As part of the Cincinnati Art Museum’s Simply Brilliant: Artist-Jewelers of the 1960s and 1970s exhibit — which derived from a private collection — the institution added some splendiferous clothing from its own holdings, perhaps to offer ideas as to what one could wear with all the gold and silver on display. Or, maybe, for a change of pace. One showstopper was the positively hypnotizing Poster Dress by the late Harry Gordon that depicts a large eye in black and white on its front. It’s a product of the rebellious ’60s, when ideas about everything, including fashion, were radically changing the culture. Made from screen-printed tissue, wood pulp and rayon mesh, the eye was part of a 1968 series of five shift dresses (the museum also has a cat, a rocket and a hand held in a Buddhist peace gesture and overprinted with the Allen Ginsberg poem “Uptown”). The museum is still seeking the rose-depicting dress to have a complete set. Gordon started his Poster Dresses in 1967 with one depicting Bob Dylan. cincinnatiartmuseum.org.

As part of its CSO Proof new music initiative, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra co-commissioned an avant-garde and super-hip video production called The Meta Simulacrum Vol. 1, a look at the dangers and disorientations awaiting us in the future. The creation of composer/producer William Brittelle, filmmaker Isaac Gale and editor/computer coder Patrick Marschke and based on the environmental writing of William deBuys, it streamed for a short period last spring on the CSO website (and then moved on to the Walker Arts Center in Minneapolis). If you were lucky enough to see it, it may still be messing with your head. With a musical score flitting between experimentalism and easy-listening New Age plus images that sometimes had the psychedelic deadpan of the Teletubbies and sometimes the look of a schlocky 1970s cop show, it was hypnotically disorienting. An unseen narrator revealed a secret history of our times that connected German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky, cyberpunk sci-fi writer William Gibson and, repeatedly, television producer Steven Bochco. At the conclusion, singer Holland Andrews had a short song, performed as an ensemble played while wearing scary metal-like masks. It was breathtakingly beautiful. You can still find Meta Simulacrum on YouTube. cincinnatisymphony.org.

If you tell someone that the Taft Museum of Art won the 2021 American Alliance of Museums’ Excellence in Exhibition Label Writing Competition, you might get a laugh back. Outside the world of museum exhibition label writing, it wouldn’t seem to be of interest. Well, you should care a lot and be very proud of the commitment to inclusion shown by the Taft that resulted in the award. Spurred by Museum President/CEO Deborah Emont Scott’s urging to have the museum address the inequities of American history, part of a national effort that became urgent following the 2020 murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, curator Tamera Lenz Muente added “More to the Story” text to 16 labels for artwork in the Taft’s 2020-2021exhibit A Splendid Century: Cincinnati Art 1820-1920. The Taft said of the exhibit that “no century is ‘splendid’ for all people.” In particular, to accompany an 1840 self-portrait by18-year-old artist Lilly Martin Spencer, Muente explained how just 10% of women at the time were able to work outside the home, and then mostly in such jobs as teacher, nurse or domestic servant. Spencer, indeed, was a lucky exception to American norms for women. Of the 11 award winners from over 100 submissions, the Taft was the only art museum to be honored. That is a big deal. Watch for further “More to the Story” labels in future shows. taftmuseum.org.

In December, the Playhouse in the Park presented the final performances of its beloved, spellbinding production of A Christmas Carol. Between 1991 and 2021, it had more than 1,115 performances attended by 659,000 people. Actor Bruce Cromer played the miserly skinflint Scrooge for 17 years after spending eight seasons before that as Bob Cratchit. With its new mainstage Rouse Theatre under construction, the Playhouse plans to assemble a new production for the December holidays in 2023. No word on whether Cromer will return, but for generations of Cincinnatians, him hoisting Tiny Tim on his shoulder for one more round of “God bless us, everyone” has been a fond holiday memory. cincyplay.com.

