A longtime city leader will retire in October to lead a cohort of young artists for 1001 Colors.
Cathy Bernardino Bailey, Cincinnati's interim assistant city manager, will retire from her $ 222,700-per-year role Oct. 1. Later that month, she'll become an artist-in-residence for 1001 Colors (formerly ArtWorks). There, she will teach a cohort of artists aged 16-24 new collage-making techniques and help them create an exhibit to sell their work.
Bailey was tapped to become assistant city manager in January 2025. Before taking on that role, she worked for Greater Cincinnati Water Works for over 30 years, where she was the first African American woman to become executive director.
Bailey is a self-taught collage artist, according toher website. Many
of her portraits are of women, and her art highlights the culture and traditions of African American families. She also wrote on her website most of her art includes items that represent Cincinnati.
Bailey, through a city spokesperson, declined an interview for this story.
What will she teach?
During the fellowship, Bailey will teach the artists how to upcycle and reshape discarded materials, according to the fellowship application listing. The program will give fellows the chance to "spark nostalgia, stir emotions, and build bridges with other people through carried memory and shared storytelling." In January, the cohort will display and sell their art in an exhibit called "All That We Carry," in the 1001 Colors Gallery in Walnut Hills.
Colleen Houston, 1001 Colors chief executive officer, said Bailey's residency will run from Oct. 13 to Jan. 29, the opening of the exhibit. She said the fellowship teaches young artists how to write an artist statement, price their pieces and exhibit their work.
"For a lot of artists, there can be a lot of barriers to exhibit work, and a lot of galleries don't present emerging artists, especially young artists," Houston said. "So, this is a really unique model, not only in Cincinnati, but in the nation."
As an artist-in-residence, Bailey will have a studio space in the 1001 Colors Creative Campus. 1001 Colors will also provide all the materials for her fellowship and give her a $2,000 stipend.
The group launched the artist residency program in 2021 and looks for artists who use a "diverse range of medium or materials," Houston said. 1001 Colors also prioritizes selects local artists for the fellowship.
Houston said Bailey has a "long history" with 1001 Colors. Bailey's daughter was a youth apprentice in one of the group's summer programs, Houston said, and Bailey was a member of a ArtWorks' 30th anniversary committee, which was recognized on June 1 this year by renaming the organization.
But Houston didn't realize Bailey herself was a visual artist until seeing her work during one of 1001 Color's pop-up exhibitions.
"I think you just never know, you might look at someone in their day job and not know that they're an artist," Houston said. "So, I think that that's a fun point of discovery about Cathy."
Artists interested in joining Bailey's cohort can apply until Sept. 20.
City undecided on replacement
Mollie Lair, director of communications for the City of Cincinnati, said the city hasn't decided if it will permanently replace Bailey. She said Bill Vedra III, director of the city's Emergency Communications Center, had been shadowing Bailey to "ensure continuity on projects she is overseeing."
The City of Cincinnati has two other assistant city managers: John Brazina and William Weber.
Lair said the city had no further comment on Bailey's retirement, but is "focused on several ways her incredible career will be recognized."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Assistant Cincinnati city manager to become artist in residence
