Development News

The Cincinnati office of Landor Associates decorates its windows, but not with mannequins or oversized posters. The branding and design firm instead displays giant works of art in its windows. Like curated shows, the displays have themes that are tied to the people who work at Landor as well as what’s going on in Cincinnati. The displays add to the urban landscape much like murals on the sides of buildings.   
 
The windows start at the corner of Seventh and Race streets and end at the entrance to Landor on Shillito Place. The firm changes out the windows four times a year; currently, Landor’s windows feature an artistic, interactive display called "Peep Show" that promotes the bi-annual photography exhibit Fotofocus.
 
Creatively using massive, street-level window space isn't a new idea. Window dressings were once a big part of advertising for department stores, they've become a mostly lost art. Since Landor moved into the old Shillito space, the firm wanted to pay homage to their history. At the same time, the windows offered opportunities to showcase Landor’s talent and innovation.  
 
The current display boasts something that's a bit outside of the box. There’s a camera across the street that broadcasts a live feed of the windows, so passersby can see themselves looking at the display. Hence the display’s name, “Peep Show.”
 
“No idea is crazy anymore here at Landor,” says Steve McGowan, Landor’s executive creative director.
 
As with many businesses, Landor is getting closer to technology and how consumers are using it. There are social media aspects of “Peep Show”—Landor created a hashtag (#LandorPeep) and an Instagram feed so people could take photos of the windows and share them via social media.
 
Landor’s windows have not only created a buzz online; they’ve caused a buzz on the street, too. On any given day, people stop and admire the windows, says Mara McCormick, senior client manager at Landor. They’ve even called Landor to tell the firm how excited and inspired they are by the windows. Landor does the window displays for internal inspiration, but they also want to get the creative juices flowing in the community around them.
  
Landor professionals suggest that, even if you’ve seen the windows during the day, take the time to view them at night, when the lights, the video and the atmosphere of the street offers a very distinct experience.

By Caitlin Koenig
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In April, the Mayerson Foundation was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts grant for its Artistic Excellence Program. The $45,000 grant was matched by the Foundation to fund master classes for students at the School for Creative & Performing Arts, the nation’s only K-12 public school for the arts. 
 
The Artistic Excellence Program features seven master artists from around the world, seven resident musicians from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and nine dance workshops from the Cincinnati Ballet, all of which take place during the 2012-2013 school year. The Foundation has applied for a second NEA grant to fund the program next year.
 
This month, contemporary artist Nico Muhly visited SCPA in conjunction with the program. He worked with two student composers, held a Q&A and kicked off the year-long series with a performance for the students. Soapbox caught up with the Mayerson’s grants officer, Jeff Seibert, to ask him a few questions about the program.
 
Q: What is the Mayerson Artistic Excellence Program?
A: The Artistic Excellence Program supports world-class arts education at SCPA. As a lead funder in the $72 million campaign that created the new SCPA, the Mayerson Foundation recognized the importance of supporting the operation of SCPA. We support what the SCPA faculty are trying to accomplish by bringing the world’s best ‘visual aids’ into the classroom, the theater and the dance studio.
 
Q: Is it program available for all students at SCPA?
A: Yes. All of SCPA’s 1,400 students can benefit from the Artistic Excellence Program, but direct participation is based on relevance—jazz students attend Fred Hersch’s master classes; dance majors work with the Cincinnati Ballet—and based on students’ stages of development. Students in Advanced Music Theory attended Nico Muhly’s master class in composition, whereas first graders will attend the upcoming young people’s concert with Constella artists Anne Dudley and Libby Larsen.
 
Q: Does the Excellence Program provide scholarships for students?
A: All of the Excellence Programs are provided free of charge, except private music lessons. Since individual students benefit from private lessons and an enormous commitment to practicing is required, those students pay a small fraction of what the lessons actually cost. 