Cincinnatian Jerald Cooper is a self-defined creative director who is best known for running the popular Instagram account Hood Century (@HoodMidCenturyModern). Hood Century is dedicated to revealing the architectural history and importance behind otherwise unassuming locations — libraries, dry cleaners, apartment complexes, abandoned buildings and more — in Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Mexico, Paris and beyond. Billed as the “streets’ preservation society” in its bio (and with the tagline “Yes!! There is mid-century modern design in the hood!”), Cooper launched the Instagram account in late 2019. What started with him wanting to show his friends the architecture of his hometown became a community of more than 50,000 followers, garnering national recognition in outlets such as Vogue, Dwell and Architectural Digest. Today, Hood Century functions as more than just a slideshow — it’s an art gallery, blog, educational tool and cultural archive all rolled into a single vertical scroll. Other local architectural Instagrams that deserve honorable mention are Cincinnati Revealed (@cincinnati_revealed), which features images and stories of historic buildings to promote preservation; Covington Uncovered (@covington_uncovered), which shares images and tales of historic Northern Kentucky spaces; and Hamilton Architecture (@hamiltonarchitecture), which functions as a love letter to Hamilton and the unique buildings that populate it. instagram.com/hoodmidcenturymodern.

Stroll through Glendale and you might notice the town’s rambunctious mascot — the black squirrel — scurrying up trees or across lawns. According to legend, businessman Thomas Carruthers III brought back two black squirrels from Harbor Springs, Michigan, in the 1940s, and those squirrels had a bit of a baby boom. Since then, Glendale has paid tribute to the critters with 5-foot-tall fiberglass squirrel statues throughout its streets and yards. During the village’s 2005 sesquicentennial celebration, 25 squirrel statues were revealed; today, 13 can still be viewed on public property. Head to Glendale’s old town square to spot an easy handful and get a map and more history from the Glendale Heritage Preservation Museum. glendaleheritage.org.

Victoria Morgan has led the Cincinnati Ballet for a quarter century, one of just three women to direct a big-budget American ballet company. She has been a dynamic leader, championing classical and contemporary works and choreographing some of the company’s most beloved productions, including King Arthur’s Camelot, The Nutcracker, Cinderella and Snow White. Before arriving in Cincinnati in 1996, Morgan was resident choreographer for the San Francisco Opera and a principal dancer for San Francisco Ballet and Ballet West in Salt Lake City. Her tenure locally has inspired phenomenal growth both artistically and organizationally; she spearheaded fundraising for the company’s new Walnut Hills dance center. Her accomplished successor, Jodie Gates, who arrives in August, will surely build on Morgan’s remarkable foundation. cballet.org.

Cincinnati’s freshly rebranded Hard Rock Casino (formerly JACK Casino) opened in July 2021. And, yes, that means you can get your official Hard Rock Cafe Cincinnati shirt from the in-house eatery. Bonus: Hard Rock in fact “rocks” with plenty of live concerts. As with other locations of the chain, the Cincinnati casino is full of celebrity memorabilia. Inside you’ll see iconic keepsakes worn or owned by a wide variety of artists, including outfits from Stevie Nicks, KISS and Lady Gaga, plus you can get a look at Eddie Van Halen’s 1996 933 Porsche. Local artist Jenny Ustick also created a vibrant mural for the space, representing famous Ohio musicians. ​​hardrockcasinocincinnati.com.

There’s a new bank in Cincinnati but it doesn’t deal in dollars, instead it deals in books. Located in a 20,000-square-foot headquarters in Queensgate, Queen City Book Bank aims to provide 10 books per year to underserved children in the Greater Cincinnati area, for a total of 350,000 books donated annually, as well as provide supportive literacy programming to Greater Cincinnati K-6 students. QCBB members — educators, advocates and other partners — can go online to see what books are in stock and select them based on “proficiency, theme, languages, backgrounds and interests.” The organization takes monetary donations to purchase books, as well as physical book donations at the Queensgate building. It also provides tutoring and plans to host author and reading events and even credit-based book fairs. queencitybookbank.org.

