Gee Horton
Gee Horton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Years active | 2020 - Present |
| Notable work | Coming of Age series, The Baobob Project, BLINK 2024 Mural Series |
| Website | https://www.geehorton.com/ |
Gee Horton (/dʒi ˈhɔːrtən/) is an American contemporary artist based in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is recognized for his graphite and charcoal portraiture, as well as mixed-media works that address themes of identity, memory, and emotional experience. Horton's practice often integrates photorealistic drawing with archival materials and installation, focusing on aspects of Black adolescence and masculinity.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Horton was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He earned a Bachelor of Psychology from Thomas More University in 2006 and a Master of Social Work from the University of Louisville in 2008. His academic training in psychology and trauma theory has influenced his approach to art. Horton transitioned from a corporate career to full-time art practice in 2020.[2]
Work
[edit]In 2020, Horton began the "Coming of Age" portrait series and received ArtsWave's Truth and Reconciliation Grant.[3] He also launched The Baobab Project, a space for Black men to explore vulnerability and personal narratives through visual storytelling.[4] During this period, Horton served as an artist-in-residence at the Mercantile Library of Cincinnati, where he produced a portrait of abolitionist Peter H. Clark, recognized with an Emmy Award.[5]
Horton's work has been featured in television productions such as HBO's Insecure and Amazon Prime's Harlem. His debut solo exhibition, "Chapter One: Coming of Age" (2021) at the Alice F. and Harris K. Weston Art Gallery, examined African American adolescence through contemporary cultural references.[6] The Cincinnati Art Museum acquired his work for the "Coming of Age: New Acquisition Exhibit" in 2022[7]
His subsequent exhibitions include "Chapter Two: A Subtle Farewell to the Inner Child" (2024) as part of the FotoFocus Biennial at Kennedy Heights Arts Center.[8] and "Chapter Three: Be Home Before the Streetlights" at KMAC Contemporary Art Museum in Louisville, Kentucky. These exhibitions further explored themes of identity, memory, and healing[9]
Horton participated in the 2023 FotoFocus + Creative Time Symposium, where he engaged in discussions on land, identity, and the role of art in social transformation.[10] He also contributed to the Blink Festival in Cincinnati with the "Coming of Age" mural series, which spans three blocks of Vine Street, addressing youth vulnerability and celebrating community[11]
Gee Horton is the founder of Gee Horton Studio Gallery in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine district, which functions as an art studio, print shop, and gallery space providing services to local artists and collectors.[1]
Exhibitions
[edit]Selected solo exhibitions
[edit]2024–2025: Chapter Three: Be Home Before the Streetlights, KMAC Contemporary Art Museum, Louisville, Kentucky[9]
2024: Chapter Two: A Subtle Farewell to the Inner Child, Kennedy Heights Cultural Arts Center, Cincinnati, Ohio[8]
2022: Coming of Age: New Acquisition Exhibit, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio[7]
2021: Chapter One: Coming of Age, Alice F. & Harris K. Weston Art Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio[6]
Selected group exhibitions
[edit]2025: The Light We Share, The Portal Gallery at Toledo School for the Arts, Toledo, Ohio[12]
2024: Proximity of Fate, Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio[13]
2023: A Flower For Our Inner Child, Koik Contemporary Gallery, Mexico City, Mexico[14]
2023: Ohio Voices, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio[15]
2022: Let’s Grow, Alpha Arts Alliance, Brooklyn, New York[16]
2020: Truth & Reconciliation, National Underground Railroad Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio[17]
2020: Black & Brown Faces, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio[18]
2020: Uprising, Kennedy Heights Arts Center, Cincinnati, Ohio[19]
2019: Banz Studios Presents, Banz Studios Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio[20]
2019: Manifestations of Time, The Mohawk Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio[21]
Public art projects and commissions
[edit]2024: Blink Lights Festival, Cincinnati, Ohio[11]
2021: Harlem, Amazon Prime, Season 1, Episode 11 (artwork appearance)[1]
2021: Coming of Age Mural, Court Street Plaza, Cincinnati, Ohio[22]
2020: Cincinnati Music Festival Outdoor Art Museum, Washington Park, Cincinnati, Ohio[23]
