The Woman’s Art Club of Cincinnati

Diana Taylor, President of The Woman’s Art Club of Cincinnati

Whether it’s painting and sculpture, printmaking and photography, or abstract and expressionist, art can be a variety of things to a variety of people. No matter what art is to you, The Woman’s Art Club of Cincinnati (WACC) has the perfect art offerings for you.

The WACC was founded in 1892 by a group of the leading female artists of that era, including Mary Spencer, Henrietta Wilson and Dixie Selden, who all have art displayed in the Cincinnati Art Museum. At that time, Cincinnati was a mecca for artists, including Frank Duveneck, Charles Webber and L.H. Meakin, who formed the Art Club of Cincinnati, from which women artists were excluded.

The men were adamant about not allowing women into their ranks. So, to join their female forces and support other aspiring women in art, the ladies launched the WACC, which is now the only women’s art club in continual existence since its formation. Its purpose has always been “to stimulate its members to greater efforts in their work and to increase the general interest in art,” says Diana Taylor, WACC president.

In its early days, the club met at various artists’ studios or in rented spaces such as the Pendleton Art Center. In 2006, the WACC became a nonprofit organization in order to purchase an old dairy barn and transform it into a cultural center with classrooms, artist studios and a state of the art public gallery. This facility, formerly a dairy barn belonging to the Lindner Family, is located at 6980 Cambridge Avenue in Mariemont. “Its rehabilitation from a farming co-op into a gracious art space has been truly remarkable,” says Taylor.

There are art classes for adults and children in various media from oils and watercolors to fiber arts held throughout the day and evening. The gallery hosts art exhibits by various artists and groups on a continual basis, and is open to the public daily during business hours.

Special exhibits are open to the public through the weekends, as well as performances by Playhouse Off the Hill, the Cincinnati Ballet and others.

Currently, there are more than 200 members in the WACC. These women artists meet monthly at the Barn to enjoy programs and demonstrations of wide ranging artistic pursuits. Their annual Juried Art Show is a well-known competition held every April and open to women artists in the Tri-State region.

The prestigious awards, judged by well-known artists, have a combined value of over $4,000. The date for this year’s awards ceremony is April 6, and is attended by art enthusiasts from the area. Their most recent project is to complete the restoration of the barn by finishing the loft area, which will be used for large art workshops. gatherings and meetings for the community. “The space is so extraordinary that it is a sought after venue by brides and party planners alike,” says Taylor.

For more information, visit www.WomansArtClub.com.