Cincinnati continues to up its reputation as a moviemaking city, and those strides haven’t gone unnoticed. The Queen City has once again snagged itself a top spot on MovieMaker magazine’s list of the “Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker.” The magazine ranks us at No. 11, moving up two spots from last year’s showing. The magazine highlights Cincinnati’s downtown skyline and low cost of living — along with Ohio’s 30% motion-picture tax credit — as chief among the reasons for the city’s emergence as a stalwart that has lured films such as 2015’s Carol, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara; 2017’s Killing of a Sacred Deer, starring Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell; and 2019’s Dark Waters, starring Mark Ruffalo and Anne Hathaway. And we saw plenty of celebrity action in 2021, including Academy Award-nominated dream team Luca Guadagnino and Timothée Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name) filming Bones & All and Oscar winner Regina King filming Shirley, the story of America’s first Black congresswoman.

Late last summer, the great Genghis Khan of the Mongol Empire extended his reach to the land just north of Cincinnati. The charismatic 12th- and 13th-century leader was known to crush all resistance in his path as he added conquered peoples to his empire. There was no actual threat to residents of Butler County, of course, but theater fans had the opportunity to see an outdoor production of Mongrel, a one-man show written and performed by actor Adam Tran and presented by Know Theatre of Cincinnati at Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum. Around a campfire in the sculpture park, Khan’s most trusted lieutenant offered some advice to those in attendance. The show has subsequently been offered as video-on-demand. knowtheatre.com.

As one of the largest dictionaries in the world, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary periodically adds words to its considerable archives, updating as definitions change or something becomes part of the zeitgeist. In its October updates, Merriam-Webster added a term that Cincinnati is all too familiar with: “Goetta.” The German dish appears on menus all around Greater Cincinnati, is a fixture during Oktoberfest events and even has its own festival, so locals can rejoice that the keeper of American-English language finally has deemed Goetta — with a capital G — to be archive-worthy. Here’s how Merriam-Webster defines it: “meat (such as pork) mixed with oats, onions, and spices and fried in the form of a patty.”

The Cincinnati Public Library doesn’t stop expanding its services. Last year, the library’s 41 branches — including the fabulous new Deer Park branch in the Dillonvale shopping center — ramped up their menus as the community struggled with lockdowns, illness and isolation. In addition to outsize numbers for annual in-person visits (2.4 million) and digital downloads (4.6 million), select branches distributed over 530,000 snacks and meals throughout the county. Librarians visited with 54,160 students and community members, and roughly 3,000 digital programs attracted 91,347 participants. Information on voter registration, tax assistance and passport applications is always available. Queer Gabby — an interactive feature on the website, where youth and teens can submit comments and questions anonymously and library staff can respond to them publicly, much like a “Dear Abby”-style advice column — offers access to resources for the LGBTQIA+ community. Want to check out a telescope? Need a 3-D printer or laser cutter? Look no further than the public library. And up until a few months ago (they ran through their entire allocation), free at-home COVID-19 tests were available at drive-thru locations. cincinnatilibrary.org.

After almost two years of navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, local arts, cultural and educational organizations are cautiously hoping they can finally emerge from nightmare times with new ideas. A number are at least considering — and, in some cases, already constructing — new buildings or redesigning existing ones. That list includes the Cincinnati Art Museum, which has launched a $65 million fundraising campaign to create a sweeping “New View” of the institution’s main entrance, as well as the main branch of the Cincinnati Public Library, the Playhouse in the Park, the Taft Museum of Art, the Vent Haven Museum, the Clifton Cultural Arts Center, Lloyd Library & Museum, Cincinnati Type & Print Museum and others.

The Cincinnati Art Museum has had an Ancient Middle East Gallery for a long time. But in December, after an extensive renovation, it became a 2,800-square-foot showcase of works from across the Middle East, including the United States’ most significant collection of art by the Nabateans, people who carved the sandstone city of Petra in Jordan around 300 B.C. Rather than chronologically or geographically, these artifacts have been organized thematically. The reinstallation includes contemporary reflections on ancient pasts and new works that might make you rethink how a 21st-century museum can interpret Middle Eastern art. And there’s more to come, as the CAM will soon open renovated galleries of South Asian art and the art of the Islamic world. Want to visit a historic foreign land? Just head to Mount Adams. cincinnatiartmuseum.org.

