Andrew Neyer doesn't want people to feel intimidated when they walk into his art space, or feel awkward when they leave.
So when he opened Yes gallery on Main Street in October he held a big game night - literally - with an 8-ft wide connect four, over-sized pickup sticks and a Cracker Barrel golf tee game the size of a twin bed. Each piece was labeled with a card like any sculpture at a gallery opening would, but guests played with them all night.
"It was a way to get people that aren't involved with art a chance to see things and interact with things they wouldn't have otherwise," he said. "But also art people can approach these objects as art pieces, and engage with them that way."
Yes, located at 1417 Main Street in Over the Rhine, is equal parts art gallery, events venue and pop-up shop. During their regular business hours - Thursday and Friday 4 to 10 p.m. and Saturday 12 to 4 p.m. - customers will find tables full of zines, racks of clothing and screen prints hanging on the wall. A "Print it Yourself" station allows them to print four existing designs onto shirts and aprons. Hand crafted tree ornaments, including a 3-inch wooden likeness of the Kroger Building, will be available through the holiday season.
"The initial mission statement or goal for the space was to basically create opportunities for artists to display their work and create opportunities for people to see new art, and acquire it at an affordable price," he said.
After graduating from art school in Baltimore, Neyer decided to move back home to Cincinnati and open an arts space on par with the ones popping up in New York or Los Angeles, and bring work from national and international artists here. He and two other local artists, Evan Halter and Alex Jameson, operate the space and use it as their studio.
Events, which occur most Friday nights, range from traditional gallery openings to a monthly grindhouse double-feature called Cincinnati Psych-OTR-onic Night. They have also held a piñata party and the release for the latest issue of local literary zine Milk Money.
The traditional monthly gallery shows at Yes will always include something interactive, Neyer said, like a three-dimensional element or mini publication.
"When we represent artists we'll be collaborating with them in some way, instead of just hanging them on the wall," he said.
Writer: Henry Sweets
Photography by Scott Beseler.
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