Author

Becky Johnson

Becky Johnson's Latest Articles

The YWCA: Celebrating 20 years of Empowering Women Artists
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Arts + Culture
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December 6, 2011

Hei Kyung Byun, in describing her limestone sculpture at the YWCA Women’s Art Gallery, likened the piece to her “awakening” from a strict cultural background into a freedom of her own. “Yet part of me still struggles in detaching myself completely from my history and background, as seen in the way the woman is eternally bound to the stone from whence she came.” Awakening women to a life of personal strength and peace is the goal of Cincinnati’s YWCA. Its Women’s Art Gallery, located on the second floor of the YWCA, provides space and support to women’s artists, encourages their gifts and gives them visibility in the only gallery in Cincinnati that showcases only women’s art. This fall and winter, the YWCA commemorates two decades of supporting women artists in the gallery with the new exhibit, “Celebrating 20 years of Empowering Women.” “We went back to women who had participated in the very first group exhibit” explains Yvette Johnson-Hegge, YWCA executive coordinator. “We wanted to show what they are doing now and how far they had come.” 22 women were invited back and offer a diverse spectrum of styles and mediums that reflect their self-expression, from quilts and oils to photography and stone.   Johnson-Hegge sees the art gallery as a far-reaching educational tool. “Our clients, women and children, are here and exposed to art that they may not be otherwise.” The YWCA also uses the artwork in the gallery to expose issues that bring challenges to women everywhere. Over two decades, the gallery has offered exhibits on cancer survival, grief, child endangerment and racism. “Part of our mission is eliminating racism,” Johnson-Hegge says. “So in all of our shows, we work to make sure we have diversity among the artists,” be that culture, race or artistic expression. Do Good: Visit: Celebrating 20 Years of Empowering Women Artists, which runs through Jan. 12, 2012 at the YWCA Women’s Art Gallery, 898 Walnut St., downtown. Gallery hours are Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., or by special arrangement. Please call 513-241-7090 for more information. Donate: To the YWCA Women’s Art Gallery, empowering women artists for 20 years. Support: the many programs at the YWCA, including the 2012 YWCA Career Women of Achievement Awards; nominations will be accepted through Jan. 3, 2012. By Becky Johnson

Cincy Parents for Public Schools promotes collaboration
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Diversity
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November 1, 2011

Rolanda Smith knows the secret behind student achievement. “When you have parents holding their children accountable, and they feel like partners in the process, that’s when students achieve.” Smith, the executive director of Cincinnati Parents of Public Schools (PPS), knew this years ago. Only now, the research is proving that when parents are involved, student achievement increases. PPS’s continued goal is to foster collaborative relationships not only between parents and their students, but between parents and schools and to sustain that involvement so that all students can achieve. In the last 15 years, PPS has ignored the national finger-pointing over failed education systems and earned the trust of key Cincinnati community groups, teachers and administrators by engaging parents in collaborative and constructive roles with the schools.   PPS’s biggest initiative, its Parent Leadership Institute (PLI), is a three-month, intensive professional development program, supported in part by the Mayerson Academy. Over several weekends, PLI trains parents to understand state data, translate that information to the district level, know how to read individual school report cards and how to partner with school professionals and other parents to identify issues and design action plans to increase student achievement. Graduates of this program have become community leaders in education, serving on state and local school committees and helping engage other parents in schools. Gearing Up (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs), an initiative between PPS and the University of Cincinnati, reaches first-generation college hopefuls. While students are instructed in financial aid and application requirements, parents learn how to check homework, set expectations and create structured time at home, things that may have been lacking before. “And when a parent learns those new skills, it affects the rest of the children at home,” Smith says. “I’ve never met a parent who didn’t care about a child’s education,” she adds. “We know there are many levels of parent involvement, and it is all helping to increase student achievement.”   Do Good: Congratulate: PPS for receiving a best practice award for its Extra Mile Award program at the Parents For Public Schools national conference in October, 2011. Apply: For PPS’s upcoming Parent Leadership Institute, help on the following days in 2012: Feb. 10-11, March 9-10 and April 20-21. Sign: A petition championed by the national Parents for Public Schools organization to discourage elected officials from cutting any more funding to public schools. By Becky Johnson

BenePhoto shares profits from photos
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Entrepreneurship
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November 1, 2011

