{"id":13841,"date":"2025-01-09T15:05:28","date_gmt":"2025-01-09T20:05:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/?p=13841"},"modified":"2025-01-13T22:37:20","modified_gmt":"2025-01-14T03:37:20","slug":"cincinnati-fail-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2025\/01\/cincinnati-fail-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Cincinnati fail"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I graduated high school, I didn’t have the moral courage to go to New York, which is what I wanted to do. Instead, a friend and I applied to the Cincinnati Art Academy. She was devastated when she received a rejection letter. That effectively ended her art career. <\/p>\n

I didn’t get a rejection letter or any letter from the Academy. My portfolio was so pitiful that the reviewers didn’t bother responding. Unlike my friend, the Academy’s poor judgment in no way influenced my career choice, but I was in a quandary about what to do next.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>Cleveland Museum of Art Opens Renovations<\/span><\/a><\/div>

Near the end of summer, I finally got the nerve to go to New York; I had nothing else on offer. Then, an unlikely event happened. The Academy phoned to ask if I intended to accept their scholarship offer. Scholarship? What scholarship?<\/p>\n

My father, bless his heart, believed college was a waste of time and an art career a doubly lousy waste of time. He had hidden my scholarship letter. The scholarship was miraculous; I felt I had to take it. It had never occurred to me that I, even I<\/em>, might get a scholarship.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>In the Studio Oct. 14 2012<\/span><\/a><\/div>

In those days, the Art Academy was housed in the Cincinnati Art Museum. Indeed, the school occupied a large portion of the museum building. The skylights on the top floor were perfect for life drawing, much like the rooms at New York’s Art Students League. For those unfamiliar with Cincinnati, the Art Museum is in the aptly-named Eden Park, adjacent to the famed Mount Adams. Mount Adams is still known for its quaint shops, popular restaurants, and fantastic views of the Ohio River and Cincinnati skyline.<\/p>\n

This is a photo of the museum looking south toward Cincinnati. Mount Adams is in the green area just beyond the museum. The art school was in the older right-hand wing. <\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>Cleveland Museum of Art Staff Exhibition<\/span><\/a><\/div>

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

By far, the best part of my Art Academy experience was the museum and the museum library. That is where my lifelong love for art museums was firmly established. <\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>In the Studio—10\/28\/12<\/span><\/a><\/div>

The Art Academy library was on the first floor of the museum. Students could visit the library before the museum opened. I loved walking alone through the museum’s silent and dark rooms to the library. The art belonged to me, and I belonged to it. I was happy then, as now, to contribute my small portion to the grand tradition of Western Art represented by the artwork surrounding me. Considerations of harming the artwork were out of the question! I would have fought to protect the art!<\/p>\n

Everything was great that fall except for one thing: I hated school! <\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>Hurricane Sandy<\/span><\/a><\/div>

It wasn’t the Art Academy’s fault. I always<\/em> hated school and really <\/em><\/span>wanted to go to New York. Also, I developed a severe case of shyness in the middle of my senior year of high school. This development surprised me. Before then, fellow students would have characterized me as the class clown, the joker who loved to be in front of crowds. I’m not sure what caused the onset of shyness, but it exacerbated the issues I encountered at school. By Christmas, I resolved to leave school and go to New York in the spring<\/a>, which I did. This decision established my reputation for being fickle and temperamental.<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>Thumbs-up: van Ruisdael; Thumbs-down: Renoir<\/span><\/a><\/div>

I am finally getting to the point of this long-winded post. <\/p>\n

During October last, we passed through Cincinnati on our way to Kentucky. I related my private museum walks to my family when heading there. I’d been back at this museum since my student days, but this visit was an opportunity to introduce familiar paintings to my family.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>Robert Smith<\/span><\/a><\/div>

I get absorbed by paintings. I examine them left and right and back and forth. I imagine I look comical to visitors, something akin to the connoisseurs in Daumier’s satirical drawing. While I was answering questions from my son about a painting, a guard shouted, “STAND AWAY FOMR THAT PAINTING! YOU ARE TOO CLOSE!” I was stunned into silence. Finally, I answered, “Thank you,” which is my invariable response to rude and troublesome busybodies. Her intrusion spoiled the moment and transformed an enjoyable family experience into something almost shameful. After regaling my family with stories about the museums’ wonders, I felt especially cast down. <\/p>\n

As we left the room, the guard said cryptically, “You’ll set it off.”<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>Dayton Art Institute—Fail<\/span><\/a><\/div>

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>Mary Cassatt and the Feminine Ideal in 19th-Century Paris<\/span><\/a><\/div>

After that unpleasantness, I was ready to cut the visit short and leave. You might say I’m too sensitive, and maybe you’re right. But I visit museums A LOT, and this was the first time a guard had acted to me in such a high-handed manner.<\/p>\n