2020: Black Lives Matter Mural, Cincinnati City Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio[24]
Public collections
[edit]2022: Cincinnati Art Museum[7]
2021: Mercantile Library of Cincinnati[25]
2022: Diasporic Soul Artist Residency, Sebikhotane, Senegal[10]
2021: Artist in Residence, Mercantile Library of Cincinnati[25]
Honors and recognition
[edit]2025: CODA Summit Creative Revolutionary Honoree[1]
2025: Be Home Before the Streetlights (short film), Official Selection, OTR International Film Festival[26]
2024: Creative Ohio Semi-Finalist, Champion Advocacy Awards[27]
2023: Cincinnati Business Courier 40 Under 40 honoree[28]
2022: Emmy Award for Artist Residency at the Mercantile Library of Cincinnati[5]
2022: Best Gallery Exhibit, CityBeat Cincinnati – Coming of Age: Chapter I – In Search of Self…Identity at Weston Art Gallery[29]
2021: ArtsWave Truth and Reconciliation Grant[3]
External links
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "About". Gee Horton Art. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ "The Enquirer Subscription Offers, Specials, and Discounts". subscribe.cincinnati.com. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ a b Partners, US DIgital. "Truth and Reconciliation Artist Showcase Highlights Greater Cincinnati Artists". www.artswave.org. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ "Photography". Gee Horton Art. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ a b "Emmy® Awards - Nominees & Recipients". Ohio Valley Emmys®. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ a b Arts, Cincinnati. "Gee Horton: Coming of Age Chapter I – In Search of Self…Identity | Official Ticket Source | Cincinnati Arts". www.cincinnatiarts.org. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ a b c "Cincinnati Art Museum: Gee Horton's "Coming of Age"". Cincinnati Art Museum. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ a b "Gee Horton: Chapter 2, A Subtle Farewell to the Inner Child | FotoFocus Cincinnati". www.fotofocus.org. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ a b "Gee Horton: "Chapter 3, Be Home Before the Streetlights"". Kentucky Living. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ a b "Q&A with Cincinnati-based Visual Artist Gee Horton | FotoFocus Cincinnati". www.fotofocus.org. 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ a b "Mural By Gee Horton | BLINK | A Festival of Light & Art | Cincinnati, Ohio | October 17–20, 2024". www.blinkcincinnati.com. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ "Opening Reception". Toledo.com. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ "Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield Ohio". mansfieldartcenter.org. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ ArtFacts. "A Flower for Our Inner Child | Exhibition". ArtFacts. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ "Cincinnati Art Museum: Ohio Voices". Cincinnati Art Museum. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ "Special Exhibitions – National Underground Railroad Freedom Center". freedomcenter.org. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ "Cincinnati Art Museum: Black & Brown Faces: VERIFIED". Cincinnati Art Museum. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ "UPRISING – KHAC". kennedyarts.org. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ "Banz Studios". Banz Studios. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ Manley, Mackenzie. "Mohawk Gallery in Over-the-Rhine Exhibits the Diversity of Black Identity". Cincinnati CityBeat. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ "Artwork". Court Street Plaza. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ "Cincinnati Music Festival Creates Outdoor Museum". spectrumnews1.com. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ "The Enquirer Subscription Offers, Specials, and Discounts". subscribe.cincinnati.com. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ a b c "Mercantile Library Artist-in-Residence Gee Horton Showcases Black Beauty Through His Hyperrealistic Art | July 14, 2020 | The Mercantile Library". www.mercantilelibrary.com. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ "Short Films". Gee Horton Art. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ "CreativeOhio announces semi-finalists for 2024 Champion Advocacy Awards". The Highland County Press. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
- ^ www.bizjournals.com https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/c/couriers-2023-forty-under-40-winners-spotlight/19920/gee-horton.html. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ Readers, CityBeat. "Best Museum Exhibit 2022". Cincinnati CityBeat. Retrieved 2025-05-07.