Cincinnati Archives – Page 445 of 561

Brew River Gastropub brings craft beer, gourmet pub food to East End

By Newsroom

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August 7, 2012

Brew River Gastropub. The name alone prompts stirrings in the hearts and bellies of Cincinnati foodies. Joby Bowman, Christian Babani and chef Michael Shields, along with a silent partner, have been developing their casual-meets-gourmet concept for more than two years, while their combined experience spans decades, numerous cuisine styles and geographical locations, from NYC to NOLA. Brew River soft-opened in July and plans a series of grand opening events later this month. So far, the response from the community has been enthusiastic, a testament to the collaborators’ passion. “We’re all extremely particular and detail-oriented,” says Bowman. “It shows in everything from the décor, which we’ve done entirely ourselves, to the atmosphere and recipes. People have told us it’s clear there’s a lot of love in every detail.” When it come to the menus, it’s like Brew River’s answering machine claims: “Local is our focus; libations are our passion.” Chief among the local ingredients used in their cooking are their house brews—the products of an exclusive partnership with Great Crescent Brewery in Aurora, IN. “We had all been [home brewing] for quite a while,” says Bowman. That’s why early in their quest for the perfect location, the group toured—or, as she puts it, “spelunked”—many of the storied former breweries on McMicken Ave. Soon after, they learned that Maribelle’s would not be renewing their East End lease, and, says Bowman, “Everything just sort of came together from there.” Well, almost everything. The Riverside Drive location allows the partners—who Bowman describes as “sort of obsessed with water”—to weave in Cincinnati’s rivertown history. One upside to the building’s non-conforming use zoning? You won’t see copycat bars and restaurants cropping up nearby. The lease, however, does not allow for on-site brewing—a minor setback that Bowman and crew hope to eventually remedy by housing that part of the operation in a vacant church just across the street. In the meantime, the pub’s entrepreneurs are more than happy with their Great Crescent partnership. Patrons seem content, too, imbibing specialty blends like Island Queen Blonde Ale and Ubiquitous Coconut Porter by the pint. By Hannah Purnell Follow Hannah on Twitter.

GOOD ideas: Art on the move

By The Queen City Project

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Arts + Culture

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August 7, 2012

Cincinnati's arts leaders posed a challenge for creative thinkers: how can the city's vibrant arts scene be maximized to attract and retain talent? Twenty-somethings doing something offer an exciting new approach during the GOOD Ideas for Cities event held downtown this fall. Take a listen and see how you can keep the conversation going. Video courtesy The Queen City Project.

Camp Washington artist salvages, creates stained glass

By Newsroom

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Arts + Culture

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August 7, 2012

Whether you realize it or not, Cincinnati is full of stained glass. It's part of our German heritage, says Gillian Thompson, the proprietor of Gillian Thompson Glass. She meets with property owners throughout the Cincinnati area, restoring old glass designs, repairing age-damaged leading and designing new stained glass projects. Stained glass can encompass either colored or clear designs and projects can be artistically complex or as simple as a clear patterned glass that provides privacy. Repairs to stained glass are typically needed to salvage old pieces or repair cracks. After decades, window bowing, called deflection, can occur as the soft light between glass disintegrates as it is exposed to moisture. Thompson says this deflection can be mistaken for an artistic style; actually, it's just damage. Thompson began her career as an apprentice for Architecture Art Glass in Pleasant Ridge (now located in Milford) and worked her way up, eventually launching her own studio a little more than four years ago, when a Camp Washington studio space opened up. She says the neighborhood's old factory buildings offer her the perfect combination of natural light and space. "My style is all over the place," she says. "I really love traditional styles, but also have fun with contemporary work." Although Thompson took advantage of a SCORE mentor, she raves most about the entrepreneurial support she gained through the SpringBoard program. "Springboard focused me," she says of the ArtWorks-sponsored business development program. "(What) I really got from them, was learning to turn on the knowledge base in my community, just looking around at the people I know. Through friends, I've just got a web developer.” Her next stop, she says, is using that website to grow her client base. By Robin Donovan

