top of page
Production Team
R. Alan Wight
Author
Alan is a visionary educator, connector, and food systems leader whose groundbreaking work is redefining how communities engage with sustainability, storytelling, and place. As the creator and lead author of Cincinnati’s Foodshed: An Art Atlas, Alan spent over five years building a one-of-a-kind, multimedia chronicle of the Greater Cincinnati food system. This new large-format book—published in late 2024—features contributions from more than 160 collaborators, including farmers, artists, policy advocates, and nonprofit leaders.
Supported through collective impact fundraising and amplified by partner organizations with a combined reach of over 683,000 followers, the Atlas has reached thousands through over 30 public presentations, eight exhibitions, and more than 10 public art displays across the region. With storymaps, original art, and participatory research, the project bridges disciplines and generations to honor the region’s food heritage while inspiring a resilient and equitable future.
Alan’s leadership embodies inclusive design and creative collaboration. Through his work—as a professor, researcher, and community builder—he has created a landmark resource that not only educates and connects, but also transforms how we see our food system, our communities, and ourselves.
Alan is a visionary educator, connector, and food systems leader whose groundbreaking work is redefining how communities engage with sustainability, storytelling, and place. As the creator and lead author of Cincinnati’s Foodshed: An Art Atlas, Alan spent over five years building a one-of-a-kind, multimedia chronicle of the Greater Cincinnati food system. This new large-format book—published in late 2024—features contributions from more than 160 collaborators, including farmers, artists, policy advocates, and nonprofit leaders.
Supported through collective impact fundraising and amplified by partner organizations with a combined reach of over 683,000 followers, the Atlas has reached thousands through over 30 public presentations, eight exhibitions, and more than 10 public art displays across the region. With storymaps, original art, and participatory research, the project bridges disciplines and generations to honor the region’s food heritage while inspiring a resilient and equitable future.
Alan’s leadership embodies inclusive design and creative collaboration. Through his work—as a professor, researcher, and community builder—he has created a landmark resource that not only educates and connects, but also transforms how we see our food system, our communities, and ourselves.
Julie Kramer
Designer
Ms. Kramer is a professional photographer and graphic designer at The Fairview Agency. She attended the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (‘98, BFA). Ms. Kramer worked independently in New York for a decade to diversify her skills by working with a wide range of photographers, shooting for companies like Steuben Glass, L’Oreal, and several fashion houses. She gained valuable photojournalism experience working on projects with publications ranging from Ladies’ Home Journal to National Geographic, and continued her editorial food photography, working on projects for many magazines and cookbooks, including Gourmet, and Clarkson Potter books. She has merged her photography skills with graphic design as a partner of The Fairview Agency, a creative firm she co-founded in 2010. Ms. Kramer provides creative leadership, managing the firm’s custom publications and contributing to a broad scope of outside publications, events, advertising, and marketing.
Julie Kramer is an award winning professional photographer and graphic designer, and co-founder of The Fairview Agency, a creative firm specializing in publication. Her extensive work in scientific publications has made her invaluable to Humanfactors throughout the creative process - working closely on the front end with researchers to understand design problems, and then translating complex science into accessible information for disparate stakeholders. Her experience in photojournalism makes her particularly adept researching emerging markets and the lives of our clients’ end users. She earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning.
Julie Kramer is an award winning Creative Director and co-founder of The Fairview Agency, a creative firm specializing in visual communication. Ms. Kramer provides creative leadership, managing the firm’s custom publication, Edible Ohio Valley, and contributing to a broad scope of outside publications with a focus on Education, MedTech, and Sustainable Agriculture. She earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning.
Julie publishes Edible Ohio Valley with her family. After 15 years in the world of commercial photography, her lens is now focused on recording the sustainability movement in the Midwest. A graduate of UC’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, she’s a partner and co-founder of The Fairview Agency, a multidisciplinary creative firm.
Ms. Kramer is a professional photographer and graphic designer at The Fairview Agency. She attended the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (‘98, BFA). Ms. Kramer worked independently in New York for a decade to diversify her skills by working with a wide range of photographers, shooting for companies like Steuben Glass, L’Oreal, and several fashion houses. She gained valuable photojournalism experience working on projects with publications ranging from Ladies’ Home Journal to National Geographic, and continued her editorial food photography, working on projects for many magazines and cookbooks, including Gourmet, and Clarkson Potter books. She has merged her photography skills with graphic design as a partner of The Fairview Agency, a creative firm she co-founded in 2010. Ms. Kramer provides creative leadership, managing the firm’s custom publications and contributing to a broad scope of outside publications, events, advertising, and marketing.