The Mayerson Foundation heavily subsidizes the cost of lessons, and provides scholarships, along with the Friends of SCPA and the Carlson-Berne Scholarship Fund of the CSO, to ensure that economic hardship is not an obstacle to students’ participation in our programs.
 
Q: Is there a theme for the program?
A: The theme of the Master Artists Series is ‘responding to opportunity.’ We partner with presenting organizations to bring visiting artists to SCPA. Our goal is to support talented students at SCPA across the artistic disciplines and musical genres. 

SCPA’s incredible faculty help us to create connections with the classroom curriculum. The master artists are living examples of art history that teach students technique, but also show then what a life in the arts is like.
 
Q: Besides Nico Muhly, what other master artists and artists-in-residence have presented master classes so far this year?
A: Violinist Joshua Bell presented a “career talk” on Sept. 21 and jazz pianist Fred Hersch presented a master class on Sept. 25. 

Later this year are playwright and Taft Museum Duncanson Artist-in-Residence Nikkole Salter on Oct. 24; world renowned violinist Anne Akiko Meyers on Oct. 26; percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, who led 1,000 drummers in the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics, on Nov. 2; violinist Gil Shaham on Jan. 25, 2013; violinist Leila Josefowicz on March 1, 2013; jazz saxophone great Branford Marsalis on March 14, 2013; and composer Jennifer Higdon on March 21, 2013. 

In April, Broadway star and TV actress Bebe Neuwrith will present a master class at SCPA, and one of the greatest living jazz pianists is currently under consideration to visit.
 
Q: Do all of these artists then perform concerts in conjunction with their master class?
A: Most of the artists perform at SCPA, but not in full concerts. They perform pieces to help illustrate the concepts being taught in their master classes. Whenever possible, SCPA students attend rehearsals and performances by the artists at the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra or at the Cincinnati Ballet. Students get the opportunity to go backstage to meet the artists after their performances and then to experience them in the classroom. 

The opportunities provided to SCPA students are unlike any program elsewhere in the country.
 
Q: Is the public allowed to attend the master classes, or are they exclusively for SCPA students?
A: The community has made an enormous investment in SCPA and deserves to see what their investment is returning. Nearly every night of the year, audiences are treated to some of the finest student performances, plays, dances and art exhibits at SCPA. 

Because master classes occur during the school day and because students are intensely engaged in learning, public attendance is by invitation only. Observing the interaction between a master artist and a talented student is really fascinating, so whenever possible, we do try to provide access on an appropriate basis.
 
By Caitlin Koenig
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Dave Hart and Dustin Miller have been friends since junior high, but they went to college on different coasts. After moving to Cincinnati to start a food truck, they are in the process of opening a coffee shop in Over-the-Rhine. Collective Espresso hasn’t opened its doors to the public yet, but Hart and Miller are excited to bring their love of coffee to the Queen City.
 
While living in Seattle and Portland, Hart worked in the food service industry, which was closely linked to the coffee world. He fell in love with coffee and became “nerdy about doing coffee at home” by trying different beans and brewing methods. Miller became a barista at the age of 16 and has worked in coffee shops off and on since then. Still, coffee wasn’t their first business idea.
 
When the pair moved to Cincinnati about three and a half years ago, they considered adding to the city's growing fleet of food trucks. Then Hart and Miller talked about opening a creperie. One common thread connected the two ideas: coffee. So, eventually, they settled on opening a coffee bar.
 
Miller likes the mix of people and businesses in OTR. He hopes Collective Espresso will be a neighborhood place where people meet up to chat and enjoy their favorite coffee drink. Both Miller and Hart want to add to OTR's growing business district.
 
Hart and Miller designed Collective Espresso around the barista, who will be in the center of the room. The idea is for the barista to be able to make coffee and interact with customers at the same time. Instead of a collection of tables, Collective Espresso has a bar with seating on three sides. There will be a few tables, some of which can be pushed out onto the sidewalk when the weather permits.
 
