Northside Cincinnati’s PAR-Projects awarded $250,000 from Ohio’s Capital Budget

As ArtsWave & The Greater Cincinnati Regional Chamber noted in their recent Economic Impact of Arts & Culture report (pages 14 & 16), PAR-Projects — our BIPOC-led arts & education organization — has been working to build an inclusive and welcoming space to highlight and promote the work of local and regional creatives for a number of years. Specifically called out was the fact that our small team has raised and invested over $850,000 in this effort since acquiring our “HQ” building and outdoor space in 2015. And most notably, these dollars were used specifically for capital investments, outside of day-to-day expenses for operations and events.

If you know the journey of PAR-Projects, this may not come as too much of a surprise. We've been known to keep a relatively low profile and tend to avoid the spotlight, but always produce exceptional exhibitions and unique collaborations. This is because we've always believed those who truly enjoy thought-provoking work don't need the press and 1,000+ followers to show up to have a great time. So for us, putting an emphasis on treating our artists well and helping them produce uncommon experiences has always been our connecting thread. After all, we were founded by artists; we are led by artists; so it only makes since to push ourselves to the limits to support our artists. This is why we put a large emphasis on making sure collectors see our exhibitions. Related to the latter, we are a team of dreamers looking to help other creatives realize their dreams as well ... and sales always help!

That said, as we gear up to re-open Northside's Outdoor Community Entertainment Venue, we're looking forward to expanding our free programming offerings and inviting more people to the party. Outdoor movies, cookouts, and a large variety of concerts will soon be offered at our original HQ space on Hoffner Street...

The challenging part about all of this is that we live in a fast paced world, where results are expected now. Yes, now, right now, so many forget that it often takes time to bring BIG ideas to fruition. We say that to say "thanks for your patience" over the years and for the next year or so to come.

Now that The State of Ohio is providing what we consider game changing funding, we hope that more members of our extended community will be a little less afraid to join us in our mission to empower diverse communities of people who believe in the arts. What we are creating is what it looks like when people notice you've applied action to your dreams and ambitions. So if nothing else, we hope to serve as inspiration to follow what drives you as well.

If you take into account the funds we've secured since since ArtsWave's report and add the $250,000 from the State of Ohio, we've raised over $ 1,100,000 for the first Phase of our arts & education campus. And while we still have a little ways to go, we're hoping The City of Cincinnati will help us start bridging our funding gap, much like they did for The Emery Theatre restoration back in 2023, as we are creating another transformative project that will bring the community together for the celebration of the arts!

For now though, we ask that you consider supporting our growth as well. If you'd like to become a community donor, and help us create Northside's Outdoor Community Entertainment Venue, you can make your dollars count at this link, or join us at one of our upcoming events. If you'd like to take the free and easy route you can share this blog post with your friends, family, and supporters. But if you're familiar with our project and have never embraced the idea of a BIPOC-led organization creating space where all walks of life are welcomed with open arms, we simply ask, will 2024 be the year you help us lead the way? 

If interested in updates, please just fill out the form below and we'll keep you posted about once a month!

Thanks in advance!

~ Team PAR-