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Kirsta Niemie Benedetti – Where Life Is Precious Life Is Precious

Where Life Is Precious Life Is Precious seeks to capture the vibrancy and value of incarcerated women through the medium of portraiture and interactive storytelling installations. Through the art, the artist aims to peel away the stigmatization and preconceived notions that often shroud those behind bars, emphasizing the inherent worth and dignity that every person possesses.

Returning Artists Guild – Home Free: Ohio Artists Envision Prison Abolition

Home Free: Ohio Artists Envision Prison Abolition explores the conditions, creative expression, and aesthetic practices of Ohio artists directly impacted by the criminal legal system and who are uniquely positioned to interrogate mass incarceration as a means to safety, justice, and rehabilitation. The Returning Artists Guild (RAG) is a network of more than thirty currently and formerly incarcerated artists in Ohio and across the United States. Its mission centers the artistic practice, processes, and nurturing of RAG artists, and develops platforms necessary to build public support for ending mass incarceration.

Community Joy Film Series: “IF” (2024)

In "IF," a young girl begins to see the imaginary friends left behind as their real-life friends have grown up.

Screenings are free, but seat reservations are required (no-show seats will be released at 2 pm). Refreshments will be available for purchase. The series is presented in partnership with the Worthington Alliance of Black Families and Educators and the McConnell Arts Center, and sponsored by the Friends Foundation of Worthington Libraries.

Guided Gallery Tour with The Returning Artists Guild & Kirsta Niemie Benedetti

Join our exhibiting artists in an informative and in-depth tour of their exhibitions, Home Free: Ohio Artists Envision Prison Abolition, and Where Life Is Precious Life Is Precious

This will be an opportunity for patrons to be in conversation with the artist about the work as they tour the exhibition.

Community Joy Film Series: “Inside Out 2”

In "Inside Out 2," Riley (from "Inside Out") tries to adapt to her teenage years and her old emotions try to adapt to the possibility of being replaced by new, more complex ones.

Screenings are free, but seat reservations are required (no-show seats will be released at 2 pm). Refreshments will be available for purchase. The series is presented in partnership with the Worthington Alliance of Black Families and Educators and the McConnell Arts Center, and sponsored by the Friends Foundation of Worthington Libraries.

A World Reimagined: The Work of Abolition 

The McConnell Arts Center is proud to host A World Reimagined: The Work of Abolition. This program promises to be an informative and thought-provoking evening with the founding members of the Returning Artists Guild, Kamisha Thomas and Aimee Wissman, along with artist Kirsta Niemie Benedetti and organizer Safear Ness, as they discuss the movement and work to create lasting alternatives to punishment and imprisonment. They will be joined by Jess Bain, who has recently been released from Ohio Reformatory for Women, and is a participant in Kirsta Niemie Benedetti's portrait project.

Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers (Exhibition on Screen)

200 years after its opening and a century after acquiring its first Van Gogh works, the National Gallery is hosting the UK’s biggest ever Van Gogh exhibition. Van Gogh is not only one of the most beloved artists of all time, but perhaps the most misunderstood.

This film is a chance to reexamine and better understand this iconic artist. Focusing on his unique creative process, Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers explores the artist’s years in the south of France, where he revolutionised his style. Van Gogh became consumed with a passion for storytelling in his art, turning the world around him into vibrant, idealised spaces and symbolic characters.

Poets and lovers filled his imagination; everything he did in the south of France served this new obsession. In part, this is what caused his notorious breakdown, but it didn’t hold back his creativity as he created masterpiece after masterpiece. Explore one of art history’s most pivotal periods in this once-in-a-century show. Made in close collaboration with the National Gallery.

$12 – $15

CubanOlé (Cultural Connections)

CubanOlé is a classical flamenco show created by Cuban-born artists Griset Damas-Roche and Orlay Alonso. The one-hour program unleashes the senses and allows the audience to be fully immersed in the rich tapestry of Andalusian tradition as CubanOlé presents an unforgettable evening of authentic Flamenco dancing and classical piano repertoire.

Flamenco, an art form born out of the cultural mélange of Gypsy, Arab, Jewish, and Christian heritages in Southern Spain, is a mesmerizing spectacle that seamlessly blends music and dance, culminating in an expressive and passionate display of human emotion.

The show features Griset Damas-Roche, as a dancer and a versatile expert on castanets, mantón, zapateado, and a variety of different rhythms, and styles. In addition, pianist Orlay Alonso, brings his classical training into the duo, infusing the performance with his love for Cuban music. Cuba's musical heritage is greatly infused with many Spanish traditions, so it is only natural that two Cuban artists would fuse their love for Spanish and Cuban traditions into one art form - CubanOlé.

Prepare to be swept away by the pulsating rhythms, the dramatic storytelling, and the raw power of Cuban Flamenco. This is more than a show: it’s an experience. It’s a journey. It’s Flamenco. It’s CubanOlé!

$10 – $30

2025 Judges Concert (Dhvani)

R. Suryaprakash – vocal |
Kamalakiran Vinjamuri – violin |
Vinod Seetharaman – mridangam |
Karthik Venkataraman – Kanjira |

$25 – $35

Arts Enchanted Evening 2025

Bring your heart, your brain, your courage, and your friends to celebrate the MAC in all its magical glory! Follow the Yellow Brick Road through our galleries and classrooms as they are transformed into Munchkinland, the land of Oz, the castle of the Wicked Witch, and more…
Our specially curated food and drinks from Steven’s Catering will put a spell on you …
Explore the wonders of the live and silent auctions and get in on the action of our popular Cork Pull.
The evening concludes with a stunning performance by Sydney McSweeney and a champagne toast.
Individual tickets are $175 and includes food, entertainment, and an open bar. 

LLI Week 1: Paul Beck – 2024 Election Post-Mortem

This class will review the results of the 2024 elections for president and down ballot. It will analyze exit poll data to show what demographic and other groups were most divided in their presidential voting. It will discuss the consequences of the election for domestic and foreign policy, the composition and directions of the Executive Branch, and the balance of power between the Executive Branch and the Congress. Finally, it will speculate about the electoral climate for 2026.

$15
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