"The Sky Is the Limit"

36" x 36"

Artist's biography

Ursula Brenner lives and works in Cincinnati where she graduated from Edgecliff College with a BA in drawing & painting. She creates a diverse array of landscapes & contemporary abstracts in acrylics & encaustics, using contrasts in form & color to underscore emotion in each piece.

"Good Luck Chuck"

21"h x 25"w

Artist's biography

Sharon Brown is a native Kentuckian, and her formal art education was in Cincinnati, Ohio. Upon graduation, Sharon worked as an artist for three magazines. Later, she became an art director for a nationally known advertising company.

She's done the artsy thing in numerous forms all her life, but her greatest joys in life are her family and making people happy, which she's learned she can do through her art. To see someone smile or be touched through something she's created is what it's all about for Sharon. People, pets and places are what memories are made of.

"Summer Serenity"

25.5"h x 21.5"w

Artist's biography

Jim Conroy is a self-taught artist, a Cincinnati native, and a retired firefighter and paramedic. He is a member of the Cincinnati Art Club & has shown at Upside Cafe/New Port Art Gallery in Clifton, The Collective in New Richmond, Pyramid Hill Sculpture Par & Museum in Hamilton, and the Strauss Gallery in Hamilton.

"Wild Flowers in the Rough"

15.25"h x 19.25"w

Artist's biography

David Cramer is a retired attorney living in Park Hills, Kentucky with his wife Sally Soderlund. Although he has taken community education classes from the Cincinnati Art Academy and the University of Cincinnati, he is self taught without formal art education. He has exhibited his art in several local art exhibitions.

"Story Box"
Artist's biography

Tom Gaither began his career with pen-and-ink illustrations. He still enjoys drawings, but his favorite medium is watercolor. "Watercolor does so much on its own that there is a ragged line between artistic control and a natural paint/water flow. It is still fun for me to watch it happen." He has successfully mixed the two mediums to produce art reproductions as organizational fundraisers.

Gaither's works hang in museums, and private, public, and corporate collections nationally. He says, "if you do anything long enough, some of it sticks."

"Memories of Paradise"

36"h x 48"w

Artist's biography

Kimberly Gehring-Cook has been Behringer-Crawford Museum's education director for the past 10 years. Previously, she enjoyed teaching reading and art at Covington Latin School for 18 years. She has a BA in English and art, and a MEd in secondary education from Xavier University in Cincinnati. One of Kim's main interests is being out in nature; this shows in her art, as her primary subject matter tends to be flowers, birds, animals, and landscapes. She loves to paint in oils, but has dabbled in acrylics, graphic design, drawing, intaglio printing, encaustic (wax/resin) painting, glassblowing (spun glass technique), ceramics and various fiber arts, as well as crystal engraving. She lives in Cincinnati, OH with her husband of twenty- seven years, two nearly grown daughters, and their hyperactive two year old Rottweiler/Doberman, Jinx.

This years piece takes Kim back to her oil painting roots, while reminiscing on their recent family trip to Florida - the perfect paradise.

"Queen of Hearts"

24"h x 18"w

Artist's biography

Timothy Gold attended Edgecliff College, achieving a B.A. in Art Education, and NKU where he received a M.A. in Art Education. He is a juried member of the Kentucky Arts Council. His paintings have been shown locally, regionally, and nationally. His commissioned work can be found throughout the country.

"I create because I must . . . I create because of a long-neglected dream . . . I create because of a deep-rooted drive . . . I create because I am obsessed . . . and hope I can endure! I create because I must!"

"Winding Water"

12"h x 15.25"w

Artist's biography

Paula Risch Head earned a BFA in painting from Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, KY, and from 1983 to 1998 operated the Risch Gallery in Fort Thomas, KY.

Risch's studio and home along the Ohio River are the sources of most of her subject matter. "The land and the river provide me with an ever-present source of inspiration. It never ceases to amaze me at its constant beauty," she said. "The same river, the same tree line, and the same distant field are different every time I paint them."

