The "Independent Eye" Project

- From 2018-2019, after randomly discovering a rare underground counterculture newspaper published in Cincinnati (1968-1975), I spent a year researching the paper's history and curating/organizing an exhibition and event at the downtown Public Library of Cincinnati. My stumbling upon the archive happened almost by happenstance after reading a book called "Free Press" by Jean-Francois Bizot. The multiple moving parts of this project included the creation of a free, public access digital archive of the "Independent Eye" (making the publication accessible for the first time in over 50 years). The library event included an exhibition of original newspapers and rare, original pieces of artwork and photography from the Eye (courtesy of photojournalists Melvin Grier and Ken Hawkins), with displays at two different library branches and a panel discussion featuring myself, Jim Tarbell, and founding staffers Ellen Bierhorst and Monty Sher. Close to 200 people of all ages attended the exhibition, creating a true "reunion" gathering of sorts. The project garnered press from outlets like CityBeat (cover story), The Enquirer and an NPR-affiliate station. The entire retrospective, spurred by sheer curiosity and happenstance. highlighted a remarkable and influential piece of local history in a radical/progressive free press publication that had gone largely unseen for the last several decades.

- Digital archive of the Independent Eye
- CityBeat article (cover story October '19)
- NPR interview
- Podcast interview w/ Cincinnati Art Museum

Exhibitions, Gallery Shows & Events

- Drawings, paintings & animated projections/installations have been featured in numerous gallery exhibitions and various events. The highlights of these include ...

- Thunder Snow at Thunder-Sky, Inc.
- Swap Meet at The Carnegie (flipbook collaboration w/ Holly Prochaska)
- Creative Reuse at Indigo Hippo
- The Beautiful Ones Always Smash the Picture at Thunder-Sky, Inc.
- "1 in 5" Hunger Awareness Fundraiser at Over-the-Rhine Kroger Pop Up Gallery
- Shelter In Place Human Rights Benefit at Thunder-Sky, Inc.

Floating Shape Workshop + Inbetween Animation Festival

- Floating Shape Workshop is a children's animation workshop that I created and operate (2014-present). Please see the FSW tab above for full info and workshop pictures/video. Inspired by ASIFA's long-running international "Animation Workshop Group", I have hosted and facilitated around two dozen youth animation workshops, each individually designed for varying age groups and registration sizes. Workshops have been held at venues ranging from library branches to the Taft Museum of Art and Cincinnati Art Museum. Collaborative films made at week-long summer camps have been screened at youth film festivals around the world, such at "Kid Vid Fest" in California. The central goal of FSW is to make the artform or animation accessible to all children in any community.

- Additionally, I have hosted independent animation workshops, such as at the inaugural "Inbetween Animation Festival", workshops at the annual "Good People Festival" in Covington, Kentucky and flipbook workshops on the annual worldwide "International Animation Day" (IAD) celebration.

- WVXU feature on FSW
- Blinking Eye Loop, a collaborative animated film screened at youth film festivals