Month: May 2011

Categories
Arts & Entertainment Business Development News

SpringBoard Cincinnati merges art and business

Right brain vs. left brain; canvas vs. spreadsheet; the dreamers vs. the driven. In a world that becomes more connected every day, who says art and business are mutually exclusive? This attitude drives local nonprofit ArtWorks’ newest creative enterprise program. SpringBoard Cincinnati is a business development program for artists and creative entrepreneurs.

SpringBoard is more than a classroom with a packet of information and a “good luck” at the end. It’s the most effective way for creative entrepreneurs to see their ideas turn into action, and action into results. The $250 fee includes an 8-week course convening three hours each week, personal consulting from experts in accountancy, finance, law and branding, and a comprehensive business plan. Graduates will also be connected to potential storefront spaces in Over-the-Rhine and downtown.


Vine Street image by Thadd Fiala for UrbanCincy.

“The course is tailored so you aren’t sitting in a room with thirty people just listening to someone speak, only to walk out confused. Students gain applicable, real world information about running their own business,” said SpringBoard Coordinator Sarah Corlett.

Professionals donate their time each week to giving direction to the entrepreneurs’ ideas. Students will be working with the likes of Keating, Meuthing & Klemkamp, P.P.L., Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, Burke and Schindler, P.L.L., Rockfish Interactive, and PNC Bank.

“The first week may be an attorney who will instruct the class on the legal structure of starting a business. They will lecture for one hour and the remaining time is dedicated to the class asking questions specific to their future business,” said Corlett.

Nothing short of innovative, SpringBoard is just the next logical step for ArtWorks, an award winning non-profit based in Over-the-Rhine that has been connecting artists with apprenticeships, job opportunities and community partnerships since 1996.  SpringBoard is licensing the curriculum from a program of the same name founded by the Chattanooga-based non-profit Create Here. The SpringBoard in the South has been in operation for three years and already boasts 325 graduates.

“Walking down Main Street in the south side of Chattanooga it seems like every storefront is a product of SpringBoard,” said Corlett. “In Cincinnati we are losing a lot of our young, creative population to other cities – Chicago, New York, and the West Coast. SpringBoard is helping to create an environment of locally, handcrafted ideas here in Cincinnati,” she added.

Funded by the Carol Ann & Ralph V. Haile Jr./ U.S. Bank Foundation, SpringBoard’s first course is set to begin June 7th. Interested creative entrepreneurs – from metal sculptors to musicians, and everything in between – can sign up on the website. space is limited but sessions will be ongoing. For more information regarding class registration or to volunteer your professional expertise contact Sarah Corlett at 513-333-0388 or Sarah@ArtWorksCincinnati.org.

Categories
Arts & Entertainment News

Riverfront Fusion to bring first live music to new Cincinnati Riverfront Park

Update: Due to potential severe weather, the Riverfront Fusion concert has been postponed.

The first public concert will be held at the Cincinnati Riverfront Park (CRP) Schmidlapp Event Lawn on Thursday, May 26. The Riverfront Fusion event will follow the Women’s Committee of Cincinnati Riverfront Park fifth annual ‘Hats Off’ Luncheon which will also be held on the event lawn.

Riverfront Fusion will run from 5:30pm to 9pm and include four live bands from the Cincinnati region, and feature a variety of musical styles including Jazz, R&B, Rock and Salsa. Event organizers say Riverfront Fusion will be the first of many similar cultural events for which the CRP was designed to feature.

“The impact of this park to drive tourism, business, real estate values and regional health cannot be understated,” Debbie Oliver and Helen Heekin, co-founders of the Women’s Committee, said in a prepared release. “As more features in the park are completed over the next months, it will be clear that this park will become our city’s new front door.”

Organizers say that food and drink will be available for purchase from Montgomery Inn, and that music will be provided by Acapulco, Groove Doctor, Triage and Second Wind.

Categories
Business News

UrbanCincy makes key structural changes as it enters its fifth year

As time progresses change is inevitable; and UrbanCincy is no different. We have just celebrated our four-year anniversary, and are making some changes for continued success and growth in year five and beyond.

Jenny Kessler has now moved into the role of Operations Manager to oversee the website’s team of 12 writers and two photographers. We have recently added several additional writers to help keep production levels high and of the utmost quality. Travis Estell will continue to serve as Web Developer, and I will continue to operate as the website’s Owner & Managing Editor while I spend the next half-year overseas in Korea.


Cincinnati’s eastern skyline photograph by Aaron Davidson.

As I step aside into a lesser role, a team of talented and passionate Cincinnatians will be there to keep you connected with the city’s urban core. I will be decreasing my role in terms of content production, but I will continue to pen editorials on various local topics and produce stories on topics from other urban centers around the world and how they might relate to Cincinnati.

