News & Updates

What we’re building, where we’ve been featured, and what’s coming next.

This is where you’ll find the latest from the Cincinnati Artist Network—new features on the site, big announcements, media coverage, and updates on how we’re backing local artists and building something bigger. We keep it real and relevant, so you always know what’s in the works and how to plug in.

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Artists Are Entrepreneurs. It’s Time Our Systems Caught Up

Supporting artists’ work and lives is essential to Cincinnati’s creative economy

When people think about artists, they usually picture the finished product: the performance, the mural, the song, the photograph. What we don’t see as clearly is everything that happens before and after—the planning, the coordination, the costs, the paperwork, the follow-up.

That invisible work is exactly why the Cincinnati Artist Network (CAN) exists.

Artists are entrepreneurs. Whether they call themselves that or not, they are managing clients, contracts, schedules, expenses, and income streams—often while holding multiple roles at once. They are running small businesses that contribute directly to Cincinnati’s economic and cultural vibrancy.

And like any business owner, artists need real infrastructure to sustain their work and their lives.

Romain Mayambi - Photographer

The Business of Making Art

“I didn’t think I was running a business at first,” said jazz drummer Cole Baker. “I just wanted to play music with other people.”

That realization—oh, this is actually a business—is something many artists experience after they’ve already taken on financial and professional responsibility.

There are material costs, insurance, and supplies, not to mention the cost of living. Those costs aren’t optional, either. They’re the baseline requirements of doing professional creative work. And they exist whether an artist is painting, performing, writing, filming, or designing.

For performing artists, the labor extends far beyond the moment an audience sees.

“There may be several rehearsals... And then paperwork that goes into that—creating agreement forms and making sure costumes are secured. And all of the back and forth… before the performance event even happens.”- Camille Jones, Dancer & Choreographer

This is project management, operations, finance, legal…This is business ownership.

Artists Power the Creative Economy—And the Broader One, Too

Artists don’t just create culture. They contribute to how cities grow, attract talent, and tell their stories. When artists are supported, everyone benefits.

That’s why CAN was created as a partnership between the Cincinnati Regional Chamber and the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation—to integrate artists into the broader business community, not treat them as separate from it.

“It’s really important that we start prioritizing artists as part of the business infrastructure of our cities.”
- Cal Cullen, Program Manager at the Haile Foundation

Cole Baker - Musician/Drummer

Supporting the Work and the Person

The reality is artists don’t just need opportunities to get hired. They need support systems that make it possible to keep doing the work, like access to healthcare, business tools, professional development, and leadership training.

These aren’t extras; they’re the same kinds of resources any entrepreneur needs to stay healthy and financially secure enough to make a living and a life.

So we’re gathering input directly from artists about which member benefits would make the biggest difference in their lives and careers.

If you’re an artist, we want to hear from you! Take the CAN Member Benefits Survey and tell us what kinds of support would actually help you build a sustainable creative business in Cincinnati.

Your feedback will shape what CAN prioritizes next—from healthcare options to business tools and beyond.

Take the 2-minute survey

CAN Featured in REALM Magazine

Tamia Stinson - Executive Director 

CAN's Executive Director, Tamia Stinson, has been featured in Realm Cincinnati. The article explores the mission behind the Cincinnati Artist Network and the role it plays in connecting local artists to paying gigs, corporate partners, marketing opportunities and more—spotlighting what we’re building, where we’ve been featured, and what’s coming next.

Check out the full article.