with master artists for children and teenagers once a week through the Creative Corner. The age ranges have been 6 to 17 years old.
• We have hosted various art classes ranging from crocheting to jewelry making to pottery glazing averaging three times a month in various forms including our most popular Dine and Design events.
• We host a weekly art program for 4 to 11 homeschooled children from the community. This class is taught by one of our volunteers-Annie Brown.
• We have created an inclusive art initiative called Artism that regularly serves 6 individuals with special needs and over 15 parents, guardians, teachers, and caretakers of individuals with special needs. Several of our emerging artists are on the Autism Spectrum.
• We have hosted 6 art business seminars by bringing in experts and guest speakers from the world of art to speak to established, emerging, and aspiring artists and artisans about the art world and the business side of art.
• We have built websites and social media sites for 5 independent artists and artisans. Here is an example: www.BobMobarry.com.
• We regularly research and submit applications for competitions, shows, scholarships, grants, fellowships, apprenticeships, and special events on behalf of our collaborative members.
• We have developed a cadre of accomplished artists and artisan as mentors and have begun pairing them together with emerging artist at the Art House.
• We have hosted 11 themed art shows that were curated by the members and were well attended by the public.
• We have increased traffic from around the region to the Fort Thomas area as well as enhanced the public’s interest in art, the business side of art, and understanding the creative side of producing art.
• We regularly collaborate and work with other community organizations, organizational leaders, businesses, and business owners including: the Boone County Visual Arts Society; the Highlands United Church of Christ with Pastor Ryan Byers; Gallery to Go and owner Chris Franzen Smith; EverSpark owned by Kristie Dierig; RiverSpan Regional Arts Alliance with Executive Director Bruce Olson; various Fort Thomas home schooled groups; the City of Fort Thomas; Bowman's Framing and Art owned by Ken Bowman; Hiudt Unlimited owned by artist Brie Hiudt; and the Art Institute of Cincinnati College of Graphic Design and the Children's Art Academy of Fort Thomas owned by John and Cyndi Mendel;
• We regularly connect artists and artisans with other galleries and boutiques including; Under the Stars in Batavia Ohio, the Scene Ultra Lounge in Cincinnati, and Circle of Hope Artisans in Bellevue Kentucky;
• We worked with community leaders, businesses, and the City of Fort Thomas to create a successful seasonal fine arts and crafts art walk event called Art Around Towne (www.ArtAroundTowneFT.com). This was Fort Thomas' first official community art walk event.
• In our first year of operation here is some of what we accomplished:
• We have provided critical business support services to artists and artisans including hosting art business seminars and workshops, building free websites, researching opportunities on their behalf, connecting emerging artists with mentors, connecting artists with other galleries and display opportunities, and we have even given free studio space to working artists on the thirds floor of the Art House. Our efforts have helped our members get published and recognized in local and national art publications, win awards for their art work, appear in galleries and juried shows across the nation, and even have work selected to be displayed at the Kentucky State Capital Building.
• We worked with the City of Fort Thomas, the community, local business owners, and independent artists and artisans to create the Art around Towne art walk, a fine arts and craft fair that is poised to become one of Northern Kentucky’s largest and most successful art fairs.
• We hosted monthly, member curated, theme-based art shows in our gallery featuring a diverse group of established, emerging and aspiring local artists and artisans. Our monthly shows gave many creatives their first opportunity to present their work to the public and in many cases was the fan on the flames of their desire to reignite their passion for art. Many of our children’s art programs and adult students resulted in the creation of work that was displayed during our art shows. The moment a child or a blooming artist sees their work being displayed for the first time in public is priceless. During our first year we have displayed and sold the work of over 215 diverse local artists and artisans from various backgrounds and in different stages of their artistry. In the Art House you will see works from internationally renowned sculptors next to the works of a late bloomer that recently reignited their passion for exploring their creativity. This makes our environment rare in the art world…that is why we are not just a gallery or an art retailer or an art education program…the Art House is an innovative idea, a collective of diverse visions and passions, a community of diverse creatives.
• Each month we host fun and engaging art classes, events, and parties including our signature Dine and Design, Creative Corner, and Crafters Circle events. Our Dine and Design Pot parties are a blast! Our watercolor, crocheting, fiber arts, painting, and jewelry making classes have been favorites as well and have given many people, young and old, the opportunity to explore their creativity in a safe and fun environment.
• However, we are serious about our community outreach (KY-mmunity Outreach) initiatives. Beyond our frequent donations to local charities and fundraising efforts we have made a concerted effort to be inclusive and serve underserved populations including the elderly, disabled veterans, and artists with special needs. We have partnered with groups like the Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary to help raise funds for local disabled veterans as well Mommy Has Breast Cancer, Fort Thomas Prom to Dawn, CET TV and many other organizations and groups to help raise money for worthy causes. As a father of a creative son on the Autism spectrum it was very important to me to ensure that our Artism program serve individuals and families with special needs. Many more of our efforts and accomplishments.
Call to action
Whatever you can donate is more than what we have. Any amount gets us closer to our goal and less wary of losing the Art House to an outside buyer. if you cannot donate then please pass along our efforts to a freind or associate. If you are on the fence and are not quite sure if you should donate to our organization then please stop by and visit or give us a call at (859) [phone redacted] or send us an email with your questions.
Respectfully submitted,
Parrish G. Monk
Director
Organizer
ParrishMonk Arts
Organizer
Fort Thomas, KY