"Jolene"

22"h x 26"w

Artist's biography

Jimi Jones is a long-time resident of Cincinnati, Ohio. He earned a B.S. in Graphic Design from the University of Cincinnati in 1980 and later worked for Procter & Gamble for 27 years as an art director and display manager-retiring in 2007 to fully focus on his art.

Jones describes his role as an artist-storyteller. He aims for his work to inspire long-lasting impact through thoughtful, constructive creativity. Portraits that layer deeply personal and historical narratives are central to his practice-he uses painting as a way to organize his thoughts and share his identity with others.
He is one of the founding members of the Neo-Ancestralists, a collaborative group of African American artists formed in Cincinnati in the early 1990s. His artworks often address social justice, exploring themes like war, racism, religious conflict, and slavery, conveyed through vivid, narrative-rich paintings. He works across a range of styles-from intimate portraits to large mural-like canvases.
Jones' work has been exhibited in numerous solo and group shows across the Cincinnati area, including venues such as the Weston Art Gallery, Contemporary Arts Center, and the National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center. He has also exhibited at the Springfield Museum of Art, including in the "Faces & Stories" exhibit.

"Resting"

16"h x 12"w

Artist's biography

Jayne Kennedy received her BFA in Art and Technology from Ohio State University in 2018. Her painting practice is a meditation on the beauty of nature with a focus on sweeping vistas and cloudscapes. She also enjoys documenting native flora and using them as subjects for representative studies, often stripping them of their environmental context to encourage curiosity in the viewer.

"My Favorite Color Is Purple"

14.5" x 14.5"

Artist's biography

Cynthia Kukla has a BFA in painting from the Art Institute of Chicago, IL and a MFA in painting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her works have been exhibited on four continents in over 50 solo shows and nearly 300 curated/ group exhibitions.

Residencies include Hungary, Vermont Virginia, New York and Illinois. Other grants took her to Poland, Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland and Taiwan. Commissions include the Spurlock Museum of World Culture, and the University of Illinois.

"Basking"

29.25"h x 25.25"w

Artist's biography

Christine Moore graduated from the Columbus College of Art & Design 36 years ago, but her life's path as an artist started only a few years ago. She primarily paints landscapes in oil, preferring to paint en plein air, because she likes the immediacy of painting outdoors, the energy that comes from capturing the light & shadows before they shift, & most importantly noticing the subtle changes in color only her eyes can see.

"Those subtleties are not captured with the use of a camera and/or using photo references, as the camera tends to condense the visual information. I do not intend to replicate what a camera does so easily & effortlessly. My intention is to express how I see & feel as I am experiencing the landscape before me."

"Band Shell Under Fog"

28"h x 32"w

Artist's biography

Anthony Nassano is an artist currently living in Park Hills, KY. He earned a BFA in Fine Arts from the Art Academy of Cincinnati, and also hold an associate degree in Graphic Imaging Technology.

He enjoys creating unique pieces of art and paintings and is inspired by the process of creating artwork and bringing ideas to life through many mediums and techniques. Anthony has experience painting with watercolor, acrylic, oils, among many others. He often utilizes multiple layers, matte, high gloss finishes, iridescent, and metallic sheen finishes.

He is also inspired by nature and finds ideas and color compositions from the beauty of our world around us.

"Summer Greens of Behringer-Crawford"

9.5" h x 11.5"w

Artist's biography

Kimberly has always had a love of nature. Growing up in rural Northern Kentucky, she spent many hours on her grandparents' farm hiking, taking photographs, and discovering the beauty of the Ohio River Valley countryside. As a result of this influence, she gained an appreciation for nature and the landscape.

Now spending time between Kentucky and Southern Florida, she teaches workshops to help others reach their painting goals in watercolor or oil. Kim has been selling her work for over 30 years and teaching workshops since 2008.