Unlike many coffee shops, Collective Espresso will feature different brew methods, such as the Hario pour-over, Chemex and French press. Hart and Miller want to serve great coffee as they create a coffee culture and educate customers.
 
“Hopefully, seasoned coffee drinkers will seek us out, but we want our coffee to be for everyone,” says Hart.
 
Right now, Collective Espresso gets its coffee from two roasters: Deeper Roots Coffee in Mt. Healthy and Quills Coffee in Louisville. Both roasters trade directly with farmers, which is an important detail for Hart and Miller. They note the many human elements to coffee, from the picking of the beans to the pouring of the drinks. They want to feel a connection at each of those levels.
 
You also won’t find four different sizes of coffee drinks at Collective Espresso. Hart and Miller are sticking with the traditional, Italian way to serve espressos and cappuccinos, which means espressos are the smallest drink and lattes are about medium-sized.

While this streamlines the ordering process for customers, it might take longer for drinks to be made. That's ok with Hart and Miller, who want to create the best experience possible for each customer.
 
They plan to open their shop in late October or early November—check the business' Facebook page for updates.
 
By Caitlin Koenig
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A collaboration between the Uptown Consortium and Hark + Hark sets its sights on engaging community members in Uptown in the arts in new, creative, and super cool ways.

Together, they host monthly art events as Modern Makers. This month, Modern Makers presents performances from ALICE (in wonderland) by Cincinnati Ballet II Second Company at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center on Wed., Oct. 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. Modern Makers is sponsored through Uptown Consortium and Hark and Hark, both nonprofits.

“Bringing and highlighting arts and the arts environment to uptown Cincinnati by featuring and displaying different art programs and opportunities for everyone…is the main key of what we’re trying to do,” says Janelle Lee, Uptown Consortium’s Director of Business and Community Affairs and a member of the Cincinnati Ballet Board of Trustees.

Most of the monthly art shows are held in Corryville on Short Vine or on Glendora Avenue, right behind Bogart’s. 
About a year and a half ago, Uptown Consortium partnered with Hark and Hark, an art and community-based firm started by two former University of Cincinnati DAAP graduates, Catherine Richards and Ahn Tran, to create Modern Makers. The second season of Modern Makers coincides with UC’s school year, with different art shows each month from August until June. 

This year’s MM season kicked off with a chef, who prepared food through art. The event was an overwhelming success, according to Lee.

All MM events are free and open to the public; food is provided by a restaurant on Short Vine. Each event also features an interactive creative art project; for example, last year for Mardi Gras, participants created masks.

In November, Modern Makers will present the second annual “Light Up Short Vine,” Wed., Nov. 28—a Christmas celebration complete with lights, a Christmas tree, Santa Claus and CCM carolers.

By Stephanie Kitchens

Mod fashions may have peaked in the 1960s, but they are back, and in a whole new way. Rob Hofbauer and his wife Nancy opened Leftcoast Modern Cincinnati on Fourth Street at the end of August. The shop specializes in mid-century modern pieces, but Rob also sells things that are outside of the time period but still in the modernist style.
 
“You don’t have to be a true purist,” Rob says. “If it’s good design, it doesn’t go out of style.”
 
Rob doesn’t have a degree in design. He says the closest he ever came to one was when he was voted "Most Likely to Become a Famous Artist" in high school. But that doesn’t stop him from loving what he does. With an ever-changing inventory, Rob usually remembers the designer, year and history of every piece in the store. And he enjoys sharing that information with his customers.
 
The Hofbauers used to live in Sarasota, Fla., where they operated a wholesale antique business and warehouse for six years. They didn’t delve into retail while in Florida, but decided they would open a storefront when they moved to Cincinnati five months ago.

The couple knew Cincinnati had a large modernist community, due in part to 20^th Century Cincinnati, a trade show that comes to town every February to showcase vintage wares.
 
Rob wanted to be on Fourth Street because of the numerous architecture and design firms nearby. Originally, he wanted to be in the Lombardy Building, but a tenant had already rented the open space there. The space Leftcoast Modern now occupies formerly housed a shoe store that moved to a larger space a few doors down.
 