Julie Kramer is an award winning professional photographer and graphic designer, and co-founder of The Fairview Agency, a creative firm specializing in publication. Her extensive work in scientific publications has made her invaluable to Humanfactors throughout the creative process - working closely on the front end with researchers to understand design problems, and then translating complex science into accessible information for disparate stakeholders. Her experience in photojournalism makes her particularly adept researching emerging markets and the lives of our clients’ end users. She earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning.
Julie Kramer is an award winning Creative Director and co-founder of The Fairview Agency, a creative firm specializing in visual communication. Ms. Kramer provides creative leadership, managing the firm’s custom publication, Edible Ohio Valley, and contributing to a broad scope of outside publications with a focus on Education, MedTech, and Sustainable Agriculture. She earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning.
Julie publishes Edible Ohio Valley with her family. After 15 years in the world of commercial photography, her lens is now focused on recording the sustainability movement in the Midwest. A graduate of UC’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, she’s a partner and co-founder of The Fairview Agency, a multidisciplinary creative firm.
Bryn Mooth
Editor
Bryn is an independent journalist, copywriter, content creator and editor focused on food and wellness, and design and creativity. She helps publications, agencies, brands and business leaders tell mouthwatering stories to their audiences.
She is the editor of Edible Ohio Valley, an award-winning quarterly magazine that celebrates local food and the people who produce it. Her cookbook, The Findlay Market Cookbook, was published by Farm Fresh Books in 2014. She served on the Corporation for Findlay Market Board of Directors for 10 years. She has contributed food writing and interviews to the Cincinnati Enquirer and the Cincinnati Business Courier.
Bryn is an independent journalist, copywriter, content creator and editor focused on food and wellness, and design and creativity. She helps publications, agencies, brands and business leaders tell mouthwatering stories to their audiences.
She is the editor of Edible Ohio Valley, an award-winning quarterly magazine that celebrates local food and the people who produce it. Her cookbook, The Findlay Market Cookbook, was published by Farm Fresh Books in 2014. She served on the Corporation for Findlay Market Board of Directors for 10 years. She has contributed food writing and interviews to the Cincinnati Enquirer and the Cincinnati Business Courier.
Alyssa Tippey
Proofreader
Alyssa Tippey is an assistant professor in English with a passion for creative reuse and keeping materials out of landfills. Born in Dayton, OH, she completed a BA in English from the University of Cincinnati and endured several years as a graduate student in the Texas desert before returning to the lush hills of Cincinnati. When she is not teaching, Alyssa breathes new life into discarded materials—broken glass, rusted metal, old wooden windows—by transforming them into stained glass pieces, lamps, and other items. Alyssa’s contributions to the Atlas include compiling data on the history of Cincinnati’s pork industry and assisting with copy editing.
Alyssa Tippey is an assistant professor in English with a passion for creative reuse and keeping materials out of landfills. Born in Dayton, OH, she completed a BA in English from the University of Cincinnati and endured several years as a graduate student in the Texas desert before returning to the lush hills of Cincinnati. When she is not teaching, Alyssa breathes new life into discarded materials—broken glass, rusted metal, old wooden windows—by transforming them into stained glass pieces, lamps, and other items. Alyssa’s contributions to the Atlas include compiling data on the history of Cincinnati’s pork industry and assisting with copy editing.
Richelle Thompson
Proofreader
Richelle Thompson is an award-winning writer and storyteller who lives in Northern Kentucky with her husband, an Episcopal priest. A former journalist, Richelle is the founder of Crown Communications, an editing and communications consulting company, and is an editor for a nonprofit publishing house. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her adult children and grandchildren, playing card and board games, and taking weekend camping trips.
Richelle Thompson is an award-winning writer and storyteller who lives in Northern Kentucky with her husband, an Episcopal priest. A former journalist, Richelle is the founder of Crown Communications, an editing and communications consulting company, and is an editor for a nonprofit publishing house. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her adult children and grandchildren, playing card and board games, and taking weekend camping trips.