A Cincinnati-based print company is taking the term “creative fundraising” literally.   BenePhoto – a mix of the words benefit and photograph - is the brainchild of Brian Frank, one of the owners of the Cincinnati-based family business Print Management. Having purchased his share of school fundraising products over the years, Frank wondered if people would rather support their chosen non-profit organization while buying products they actually wanted or were planning to purchase anyway. Given the popularity of creative photo products like greeting cards, photo books and calendars, Print Management created BenePhoto. Instead of uploading photographs, customers download one, easy-to-use software program from Benephoto and then work off of their own computer’s photo files. At check-out, customers designate which non-profit they would like to support and BenePhoto donates 10 percent of the product sales to that organization.   With its “Making Everlasting Memories” book, Print Management had already established a niche photograph book product within the funeral industry and a graphics department to support it and, now, BenePhoto’s products, too.   “There’s no cost to the non-profit,” says Alexia Workman, account relationship manager at BenePhoto. The company provides a marketing toolkit for nonprofits to use while explaining the photo service to supporters and donors. That way, the nonprofit helps BenePhoto market its services and products.   Since BenePhoto was launched mid-summer, seven nonprofits have signed up and more are in the works.     “The company’s owners and the people who work here are already involved in the community, keeping people employed here, helping nonprofits, and giving people a product that they already wanted. We’re only asking folks to switch vendors," Workman says. “It’s a win-win.” Do Good: Learn: More about BenePhoto, its products and services and the nonprofits it is supporting. Contact: Alexia Workman if a nonprofit is interested in learning more about this kind of fundraising. Look: At your own photo files to see if you need to organize them with the help of BenePhoto! By Becky Johnson

My Soapbox: Barbara Seibel, Jobs for Cincinnati Graduates
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General
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October 25, 2011

Since 2001, Barbara Seibel has been president of Jobs for Cincinnati Graduates (JCG), one of the social programs praised by America’s Promise Alliance in its recent recognition of Cincinnati as one of 100 Best Places for Young People. Soapbox's Becky Johnson talked to her to find out what's working and what needs to be fixed.

Northern Kentucky organization provides hospitality for families in need
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For Good
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October 25, 2011

Families with children are one of the fastest-growing segments of the homeless population today. The Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) of Northern Kentucky knows that it can’t change those statistics alone.    IHN already partners with over fifty churches, a thousand volunteers and several social service agencies to provide temporary housing and support for homeless families. By keeping the entire family together, IHN is unique among local services aiding the homeless; other agencies are forced to separate fathers and older boys from mothers and small children. IHN host churches open their doors weekly to house families overnight, providing homemade dinners and breakfasts, games and relaxation for all members of a family. And with 98% of IHN’s work being done by volunteers, fund-raising dollars go directly to support the guest families IHN serves.   But in a downturn that just won’t let go of the economy, IHN is seeing many more children and their families in homelessness today. “The shelter is completely full,” states Warner Allen, executive director for IHN of Northern Kentucky. “And we have over 60 families on our waiting list.  Of those, 145 are children.”  Those waiting may be staying with relatives, but many are in their cars or on the streets and in critical need of help. So IHN has developed new programs recently that share social workers and resources between agencies, partner with local colleges for training and education, and offer job coaching and resume building at the Day Center, where families go during the day to plan for their future. Sharing resources is the only way to give each family the intense case management necessary for them to rise out of homelessness. Allen understands first-hand the fears and worries these families face.“I was homeless as a child.  I know what these families are going through.” The key to success is keeping the entire family together, he believes.  By supporting mom and dad in their job search and training, by mentoring youth and by offering education in life skills and financial literacy to everyone, many families can and do rise out of homelessness at IHN, never to return.       Do Good: Attend: “A Taste of Homelessness,” a fundraising event for the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Northern Kentucky with wine tastings and hors d’oeuvres, Oct. 27th from 6-8pm at The Ascent at Roebling’s Bridge, Covington, www.nkihn.org Volunteer: to mentor a youth, help with financial or life skills counseling or serve a meal at one of the many churches who host IHN families around the year. Support: IHN with donations of furniture and other household items to establish a new home for families who have lost everything and are starting over. By Becky Johnson  

Cincinnati ranks in top 100 communities for youth
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Diversity
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October 18, 2011