The Hofbauers also wanted to be part of the downtown community. They didn’t feel a sense of community or regional pride in Sarasota, and were looking forward to it in Cincinnati. The people of downtown are proud of where they live and want to help rejuvenate it, Rob says.

The whole block of Fourth Street between Plum Street and Central Avenue is rented, which makes the area great for walking and shopping.
 
Although Leftcoast Modern doesn’t advertise, it has a Facebook page with a growing number of followers. The first day it launched, Leftcoast Modern attracted 60 followers; now, it gets about 10 to 15 new followers per day. A lot of the customers that visit the store walk by and see something interesting in the window, but for others, Leftcoast Modern is a destination. Rob says he has had customers from Louisville, Georgia and even Venezuela.
 
The items for sale at Leftcoast Modern range from about $30 to $2,000. Some of the more expensive items are furniture or vintage paintings and prints from the 1950s and ‘60s. Leftcoast Modern primarily gets its inventory from the wholesale warehouse in Florida, but the Hofbauers also buy, sell and trade in mid-century modern items.
 
By Caitlin Koenig
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Fourth is one of the downtown streets that has a little bit of everything. Caffe Barista & Deli sits at the corner of Fourth and Plum. Leftcoast Modern recently opened a few doors down and Aunt Flora will soon open her bakeshop on the same street. On the other side of Fourth is the Lombardy Building, which will soon be home to Marianne Kiely's Everything’s d’Vine, a specialty wine and beer store.
 
Kiely began her business venture two and a half years ago in Over-the-Rhine, but felt the business didn't fit in. She fell upon the retail space on Fourth Street and knew it would be a great spot for her business.
 
Everything’s d’Vine is slated to open at the end of this month. Currently, crews are putting in hardwood flooring, and Kiely has a few things left to complete on her “to-do” list before opening day.
 
Still, she promises to “keep it simple,” which includes maintaining reasonable prices—bottles of wine will sell for less than $20. The majority of beers will be craft beers, with a few mass-market brews such as Budweiser and Miller.

Kiely wants to offer an individualized experience for every customer, plus a tasting bar and delivery service. She also hopes to team up with local restaurants and offer wine and food pairing events.
 
Royal Sapphire Tattoo, a custom tattoo parlor, will also open its doors at the end of October on Fourth Street. A year and a half ago, Rick Potter was getting a tattoo from Chris Sanders when the the two happened upon the idea for Royal Sapphire. Sanders has always wanted his own shop, and Potter wanted to help him get his dream rolling.
 
The two began looking for locations right away, and they finally decided on the building at 315 W. Fourth Street because of its accessibility. As a destination location, Potter says the tattoo parlor could be in any neighborhood, but they liked the feel of the other businesses on Fourth Street.
 
The three artists of Royal Sapphire have a combined experience of 35 years. Sanders alone has been tattooing for 21 years, Megan Dietz Staats has been doing custom tattoos for three years and Brett Hoersting has been tattooing for 11 years. Sanders, Dietz Staats and Hoersting have all been working at different shops and look forward to taking their work to Royal Sapphire.
 
By Caitlin Koenig
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Cincinnati's food truck culture, energetic and scrappy, takes center stage for a change at the first Cincinnati Street Food Festival from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 13 in Walnut Hills.

Soapbox talked with The City Flea's Nick DeWald, who helped organize the celebration and lent his design skills to the event, to get the scoop:

Q: Why is this event important? And why in Walnut Hills?
A: Celebrating first-ring suburbs such as Walnut Hills is critical for the future of the city. The urban core is really rolling right now, but having livable, vibrant neighborhoods all around it is what will continue to make Cincinnati great. Walnut Hills is an area that is aggressively pushing to be the center of the next culture and development boom. 

Q: What makes it different from other events?
A: You can find food trucks at many events around town these days, but they are generally accessories to a larger theme. This event will celebrate street food and have a larger lineup of food trucks and trailers than any previous local event.  

