Cincinnati native and movement artist Kim Popa made the trek to Hellmann Creative Center to talk all things Pones Inc., social justice dance, accessibility in the arts, and creativity for all. We cannot wait to share her words of wisdom, inspiration, and future endeavors with you.

This time around for our Coffee with Creators series, we sat with the Greater Cincinnati punk rock band Craig’s Limit for a deep dive into their journeys as creative beings. The band consists of an eclectic bunch who all met in high school and played Dungeons and Dragons together: drummer Jesse Nolan (he/him), bassist Brooks Arthur (he/him), guitarist Tegan Recker (she/her), and vocalist Kayden Hauke, (he/him). Our time with Craig’s Limit shed some light on what it means for them to utilize creativity through music as a way to express themselves and build community. Music has a unique way of touching people. It can bring people together through shared experiences or affinity for just plain, fun, loud noise.

At Art Equals, we believe that everyone, and we mean EVERYONE, is creative! Some may be feeling unsure about their creative side as they recall that one fourth grade teacher or critical adult that deemed your artwork not worthy for the refrigerator or classroom bulletin board; you are not alone. Along our paths of schooling and growing up, many of us have unfortunately experienced a person, pressure, or situation that judged, restricted, or challenged our access to creativity.

Thank goodness for our friend Fran’s “lineage of creators” who graciously led them to the Art Equals studio in Covington.

Traveling down the road from the Cleveland suburbs, Fran Collins is a generous community member, a kind creator, a brilliant question-asker, and Bachelor of Arts-holder in Psychology from the University of Cincinnati. They create in all kinds of ways – from drawings to music, gardens to embroidery.

Wondering what different creators are getting up to in the Cov? Looking for a little jolt of inspiration? Well, settle in with a cup of whatever sounds good to you. You’re in the right place.

Welcome to an Art Equals initiative where we invite our friends to share their creative journeys with us. We are very lucky and grateful to be welcomed into their stories. And we hope that in the process, we all glean some new connections, lessons, and encouragement.

Wondering what different creators are getting up to in the Cov? Looking for a little jolt of inspiration? Well, settle in with a cup of whatever sounds good to you. You’re in the right place.

Welcome to a new Art Equals initiative where we invite our friends to share their creative journeys with us. We are very lucky and grateful to be welcomed into their stories. And we hope that in the process, we all glean some new connections, lessons, and encouragement.

Until very recently, I was afraid to call myself a poet.

My name isn’t on any book covers. Hardly anyone reads my words. And I’m often quite judgemental of the things I write. (I don’t think I’m alone in this feeling!)

I was first introduced to indigo dye at a workshop in Cleveland, OH, where we dipped neatly folded Japanese papers into big buckets of greenish dye. I watched in amazement as we pulled the green soaked papers from the vat and saw them transform into a gorgeous blue, the color of lightly faded denim. It was magical, to say the least.

In 2020, we saw our world creatively meet the challenges of the global pandemic. Suddenly, we had to figure out how to take care of one another and communicate with each other in all new ways.

Art Equals began as a nonprofit in the midst of that uncertain time, and so it was important for us to think outside the box as we began to engage with the community. We started to ask a lot of questions.

In its simplest form, a zine is a self-published and often handcrafted magazine that focuses on any topic known to human and alien kind.

Mondays can be tough, especially when you’re coming off of a busy weekend and heading into a fully loaded schedule.

So, why not be a little creative and gain some motivation through a tiny victory?

We love to be out and about providing creative opportunities in our community! This month was a great one for Art Equals as we got to travel around the area and work with so many different groups.

Whether it be in the mud, on a cave wall or on the canvas, humans have always created in order to express ideas and communicate emotions with others. This creativity is an essential component of our overall wellbeing.

Why am I so passionate about engaging others in the practice of junk journaling?

A junk journal is a safe, uninhibited space to be creative without having to worry about perfection.

I love felt for so many reasons. I appreciate felt for its link to our ancient ancestors, for its everydayness, and for its sensory elements. Let’s learn a little bit about its history and about how you can explore the awesome world of felt-making with us!

This weekend, our community gathered around locally made heart art while sipping incredible teas and snacking on delicious treats at our first Heartfelt Tea Party and Auction.

A whole host of fiber enthusiasts to shared their wares with the community. We had local animal raisers, dyers, spinners, artisans, and makers. We also had demonstrations on spinning, weaving, felting, and much more.

We said farewell to summer with our final Indigo Dye Party of the year at Redden Gardens!