"Ellie in the Shade"

14"h x 11"w

Artist's biography

Anissa Pulcheon is an artist, teacher, and organizer in Cincinnati, Ohio creating murals and arts programming. She is dedicated to arts accessibility and the importance of community expression.

In her painting practice, she searches for softness in chaos, reminders of resiliency, and weird, otherworldly forms.

Anissa is 1/3rd of Enodia Studio, and also a co-founder and board member of Girls Rock Cincinnati, a summer music camp for gender-expansive teens.

"Bluebird on a Stump"

22"h x 18"w

Artist's Biography

Pattie Purnell is a 2nd generation artist with a passion for art since childhood. She is skilled in pen and ink illustration, architectural renderings of homes/historic buildings, silhouette portraits, watercolor/acrylic portraits and landscape paintings. Inspiration from her artist-father, Don Huff, has led her to pursue a successful career in art.

Pattie has a background in graphic design with an associate degree from Gateway College, studied at Northern Kentucky University and Baker Hunt. She worked in the Lettering Department of Gibson Greetings; United Way Marketing Dept. as a graphic designer; and a freelance artist producing graphic design, paintings and illustrations. She also illustrated several books, and taught painting and silhouette cutting classes. She is the artist, business owner, and marketing director for Silhouette Studio and Don Huff Fine Art Studio, which does art commissions, and appears at many arts shows, festivals and exhibitions in the greater Cincinnati area.

"Rooted Resilience"

48"h x 36"w

Artist's biography

Linnoir Bischoff-Rich's art has been described as "urban, surreal, folk." She said she has always found herself drawn to and inspired by nature and Latin American culture, which are evident influences in her artwork.

For many years, Linnoir has been actively creating art that has been exhibited in galleries, art walks and festivals around the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area. She has local collectors and followers of her artwork. She is also a graphic designer and creates music and art posters for local venues and festivals.

"Great Horned Owl"

28.5"h x (approx.) 14"w

Artist's biography

Chris is a native of Northern Kentucky. He grew up in Camp Springs where he attended Saint Joseph Grade School and later Campbell County High School. He attended Northern Kentucky University, University of Cincinnati, and Gateway Community College. Chris is married to Stacey Sprague-Rust and they have three boys: Chay, Connor, and Curtis. They currently reside in Fort Thomas.

Chris has always been creative and has worked in many media including painting and drawing. Chris began carving when his mother asked him to carve a bear for her. Then he took a break from carving for a few years, but started carving again while building trails in Fort Thomas' Highland Hills Park in 2015. Chris helped expand the trails only to discover that a number of large dead ash trees had to be removed for safety. The remaining stumps became the canvas for the occasional carving. Those carvings still adorn the trails. As the number of carvings grew, so did the interest from people who wanted carvings of their own. At that point the hobby became a business and CR Carving was born in 2020.

"Silver Lining Poppies"

25.5"h x 21.5"w

Artist's biography

Jacqueline Schreiver is a commercial and residential decorative painter with over 20 years of experience. Projects in Cincinnati include the ceiling in the main dining room of Restaurant L and assisting in the decorative painting renovations of historic Alberly Hall in Indian Hill. Jacqueline has painted in many private homes in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Canada and Italy. Jacqueline lives in Edgewood with her husband Dave, and dogs: Poe and Cruise.

"The Roots of Life"

48"h x 36"w

Artist's biography

Christian Sitili Wane is from Kinshasa, Congo. French is his native language, and he is in the beginning stages of learning English. He studied art in Kinshasa at AcadÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ''Ã'Ã'©mie des Beaux-Arts, before moving to the United States a little over three years ago. He currently resides in Florence, Kentucky. Christian's work is exhibited at Moondawg's Studio in Newport, KY.