Q: How long was it in the planning stages? 
A: The concept of a food truck festival is one item on a long list of progressive ideas of the Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation that have been talked about since Kevin Wright became the director last year. There is a lot of energy in the neighborhood and city right now and ideas are being put into action rapidly and effectively. 

Q: Finally, what are you most looking forward to, and will this happen again if all goes well? 
A: The hope is that this becomes an annual event in the city. This will be a great opportunity to show the city's food trucks some appreciation. It is a tough business to be in, yet they are all such friendly and energetic people who are making the city more colorful and unique. 

The organizers are most looking forward to showing people what Walnut Hills is capable of adding to the city. If all goes to plan, people will see the energy, diversity and proximity to the urban core that Walnut Hills offers. It will also be quite a sight to finally see the ever-growing local community of food trucks all in one place.

By Elissa Yancey
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Saturday, Oct. 13, marks a big change for the neighborhood of Walnut Hills: Taft and McMillan will be converted back to two-way traffic after four decades as one-way roads.
 
In the mid-1970s, the City of Cincinnati temporarily converted William H. Taft Road and McMillan Street to one-way traffic during the construction of I-71. After the interstate’s completion, the streets were never converted back. Ever since, Cincinnatians have used the roads through Walnut Hills as a highway to shorten commute time rather than as a way to get around the neighborhood.
 
Today, there are quite a few businesses in Walnut Hills, but there are vacancies, too. The one-way traffic turns a great location for businesses into one that's hard to get to. 

There’s a Kroger on McMillan, but drivers can’t make a left at Park Street and McMillan to get to it. Instead of taking the time to travel around the block, they go somewhere else. 

Neighborhood leaders believe that the two-way conversion will help bring new life to the Walnut Hills’ business district.
 
“The neighborhood was built around people and public transportation, not around cars,” says Kevin Wright, executive director of the Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation.
 
The effort to bring back the area’s business district has been primarily a grassroots one, says Wright. The property and business owners of Walnut Hills are pushing for the changes. And they’ve been fighting for the two-way conversion for about 30 years.
 
While there has been talk of lane changes for about fives years, but the physical conversion will take only a weekend. For the past month, crews have been putting up signs and streetlights, says Wright.
 
After Oct. 13, McMillan will have two lanes that travel east and a lane of parking on the north side of the street. There will only be one lane of traffic traveling west. Taft will be the same, but reversed. There was no physical construction to convert to two-way traffic—crews only had the existing 40 feet of road to work with. In the future, Walnut Hills Redevelopment hopes to gain another lane of parking on each street.
 
The two-way conversion will turn the Walnut Hills neighborhood from an auto-centric area to a walking neighborhood that focuses on bicycles, walking and public transportation.
 
By Caitlin Koenig
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Cincinnati isn’t on the coast, but that didn’t stop Derek dos Anjos and his wife Jocelyn from opening their seafood restaurant, The Anchor, on Sept. 14 in Over-the-Rhine. The Anchor’s menu boasts fresh oysters, a catch-of-the-day whole fish and a New England-style lobster roll, all lovingly prepared by Derek.
 
The dos Anjoses are Cincinnati natives, but they’ve spent the last 16 years in New York City, where Derek was part owner of Brooklyn Fish Camp. The couple moved back to Cincinnati with their two young children last August. Their plan was to open a restaurant and share their passion for seafood with Cincinnati.
 
The following September, they began looking for a space for their own restaurant. The Race Street building provided the ideal location: The Anchor-OTR is across the street from the newly renovated Washington Park and a mere block from Cincinnati Music Hall, and in close proximity to the thriving restaurant scene in the Gateway Quarter.
 
Although The Anchor isn’t on Vine Street with many of Cincinnati’s up-and-coming restaurants, Derek hopes it will start a new trend in the Washington Park area and become a destination eatery for Cincinnatians. The dos Anjoses also wanted to be part of the neighborhood.
 
