Macy's Art Sampler Returns to Cincinnati, 2/27

The Macy's Arts Sampler, presented by ArtsWave, returns February 27 and 28, 2016, celebrating its 30th year connecting people to the remarkably broad spectrum of arts opportunities in Cincinnati and the region.

The free annual festival is expected to attract over 12,000 people and will showcase the talents of 87 arts organizations and enable thousands of Greater Cincinnatians of all ages to experience arts activities and performances in their communities and beyond. Generously sponsored by Macy's, the Arts Sampler brings events to more than 30 venues across the region on Saturday, February 27, and fills Cincinnati's historic Music Hall with performances and hands-on programs for children and adults onSunday, February 28. The event concludes with a special collaborative family-friendly concert featuring the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera, and the May Festival Chorus.

"The arts are a vibrant part of our culture here in Cincinnati, and the free Macy's Arts Sampler, which we're honored to support, is an outstanding opportunity to learn more about what our diverse arts organizations have to offer," said Jenna McHugh, Macy's vice president for corporate giving. "We encourage everyone to enjoy the festival and celebrate our region's amazing arts."

Find a complete schedule of events at www.theartswave.org/sampler or onCincyArtsGuide.com. There is a Macy's Arts Sampler 2016 app available athttps://macysartssampler.quickmobile.mobi/

Presented under the auspices of ArtsWave, the nation's oldest and largest public arts fund, the Arts Sampler weekend started in 1986, as a one-time event to provide free access to the arts in Cincinnati (where few places provided free admission at the time), and to acknowledge the support of the 30,000 community donors who had raised $4 million dollars to support a handful of arts organizations. Three decades later, Arts Sampler has become a beloved annual event and 43,000 community donors have raised over $12.45 million in the past year to support more than 100 arts organizations in Greater Cincinnati, providing grants and other resources. In addition, a significant number of arts organizations in Cincinnati now offer free admission or free programming for the community on a regular basis.

"We know that the arts have the power to deepen people's roots in our region and enliven our neighborhoods," says ArtsWave CEO Alecia Kintner. "For three decades, ArtsWave has been connecting people with the amazing arts experiences available in Greater Cincinnati."

Macy's Arts Sampler is just one way ArtsWave engages people with Greater Cincinnati's thriving arts organizations. ArtsWave presents arts performances and activities in a variety of venues year-round and, in 2015, launched www.CincyArtsGuide.com, a comprehensive, searchable online calendar of the region's arts events.

For more information about ArtsWave and the 2016 Community Campaign, visitwww.theartswave.org.

About ArtsWave:

With the help of tens of thousands of donors, ArtsWave supports the work of more than 100 arts organizations making an impact in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky metro region. As a leader for the arts sector and the community, ArtsWave awards impact-based grants to major institutions, community arts centers and smaller cultural organizations. Our Blueprint for Collective Action for the Arts is supported by an evolving process of establishing standard metrics for the arts and how they affect our economy and shape our community, collecting data from our arts partners, and tracking and augmenting key activity areas we believe contribute to the broad outcomes of a More Vibrant Economy and More Connected Community through the arts.

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