Calling the Creative Community by Anna Carlson
The Cincinnati community is welcomed to embrace their creative side at The Refuge Art Center. This up and coming art center is located in East Walnut Hills opened on July 14th. Since the center’s season officially started, there has been a variety of events including a musical, poetry competitions and open mics, concerts, a play written by the owner Ellis Quinne themselves, cabaret and a drag show.
Previously a church known as The Refuge Temples Disciples of Christ, this building holds a history. Quinne and music director, Alice Lupariello, decided to honor the past of this building and continue to do so in their efforts to refurbish it. Quinne said “we are really trying to keep the integrity and the history of the space.”
Ordinary Days is the current production the art center is working on. The musical includes a cast of four and a community led team of directors. Directors of the show are Ellis Quinne, Alice Lupariello, Adam Scalf and Ben Stacey. Ordinary Days opening performance at The Refuge Art Center started on Friday, July 14th and rans for two weekends with Friday and Saturday evening shows and matinees on Sunday.
The musical is just the start to The Refuge Art Center's season. All events are open to the public for adults 18 and older for an affordable admission price. Involvement in shows is audition based and audition forms can be found in The Refuge Art Centers instagram bio. Live bands will be scouted by Lupariello and poetry competitions are open to all who choose to share. Bands interested in booking a show can email the art center attherefugeartcenter@gmail.com.
Concessions will be available for purchase during the events which include snacks and drinks along with canned and bottled alcoholic drinks for art lovers who are 21 and older.
As the summer unfolds and the events stagger out, there is one final event that as Quinne puts is a great way to “finish the summer off with a bang.” This event is The Refuge Ball. This ball gives you an excuse to dress to impress, spend a night out on the town, and immerse yourself in a crowd of creatives. A lucky patron will be crowned as the Refuge Ball Royalty. This galla will be on Sunday, August 27th, with a $10 cover fee.
Lupariello stressed how in Cincinnati “everybody is doing awesome things and there's not always a space to do it.” This art center has been opened so that the space needed to create is there for the people in Cincinnati.
To support The Refuge Art Center, donations are accepted through their go fund me and events will be posted on their instagram, so make sure to stay posted and consider joining the creative community this summer and future seasons to come at The Refuge Art Center.