CMF Outdoor Museum, Washington Park, 2021. Photo: Frank D Young,

Cincinnati Music Festival, one of the biggest weekends in Cincinnati, is about much more than music.

The celebration of culture and community includes an unexpected component, The CMF Outdoor Museum. This outdoor public art exhibition in Washington Park, developed by ArtsWave, featured works from six regional artists, each paired with an apprentice, that celebrate iconic music legends.

The exhibition, “Rhythm & Renaissance: A Visual Celebration of Legends.” focuses on celebrating artistic lineage by memorializing musical icons while highlighting relationships between local artists and their apprentices. The paintings were all created live during a special event in the park last week, adding to the park’s “Friday Flow” program.

The featured artist-apprentice pairs and their musical inspirations this year are

Javarri Lewis with apprentice Jace Lewis, inspired by Frankie Beverly
April Sunami with apprentice Nine Wells, inspired by Angie Stone
Erin Smith with apprentice Zipporah Arrington-Bey, inspired by Roberta Flack
Hannah Jones “Jonesy” with apprentice Sarah Hunter, inspired by Aretha Franklin
Gift Mayambi, with apprentice Romain Mayambi, inspired by Tina Turner
See Drye (Christian Dryer) with apprentice Julian Sorrells, inspired by Fred White of Earth, Wind & Fire

ArtsWave funded the artists through the support of the over 20,000 gifts to the 2025 ArtsWave Community Campaign that finished in May. Art curation was being handled by AGAR, with recommendations from a core team of artists.

P&G, the long-time presenting sponsor of the Cincinnati Music Festival (CMF), ArtsWave, the engine for the Cincinnati region’s arts, and the Cincinnati/Dayton division of Kroger, have partnered to create this unique experience where art creation and live music combine in one vibrant setting. The artwork will remain in Washington Park for a few more weeks, then move to Court Street for additional time on exhibit.

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True to Form