The dos Anjoses are excited to be part of Over-the-Rhine and to help contribute to its revitalization. The Anchor is the first of what will soon by many restaurants and businesses to open around Washington Park.  
 
“We love the urban feel of the area,” says Jocelyn. “It feels like a little piece of Brooklyn in Cincinnati.”
 
The Anchor has a rustic feel but with an upscale atmosphere. The outdoor seating area that overlooks the park and Music Hall allows diners to imagine they’re eating anywhere in the world.
 
As a chef with years of experience under his belt, Derek wanted to bring different things to the table when it came to his menu. The Anchor gets its seafood daily from Bluefin Seafoods in Louisville and Mike Luken at Findlay Market.
 
The Anchor features a raw bar and a boutique wine list. The menu is small and changes to reflect available produce and seafood. There’s a tomato salad on the menu that will be changed to something else in the coming weeks when tomatoes go out of season, says Jocelyn.
 
For diners in search of the perfect meal, the couple suggests starting with a dozen oysters, six East Coast and six West Coast, a glass of Muscadet wine, followed by a cup of The Anchor’s clam chowder. For a main course, the dos Anjoses suggest the whole fish, grilled or fried, with a bottle of rosé. And for dessert, homemade blueberry crisp with ice cream is a must.
 
Currently, The Anchor is only open for dinner, but in the next few weeks, the dos Anjoses plan to introduce a lunch menu that features lighter fare, such as salads and sandwiches.

By Caitlin Koenig
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If you want to be incrementally better, be competitive. If you want to be exponentially better, be cooperative.

In announcing the 11 Northside businesses who have won its CoSign signage design contest, the Haile U.S. Bank Foundation is proving that point. Collaboration between businesses and artists, non-profits and city zoning departments, fabricators and museum administrators has succeeded in producing imaginative new signage for Northside’s eclectic streetscape. 

After a lively competition between more than 20 Northside locales, the Foundation upped its original plan to fund 10 signs and chose 11 for the project. Business selected are:

Casablanca Vintage

Northside Surplus

Northside International Airport

Fabricate

Tone House Music

WordPlay/Urban Legend Institute

Django Western Taco

Off the Avenue Studios

Northside Tavern

Market Side Merchatile

Wirelessplus

The new signs, now being fabricated, will appear first in the American Sign Museum before their unveiling on the morning of Black Friday, Nov. 23, in Northside. Signs were chosen by a jury who judged the designs based on concept, construction and context.  

In five, short months, the Haile Foundation has taken the idea of supporting new neighborhood signage from concept to creation. Initially proposed on a grander scale for three Cincinnati neighborhoods, the Haile Foundation scaled back to just one when ArtPlace rejected its grant proposal last spring. Funding the project on its own with $150,000, the Haile Foundation found itself in a new situation.

“This was a collaborative idea from the start, and a huge learning experience,” says Eric Avner, vice president and senior program manager in community development for the Carol Ann and Ralph V Haile Jr. U.S. Bank Foundation (and lead Soapbox provacateur).  “We were funding a project AND designing it, which is not normal for us.”

The plan – to pair Northside businesses with artists, who would design signs that conformed to City of Cincinnati signage regulations – required building close relationships with city zoning departments, educating artists and businesses through workshops on those regulations, and working with the American Sign Museum to provide expertise and exhibit space for the signs before their installations on the street.  

With its success, says Avner, “Haile plans to share this collaborative idea with granting agencies, other Cincinnati neighborhoods and other cities around the country.”

Find out more:

• Visit: the American Sign Museum now open at 1330 Monmouth Street for a sneak peek at the CoSign signage before it is installed in Northside.

• Mark Your Calendar: For Nov. 23, Black Friday, when Northside will unveil its new signs at a “shop local” event for the start of the holiday season.

• Watch for: Queen City Projects video documentation of the project, so that others may learn from and replicate this collaboration in different neighborhoods and cities.