While most Cincinnati drive-thru (and walk-thru) winter light displays lean heavily on Christmas imagery, Rockwern Academy Jewish day school in Kenwood set up the city’s first Hanukkah-centric illuminated event in November. Dedicated to the festival of lights, “Let It Glow” featured inflatable Hanukkah decor, including a giant menorah and dreidel, as well as blue-and-white-colored lights and student artwork projected onto outdoor screens. The free event also included a soundtrack of songs sung by Rockwern students, plus hot cocoa and donuts. “While Hanukkah is a relatively minor holiday in the Jewish calendar, it is an opportunity to celebrate light in a dark season and to celebrate the resilience of the Jewish community. In American culture, our children are surrounded by public displays of Christmas, and we wanted a meaningful way to publicly share the joy of Hanukkah as well,” says Rabbi Laura Baum, Rockwern Academy’s head of school. “We find creative ways to celebrate Jewish holidays throughout the year, and this felt like a fun new way to celebrate Hanukkah.” rockwernacademy.org.

This past year, immersive Vincent van Gogh exhibits from multiple international presenters have been traveling to cities across the U.S. The exhibitions create all-encompassing, multi-sensory indoor environments by pairing the latest in digital technology with images recreated from van Gogh’s paintings. Newfields, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, converted its entire fourth floor into The Lume for its van Gogh show, on view through May 2022. And now, Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience (from a separate producer than the Lume show) is coming to Cincinnati. This digital “light and sound spectacular” will encompass 20,000 square feet, display van Gogh’s most popular masterpieces and include a virtual-reality experience. As of press time, the location for the show — which opens in June 2022 — is still secret. vangoghexpo.com/cincinnati.

The Cincinnati Opera’s entire summer season was held outdoors in 2021 for the first time since 1971, when the company decamped from the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden to Music Hall. The decision to move performances to Blue Ash’s Summit Park came in the wake of COVID-19 spikes at the end of 2020, said opera Artistic Director Evans Mirageas. In fact, the company had to cancel its entire 2020 centennial season and instead marked its 100th anniversary in 2021, a year late. The opera performed three classics on the Summit stage in July: Carmen, Tosca and The Barber of Seville. The company announced it will return to Music Hall (and SCPA) for 2022, with more fan favorites — Aida, La Bohème and The Pirates of Penzance — and two world premieres, Fierce and Castor & Patience. cincinnatiopera.org.

Walk among kangaroos as they lounge, graze and hop at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s Australian-themed Roo Valley. Surrounded by lush foliage and trees, the 15,000-square-foot walkabout features a path upon which guests can stroll as the animals roam. The path leads to another species native to Down Under — little blue penguins (the zoo is home to North America’s largest colony). These petite creatures only weigh about 2.6 pounds, making them the smallest of all penguin species. Watch them dive and scurry in their rocky habitat, which was designed to optimize swimming time and, in turn, aid their foot health. You can also kick back with a beer and watch the kangaroos from above at Hops, a beer garden stocked with local brews from Fifty West, High Grain, MadTree and Braxton. cincinnatizoo.org.

Just downhill from the building where Baldwin pianos were once manufactured, on deserted land that was just a driveway to a parking garage, Cincinnati Ballet in August opened its new facility, the Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance at 1801 Gilbert Ave. For nearly $31 million, the company now has its own offices, classrooms, a costume shop and nine airy studios on three floors featuring views of wooded hillsides and the Cincinnati skyline. Immense windows make dance activity visible from I-71. It is 57,000 square feet of inspiration for the company’s 26 professional dancers and its pre-professional second company. The ballet’s Otto M. Budig Academy has ample space to train hundreds of kids who aspire to become dancers. There’s also an outdoor plaza with lighting for performances. Word has it that the center is fast becoming the envy of the ballet world. cballet.org.