Julia Glenn
Website Designer
Julia Glenn is a planner, facilitator, and graphic designer who serves as Strategic Project Manager at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. She works across departments on strategic planning, impact reporting, internal communications, conservation initiatives, and an inclusive employee culture.
With a background in design, storytelling, and nonprofit work, Julia creates infographics, maps, reports, and marketing materials that make complex ideas clear and engaging. Her projects range from illustrating Cincinnati’s food and farming heritage in Cincinnati’s Foodshed: An Art Atlas to mapping wildlife in the Amazon. She has worked with organizations including Green Umbrella and the Cincinnati Zoo to advance sustainability, conservation, and community impact.
Julia holds degrees in Environmental Studies and Urban Studies with a minor in Geography from the University of Cincinnati, plus certificates in GIS, Urban Agriculture, Permaculture, Sustainable Landscape Design, Green Roofs, and Environmental Literacy. Outside of work, she enjoys salsa dancing, boxing, camping, and traveling.
Julia Glenn is a planner, facilitator, and graphic designer who serves as Strategic Project Manager at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. She works across departments on strategic planning, impact reporting, internal communications, conservation initiatives, and an inclusive employee culture.
With a background in design, storytelling, and nonprofit work, Julia creates infographics, maps, reports, and marketing materials that make complex ideas clear and engaging. Her projects range from illustrating Cincinnati’s food and farming heritage in Cincinnati’s Foodshed: An Art Atlas to mapping wildlife in the Amazon. She has worked with organizations including Green Umbrella and the Cincinnati Zoo to advance sustainability, conservation, and community impact.
Julia holds degrees in Environmental Studies and Urban Studies with a minor in Geography from the University of Cincinnati, plus certificates in GIS, Urban Agriculture, Permaculture, Sustainable Landscape Design, Green Roofs, and Environmental Literacy. Outside of work, she enjoys salsa dancing, boxing, camping, and traveling.
The Artists & Designers
Alison Pfiefer
Alison Pfeifer has had a lifelong interest in drawing and illustration. She holds a BFA from the University of Cincinnati, College of Design, Art, Architecture and Planning. Post-graduation, she does a variety of personal, volunteer, and freelance work.
Amy Rock
Amy Rock is a community geographer who has worked with cities large and small is a community geographer who has worked with cities large and small. A firm believer in using her powers for good, Dr. Rock's research interests include using GIS to examine economic relationships, community needs and improving effectiveness of philanthropic and nonprofit programs. She has been teaching geography and geospatial courses at Cal Poly Humboldt since 2014. An avid proponent of community leadership, she encourages her students to become engaged in their communities and think critically about spatial politics, community development and the role of nonprofit organizations in our society. In recent years, she has co-authored Mapping with ArcGIS Pro with Ryan Malhoski, and published some of her work on community-engaged mapping projects. She was also selected to the editorial board of Cartographic Perspectives, and, in addition to her faculty role, is the Executive Director of the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS). Dr. Rock has worked on commercial GIS and cartography projects for state, county and local governments, and has also provided geospatial expertise for private and nonprofit organizations. A past director of the Appalachian Leadership Academy, she has experienced firsthand how collaboration is fostered by an understanding of the ways in which geography connects us all.
Andie Ticknor
Andie Ticknor is a designer and researcher who uses her skills to imagine and build systems of equity in the world.
In recent years, she has been dedicated to food systems and the food safety net. Currently, she is a design researcher building modern, respectful technology that enables people to access their food stamp balance via the Providers App. She has also recently worked as an urban farmhand stewarding permaculture practices at Permaganic, a Cincinnati non-profit. She excitedly applies these learned practices in her own garden at home.
This work towards equity goes hand in hand with her passion for art and expression. She engages people through visual arts, writing, film, ceramics, and fashion. Across all these disciplines, she’s motivated by connection through storytelling.
In recent years, she has been dedicated to food systems and the food safety net. Currently, she is a design researcher building modern, respectful technology that enables people to access their food stamp balance via the Providers App. She has also recently worked as an urban farmhand stewarding permaculture practices at Permaganic, a Cincinnati non-profit. She excitedly applies these learned practices in her own garden at home.
