A New Year — New Experiences
We started off the year with a new Saturday schedule. Instead of our random two Saturday’s a month, we’re now open the Second and Fourth Saturdays, 12:30 – 5 pm. Yea! The Fourth Saturday will be our Family Fun Saturday. This Saturday is our first Family Fun Saturday of 2011. This year our we’ll be exploring American Architecture – starting with log cabins and ending in November with modernism. Should be fun! We’re open 12:30 – 5 pm. A complete schedule for the year is available on our website:
http://www.bettshouse.org/Education_Programs.html
Family Fun Saturdays are sponsored, in part, by a grant from Summerfair Cincinnati.
As you can see, we’ve got a LOT going on! If you aren’t already a member, consider joining or just making a donation.
http://www.bettshouse.org/Volunteer_Membership_Information.html
We’re also looking for volunteers to help with house tours and weekend openings. Give me a call/email if you’re interested.
—Julie Carpenter
Executive Director
Style & Whimsy, featuring works by students in Ceramics, Photography and Cincinnati History classes at Saint Ursula Academy will be on view at the Betts House July 8 – August 4, 2011. The pieces, created by junior and senior students, explore and interpret American architecture. An opening reception will be held July 8, 2011 from 5 – 8 pm.
This exhibit is a joint project of Kurt Nicaise’s Ceramics and Photography classes and Anne Penick’s Cincinnati History classes. Ceramics students sculpted clay houses based on self-selected whimsical themes such as a tiki or pizza hut. Ceramics students investigated different architectural elements such as gables, columns, and turrets, to use in constructing their clay houses. Additionally, Photography and Cincinnati History students researched and photographed houses in Cincinnati neighborhoods to familiarize themselves with American building styles and then developed poster presentations based on their findings.
“I’ve never done a project like this before. Looking at houses and what distinguishes particular styles and architects helped spark ideas for themes for my art project,” says senior Ceramics student, Emma Shannon. “I picked House of Blues and, in addition to the elements from our list, I used musical symbols to make my house look and feel like the blues.”
St. Ursula’s Cincinnati History students researched architectural styles popular in the United States in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, looking for local examples. The mini-exhibits created by the students, discuss notable architects, styles, and what makes these houses uniquely American.
“I wanted to give students an opportunity to explore Cincinnati’s great neighborhoods and get a sense of its rich history,” says Penick. “We have so much wonderful architecture in Cincinnati. This project has given our students an architectural vocabulary. Hopefully, they will have a better appreciation for architecture and will become good stewards of these buildings in the future.”
In addition to its regular hours, Tuesday through Thursday, 11 am – 2 pm, The Betts House will be open on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month, 12:30 - 5 pm. Project support for this exhibit is provided by a grant from ArtsWave.
September 24 our major 2011 exhibit opens: The Big Shake: How the 1811-1812 New Madrid Earthquakes Rocked the Ohio River Valley will explore the types earthquakes, the historic 1811-1812 event, and how buildings are designed to withstand earthquakes.
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Explore Modernism in Cincinnati
New at the Betts House, Cincinnati Modern Architecture – A Retrospective, explores the impact of mid-century design on Cincinnati’s built environment. The exhibit will be on view August 13 – September 15, 2011. An opening reception will be held August 12, 2011 from 5 – 8 pm.
In addition to a wealth of nineteenth century architecture, Cincinnati is also home to numerous modernist buildings and residences. The exhibit examines several local iconic twentieth-century architectural treasures, including Terrace Plaza Hotel and Greenhills. The work of celebrated modernist architects, including Abrom Dombar, Woodie Garber, and Carl Strauss, is also explored.
The exhibit is on loan from the modernist architecture organization Cincinnati Form Follows Function (CF3). CF3 created the exhibit in collaboration with the Cincinnati Preservation Association, Enriching Spaces, and the Greenhills Historical Society.
Cincinnati Modern Architecture – A Retrospective can be seen Tuesday through Thursday, 11 am – 2 pm, at the Betts House, as well as the second and fourth Saturdays of each month, 12:30 - 5 pm. Project support for this exhibit is provided by a grant from ArtsWave.
ABOUT CINCINNATI FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION
Cincinnati Form Follows Function (CF3) was established to promote, preserve, educate, document, enjoy, and raise awareness of Modern Design in and around Cincinnati. CF3 hosts educational and social events to build community support of modernism (www.cf3.org).