Camp Washington artist salvages, creates stained glass

By Newsroom

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Architecture + Design

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August 7, 2012

Whether you realize it or not, Cincinnati is full of stained glass. It's part of our German heritage, says Gillian Thompson, the proprietor of Gillian Thompson Glass. She meets with property owners throughout the Cincinnati area, restoring old glass designs, repairing age-damaged leading and designing new stained glass projects. Stained glass can encompass either colored or clear designs and projects can be artistically complex or as simple as a clear patterned glass that provides privacy. Repairs to stained glass are typically needed to salvage old pieces or repair cracks. After decades, window bowing, called deflection, can occur as the soft light between glass disintegrates as it is exposed to moisture. Thompson says this deflection can be mistaken for an artistic style; actually, it's just damage. Thompson began her career as an apprentice for Architecture Art Glass in Pleasant Ridge (now located in Milford) and worked her way up, eventually launching her own studio a little more than four years ago, when a Camp Washington studio space opened up. She says the neighborhood's old factory buildings offer her the perfect combination of natural light and space. "My style is all over the place," she says. "I really love traditional styles, but also have fun with contemporary work." Although Thompson took advantage of a SCORE mentor, she raves most about the entrepreneurial support she gained through the SpringBoard program. "Springboard focused me," she says of the ArtWorks-sponsored business development program. "(What) I really got from them, was learning to turn on the knowledge base in my community, just looking around at the people I know. Through friends, I've just got a web developer.” Her next stop, she says, is using that website to grow her client base. By Robin Donovan

On a roll: Euro Cargo bikes mix art, sustainability

By Jack Ellenberger

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General

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August 7, 2012

What happens when a European designer lands in Cincinnati to create a new breed of Cargo Bike? Farmers, and artists, take note.

Gigit’s local job search targets tech-savvy creatives

By Newsroom

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Architecture + Design

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August 7, 2012

Jay Hopper originally got involved in web design through a journalism job in the newspaper business. He eventually left his career as a newsman to join a local startup, Trivantis, as a web editor. He eventually became the company’s vice president of product management. Then, he launched a social network for automotive enthusiasts before finally deciding it was time to get what he calls "a real job." After failing at the traditional avenues, like Monster, CareerBuilder and LinkedIn, and doing some networking, Hopper says, “I just found that process really frustrating. I was looking for companies that would fit my skill set, passion and personality. I just started thinking, ‘Where are all these companies – the agencies, the software companies, the tech companies?’ I wished there was one place I could go and see all that.” He set out to create a website to meet those needs. The result, Gigit Jobs, lists tech, start up, creative and design job openings in the Cincinnati, Dayton Northern Kentucky and tri-state regions. The Gigit team manually reviews jobs that are posted, and while any company will be considered, positions posted must either come from a company that fits Gigit’s criteria or be a good fit in themselves. That means a web design job at the bank could work just as well as a business development position with a creative agency. The site is aggregator-friendly, which means that jobs posted there will also show up in job-search aggregators. The site's landing pages are currently active, with a full launch planned this fall. Hopper says he hopes the site will encourage techies and creatives to stay in Cincinnati rather than flee to stereotypically tech-friendly locales on either coast. By Robin Donovan

Gigit’s local job search targets tech-savvy creatives

By Newsroom

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Architecture + Design

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August 7, 2012

Jay Hopper originally got involved in web design through a journalism job in the newspaper business. He eventually left his career as a newsman to join a local startup, Trivantis, as a web editor. He eventually became the company’s vice president of product management. Then, he launched a social network for automotive enthusiasts before finally deciding it was time to get what he calls "a real job." After failing at the traditional avenues, like Monster, CareerBuilder and LinkedIn, and doing some networking, Hopper says, “I just found that process really frustrating. I was looking for companies that would fit my skill set, passion and personality. I just started thinking, ‘Where are all these companies – the agencies, the software companies, the tech companies?’ I wished there was one place I could go and see all that.” He set out to create a website to meet those needs. The result, Gigit Jobs, lists tech, start up, creative and design job openings in the Cincinnati, Dayton Northern Kentucky and tri-state regions. The Gigit team manually reviews jobs that are posted, and while any company will be considered, positions posted must either come from a company that fits Gigit’s criteria or be a good fit in themselves. That means a web design job at the bank could work just as well as a business development position with a creative agency. The site is aggregator-friendly, which means that jobs posted there will also show up in job-search aggregators. The site's landing pages are currently active, with a full launch planned this fall. Hopper says he hopes the site will encourage techies and creatives to stay in Cincinnati rather than flee to stereotypically tech-friendly locales on either coast. By Robin Donovan

Poster boy: Neltner builds cool creative niche

By Elissa Yancey

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General

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July 31, 2012

Keith Neltner loves music. And while he doesn't play an instrument, his art captures the essence of bands like the Alice in Chains, Shooter Jennings and, perhaps most famously, Hank Williams III, in everything from album covers to belt buckles. That's when he's not working as a brand-building ad-man in Newport.