This work towards equity goes hand in hand with her passion for art and expression. She engages people through visual arts, writing, film, ceramics, and fashion. Across all these disciplines, she’s motivated by connection through storytelling.
Andrea Sallee
Andrea Sallee is a self taught artist who portrays abstract expressions of her various inspirations sourced from socio-economic/political issues, current events, african american blues and literature. She also heads an honest family of five, and hails Cincinnati Ohio as her home.
Arynn McCandless
As an artist working within the vibrant realm of museums, my creative journey is driven by an unwavering love for the natural world. Each stitch and brushstroke is a meditation on the interconnectedness of life on this planet; a deep breath of slow intention. Curiosity fuels my artistic practice and informs the programmatic experiences I curate within museums, inspiring a deeper appreciation for the world we inhabit.
Astrid Gross Hutton
Astrid Gross-Hutton grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and currently lives in New York City. She graduated from Elon University in 2016 with a degree in Graphic Design and Photography. In 2020, Astrid obtained a Pilates certification and works as a personal Pilates trainer in New York. When not training and designing, she enjoys cooking, fashion, and travel.
Cal Cullen
Calcagno Cullen is a social practice artist, arts administrator, and community organizer. She is a sculptor of institutions and sees her creative work as that of making connections and fostering asset-based community development. She spends her days focused on arts and culture giving and leadership as a Program Manager at the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Foundation. She is also the founder and was the inaugural Executive Director of Wave Pool Arts Center, a gallery, studio space, and socially-engaged arts activator in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has also previously worked in the education department of SFMOMA, the Community School of Music and Arts in Mountain View, California and was the Director of Adobe Books Backroom Gallery in San Francisco. She is a member of the women’s art collective The FemFour, and collaboratively organizes the traveling exhibition and catalog of Women’s March posters entitled ‘Still They Persist.’ She has also curated and organized a multitude of exhibitions including ‘Dial Collect’ in 2013 at SOMArts in San Francisco, ‘Social Medium’ at Wave Pool, a segment of ‘Bay Area NOW 7’ at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and Survival Adaptations at Adobe Books Backroom Gallery. She has been artist in residence at The Center for Great Neighborhoods in Covington, KY, Lo Studio dei Nipoti in Calabria, Italy, Teple Misto in Ivano Frankivsk, Ukraine, and in Sardegna, Italy. Her work has been shown in solo shows at Adobe Books Backroom Gallery, the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, and elsewhere. The majority of Cal’s work involves ‘listening deeply’ to both neighborhood and artists’ needs, and finding ways to creatively pair them in order to turn deficits into assets. She is deeply committed to developing equitable solutions to problems using art as a catalyst.
Carly DeLois
Carly DeLois is a detail-oriented graphic designer with a history of creating compelling design solutions. A graduate of the University of Dayton with a BFA in Graphic Design, she honed her design skills at Formica Group North America and through her freelance clients. She currently serves as an Art Director at Grandin Road, excelling in planning and executing catalog design and photography direction. Beyond her professional work, Carly actively engages with her alma mater, completing portfolio reviews and alumni critiques with current students. With a passion for design that makes an impact, Carly hopes to always leave projects in better shape than she found them.
Claire Long
Claire Long has been immersed in art her whole life. Her mom was an accomplished sculptor/painter and her father was an amateur photographer with his own darkroom. As a child, Claire demonstrated clay sculpture with her mother at art fairs and was always encouraged to create. Claire enjoys capturing the beauty of nature and accentuating the drama and dance between light and shadow. Though based on realism, Claire looks for opportunities to add whimsy to each of her pieces and works mainly in acrylic, oil and clay. She paints for non-profit auctions, commission, friends and the love of creation.
Claire creates at Brazee Studios and is part of the Woman’s Art Club of Cincinnati and the Brush & Palette Painters. She is energized by art and is thrilled to share that joy through her work.
Claire creates at Brazee Studios and is part of the Woman’s Art Club of Cincinnati and the Brush & Palette Painters. She is energized by art and is thrilled to share that joy through her work.
Dustin Bowen
Born and raised in Northern Kentucky, Dustin Bowen is a Covington based graphic designer with a passion for music, mushroom foraging, and starting more projects than he can finish."