By Becky Johnson

The University of Cincinnati recently added four new degree certificates to the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning. The Sustainable Landscape Design, Urban Agriculture, Urban Landscapes and Green Roofs certificates are in the horticulture department and focus on green living. The four certificates are available at the undergraduate level, but graduate students can arrange for credit.
 
A certificate in Sustainable Landscape Design focuses on the sustainability aspect of building and landscape design. The Urban Agriculture area of study examines contemporary issues in horticulture, urban design, livability and quality of life, food security and sustainability. A certificate in Urban Landscapes focuses on the role of plant life in a sustainable urban environment. The certificate in Green Roofs addresses contemporary issues in living architecture, while focusing on the environmental, economic and social aspects of sustainable urban design.
 
The certificates give students the opportunity to add a specialized area of study to their overall horticulture degree. Plus, it allows them to enhance their skills and build their resumes, says Virginia Russell, associate professor of architecture at DAAP. She teaches a class on infrastructure and green roofs in the Urban Landscape realm of study.  
 
New courses in urban agriculture and ecology, living architecture and plant biogeography were added to the horticulture program in response to students’ passion for sustainable living. Many horticulture students have done service projects in the community to gain experience and enhance their skills, says Russell.
 
Students aren’t the only ones interested in green projects. The UC Master Plan, which was developed by Hargreaves Associates, a landscape architecture firm, includes different aspects of sustainable landscape design. These aspects have been incorporated into projects around campus, including the sub-grade retention basin near the student recreation center that uses recycled storm water for irrigation purposes. UC also installed two green roofs over the summer—one on Procter Hall and one on the DAA building of DAAP.
 
Russell believes that green living is important for everyone because so many areas of expertise are beginning to show concern for the environment. For example, professionals in medicine, the culinary arts and all fields of design should understand the importance of plant-based tools, such as new types of packaging, a food-secure supply chain and the therapeutic uses of plants and gardening.
 
By Caitlin Koenig
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Jason Matheny and Monty Collier chose an unlikely spot to launch their business, which is tucked in a storefront next to the Waffle House just across the river in Covington.

But when the two Thomas More College graduates found out about a vacancy in the spot, its very unlikeliness seemed a perfect tie-in for the brand they had worked together to create: Modern Misfit Classic Genius.

They opened TK's House of Misfits in June and haven't looked back.

Part hip graphic tee design company and part values-driven lifestyle brand, MMCG experiments with the notion that fashion can be about more than aesthetics. One shirt, for example, features the words "Byootefel Luhvle," or "Beautiful Lovely," in a script typeface.

The company's young founders understand that people who see things differently than others often see themselves as misfits. Only by embracing their authentic selves can they unleash their own geniuses.

"Modern Misfit Classic Genius is an inspirational brand that uses design as a main avenue to inspire people to embrace the misfit and become the genius," says Matheny, who graduated from Thomas More with a graphic design degree in 2012.

"We offer a line that really has meaning," says Collier, who graduated in 2011 with an accounting degree and minors in both art and business administration. "Our whole purpose is to change the way people behave."

Collier adds that the business is about more than selling t-shirts; through the designs, he wants people to be able to express both who they are and who they want to become.

The core values that inspire the brand—passion, loyalty, intelligence, confidence and humility—serve as the basis for the company's first fall collection, set to debut Oct. 20.

Collier says the new products, which will be for sale in the Covington shop, include more limited edition designs as well as crew-neck sweaters, hoodies and henleys.

By Elissa Yancey
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So you’re visiting the newly renovated Washington Park for the first time, and you hear Duke Ellington’s “Solitude” drifting across the plaza.

Chances are one of your fellow guests helped select the accompaniment for the Park’s Walk of Fame via a smart device.

How? According to Amin Shawki, digital marketing manager at InfoTrust LLC in Blue Ash, it’s as simple as opening your browser and making your choices.

InfoTrust took on the project in conjunction with the American Classical Music Hall of Fame and a host of other partners.

