Mid-winter days in Cincinnati are typically cold, flat and grey— the perfect time, one might think, to stay in the house, hunker down and watch a lot of TV. But there are plenty of cultural happenings and exciting activities for seniors taking place in and around town in this last week of January.
In today's blog entry, we thought we'd share a few of the events we found to be of particular interest. Call up your friends, or gather the grandkids together, and head out this week to enjoy some of these offerings.
VISUAL ARTS
Contemporary Arts Center
On January 26, at 5 pm, the Contemporary Arts Center will host a lecture, "Contemporary Connections: 75 Years of Lessons," retrospectively discussing developments in contemporary art since 1940, with special attention paid to past CAC exhibits. Attendees should RSVP by January 23 for a spot.
On Saturday, January 31, the Contemporary Arts Center's docents will lead a guided tour of both the new 21C Hotel galleries and the CAC's own exhibits. The tour is free and includes free admission to the CAC, so after the tour you may continue to view at your leisure.
Cincinnati Art Museum
On January 25, at 1 pm, the Cincinnati Art Museum will host a free screening of Frederick Wiseman's film National Gallery, an in-depth documentary about the United Kingdom's landmark visual arts institution.
The Art Museum will also host the latest installment of its popular Art After Dark program on Friday, January 30, from 5 to 9 pm. This free event will feature docent-led tours of the gallery, with this month's tour themed on "The Dating Game," in which artworks will be "matched." Salsa music, appetizers and beverages will be available in the Great Hall.
PERFORMING ARTS
UC Blue Ash will host two showings of Madcap Puppets' Once Upon a Clock, an interactive children's program featuring a "world of enchanting stories with Alvis and Sydney, two kids attempting to unlock the secrets of their uncle's mysterious clock shop. Each time they climb through his magical grandfather clock, they are swept away to a land of exciting stories— each more heart-pounding than the last." Tickets are $7 per person; showings are at 11 am and 1 pm.
MUSIC EVENTS
Sunday, January 25, from 7 to 9 pm, the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music will host a "Modern Jazz Composers Concert," performing works by Maria Schneider, Kenny Wheeler, Ellen Rowe and Jim McNeely, and compositions from CCM Jazz students, faculty and alumni. Adults $12, students $6.
On Friday, January 30, Memorial Hall— near Music Hall in the revitalized Over-the-Rhine district— will host Blues and Brews, an evening of blues music featuring the Ori Naftaly Band, beer tastings from the local Rhinegeist Brewery and food by Eli's BBQ. Tickets start at $47.
MUSEUM EVENTS
Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum
The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum features two special exhibits this month.
"Kings of the Queen City," tells the story of 145 years of Reds history via notable highlights and a retrospective look at some of the team's most memorable players. Artifacts displayed include Chris Sabo's 1988 Rookie of the Year plaque, the final-out game balls used in the Reds' first World Series title game, as well as the ball Todd Benzinger caught to seal the 1990 world championship.
The other limited-time exhibit, "Hometown Reds," honors over 100 Tri-State residents who played for their hometown Major League team, including Charlie Gould, who played on the legendary first professional baseball squad in 1869. The display also features a mural showing represented players and their hometowns in geographic relation to each other.
Cincinnati Museum Center
This month, the Cincinnati Museum Center plays host to the travelling "Mummies of the World" exhibit, featuring real mummies and artifacts related to them, from cultures around the world, some as much as 4,500 years old. The exhibit includes interactive and 3-D displays which explain mummies' purpose within various cultures, as well as explanations of the ways they were created.
This month, the Museum Center's OMNIMAX Theater will also be screening Jerusalem, a beautiful National Geographic documentary film, narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch, about the 5,000-year-old Middle Eastern city that is so crucially important to Jews, Christians and Muslims alike.
There are plenty of activities for Cincinnati seniors this January — whether you're looking to go out with a group of friends, or you're looking for a way to spend time with the grandchildren. Get out of the house and experience some of these event suggestions, or check out the searchable calendar of events over at cincinnati.com and find your own!
