In Jessie Cundiff's estimation, Over-the-Rhine is the key to a vital Cincinnati. Of course, she is far from alone in making such an observation. What sets Cundiff's faith in a rejuvenated downtown apart, is an uncompromising determination to see that it comes to pass.
Jessie, aged 26, is a self-professed jack-of-all-trades. A photographer and seamstress, a potter and in-demand stained glass craftsman, her repertoire is diverse and firmly grounded in a personal D.I.Y. aesthetic. Soon, Cundiff begins another chapter in her ongoing mission to sow the seeds of community in OTR with the 2010 opening of Mingei, a collective artists' space on Main Street in what is now the Krafthaus Gallery.
"Main Street is the city's heart, not some village out in the suburbs," states Cundiff. "Every successful city needs a center."
Mingei's location is crucial to Cundiff's vision of community. Multiple art galleries and studios in Cincinnati, like so many other cities across the country, have chosen by necessity or sheer personal preference, to exhibit in locations tucked away and findable only by the insider art community. "As long as I can afford it I will never leave Main Street," Jessie states with resolve. She recognizes that OTR and its main artery are in a "weird state" right now. Storefronts are empty, but tenants are moving into rehabbed loft apartments. "The combination of Over-the-Rhine's beauty, history, architecture and soul is unparalleled in the region." Other artists like Cundiff find the areas European qualities especially attractive - including living and working in a place that doesn't require a car. The neighborhood's central location, diversity and affordable rent and entrepreneurial assistance from the
Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce are all helping to drive a new gallery movement along the once popular "entertainment district."
Cundiff is banking on the fact that like her, others will continue to follow. Where art galleries grow, so too will restaurants and retail. This spirit of growth and shared space is one of the values her gallery will come to represent. Not only a space for her alone, she plans to open the gallery into a collective that will allow artists to more efficiently afford studio space in which to create, as well as a location to display their work. Cundiff estimates that as many as ten artists be able to share the cost of a website as well as promotion materials for shows - and, of course, parties. These functions will serve as a way to bring people from around the neighborhood into the mix, beyond just Final Fridays. For Cundiff, community doesn't merely refer to other artists or to collectors. She is fiercely dedicated to fostering an accessible art scene in Cincinnati. "I'm tired of galleries which exist only for the rich. Middle and low income people should always be able to afford art."
The space takes its exotic name from a Japanese folk art movement from the early part of the last century. The underlying philosophy of the Mingei artists exalted the "hand-crafted art of ordinary people." In Cundiff's words this means three things: "Locally made, hand crafted, and affordable." The rapidly increasing pace of technological and social change are well played themes. "We have too many mass produced objects in our life," she states. "One of the most important messages I'd like to communicate with my work is that we all need to slow down."
In July, Cundiff will mark the sixth anniversary of her apprenticeship as a stained glass craftsman at Classical Glass at 1333 Main St. in Over-the-Rhine. Having studied at the University of Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Art Academy, Jessie is now finishing her B.F.A. at Northern Kentucky University. Despite her obvious artistic inclinations, working with stained glass was never her original intention. A friend asked her to work for her father's studio and Jessie simply took her up on the offer. Six years later you can see the results in locations all over the city. Thus far she has created pieces for the Cincinnati Opera, Hughes High School in Clifton Heights, Music Hall, downtown's trendy Nada, and the newly opening Righteous Room on Walnut Street among many others.
Julie Fay, owner of two Main Street businesses, Urban Eden and Iris Book Cafe, has known Jessie for several years and has been a firsthand witness to her passion for both the arts and the neighborhood. Ebullient in her compliments, Fay says of Jessie, "She's a charming person. Warm, sensitive and beautiful. I know she's worked very hard for a long time." Fay cites Jessie's efforts at the Krafthaus Art Gallery (yes, also on Main Street) as "having brought a number of young artists to the Street."
While walking down "The Street" last year, something in the window of Classical Glass caught Fay's eye. "It was a small sampler piece. Every time I'd walk past I would look at it and think about how I could use it. We were rehabbing for Iris Book Cafe and I asked if she could make it into a larger variation." The result is now visible in the front window of Iris. "It has the feeling of vines creeping down, greens, smokes. The rectangular shapes suggest book pages." She continues, "It's perfect!"
The production of stained glass has a history spanning a thousand years. "It's a craft-oriented art," as Jessie puts it, "straddling the divide between pure art and industrial craft." It has much in common with ceramics, which is the focus of Cundiff's academic studies. Both stained glass and ceramics are "detail oriented, require discipline and organization. Working with glass and clay involves the use of similar materials, silica, oxides and metals, that come directly from the earth." The history of ceramics is also quite venerable. It's the oldest art form on the planet. Currently Jessie is interested in fusing the two disciplines.
While much attention is still (and likely will continue to be) focused on the hemorrhaging of talent from the city, there are still plenty of determined partisans like Jessie Cundiff holding their ground and prepared to fight. Having been able to straddle the gaps between high art and common industry, a dedication to her local community and an international sensibility, at 26, Cundiff has already left an indelible mark on the Queen City. Her work will be on public view for, who knows, another thousand years?
Photography by Scott Beseler
Jessie Cundiff
Butterfly
The Cincinnati Opera at Music Hall
Iris Cafe
Entrance to Classical Glass
Front doors at Nada
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