Moving forward UrbanCincy will continue to keep you connected with Cincinnati’s urban core, but we hope to become your source for not only news, but your source for living a vibrant urban lifestyle. To make that happen, we will be organizing more events like our popular Bikes+Brews ride and the OTR Urban Kickball League.

We will also be interested in hearing more from you, our readers. So please feel free to write us at UrbanCincy@gmail.com with any thoughts or ideas on activities you might want us to pursue. We would also love to hear about what you think is important, and would be more than happy to publish your thoughts in a guest editorial piece.

It is never easy pouring time and energy into something that is a labor of love, but we are striving to do our best to keep you plugged in to Cincinnati’s urban core. So please be sure to thank Jenny Kessler and the rest of the UrbanCincy team for their dedication and hard work.

Writers: Adam Sievering, Andrew Oehlerking, Dan Rozier, Dave Rolfes, Emily Schneider, Hanna Jones, Luca Acito, Mildred Fallen, Nathan Shryock, Nathaniel Hammitt, Shawn Buckenmeyer. (Departing: Bryon Martin, David Ben, David Heyburn, Kevin Wright)
Photographers: Jake Mecklenborg, Thadd Fiala
Web Developer: Travis Estell
Operations Manager: Jenny Kessler
Owner & Managing Editor: Randy Simes

Categories
News Transportation

Ohio River Trail Tour to explain bike commuter center basics this Sunday

To wrap up the end of Bike Week (and Bike Month), UrbanCincy and the City of Cincinnati have teamed up to lead the Ohio River Trail bike ride on Sunday, May 22 at 10 am. The ride travels along the completed portion of the Ohio River Trail, and will also share information about the new Bike & Mobility Center at the Central Riverfront Park. This event will share information with those in attendance about future phases of the bike trail, as well as learn how to commute to Cincinnati’s urban core by bike.

Once both the Ohio River Trail and Bike & Mobility Center are completed, bicycle commuters will be able to easily commute from Cincinnati’s eastern suburbs to the region’s urban core. The Bike & Mobility Center will include bicycle parking, lockers, showers and a repair facility.

The event is free and open to the public, and is part of the City of Cincinnati’s official 2011 Bike Month activities. The ride is approximately six miles (one way). The map (below) details the route.

“I want this to be something that folks can use to come back to the trail by themselves, that will show them where they can park their cars, and where they need to get on and off the street because the trail is ending or beginning,” said Melissa McVay, with the City’s transportation office.

Steve Schuckman with the Parks department, will be along for the ride and will give a short talk at the termination of the trail to discuss the new mobility center and how residents and cyclists can take advantage of the showers, rental facilities and other amenities to make biking to work part of their routine.

The ride will begin at the parking lot across from the Lunken Airport at 2622 Wilmer Avenue at 10am on Sunday morning. The ride is approximately 6 miles (one way) and covers relatively flat terrain with little elevation change. Check the Facebook event page for more details.

Categories
Arts & Entertainment News

Know Theatre hosts Little Kings kickoff tour

Beer, comedy, and a good cause make for a lively night at Know Theater , located on 1120 Jackson Street {map} in the arts district of Over-the-Rhine. Friday May 20th, Little King’s Cream Ale kicks off its Groovy World Tour with spokesperson Kevin Downey Jr., in the city where Little Kings originated. The tour will visit all 40 states that currently sell Little Kings Beer.

At The Know Theater, the evening’s festivities begins at 7:30 PM with special prices on Little Kings, and music provided by DJ Blakkoutt. The party moves to the stage at 9:30 pm with a comedy show hosted by Metromix’s Katie Clavey, with performances by local comedian Alex Stone and New York City comedian, Kevin Downey Jr.

Downey Jr’s comedy act is not your average stand up routine. “If you’re into wacky impressions, props and puppets, this is not your kind of show,” Downey Jr. said. “If you’re into something alternative and funny, and Little Kings Beer, the Know Theater is the place to be this Friday.”

As part of the Groovy World Tour, fans of Little Kings Beer can proclaim their love with a King’s Proclamation, a 140 character or less statement explaining why customers love Little Kings Beer. Once a proclamation is made, customers have a chance to win a free T-shirt.

“A proclamation is a one or two line bit about the beer or the magic that happens when you drink Little Kings, “Downey Jr. said. “For example, Little Kings Cream Ale is like jazz for your taste buds.”

You can purchase tickets for the Little Kings Cream Ale Comedy Tour at the Know Theater for $15 per person or online. All proceeds benefit the Know Theater. Included in the ticket price is entrance to the after party at Lunar night club, located on Elm Street and beginning at 11:30 pm., where guests can finish the night off in style.

Know Theatre picture courtesy 5chw4r7z.