Emily Silvius
Emily Silvius is a Cincinnati native and University of Cincinnati graduate, whose work as an urban planner has often overlapped with food access and urban agriculture issues throughout the Midwest. In 2016 Emily founded a neighborhood community garden in Cincinnati that is still active, an experience that opened her eyes to how sharing the knowledge of how to grow our own food can be a powerful and therapeutic tool for building community.
Gary Dangel
Gary Dangel holds a degree in Graphic Design from the University of Cincinnati, DAAP, 1977. He is a passionate advocate for food justice and environmental sustainability. Gary is the Just Food Program Manager at the Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation, where he leads initiatives to address food insecurity, expand a sustainable urban agriculture network, and promote better health outcomes for residents. He spends his time outdoors hiking and exploring the (un)natural world. Gary is an avid photographer, birdwatcher, and artist.
Jamie Stoneham
After earning a BS in graphic design from the University of Cincinnati, Jamie Stoneham melded her two passions for food and design by freelancing while working within various sectors of the food and agriculture industry internationally and in the US. In 2015, She started FarmChef, LLC and created the award winning “Cooking for the Family” program that continues to teach people how to cook healthy and affordably for their families throughout Greater Cincinnati. She continues her design work as a freelancer and Director of Design at Deeper Roots Coffee while raising two wonderful children with her talented husband. Her desire is to live sustainably, to educate, and to harness people’s passions in creating a socially and environmentally sustainable lifestyle for all people. She lives for the next adventure, and delights in the small intricacies of life and the natural world.
Jason Snell
Jason Snell brings the creative thunder with more than 20 years of experience in design, illustration, motison, management and client services. He have worked with major brands including Amazon, Bengals, ESPN, MTN Dew, Netflix, Run DMC and Taco Bell. Jason has also built local partnerships with neighborhood icons like the American Sign Museum and King Records. His goal is to help people creatively problem solve, increase awareness, and create wonderful work in our communities that inspire and excite.
Jeb Brack
Jeb Brack is a writer, illustrator, and urban sketcher who relocated from the East Coast to Cincinnati in 2010. His wife worked for P&G and got transferred here; he liked her a lot, so he decided to come along. For most of his adult life he was a stay-at-home dad, but he lost that job after his kids graduated college. He has also worked as a freelance proofreader, radio announcer, magician, and professional Dungeon Master, but the gig economy is tough on old guys. Currently, he supports his artistic endeavors by working full time for Cincinnati Museum Center as a Museum Engagement Specialist, interacting with Museum guests in every exhibit and blowing stuff up on the Science Stage. It was at CMC that he discovered a deep interest in the city’s history, a fascination that served him well while creating pieces for this book.
Jeb is one of the administrators of Urban Sketchers Cincinnati, a group of artists who meet to sketch interesting locations in and around the city. (Find them on Facebook and Instagram, then come and join in!) He is an avid player of role-playing games (yes, like D&D, although that’s not his favorite) and has been gaming since 1978, long before it was cool.
Jeb lives with his wife in East Walnut Hills. You can see examples of his work on his website, wordspicturesmagic.com, or on Instagram @wordspicturesmagic.
Jeb is one of the administrators of Urban Sketchers Cincinnati, a group of artists who meet to sketch interesting locations in and around the city. (Find them on Facebook and Instagram, then come and join in!) He is an avid player of role-playing games (yes, like D&D, although that’s not his favorite) and has been gaming since 1978, long before it was cool.
Jeb lives with his wife in East Walnut Hills. You can see examples of his work on his website, wordspicturesmagic.com, or on Instagram @wordspicturesmagic.
Joan Trejo
Joan Trejo is a cartographer and coffee lover tucked behind the Redwood Curtain of Humboldt County. When Joan isn't trying different coffee roasts (mainly fruity and sweet light roasts) she is teaching at Cal Poly Humboldt to share their passion for cartography and its artistic value. Along with cartography, she has a deep interest in food sovereignty, food networks, and the way food has been treasured and commodified throughout time. Joan is excited to be included in more exciting work to further tell stories of food, community, and resiliency.
Joe Caione
Joe Caione is a designer currently working at a sports marketing agency. In his current role, he works with athletes and sports organizations helping them develop their brand and digital strategy. He has experience across digital design, print, brand identity, photography, web design, and art direction. He's worked with clients from all over the United States including athletes, media companies, professional sports teams, and universities. In his free time he enjoys photography, cheering on the Cleveland Browns, traveling, and trying new restaurants. Joe currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife Becky.