Shawki explains how it works. Visit a mobile website any time to see a list of inductees into the Classical Music Hall of Fame and listen on your device to the pieces you choose.

If you visit the site while at Washington Park, you can still play the music you choose on your mobile device, but you can also suggest it be played in the plaza or at the fountain—think the Bellagio, but powered by visitors.

If you and a bunch of your friends want to hear Vivaldi, say, you can all access the site and vote to hear it.

“My favorite thing is the software’s ability to vote up,” Shawki says. “It’s really social. It brings the experience of listening music together out around you in real life.”

Shawki says InfoTrust has been working on the site since the beginning of the year. Employees have been practicing in conference rooms, picking and choosing their musical selections as they tweaked the programming.

While the fountain may not be ready when the rest of the park opens July 6, the website is already live and working on individual devices.

Shawki is excited about the results and what that will mean for Washington Park visitors. “They will have an awesome experience,” he says.

By Elissa Yancey
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Look out, cobbler lovers, there's a new pastry shop downtown. 

Or there will be soon, when Aunt Flora opens "Everything Under the Crust" on Fourth Street in October. Look for the peach cobbler Martha Stewart helped make famous as well as more lunch-friendly savory cobblers, like the chicken-filled variety. 

Aunt Flora and her husband, who she calls "Uncle Flora," started selling pies based on her grand-aunt Flora's recipe in Findlay Market in 2006. They closed their successful Market shop last year because of health issues, but have spent the last few months catering and supplying their devoted followers. 

They snagged the storefronts at 211 and 213 Fourth Street for a new venture that Aunt Flora hopes will embody a "European cafe" feel. "It's such a cool little spot," she says. 

While she has plans to expand into a skillet-based restaurant in the space's second storefront, she's most excited about getting back into the kitchen and opening her doors to serve cobbler, pies, cakes, casseroles and homestyle desserts like banana pudding, bread pudding and rice pudding.

"It's gonna be whatever I decide to cook that day," she says.

The time she has spent preparing the new space has both excited and frustrated her. "I really want to work in the kitchen," she says. "I'm going to be doing some cooking classes and cooking demonstrations."

For now, Aunt Flora could use some design help to put the finishing touches to the pastry shop, perhaps a cobbler-loving restaurant stylist to guide her in creating the perfect atmosphere so that she can focus her energy on the food. 

Now that the floors and walls are ready, she has just one question left: "What do we make this place look like?"

To offer support or artistic services, please email Flora.

By Elissa Yancey
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The Midway of the circus that is the Midpoint Music Festival gears up this year with a fresh Box Truck Festival, produced for the second time in partnership with SpringBoard, Artworks' creative entrepreneurship training program.

Open and free to all ages, the Midpoint Midway features 10 box trucks transformed into interactive installations that range from words of wisdom to art-in-the-making to improvisational theater. Oh, yeah, all that, food, beverages, music AND a visit from Jack White's Third Man Records' Rolling Record Store.

Sarah Corlett, SpringBoard director, says that the Box Truck Festival embodies the creative spirit of the artist/entrepreneurs her program attracts. 

"The intention for both our entrepreneurs and the other artists involved is that this event provides another platform for experimenting with ideas, creating unique experiences to engage audiences and maybe even serving as a launching point for a new entrepreneurial adventure," she says.

Two of the trucks feature SpringBoard entrepreneurs: 

• Magnetic Force, created by Loose Parts Projects, is a moveable, interactive magnetic sculpture made from materials that can be moved, built upon and combined.

• The Hyperbolic Healing House, created by Lucius Limited, offers a serene psychedelic oasis in the form of a biomorphic micro-temple.

Other trucks encourage dancing, remote-control car-racing, striking a documentary-friendly pose and poster shopping, Corlett says. "As we had hoped, this project, in the vein of SpringBoard, is truly  sparking creative enterprise."

By Elissa Yancey
Follow Elissa on Twitter