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Wednesday 12pm - 7pm Thursday 12pm - 7pm Friday 12pm - 7pm Saturday 10am - 4pm Sunday 10am - 4pm

Contemporary Arts Center

Name: Contemporary Arts Center
Address: 44 E 6th Street, Cincinnati, OH, 45202, US
Telephone: +15133458400
Price range: $
Rating: 4.7

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Contemporary Arts Center

Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) brings art and the creative process to all people. The CAC has a long and rich history. It was the first U.S.
(1687)

The Contemporary Arts Center's mission is rooted in the belief that there is an intimate link between art and life and that connections are made through contemporary art. Since 1939, the CAC—one of the nation's oldest and most celebrated contemporary art institutions—has been a steadfast facilitator for that connection, and a conduit for innovation. It remains today an open hub for creative inspir

ation, art celebration, and intellectual stimulation—a place to be inspired by new ideas and where art connects people to each other and to the world outside. At the cutting edge of contemporary art for decades, the CAC is known around the world for the creative freedom and support it gives to artists, the access and opportunities it provides to the public and the space it creates for cross-generational and cross-societal dialogue around contemporary issues. In 1940 it was one of the first venues in the United States to exhibit Picasso's Guernica, it presented one of the first museum exhibitions of Pop art—with works by future icons such as Jim Dine, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol; one of the first major exhibitions of the famed sculptor, Dale Chihuly; and the first museum survey to spotlight the underground, DIY, street art movement with Beautiful Losers. It has hosted lectures and performances by future luminaries such as Buckminster Fuller, Margaret Meade, Maya Angelou and David Byrne; commissioned valued public art installations; and furthered public discourse over contemporary art. It's current home, the Lois and Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art, opened in 2003. art museum designed by a woman, London-based Zaha Hadid. Called ""the most important American building to be completed since the end of the cold war” by the New York Times, the design won Hadid the prestigious Pritzker Prize. https://contemporaryartscenter.org

06/03/2026

🎨 Come for the art, stay for the coffee. ☕
CAC Members receive 10% off Urbana Cafe!

📷 Catie Viox

06/02/2026

Meet our new Artist in Residence, Micah Mickles!

Micha Mickles is a Cincinnati-based interdisciplinary artist exploring storytelling, memory, and the craft traditions of the African diaspora and the American South to reconstruct family histories while preserving collective cultural practices.

Join us on Wednesdays, 4-6 p.m. at the Downtown Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library and Saturdays, 1–3 p.m. at CAC to participate in workshops with the artist around the theme "What's Worth Keeping."

06/01/2026

Whether you're a beginner looking to explore your artistic side or a seasoned artist wanting to level up your abilities, our Drawing in the Gallery classes are the perfect place for creativity and connecting with fellow art enthusiasts.

This drawing class meets every Thursday from 5:30–7 p.m.

Attendees are welcome to use/bring their own materials. However, since the classes are being hosted in gallery spaces, only graphite will be allowed. This drawing class will be free for members and $5 for non-members.

05/31/2026

Meet our performers for Creative Cafe on June 5 – The Band Taryn.

Join us this Friday from 7-10 p.m. for a night of artists supporting artists. Creative Café is a vibrant community where artists, performers, and visionaries can come together to inspire and to be inspired. From handmade jewelry and unique artwork to customized clothing and one-of-a-kind accessories, our vendors offer a curated selection of items that reflect the creativity and passion of our community – ensuring you'll find something special to take home.

05/30/2026

🎉 You’re invited to the biggest playdate of the year!

Go on an Artful Adventure on Saturday, June 13, for a celebration of creativity designed for the whole family! This fun-filled day features classic, fan-favorite CAC programs like you find at Family Fest, with special art activations and more throughout the day.

🎟️ Get info and tix at https://bit.ly/4dDjM0u!

05/28/2026

Join us this Friday, May 29, starting at 8 a.m. as we join CreativeMornings/Cincinnati in welcoming Alex Lippert as May's creative lecturer. CreativeMornings is a free global breakfast lecture series designed to build creative community through shared ideas and storytelling. Each month, CreativeMornings Cincinnati gathers designers, artists, makers, nonprofit leaders, and curious thinkers from across the region for a welcoming morning of reflection, inspiration, and connection.

Alex Lippert, based in Cincinnati, is a tintype photographer whose large-format work employs the historic wet plate collodion process of the mid-nineteenth century. Rooted in a material practice that embraces slowness and imperfection, her evolving body of work reflects an optimistic commitment to storytelling and to the aesthetic and conceptual possibilities that emerge through process-driven image-making.

05/27/2026

GUESS WHAT: You can now visit Contemporary Arts Center on Wednesdays.

Come in and view the eye-catching works of Michael Stillion in his exhibition "And then it was flowers." See how the artist explores the human condition and the passage of time through emotionally charged, visually layered compositions throughout CAC's 4th floor space.

Galleries + Shop CAC are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Members: Free
Kids 18 and under: Free
General Admission: $12
SNAP/ EBT Recipients: Free

Get your tickets today!
https://shopcincycac.org/products/cac-daily-admission

📷 "Michael Stillion: And then it was flowers." Photo: Wes Battoclette, 2026. Image courtesy of Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati

05/26/2026

"The Space We Hold" is a storytelling workshop and community reflection series inspired by Gee Horton’s exhibition "Chapter 4: In Another Lifetime."

Hosted by Brandon Isaac and Jamie-Lee Morris, the series invites participants into a shared space for writing, storytelling, memory work, and creative reflection. Each gathering begins with guided prompts and conversation before opening into a communal sharing space for stories, poetry, music, reflections, and works in progress.

Inspired by themes present throughout Horton’s work — memory, identity, vulnerability, imagination, and emotional inheritance — The Space We Hold centers storytelling as a way of connecting with ourselves and one another.

No prior writing or performance experience is necessary. All are welcome.

Fridays | 6 – 8 pm.
May 29 | June 26 | July 24

Free + Open to the Public. This event will be held on Level 5.

05/25/2026

Join Ciara LeRoy in her final week as our Artist in Residence!

Catch Ciara at the Downtown Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library on Wednesday from 4–6 p.m. or in the Creativity Center at CAC on Saturday from 1–3 p.m.

With her "Secret Words" theme, you can create embroidery pieces that capture the things we don't often say out loud.

05/24/2026

Join CAC every Thursday morning at 10:30 a.m. for some creative play time with your children!

Art Play uses hands-on art making activities, sensory stations, and yoga to excite and educate our youngest visitors. Drop in spaces are always available. In the summer months, this program is designed for children ages 2-10 and their parents or caregivers. Older and younger siblings are welcome and projects can be easily adapted to meet their needs. Start your morning with some coffee and treats from Urbana in CAC’s new cafe, then head up to Art Play for some interactive art making!

Art Play is free for CAC Members, and only $5 per child for non-members (there’s no fee for adults). There is no charge for participants with a valid SNAP or food assistance card (EBT).

📷 Amy Schardein

Address

44 E 6th Street
Cincinnati, OH
45202

Opening Hours

Wednesday	12pm - 7pm
Thursday	12pm - 7pm
Friday	12pm - 7pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm
Sunday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

+15133458400

Website

http://contemporaryartscenter.org/, http://twitter.com/CincyCAC, http://www.instagram.com/cincycac, http://www.youtube.c

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