ArtWorks employing artists for summer murals
Lifeguard, camp counselor, landscaper, these all may come to mind when someone thinks about summer jobs, but ArtWorks is once again giving artists and art educators opportunities to make a long-lasting impact on the region by creating murals this summer. Adding to 46 murals in 28 neighborhoods throughout the region, ArtWorks is hiring nine or ten emerging artists and art educators to help design, plan and create murals over the summer. They will also hire teams of teaching artists to help with each mural. Since 2007, ArtWorks has been creating murals and offering slots for 14-21-year-old apprentice artists who help create the murals. Each summer ArtWorks plans to paint murals in three neighborhoods that don’t already have murals, as well as one downtown, one in Over-the-Rhine and one in Northern Kentucky. Each project manager works around 30 hours a week with a small support staff of artists and their apprentice artists. “The time will vary on the size of the wall,” says Allyson Knue, program and recruitment manager at ArtWorks. “Before the painting begins, each manager will be a part of a community engagement process.” Members of the community work artists to flesh out ideas, create sketches and make sure the community is an integral part of each mural. The process is typically four to nine weeks and runs from June through August. Applicants must apply before Feb. 17 and have a strong background in the arts. Artists earn between $2,500 and $6,000, depending on the size of the project. Teaching artists will help in all aspects of the process and receive between $1,350 and $4,050. “ArtWorks is all about creative enterprise, and at the heart of that is creating opportunities for fresh ideas and new talents to have a forum for expression in Cincinnati,” says Tamara Harkavy executive director at ArtWorks. “It is our mission to be able to offer jobs to the many talented artists in our region.” By Evan Wallis