"Sunday in the Park"

18"h x 22"w

Artist's biography

Sherri is a lifelong Newport, KY resident. In addition to being an artist, she is also very involved in her city and neighborhood work. Family is also a high priority. Art has always been her passion. She is a self taught artist that has a love to learn. She's always looking to try a new technique or medium by continually taking classes. Subject matter isn't restricted to one topic, instead she is always looking for beauty in the world. Sometimes her work can be realistic and then there may be an impressionistic or abstract style landscape or floral. Sherri has been working as an artist for over fifteen years. To her, art is a form of meditation that she works on daily.

"Sphere 2"

41"h x 29"w

Artist's Biography

Billy Tackett began "splattering" with his bare fingers to enjoy the organic nature of his work and to eliminate brushes. The technique started out with landscapes and florals but was eventually mastered and expanded into portraiture and installation pieces.

"Each painting provides a new opportunity for me to eschew long-favored artistic practices and drives me to create my signature style," he said. "Faces emerge, fantastical images appear, and highly textured paintings and portraits that engage the public take shape. My art now represents a strong defiance of the traditional two-dimensional painting."

"I Make Myself Rich by Making my Wants Few"

10"h x 30"w

Artist's Biography

After relocating to Northern Kentucky over twenty-one years ago I quickly adopted the area as home. Being surrounded by fine art it naturally became an important part of my life. As a young adult I turned to photography and enjoyed a brief career as a photographer, but after tiring of portraits and a studio atmosphere, I decided it was best a hobby while I focused on other pursuits.

I remained creative and explored other techniques. Using non-traditional media to create beautiful works of art became a preferred, if unexpected, theme in my work. Finally, I discovered acrylics, incorporating found objects as an alternative method of applying mediums to my canvas. Simple household items became assistants to my brushes and palette knives. My art is a collision of texture and color, evoking feelings of deep thought and positivity. I focus and plan every painting before I ever pick up my brush. Every piece is a tiny adventure awaiting the right explorer to come along. From creations that make you do a double takeââ'¬Ã'¦to art that reinvigorates your appreciation for the mystique. I hope to bring a smile to your face and warmth to your heart!"

Heather incorporates sound waves as the basic images in her paintings.

"Waiting Susans"

20"h x 16"w

Artist's biography

Ellie Wallace (she/they) is a fine artist and muralist based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Their work varies between medium to large scale oil paintings and writing, while exploring themes of identity, memory, and relationships to the natural world. They finished their BFA at the Art Academy of Cincinnati in 2023 with a focus in painting and drawing, print media, and creative writing.

"Cattails by Prisoners Lake"

20.5"h x 16.5"w

Artist's biography

Pamela Yahl took art classes when she was in grade school from Eileen McCarthy, but did not get serious until she graduated from high school, when she went to Capito's School of Art in Walton, KY, studying graphic arts.

Pam has worked in several companies over the years. The most memorable was GameMaster for 18 years, where she did photography, designed catalogs, created line art and ads, while still pursuing painting on the side.

Her inspiration comes from the things God places before her. She mostly use acrylic and has recently started to experiment in color pencils and watercolor.

Pamela's goal is to become as good as she can at using all the different types of mediums. When she find one or two she likes, she will pursue becoming fluent in it.

Interested buyers can contact her at pam19082@gmail.com or by calling 513-678-1633 and leaving a message.

Wolfgang Ritschel

Art from the Heart

Dr. Wolfgang A. Ritschel worked closely with Behringer-Crawford Museum since the first freshART. Born in Austria, Dr. Ritschel served as a teaching physician and was a widely-acclaimed researcher at the UC College of Medicine. His seminal work in enhanced color perception at high altitudes resulted in the viviid colors seen in many of his paintings.

Wolfgang and his wife, Dr. Ingrid Ritschel, adopted BCM as a very special place and have supported it in many ways. When Wolfgang was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2009, Wolfgang and Ingrid proposed a new category for freshART, called "Art From The Heart," and pledged 100 of Wolfgang's life retrospective works, an extremely valuable collection, as a donation to the museum with the stipulation that 50 be set aside, with one to be sold at freshART each year to benefit the museum.