My wife and I wandered into the Antiquities room off the main lobby while my son and grandson visited the special Anselm Admas exhibit.  As we entered the large room, alarms sounded from every corner. The noise was deafening. We were in the center of the room, far from any of its statues. Sitting in a chair against the wall, the miserable-looking guard said sheepishly, “The system is extra sensitive today.”  That explained the other guard’s cryptic message, ‘You’ll set it [the alarm system] off.’ <\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>Timothy Callaghan—Life Slow Still<\/span><\/a><\/div>

I don’t know if the museum is experiencing a rash of thefts or vandalism that might argue for strong security. If that’s it, they have a fantastic system; just walking into the room triggers loud alarms that drive visitors out. If no one visits, nothing will be vandalized, eh?<\/p>\n

As we drove away, I thought about when I used to walk the museum halls alone and the joy the place provided, and I resolved never to go there again.      <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When I graduated high school, I didn’t have the moral courage to go to New York, which is what I wanted to do. Instead, a friend and I applied to the Cincinnati Art Academy. She was devastated when she received a rejection letter. That effectively ended her art career.  I didn’t get a rejection letter […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":13828,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[489,17,139,343,1],"tags":[537],"class_list":["post-13841","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art-history","category-art-museum","category-bio","category-turpentine-diaries","category-uncategorized","tag-cincinnati-art-academy"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/daumier-the-critic_1862.jpg?fit=1330%2C1094&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13813,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2025\/12\/cincinnati-fail\/","url_meta":{"origin":13841,"position":0},"title":"Cincinnati fail","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"December 1, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"When I graduated high school, I didn't have the moral courage to go to New York, which is what I wanted to do. Instead, a friend and I applied to the Cincinnati Art Academy. She was devastated when she received a rejection letter. That effectively ended her art career.\u00a0 I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "anecdotes"","block_context":{"text":"anecdotes","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/anecdotes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/daumier-the-critic_1862.jpg?fit=1200%2C987&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/daumier-the-critic_1862.jpg?fit=1200%2C987&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/daumier-the-critic_1862.jpg?fit=1200%2C987&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/daumier-the-critic_1862.jpg?fit=1200%2C987&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/daumier-the-critic_1862.jpg?fit=1200%2C987&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10013,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2022\/01\/another-canvas-ready\/","url_meta":{"origin":13841,"position":1},"title":"Another canvas ready","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"January 18, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I applied the second and last oil ground to this new 44\" x 60\" canvas. I made the tone by adding a little burnt umber and burnt sienna to the Williamsburg lead-oil ground. I applied the ground with a scrapper as usual. After letting it cure for a few weeks,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "anecdotes"","block_context":{"text":"anecdotes","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/anecdotes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/burnt-ground2.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/burnt-ground2.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/burnt-ground2.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/burnt-ground2.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2962,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2014\/01\/awakenings\/","url_meta":{"origin":13841,"position":2},"title":"Awakenings","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"January 24, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Do you remember your first encounters with great art? I vividly recall my introduction to certain artists--life-changing discoveries that revolutionized my views about art. The composer Berlioz recalled his introduction to Shakespeare this way: \"Shakespeare, coming upon me unawares, struck me like a thunderbolt. The lightning flash of that sublime\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Artists"","block_context":{"text":"Artists","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/artists\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Balzac by Rodin","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/balzac1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5197,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2015\/06\/artless-by-michael-lind\/","url_meta":{"origin":13841,"position":3},"title":"Artless by Michael Lind","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"June 13, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"In his article in The Smart Set, Michael Lind writes about how Millennials are disinterested in the fine arts: \"...Trends in American painting ever since the plate paintings of Julian Schnabel are not a big subject of debate among Millenials. As far as I can tell, very few college-educated people\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "aesthetics"","block_context":{"text":"aesthetics","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/aesthetics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":13846,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2025\/01\/where-are-my-workshops\/","url_meta":{"origin":13841,"position":4},"title":"Where are my workshops?","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"January 30, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Reader lynnandjanice recently asked if I teach or hold workshops. I regularly get this question. Gifted teachers are rare. The first real art instructor I ever had when I was 13 possessed the gift. Her words imprinted themselves on me and unlocked the mysteries of drawing.\u00a0 I experienced something similar\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "materials"","block_context":{"text":"materials","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/materials\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/muchPaint2.jpg?fit=533%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/muchPaint2.jpg?fit=533%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/muchPaint2.jpg?fit=533%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8495,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2019\/07\/podcast-academic-art-and-kitsch-p-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":13841,"position":5},"title":"Podcast – Academic art and kitsch p.2","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"July 9, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"I talk about the history of the French Academy of Fine Art and defend it from charges of kitsch. Artists mentioned: David, Manet, Courbet, Watteau, and Fragonard among others.","rel":"","context":"In "Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Culture","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/rake_08.jpg?fit=1200%2C979&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/rake_08.jpg?fit=1200%2C979&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/rake_08.jpg?fit=1200%2C979&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/rake_08.jpg?fit=1200%2C979&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/rake_08.jpg?fit=1200%2C979&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2Gw6F-3Bf","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13841","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13841"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13841\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13852,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13841\/revisions\/13852"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13828"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13841"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13841"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13841"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}