In a nation where 7,000 students drop out of high school every day, Cincinnati has been recognized for its collaborative efforts to stem the tide. This month, Cincinnati achieved national recognition as one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People by America’s Promise Alliance and the investment firm, ING. Cincinnati competed with more than 300 large and small communities across the country that have been working to lower student drop-out rates through services and support to youth. The city of Norwood also received the award this year, having lowered its high school dropout rate by 13 percent in the past decade. The award competition, now in its fifth cycle, is part of the Alliance’s Grad Nation campaign, a 10-year initiative to end the high school drop-out crisis and create a healthy, 21st century workforce. One Cincinnati youth, Genine Gray, received a $2,500 scholarship from the Alliance and ING. Gray, the only student to receive this award in the nation, recognized Jobs for Cincinnati Graduates (JCG), Bethany House, Dress for Success and Bridging the Gap for supporting her journey from homelessness to high-school graduation. JCG president Barbara Seibel, in turn, credits the Southwest Ohio Regional Workforce Investment Board for financial support. “Their Workforce Investment Act grant to JCG makes it possible for youth like Genine to be in JCG.” Cincinnati, now a two-time award winner, continues to build on collaborative initiatives, like its Safe Routes to School Initiative, designed and implemented by local residents, the Cincinnati schools, the Department of Transportation and Cincinnati police.    The city’s Strive Partnership, a national model of aligning resources to raise graduation rates, provided help and technical assistance in the application process. But, again, it asks that the honors be shared. “The award itself is really owed to the hard work of our partners, including the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, ArtsWave and Artworks, among others,” says Strive’s Ben Greenberg. Do Good: • Learn: about what Strive Partnership is doing to align resources to raise graduation rates in Cincinnati. • Volunteer: at one of the many organizations that are helping support Cincinnati youth, like Connect2Success, Jobs for Cincinnati Graduates  and Bridging the Gap • Support: America’s Promise Alliance, founded by former general Colin Powell, to prepare young people for college and promising careers By Becky Johnson          

Red Tree offers coffee, art, philanthropy
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Arts + Culture
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October 11, 2011

If you’re in the mood for a cup of coffee, to see local art or do your part to support the American Cancer Society, a local gallery has you covered. Artists for a Cause Silent Auction, held at Oakley’s Redtree Gallery for four weeks in October and November, benefits both the American Cancer Society and the local artists who have donated special pieces.   The mission of Redtree, a combination art gallery and coffee shop, is to encourage both emerging and established artists, with an emphasis on the local arts community. Local artists create over 90 percent of the art featured at Redtree, which features all mediums styles and expressions.     With six open-call shows a year, the gallery actively supports emerging artists who may never have shown before. Alison Lee, marketing and development director for Redtree, sees that as one of the gallery’s main missions: “to get people to submit art, to have the courage to do that.”    The coffee shop, with its fair-trade coffee, specialty drinks and relaxed seating, offers opportunities to continue this conversation about art every day. “I feel it breaks down barriers, maybe the idea of art galleries being stuffy or unapproachable,” Lee says. Visitors who come for a cup of coffee may never have visited an art gallery before. “This exposes them to artwork and inspires a sense of community” with the art world.   The ongoing Artists for a Cause is one of Redtree’s group shows. Suggested by local artist Bruno Zabagilo, the silent auction has more than 30 local artists’ work, on which customers can submit written bids through an entire month. Proceeds benefit the cancer society. Gallery owner Wendy Smith sees this as another extension of Redtree’s mission. “Bruno and I have both had relationships with people with cancer, as so many people do,” she says. “And we’re always excited and happy to support an artist who is passionate about something like this.”   Do Good: • Attend: Opening Night of Artists for a Cause, Friday, Oct. 14, 6-9 p.m. • Support: the American Cancer Society anytime. • Visit: Redtree to grab a cup of coffee and bid on silent auction items. The auction ends Saturday, Nov. 5, at 9 p.m. By Becky Johnson

Green means good for local parks
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Diversity
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October 4, 2011

In a park system rated “excellent” by the Trust for Public Land, green energy initiatives are showing Cincinnati residents that their city parks are far more than playgrounds and hiking trails.   Encouraged by Mayor Mark Mallory’s “Green Cincinnati Initiative,” the Cincinnati Parks has been using green technology to save money and conserve fossil fuel since 2006. Since the beginning of this year, the parks have saved $30,000 through the use of alternative energy generation. Multiple solar energy sites, one wind turbine site and two geothermal sites are reducing the parks’ reliance on tax money for energy consumption. “At the same time, we’re producing excess energy that we can actually sell back to Duke Energy and that they can sell on the grid,” says Deborah Allison, business services manager for the Parks Board. “We’re not only a consumer, we’re a supplier.” The parks have adopted strong energy conservation initiatives, too. “Big Belly” trash containers use solar energy to compact garbage, which saves on the cost of trash pickup. Hybrid and electric cars, bio-fuel mowing equipment, ethanol trucks and a solar powered cart have joined the park’s fleet of vehicles. The Park Board also sells recycled timber from fallen trees to the Cincinnati Public Schools at cost. This reuse of downed trees as wood for school flooring provides a significant savings for CPS over fair market value for new lumber.   Chosen by Green Energy Ohio to kick-off the 2011 Green Energy Ohio Tour last weekend, the Cincinnati Park Board gave tours of its many green initiative sites. From the Krohn Conservatory to Mt. Airy, LaBoiteaux Woods, Eden Park and Berry Friendship Park, the Park Board and Green Energy Ohio want the public to see the measures the city and local businesses are taking to create a more sustainable future for Cincinnati.   Do Good: • Visit: Any of the five regional and 70 neighborhood Cincinnati parks that are open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. • Adopt: Some of the new green initiatives that the Cincinnati Parks Board is using, like rain barrels and pourous pavement, can be adapted for your own home or business. • Volunteer: Opportunities are plentiful at Cincinnati Parks. Call 513-321-6070. By Becky Johnson