Josh Pfiefer
Josh Pfeifer holds a BFA from the Art Academy of Cincinnati and an MFA from the University of Cincinnati. He’s been professionally tattooing since 2008. He currently resides in Cincinnati with his wife and child.
Julia Glenn
Julia Glenn is a planner, facilitator, and graphic designer who serves as Strategic Project Manager at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. She works across departments on strategic planning, impact reporting, internal communications, conservation initiatives, and an inclusive employee culture.
With a background in design, storytelling, and nonprofit work, Julia creates infographics, maps, reports, and marketing materials that make complex ideas clear and engaging. Her projects range from illustrating Cincinnati’s food and farming heritage in Cincinnati’s Foodshed: An Art Atlas to mapping wildlife in the Amazon. She has worked with organizations including Green Umbrella and the Cincinnati Zoo to advance sustainability, conservation, and community impact.
Julia holds degrees in Environmental Studies and Urban Studies with a minor in Geography from the University of Cincinnati, plus certificates in GIS, Urban Agriculture, Permaculture, Sustainable Landscape Design, Green Roofs, and Environmental Literacy. Outside of work, she enjoys salsa dancing, boxing, camping, and traveling.
With a background in design, storytelling, and nonprofit work, Julia creates infographics, maps, reports, and marketing materials that make complex ideas clear and engaging. Her projects range from illustrating Cincinnati’s food and farming heritage in Cincinnati’s Foodshed: An Art Atlas to mapping wildlife in the Amazon. She has worked with organizations including Green Umbrella and the Cincinnati Zoo to advance sustainability, conservation, and community impact.
Julia holds degrees in Environmental Studies and Urban Studies with a minor in Geography from the University of Cincinnati, plus certificates in GIS, Urban Agriculture, Permaculture, Sustainable Landscape Design, Green Roofs, and Environmental Literacy. Outside of work, she enjoys salsa dancing, boxing, camping, and traveling.
Julia Warner
Julia Warner is an intuitive collaborator and owner of Cereal Box Studio, a Cincinnati-based design and print firm specializing in hand-crafted art books. Originally from Los Angeles, she discovered her love of the printed word during a college letterpress class at UC Santa Cruz, and went on to earn an MFA in Graphic Design from Otis College of Art & Design. She now acts as creative director and project manager at Cereal Box, guiding small edition publications from idea to print, with a focus on content and form, helping to align message with materiality. As a freelance designer, she also has a special affinity for environmental visualization and maps, taking what seem to be complex academic diagrams, and allowing them to tell an engaging story. When approached by the Cincinnati Food Atlas team, she was excited to contribute.
Katie Jacobs
Katie Jacobs is passionate about repurposing waste, regenerative gardening, and worms! She is the founder & co-operator of Back2TheDirt, a backyard worm-compost business, with the goal of returning food waste back to the soil. In 2023, she embarked as a Watson Fellow on a global journey to study solutions to repurpose food waste and improve soil health. In her free time, you can typically find her out in the garden, hiking, or doodling. You can connect with her via email (back2thedirt@gmail.com) or on the website (www.back2thedirt.com).
Karen Boyhen
Karen Boyhen believes in drawing as an essential daily practice. Her sketchbook contains drawings that generally fit into two categories: observation and imagination. The observational drawings are of spaces she inhabits and people she sees while waiting or traveling, and things of importance such as drawings of pasta shapes, varieties of birds, and ALL of the yoga poses. The drawings from imagination stem from childhood memories and her attempts to anthromorphize creatures. Notes are often kept of the next “big” idea. Other drawing interests include editorial illustration, surface pattern design, diary comics, and making “likes and dislikes portraits” of willing subjects.
Karen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design at Central Connecticut State University, and took illustration coursework at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. She then worked professionally in Connecticut and New York City before moving to Cincinnati in 1999. She’s held positions as art director at a publishing company, and most recently as a Creative Director at arts non-profit Visionaries + Voices, while freelancing for interesting clients along the way in many different industries.
