Beyond the Material: Lockhart & Weisner
September 7- October 7, 2023
"Beyond the Material" featured two of Cincinnati's finest artists, Cynthia Lockhart & Mark Wiesner. This exhibition explored the concept of material manipulation, pushing of artistic boundaries and the transformation from the ordinary to the extraordinary.
Click to Watch Artist Talk >
Opening Reception
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Artist Talk
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Closing Reception
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Bios
Cynthia Lockhart, Fiber Artist
Cynthia Lockhart’s fiber art is infused with a kaleidoscope of diverse influences such as: Nature, fashion, music, dance, travel, African and Cultural arts. Lockhart’s textiles are distinguished by their pulsating colors, which simulate the vivaciousness of her African ancestry, and by their irregular, organic shapes and circles. The artist's textile creations, which push the boundaries of the traditional quilt form are composed of colorful fabrics arranged in dynamic patterns. Her fashion and accessories design background provide the perfect platform for creating exquisite three-dimensional artwork. Lockhart's fiber art tells a story-one that encourages people to understand the diversity of people, cultures, and beauty in the world around them. In 2022, Cynthia Lockhart’s quilt, “Created to Be Me”, was accepted in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery in D.C. In 2021, Lockhart received the Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award and her art was featured at the Riffe Gallery, in Columbus Ohio. Her work is included in the collections of University of Cincinnati, Michigan State University and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Lockhart’s work has been featured in “The Artist Magazine” numerous publications and private collections. She is a member of the Women of Color Quilters Network, led by Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi. Noteworthy is her inclusion in the “Encyclopedia of African American Artists”, and artwork on the cover of iconic fashion magazine, “Women’s Wear Daily”. Professor Lockhart taught Fiber Art Fashion, Art of Jewelry & Leather Accessory Design, Masters of Design Professional Development Seminar courses at DAAP, and Co-op courses at University of Cincinnati. Lockhart is on the Emeriti Board at the University of Cincinnati and serves as co-chair for the Emeriti Arts and Culture Committee.
Artist Statement
Mark Wiesner, Sculptor
Mark Wiesner, a sculptor, is a native Cincinnatian. He is a graduate of Edgecliff College in Cincinnati where he received his BA with a concentration in Art and he went on to receive a Masters from the Ath-enaeum of Ohio in Religious Studies. He was a teacher at The Summit Country Day School for 39 years having taught within the Middle School and the Upper School and also served as the Department Chair. In 2005 he received the State Middle School Art Teacher of the Year Award from the Ohio Art Education Association and in 2015 he received the State High School Art Teacher of the Year Award. Mark shares a studio at the Pendleton Art Center with his wife Jan, who is also a sculptor. He is represented by Cincinnati galleries Caza Sikes Gallery and Millcroft Gallery and by Singulart, an international online gallery based in Paris, France. Mark and Jan have five children and seventeen grandchildren.
Beyond the Material: Lockhart & Weisner
February 26-28, 2026
"Beyond the Material" featured two of Cincinnati's finest artists, Cynthia Lockhart & Mark Wiesner. This exhibition explored the concept of material manipulation, pushing of artistic boundaries and the transformation from the ordinary to the extraordinary.
Click to Watch Artist Talk >
Opening
•••
Artist Talk
•••
Closing
•••
Bios
Cynthia Lockhart, Fiber Artist
Cynthia Lockhart’s fiber art is infused with a kaleidoscope of diverse influences such as: Nature, fashion, music, dance, travel, African and Cultural arts. Lockhart’s textiles are distinguished by their pulsating colors, which simulate the vivaciousness of her African ancestry, and by their irregular, organic shapes and circles. The artist's textile creations, which push the boundaries of the traditional quilt form are composed of colorful fabrics arranged in dynamic patterns. Her fashion and accessories design background provide the perfect platform for creating exquisite three-dimensional artwork. Lockhart's fiber art tells a story-one that encourages people to understand the diversity of people, cultures, and beauty in the world around them. In 2022, Cynthia Lockhart’s quilt, “Created to Be Me”, was accepted in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery in D.C. In 2021, Lockhart received the Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award and her art was featured at the Riffe Gallery, in Columbus Ohio. Her work is included in the collections of University of Cincinnati, Michigan State University and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Lockhart’s work has been featured in “The Artist Magazine” numerous publications and private collections. She is a member of the Women of Color Quilters Network, led by Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi. Noteworthy is her inclusion in the “Encyclopedia of African American Artists”, and artwork on the cover of iconic fashion magazine, “Women’s Wear Daily”. Professor Lockhart taught Fiber Art Fashion, Art of Jewelry & Leather Accessory Design, Masters of Design Professional Development Seminar courses at DAAP, and Co-op courses at University of Cincinnati. Lockhart is on the Emeriti Board at the University of Cincinnati and serves as co-chair for the Emeriti Arts and Culture Committee.
Steve Kroeger
Steve Kroeger, a special educator and action researcher for thirty years, uses his current research to focus on supporting voice. Steve is involved in national and international projects including the Palestinian West Bank, and Ireland. While teaching, graphic narrative emerged as a powerful medium of expression. Since the last election, volunteering in a food pantry doing Spanish translation stirred thinking about abundance and scarcity of food. Comics helps tell the stories of people who are doing the amazing work of collecting, growing, cooking, distributing, educating, and serving in our regional Food Shed.
Karen Boyhen
Through illustration and graphic design, Karen Boyhen helps people communicate with their customers with a delightful and relatable approach. Her portfolio includes editorial illustration, illustrated maps, merchandise, brochures, posters, and annual reports for non-profit, education, and healthcare companies. In the studio at Visionaries + Voices, she facilitates artwork and builds relationships. Last summer she led a project entitled “Tiny Cincinnati” with the community while on artist residency through the Contemporary Arts Center. Karen is focused on making art and building creative partnerships.
Scott Hand
Scott Hand is the Chief Brand Officer at Urban Artifact, Principal Architect with Trilobite Design, and Station Manager for Radio Artifact. A licensed architect specializing in acoustics and sustainability, Scott spent years mastering how physical structures sound and feel. Today, he translates that rigorous design philosophy into the visual realm. He approaches brand development with an architect's eye, treating every illustration as a foundational block of a larger narrative. Scott’s goal is to build an internal world for folks: one that offers a rich, immersive experience and rewards curiosity with intentional whimsy.
Amaha Sellassie
Amaha Sellassie is a afrofuturist, peace builder, social healer, freedom fighter, network weaver, student of cooperation and lover of humanity. He’s an Associate Professor of Sociology at Sinclair Community College in Dayton Ohio. amaha is a practitioner scholar and participatory action researcher dedicated towards building bridges of trust, healing historical wounds, and harnessing the unique gifts and talents of every human being as we press towards a just and equitable society. His areas of interest include health and education equity, praxis, cooperative economic development, dismantling structural violence and getting the voice of marginalized communities into the center of public policy in order to emerge structures of belonging that acknowledge the dignity and worth of every human being. He is co-founder and board chair of the Gem City Market, a community driven effort to address food apartheid through a food coop dedicated to increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables within west Dayton.
