Things are happening at the corner of Chase and Hamilton in Northside.
For the past two years, the not-for-profit
Happen Inc. has been presenting 100%-free arts programming for families in one of Northside's most visible storefronts. Happen Inc.'s Executive Director Tommy Rueff left the advertising industry in 1998 and, after initially housing Happen Inc., in spaces in Clifton and Beechmont, finally brought his labor of love home to his own neighborhood of Northside. Educated as an artist and designer, Rueff was dismayed at eroding arts programming in schools and wanted to do something about it.
"We could sit on our hands and complain or we could do something," he says. "And my biggest passion is to bring families together, to bring parents and kids together in an active experience."
Indeed, passers-by who walk by the Happen Inc. studio at the north end of Northside's business district will see participants of all ages working on art projects, in disciplines from pottery to sculpture and fashion-design. Per Happen Inc.'s guidelines, the studio is not a place for children to simply be dropped off, or for parents to sit by idly, while their young charges work. Instead, intending to "ignite the creative energy between you and a special child," Happen Inc., requires grown-up involvement and stresses a more "plugged-in" experience by logging only visitors who spend a minimum of thirty minutes working in the space. And while the organization preaches involvement, it also strives to inspire it with a unique character-driven approach to teaching their classes (which run from Tuesday through Thursday, in addition to special events and open studio time on Saturday).
"People ask me what I do and I say, well, I dress up like a pirate and teach an art class," says Russel Ihrig with a laugh. Ihrig, a member of the Happen Inc. staff, explains that when the class is led by the aforementioned pirate, a flamboyant fashion designer, or a cheerful construction worker, "it makes it a little more immediate and out of the ordinary for an art class." And though that may sound like a silly way to rope in kids, Ihrig indicated that, very often kids are sold on the class anyway, and the characters actually help make the experience more fun for the grown-ups. "Parents definitely have their favorite characters," he notes. "They say, Oh, I love [resident weatherman] Vic McCloud."
Fred and Jeanette Tacon have been bringing their nine-year-old Ben and six-year-old Autumn to Happen Inc. for the past six months, and have been doing so with regularity.
"[The programming is] varied enough and always entertaining," Fred explains. "And to work with pros in the field and see something [turn out] a little more polished is really neat."
According to Jeanette, the classes also offer something to the participants -- young and old -- that goes beyond the hands-on activity.
"What I like is that when Tommy teaches his classes, he gives us a little education, too," she says, describing a home-modeling class their family attended. "He talked about adobe houses, Frank Lloyd Wright, and then we built our own houses."
As much as the Tacons' praise the organization, if actions truly speak louder, then they provide the best testimonial with their commute to the Happen Inc. studio. "We live in Northern Kentucky and actually drive over here," Jeanette points out. "We like it so much we drove forty-five minutes to get here."
Since settling the studio in Northside in June of 2008, the program has experienced significant growth, with Ihrig and Rueff crediting increased visibility and the strong arts presence in the neighborhood in support. In fact, Ihrig indicated that Saturday traffic often reaches over five times what they would have experienced in prior locations. However, the Tacons are not the only indicator that Happen Inc's success stretches beyond its studio space and the surrounding neighborhood. Between their physical space and off-site events, Rueff says, "We reach 13,000 people a year. And we're planning to spend the next year expanding programming." Rueff has already brought programming to local schools with the "ASAP: After School Arts Program" and hosted activities in community centers and at neighborhood events, and he is planning for further growth.
Presently, that means getting a new "Trainscapes" program off the ground, which will run as part of Fifth Quarter at Northside's
Chase Elementary School, and teaches students about graffiti-as-art, while also trying to instill respect for other's property. After learning about graffiti's early growth in train yards and on train cards, students will get their own model train car to design and deck out. "We're trying to teach that life lesson," Rueff explains. "They get to do whatever with their property. So how would they feel if someone messed with it?"
Having partnered with YMCA, Cincinnati Public Schools and the Boys and Girls Club of Cincinnati, Happen Inc. has made itself an asset to numerous communities who often see fewer and fewer opportunities to put their youth in touch with the arts. In particular, Happen Inc. brings the experience and expertise that might not be available to budget-strapped organizations if they tried to hire their own internal programming staff.
"We rely on people like [Tommy]," says Bob Wallace Director of the Boys & Girls Club's Northside location. "The resources for us would have been much slower to develop." Kerry Ginn, Director of YMCA ArtWheels agrees. "I want to be able to bring in really strong teachers," she explains. "I love Happen because they really know how to engage kids. They're theatrical. They're innovative in what they're bringing."
Now on the horizon is the relocation of the Happen Inc's
Toy Lab from its east side location to the address adjacent to their Northside studio space. The Lab, which is slated to open in its new location in mid-July, will be home to classes and special programs. Rueff feels that a newly consolidated space will be attractive on a number of levels.
"It makes it more of a destination. Toy Lab is all about recycling and up-cycling. We're hoping this will be a green spot where we can teach wind power."
Additionally, the Toy Lab will offer a small retail space where artists who create work in the Lab might be offered the opportunity to sell their pieces on consignment. "I told the kids, this will be for the best of the best," says Rueff. "We'll have shoes and shirts. We're getting them the blank Vans [to work on]. It buys credibility on a whole other level."
To be sure, it's a bit of an unorthodox idea: a non-profit retailing the work it helps young artists create. But at Happen Inc., where pirates teach art classes, kids and parents make pottery together in an open studio, and students learn about graffiti and property value in the same breath, doing more and doing different really should come as little surprise.
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