Road Trip

Cincinnati, Ohio – The Fitton Center takes its act on tour, serving as centerpiece for Free Sundays at the Freedom Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 15, at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in downtown Cincinnati (50 E. Freedom Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202).

Artist Brent Billingsley – part of the Fitton Center Outreach Team - leads a card-making activity for visitors to the Freedom Center.

“The cards are going to be for telling someone important in your life that you love them, just because,” said Caroline Digiovenale, Fitton Center Education and Community Experience Coordinator.

“Brent has done this activity with kids before. When they ask why they are making the cards, he’ll often say ‘Just because it’s Tuesday.’ We’re changing up the answer a little to fit the event better – Why? Since it’s Sunday – but it’s the same idea. You don’t have to have a reason to tell somebody you love them.”

This is the Fitton Center’s first outreach program with the Freedom Center, an opportunity to reach anywhere from 500 to 1,500 young artists in a six-hour shift. Billingsley and Digiovenale provide the blank cards, blank envelopes, colored pencils and markers to decorate the cards. Creators then choose a sticker to seal their envelopes.

“One of the goals we have with our community experiences is making art accessible beyond our studios,” Digiovenale said. “This is a great way for people to work with a professional artist, to create something meaningful and to share a piece of themselves with somebody else.

“We try to get out into the community whenever we can. We have a lot of opportunities for people to see art in action outside our walls in the next few weeks.”

Additional outreach projects coming soon include:

- Hamilton Pride (June 4, Hamilton), making mini pride flags and rainbow twirlers;

- ElectriCITY (June 12, Hamilton), Shrinky Dink lightning bolt activity;

- Creative Arts in the Park (June 16, Liberty Township), caterpillar crafts.

The Fitton Center for Creative Arts is located at 101 S. Monument Avenue on the Riverfront in downtown Hamilton, Ohio.

Building Community Excellence through the Arts and Culture