Cincinnati company developing new ADHD drug

By Evan Wallis

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Education + Learning

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July 31, 2012

A small pharmaceutical development company is in the process of developing a new ADHD drug, which could net over $1 billion per year, if it makes it to market. P2D Bioscience was started in 2005 by a former University of Cincinnati psychiatry professor, Dr. Frank Zemlan. P2D partnered with Advinus, a drug discovery company based in Bangalore, India. The two companies are working on developing a drug, which was once used for cocaine addiction, to treat ADHD, but with fewer side affects and no addiction liability. ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorder in children, with symptoms continuing into adulthood in up to 50 percent of cases. Recent estimates show that approximately 4.7 percent of American adults live with ADHD. In the U.S. alone, the rate has grown from 12 per 1,000 children in the 1970s to 34 per 1,000 in the 1990s. "This drug has a big advantage over similar drugs," says Zemlan, CEO of P2D. "Without the risk of addiction liability, there is potential for a huge market." The drug was designed not to be addictive because it had been used for cocaine addicts. The drug has passed the first round of pre-clinical testing, and Zemlan says it will be able to begin testing on humans in eight to 12 months, if all goes as planned. Currently, the drug is undergoing safety tests. "It's a big boom for Cincinnati to have drug development company based here," Zemlan says. "It gives a lot of opportunity for hiring high-tech and highly skilled employees." In its short existence, P2D has had great success and already has patents around the globe. Much of the work is through a partnership with the National Institute of Health, which is where P2D obtains many of its grants for research. "This year alone we have received $4.5 million in grants from the NIH," Zemlan says. "We hope to keep growing." By Evan Wallis

Roller derby doc illuminates life on the flat-track

By Newsroom

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Diversity

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July 31, 2012

While roller derby has been around since 1935, in 2001, it got a makeover. The release of Derby, Baby!, a documentary about flat-track roller derby, coincides with an increased interest in the sport. The Cincinnati Rollergirls think it’s about time the sport got more recognition. “We’re trying to get rid of preconceived notions that we go out there in these staged fights and all are in tutus and make-up and stuff,” says Holly Funk, known in the Cincinnati Rollergirls as Garden of Beatin’. “We want to be regarded as athletes now. It’s become an actual sport.” Derby, Baby!, which premiered last week in Cincinnati, documents the addictive nature of the women's flat-track roller derby. “It’s seems like it’s the first truly big documentary that’s been made about the sport,” says Chrystal Roggenkamp, known in the Cincinnati Rollergirls as Truxtal. Garden of Beatin’, a general chemistry professor at the University of Dayton, and Truxtal, a graphic designer at FRCH Design, both believe that roller derby evolved in the past several decades. “We try to be very family-friendly and I don’t think a lot of people realize that that’s how roller derby has changed now,” Funk says. All of the members of the Cincinnati Rollergirls are volunteers, from the referees to the coaches to the skaters, yet they all spend countless hours dedicated to the sport they love. “I think the thing most people are shocked about when they get into it is the amount of time that it consumes because we have practices three times a week,” Roggenkamp says. “That’s the bare minimum and we’re all competing for rosters and trying to push ourselves to get better, so I would say it’s kind of expected that at least another two nights a week, you’re either going to the gym and weight training or going to the speed skating practices or doing something.” Because the sport is so time-consuming and, like any sport, there is the risk of injury, and in this case, no compensation, what keeps Rollergirls in their gear? “I think a very common thing you’ll hear is that the first time you saw it, you knew it was for you,” Roggenkamp says. While some may believe that it takes special skills and training to become a flat-track derby skater, Funk remembers the first time she saw a bout and wanted to be a part of the sport. “I was looking at all these amazing women, and they were so great, and yet I could tell that they weren’t the epitome of athleticism,” she says. “They were just regular women that work their asses off and are really good at what they did. I thought, ‘This looks like something that is fun and obtainable, and something that I’d like to be involved in.’ ” The Rollergirls hope the documentary Derby, Baby! brings more attention to the sport and help it move from underground to Olympic status. “This’ll be the documentary that hopefully gets more people aware of what we do,” Roggenkamp says. “I think Derby, Baby! provides a very accurate portrayal of roller derby. I particularly appreciate that it explores the business side of the game and the fact that we are all volunteers, spending both our time and money to help run our leagues and do what we love. The film brings up some interesting points about both the opportunities and consequences that we will inevitably have to face as the sport expands.” For more information about the Cincinnati Rollergirls, visit the Cincinnati Rollergirls' and for more information about Derby, Baby!, visit the Derby, Baby! website. Do Good: • Like the Rollergirls on Facebook. • Tweet all about it. Keep up with the Cincinnati Rollergirls via Twitter. • See what the all-volunteer Rollergirls do to support charitable causes. By Jocelyn Short

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