The Foodshed Atlas assignments posed the challenge to take a large amount of data and turn it into visually appealing infographics. The page spreads were designed in a unique way to engage the reader with drawings of people working and/or living, illustrated charts, maps, and timelines. Through this project she was able to work collaboratively with the author and client and was able to provide stronger graphics through the process of research and interviews. Karen is proud to be a part of this book alongside so many other artists.
Karen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design at Central Connecticut State University, and took illustration coursework at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. She then worked professionally in Connecticut and New York City before moving to Cincinnati in 1999. She’s held positions as art director at a publishing company, and most recently as a Creative Director at arts non-profit Visionaries + Voices, while freelancing for interesting clients along the way in many different industries.
The Foodshed Atlas assignments posed the challenge to take a large amount of data and turn it into visually appealing infographics. The page spreads were designed in a unique way to engage the reader with drawings of people working and/or living, illustrated charts, maps, and timelines. Through this project she was able to work collaboratively with the author and client and was able to provide stronger graphics through the process of research and interviews. Karen is proud to be a part of this book alongside so many other artists.
Keith Neltner
Keith Neltner wasn’t raised in a barn, but his art is conceived in one. He is the saloon owner,
preservationist and creative combustion driving Neltner Small Batch, a branding studio
burrowed in an outbuilding, rooted in the rolling hills of Kentucky.
The sons and grandsons of Waylon and Hank are among Keith Neltner’s branding clients. As
are a mash of distillers, brewers and winos.
Keith’s creations take place somewhere between the first Thanksgiving and Die de Muertos. His
skull-heavy works are soulful and disjointed collections of neon, Dijon and Kentucky blue. The
canvases smell like a Baptist hymnal and serve as a backstage pass to Dante’s second circle.
The Camp Springs valley, once one of the largest grape-growing regions in our nation, provides
the soil that has nourished Neltners since 1892. Today, Neltner Small Batch continues to call
this history-rich haven home.
www.neltnersmallbatch.com
preservationist and creative combustion driving Neltner Small Batch, a branding studio
burrowed in an outbuilding, rooted in the rolling hills of Kentucky.
The sons and grandsons of Waylon and Hank are among Keith Neltner’s branding clients. As
are a mash of distillers, brewers and winos.
Keith’s creations take place somewhere between the first Thanksgiving and Die de Muertos. His
skull-heavy works are soulful and disjointed collections of neon, Dijon and Kentucky blue. The
canvases smell like a Baptist hymnal and serve as a backstage pass to Dante’s second circle.
The Camp Springs valley, once one of the largest grape-growing regions in our nation, provides
the soil that has nourished Neltners since 1892. Today, Neltner Small Batch continues to call
this history-rich haven home.
www.neltnersmallbatch.com
Krista Sheneman
Krista Sheneman is a time-based sculptural artist who explores identity utilizing collection, health, labor, and memory. Krista grew up on the bluffs of the mighty Mississippi in Memphis,TN. Although the accent is gone, she still considers herself a southerner at heart. She holds a sculpture degree from the Art Academy of Cincinnati (2021). She currently lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan where she is completing her MFA at the University of Michigan. Her research-based work incorporates a wide range of media, including photography, performance, and found objects to create installations that explore the blurred line between life and art.
LD Nehls
LD Nehls is a muralist and illustrator living in Cincinnati, OH. She also currently works as a studio assistant at SKT Ceramics and a Creative Learning Educator at Cincinnati’s Contemporary Arts Center. Nehls received a BFA from the University of Cincinnati in 2010. If you’d like to talk about collaborations or commissions (or plants, or food!) please send an email to l.d.nehls@gmail.com.
Contributors & Story Sharers
Ed Rider
Ed Rider served as the archivist and historian for P&G for 32 years until his retirement in 2012. Ed is a long time member of the Board of the Friends of Music Hall and serves of the Over The Rhine Museum Advisory Board.
Dann Woellert
Dann Woellert is a food historian and author, with eight books about regional food history. He's been on such shows as the History Channel's Food the Built America and NPR, and regularly speaks at regional museums and historical societies. He’s associated with several local museum and historical groups including the German American Citizens League, the Brewery District, and the Over-the-Rhine Museum. As a food and historical preservationist, he believes in the importance of supporting our local food economy and preserving the stories and institutions that built that economy.
