ArtsWave presents the 2026 Truth & Inspiration Showcase, the public culmination of this year's Inspire Artist Grants, bringing together 24 local artists and new creative work in one free, community-centered experience at Contemporary Arts Center.

The exhibition features work across film, music, poetry, performance, visual art, fashion, installation and storytelling. Audiences are invited to experience new work, meet the artists behind it and discover a wide range of creative voices and perspectives in one place. While access to the showcase exhibition will remain free throughout the run, through funding from ArtsWave, the entire museum will be free and open to the public on July 18th for the exhibition opening.

The artists in this year's cohort represent the breadth of Cincinnati's creative community, emerging talent and established practitioners working across disciplines, exploring themes of migration, heritage and the diverse BIPOC experience here in Cincy. Together, their work reflects what this region is, who belongs here and where we are headed.

The exhibition will be on view from July 18 - September 27, 2026; the showcase will occur from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. on July 18th.

Artists included in ArtsWave’s Inspire Artist Grant program this year include Markus Cook, Bertha Davis, Clifford Fennell, Ashley Glass, Brandon Isaac, Julia Orquera Bianco, Derrick Smith, Jori An Cotton, Gabriel Martinez Rubio, Geri P, Roberto, K.A. Simpson, The Silent Poet, Noam Denenberg, Drea, Ximena Flores, Jeni Jenkins, Jay Kalagayan, Noel Bassam Mohammad Maghathe, Lisa Merida-Paytes, Rebecca Nava Soto, Christina Sifri, Janyla Smith, and Ingrid Woode.

Now in its sixth year, the Inspire Artist Grants have invested more than $1 million in local artists since 2020, fueling new work and artist-led projects across the Cincinnati region.

The 2026 Truth & Inspiration Showcase is presented by ArtsWave with support from the City of Cincinnati, Duke Energy and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation at Contemporary Arts Center.

Curated by

Michael Thompson, Curator & Showcase Coordinator