ArtsWave will present the fifth anniversary Truth & Innovation Showcase celebrating the original artwork of 25 BIPOC artists commissioned through ArtsWave’s Black and Brown Artist Grant program at Contemporary Arts Center this summer. On Saturday, July 19, from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., the visual arts exhibition will be open and free to the public, along with six live performances, ranging from music to dance to a TEDx-style talk and five film premieres.

One of the quickest ways to understand a place is to study its cultural exports. Examining the art, food, music, and ideas that a city has to offer will immerse you in the spirit of the people who reside there and are in tune with its beauty, struggles, and nuances. What makes Cincinnati exceptional lies at the intersection of our world class institutions, community-rooted projects, community support, and the diverse array of artists actively shaping its creative landscape.

This cohort of artists and creatives perfectly represents the breadth of that ecosystem; ascending talent and career professionals practicing more than ten disciplines in concert with one another. In the half decade since its inception, this program has generated well over 100 new projects, becoming a vital force in Cincinnati’s cultural evolution and expansion.

The Truth & Innovation Showcase reveals new explorations of history, responses to the current cultural moment, and emergent ideas and processes. These works further cement the role of contemporary art and artists as leaders in social conversations about what came before and where we are headed.

Artists included in ArtsWave’s Black and Brown Artist Grant program this year include Óscar Salamanca Alarcón, Isaiah Armstrong, Kevin Auzenne, Julia Orquera Bianco, Michael Coppage, Freda Epum, Ximena Flores, Batres Gilvin, Ashley Glass, Brandon Hawkins, Doug Hilson, Jay B. Kalagayan, John Lanzador, Ciara LeRoy, Noel Maghathe, Sherman Parnell, Lisa Merida-Paytes, Emily Hanako Momohara, Alicia Redmon, Gabriel Martinez Rubio, Zaire Trinidad Sherman, tt stern-enzi, Brian Taylor, Michael Thompson, Myles Ellington Twitty, and Ingrid Woode.

The exhibition will be open to the public from July 19 - September 7th, 2025, with free admission to the show on the 19th.

The 2025 Truth & Innovation Artist Showcase is presented by ArtsWave, The City of Cincinnati, Duke Energy and Greater Cincinnati Foundation at Contemporary Arts Center.

Curated by

Michael Thompson, Curator & Showcase Coordinator