Art on Vine
See how a college project turned into a large-scale monthly event series that showcases hundreds of local artists and supports area charities.
In 2012, James Jenkins and Page Lansley were college students working on a project together. The goals of the project were “to create something this city could be proud of, and a sustainable outlet for local artists for years to come, giving artists an opportunity to pursue their creative dreams or goals, and a chance to do what they love and making a living at it,” explains Jenkins, who majored in Business Law and Film Photography. The two presented the project in front of Procter & Gamble, Hewlett-Packard, and Western & Southern Financial Group, and they turned it into a business, Art on Vine.
Art on Vine, founded by Jenkins, with Lansley serving as a graphic designer and local artist, is a monthly local fine arts and handmade goods sale that hosts over 70 local vendors in Rhinegeist Brewery in the fall and winter and Fountain Square in the spring and summer.
Art on Vine offers a wide variety of items, from oil paintings and works on canvas to pottery and crafts and so much more. Unlike some similar vending opportunities, Art on Vine is held year-round. Art on Vine also offers local food to offer buyers a “unique, one-on-one” good time and the opportunity to meet the artists in person and find out what inspired them. The artists, in turn, can “meet and learn from consumers, and to share ideas that can inspire them to create the perfect and personal piece,” Jenkins explains.
Before founding Art on Vine, Jenkins also worked as a photographer for local businesses such as Boca, Sotto, MidPoint Music Festival, Lumenocity, and many shops in Over-the-Rhine, so he understands how important these opportunities are to artists. Art on Vine gives artists the opportunity to build relationships with long-term repeat customers, sell their work on a monthly platform, gain feedback from customers in meet-and-greets, and to bond with fellow artists, which can lead to partnerships and information on other events and further opportunities.
Art on Vine also seeks to benefit a different nonprofit organization each month, following the tradition of a portion of artist fees benefitting Over-the-Rhine Community Housing when Art on Vine first started in a parking lot on Vine Street.
Art on Vine only has three dates left at Rhinegeist Brewery: February 19, March 19, and April 23 from 12 to 7 p.m. Then it will move to Fountain Square for the summer months until October.
To learn more about Art on Vine, visit http://www.artonvinecincy.com/.