John Zimkus
John Zimkus has lectured and written about the history of Lebanon and Warren County, Ohio for over 40 years. Holding degrees from both Miami and Wright State universities, John has served as the historian of the Warren County Historical Society’s Harmon Museum, in Lebanon, since 1990 and was named the society’s education director in 2008.
Prior to this, John was a teacher in the Lebanon City School District for 35 year. As an educator, he was a recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Foundation Award from the Area Progress Council of Warren County, Inc. in both 1990 and 1998.
In 2006, he was honored by the Daughters of the American Revolution as Ohio’s Outstanding Teacher of American History. John was inducted into the Lebanon City Schools Hall of Fame in 2008.
Since 2007, he has been the official historian of what, MSN.com proclaimed “Ohio’s Most Famous Restaurant,” and what Food & Wine magazine declared was one of the five "Best Classic Restaurants" in Ohio - The Golden Lamb in Lebanon. In this capacity, John has lectured about its rich past and that of the area at special dinners held at the historic inn.
In April 2012, John was recognized by the Lebanon Area Chamber of Commerce as its “2012 - Citizen of the Year” for his contributions to the community.
John is the author of the book Historical Footnotes of Lebanon, Ohio. The work is composed of 29 stories that cover over 200 years of the vivid history of the city of Lebanon. The book is illustrated by his son, Charlie Zimkus.
Prior to this, John was a teacher in the Lebanon City School District for 35 year. As an educator, he was a recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Foundation Award from the Area Progress Council of Warren County, Inc. in both 1990 and 1998.
In 2006, he was honored by the Daughters of the American Revolution as Ohio’s Outstanding Teacher of American History. John was inducted into the Lebanon City Schools Hall of Fame in 2008.
Since 2007, he has been the official historian of what, MSN.com proclaimed “Ohio’s Most Famous Restaurant,” and what Food & Wine magazine declared was one of the five "Best Classic Restaurants" in Ohio - The Golden Lamb in Lebanon. In this capacity, John has lectured about its rich past and that of the area at special dinners held at the historic inn.
In April 2012, John was recognized by the Lebanon Area Chamber of Commerce as its “2012 - Citizen of the Year” for his contributions to the community.
John is the author of the book Historical Footnotes of Lebanon, Ohio. The work is composed of 29 stories that cover over 200 years of the vivid history of the city of Lebanon. The book is illustrated by his son, Charlie Zimkus.
John Metz
After college John joined the Peace Corps and spent 3 years as an agricultural extension agent in mountain villages of western Iran. His first year was one of frustration and learning, and this paid off in the second and third years, as he worked to improve villagers’ subsistence and learned how elites exploit and impoverish villagers. Returning to the US he was alienated by the waste-based economy and plasticized life. He found serenity working in camps with children. To learn more about human-environment interactions he entered a PhD program at the University of Wisconsin. A master’s thesis on the dynamics of beech-maple forests was followed by a dissertation on the farming system and forest use of a remote village in the mountains of Nepal. Throughout his career Metz has studied how people produce their food, including the environmental impacts and the political-economic forces that mold the food system. Over the last 15 years, as a professor at NKU, Metz has studied the alternative food systems of greater Cincinnati, focusing on the history and evolution of the region’s farmers markets.
Maddie Chera
I am a researcher and an educator, with extensive experience in project management, pedagogy, grant writing, and program and event administration. My topical expertise is in cultural analysis, food studies, and environmental sustainability. I have significant international experience, most notably in South India, where I studied and conducted research for my PhD in Anthropology. My work experience spans across the non-profit, private, public, and academic sectors, and some of my recent projects have been in public health, market research, user experience research, and product development.
Sponsors
This project is supported by generous gifts and awards from these people, foundations, organizations, and governments. Thank you for the funding. Our city, region, and state are fortunate
to have a strong philanthropic community.
Project Partners & Collaborators
Thank you to Green Umbrella and the Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council for incubating this project, providing organizational support, and serving as the fiduciary. I’m deeply grateful for your patience, dedication, and encouragement. Special thanks to Wave Pool for connecting us with artists and designers, and for your commitment to improving our communities. Your friendship and artistic inspiration have been invaluable. Additionally, heartfelt thanks to the Cincinnati Museum Center for your partnership in sharing our food stories, and to Findlay Market for your contributions of data and stories that enriched this project.
bottom of page