HOF Gallery art-ACTION-INSPIRE
Professional galleries that grew out of House of Friends, a movement that creates opportunities to expand our communities to think, learn solidarity, empowerment & liberation. Art with a focus on “Actions” that carry the weight of social justice messaging & allow for true collaborations, engaging participation & pondering conversations.
HOF Gallery
ART-ACTION-INSPIRE
Currently we are operating & building three community art exhibition spaces:
HOF Gallery Cincinnati- located in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA in the neighborhood of College Hill.
HOF Gallery Kibera- located in the Kibera Slums in Nairobi, Kenya.
HOF Gallery Oasis- located in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA in Grace Episcopal Church & Oasis at Grace Community Space. Also, in the neighborhood of College Hill.
What is HOF Gallery?
Simple answer is they are Art Galleries. The first HOF Gallery to open was in the USA in Cincinnati, Ohio in October 2021.
[Jeff Casto -A World Recreated & Mini Salon -International Small Works Traveling Exhibition] But that is not where the story started. The talk of an Art Gallery that could support House of Friends efforts locally & globally begin in the Kibera Slums in Nairobi, Kenya more than a decade ago. It was to be the anchor for the future Kibera Arts District [Learn more on the launch & purpose of the Kibera Arts District] whose launch was delayed more than 2 years due to the Covid Pandemic.
The Kibera Arts District became known to the public & openly shared when the HOF Gallery Kibera started to be built as a permanent structure in the Olympic area of the Kibera Slums mid-February 2022. A dream that more than a few times during Covid was not even put on the shelf to rest but being dropped as a reality. Deep ties, solid relations & true intentions not with just the local communities House of Friends was invested in & serves but even in a much broader global interest from the Social Justice warriors & Art Communities of the world. Thanks to all that have given us the strength to carry this dream forward, even those small “Actions” & shares of love is what kept the dream alive.
How is HOF Gallery more than just an art gallery?
That is simple to share & explain. Our goals are not to just run professional visual art exhibition spaces but to make sure the space & the art create opportunities to expand our communities to think, learn solidarity, empowerment & liberation. To show Art with a focus on “Actions” that carry the weight of social justice messaging & allow for true collaborations, engaging participation & pondering conversations. To make it a bit more simple- the energy of HOF galley is ART-ACTION-INSPIRE.
The galleries are not limited to the physical walls or space but will curate and organize events in the communities. It will go far with already planned traveling shows to Berlin, Germany; Portland, USA; Nairobi, Kenya; Cincinnati, USA. House of Friends has a long history of Murals & Street Art in protesting failures of society in areas of Wildlife, Human Rights & Environment. Our partnerships & networks bring residencies & visits of acclaimed visual artist, authors, storytellers, dancers, musicians, filmmakers, poets, even culinary chefs, who’s works include social justice issues & messages.
Gallery spaces while focused on quality & expressive art installations will be used in many collaborative partnerships. The HOF Gallery Oasis will launch with an underground espresso cafe, meeting space & performance stage. HOF Gallery Kibera will serve as a tutoring space for students after gallery hours & as a meeting hall for community groups. HOF Gallery Cincinnati hosts not only art installations, but intimate dinners, woman’s circles, book & poetry readings as well as accommodations hosting artist residencies. House of Friends will also be operating art studios, workshops lectures, meetups & mentoring for emerging & established artists and members of the community.
Please Contact us and talk to us about how you could take part in our efforts and make use of our space and share with the communities we serve. We welcome you to allow us the chance to learn about your ideas for future “Actions.”
Past Events
What’s in a Good Deed?
Facilitated by Jamey Ponte
The "Good Deed” - we've all heard about them and maybe even done them ourselves- yet have we taken time to understand how they shape us and the participants they touch. This highly interactive discussion will collectively share what we feel such actions include, what we call them and why we do them. We will explore how the “good deed” fits in the current climate, its relation to justice versus gratitude, and how we can learn from each other’s experiences to have mindful deeds that truly help others and ourselves grow.
Date And Time
Sat, February 2, 2019
10AM – 12PM EST
Location
The Hive: A Center for Contemplation, Art, and Action
1662 Blue Rock Street, #1a
Cincinnati, OH 45223
View Map
Beyond The White Savior
HOSted by WAVE POOL
A collection of works using creatives to express social justice issues in Kenya & globally. Sharing stories of wildlife, human rights & environment to make community connections.
Join us for a film screening of 'Nairobi Half Life' at 4 pm with an open and authentic conversation with activist/artist Jamey Ponte immediately following.
Gallery open until 9pm and coincides with artist in residence Sophie Lindsey's soft opening downstairs.
Everyone is welcome.
Date And Time
Sat, January 26, 2019
4PM – 9PM EST
Location
WAVE POOL
2940 Colerain Ave
Cincinnati 45225
Vision Campaign Launch
We will first be sharing details about this new campaign on Saturday 19th January in downtown Cincinnati. The event is free and you are welcome to join us.
Friends and Fellow Social Justice Supporters.
PLEASE JOIN US
Date And Time
Saturday, 19th January 2019
starting at 5 p.m.
Short presentation beginning promptly at 5:30 p.m.
Mingle and enjoy each others company until 7:30 p.m.