When art attacks, Queen City style
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Arts + Culture
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September 27, 2011

Starting this fall, Pones In(c) Public, a series of events sponsored by Pones Inc. and ArtsWave, will bring spontaneous dance, art and movement to eight different Cincinnati neighborhoods. Not quite a flash mob, but the dancing will be created by random people right on the spot where it starts, be that a public square or a city street.   Dance for social change is the mission of Pones Inc., a four year old non-profit arts organization. Professional dancers Lindsey Jones and Kim Popa founded the group after taking a class about theater for the oppressed, art that encouraged social justice. If theater can do this, why not dance, thought the two Northern Kentucky University grads. “Dance can give people another way to express their viewpoint outside the political spectrum,” Popa believes. “It became our mission to fuse dance and theater,” involving other artists like poets and musicians so as “to use as many people’s artistic talents as we can.” So far, Pones Inc. has performed at The Know, the Aronoff and The New Edgecliff theaters and dozens of public spaces around Cincinnati. They’ve danced on Metro buses, up and down store escalators, on public squares, and in grocery store aisles. Everywhere they perform, Pones Inc and its dancers invite the public to join in their free artistic expressions. Margy Waller, special advisor at ArtsWave, sees Pones Inc as a unique organization, different from the flash mob dancing that is choreographed and organized before the event. “What Pones is great at is engaging the audience in dancing.”   Popa doesn’t think it’s that difficult to do. ”Everyone enjoys dancing but not everyone may want to volunteer to get up and dance. If you ask people to do it, they will.” With Pones In(c) Public, Waller says ArtsWave hopes to keep the public surprised and excited about the arts in Cincinnati.   “This kind of spontaneous dance can show people how really magical the arts can be.” Do Good Attend:  Pones In(c) Public, starting in October on the second Saturday of every month for eight months, between 5 – 8 pm.   Watch: Pones Inc. perform live. Donate or Volunteer: Contact ArtsWave to see how you can help support the arts in Cincinnati. By Becky Johnson

Historic Mt. Airy celebrates history, nature
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For Good
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September 27, 2011

Once, the forests of western Ohio were so dense, a squirrel could travel by tree from the Ohio River to Lake Erie and never once touch the ground. In today’s urban landscape, it is hard to imagine those many miles of dark woods that once blanketed Hamilton County. Mt. Airy Forest’s 1,471 acres of wooded ravines and hiking and bridle trails offer city residents a glimpse into that past, even in the midst of highways and urban sprawl. The Mt. Airy Forest Festival, Oct.8, celebrates the history of this park’s creation 100 years ago and its legacy as one of, if not the first, urban reforestation projects in the country. In 1911, the Cincinnati Park Board established this park with the purchase of poorly managed farmland and began to reforest and enlarge it. The physical development of the park - its roads, trails, lodges, arboretum, stone walls and open shelters – was the work of the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Works Progress Administration (WPA). For its rustic architecture, the rich history behind its construction and the early reforestation of an urban area, the park was recently listed as a historic site on the National Register of Historic Places.   Mt. Airy Forest Festival celebrates that designation with the installation of a National Park Service plaque. History interpreters and members of three history encampments will celebrate Cincinnati’s history, discuss the work of the CCC, the paths of the Underground Railroad through Hamilton County and Civil War stories. The day also features an annual Amazing Family Race, games for all ages and food vendors.   Do Good: Attend: Mt. Airy Forest Festival, October 8, 11 am-5 pm, Oak Ridge Lodge. Learn:  About the rich history of the Cincinnati Parks and what the parks offer residents today. Volunteer: Contact the Cincinnati Parks to discover many volunteer opportunities in the parks. By Becky Johnson

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