Arts Column an Injustice
Cincinnati Bell is shocked and dismayed at the headline and content of the April 13-19 Arts Beat column ("Cincinnati Bell Bails on Arts Groups").
The arts are an extremely important part of what makes Cincinnati a great place in which to live, work and play. Cincinnati Bell recognizes that the arts are not just a way to spend an evening or day, but rather they are one of the very important threads that makes a community whole, without which a void would be left. We are proud to be located in a community with such a strong and vibrant arts community.
To that end, Cincinnati Bell believes strongly in supporting the arts. For 12 years, Cincinnati Bell has been the sole sponsor of the largest Arts event in Greater Cincinnati -- Cincinnati Bell's Fine Arts Sampler Weekend, which kicks off the Fine Arts Fund campaign. Not only do we support this effort financially, but Cincinnati Bell employees donate countless hours to staff and support the effort. This is just one of many contributions Cincinnati Bell makes to the arts.
Cincinnati Bell Directory recently made a decision to change its business model and has constructed a new Web site called Cincinnati Exchange. As part of this process, Cincinnati Bell Directory is working with more than 30 organizations ranging from St. Xavier High School to CityBeat to alter existing business arrangements which include the maintenance, design and hosting of Web sites. A key element of each arrangement is a transition plan that keeps the current relationship in place for 90 days, allowing organizations to either find a new partner or continue with Cincinnati Bell Directory under new terms. More importantly, Cincinnati Bell Directory has also agreed to provide the site design and architecture, a significant investment, to the business partner, so that any transition necessary would be transparent to the group's online customers.
Contrary to the representation in the article, the aforementioned business relationship included Cincinnati Bell Directory building Web sites for the arts organizations as well. In addition, marketing experts worked with the arts organizations to help them realize the full potential of their Web sites. These are assets that the organizations will take with them should they choose to have some other business, organization or individual run their Web sites.
The column has done an injustice to Cincinnati Bell, Cincinnati arts organizations and other businesses that currently or in the future attempt to establish business relationships within the arts. We hope that this letter will start to undo the damage the column has done.
-- Doug Myers, President Cincinnati Bell Directory
A Friend to the Arts
We read with interest Steve Ramos' Art Beat column ("Cincinnati Bell Bails on Arts Groups," issue of April 13-19) and have concerns that your readers may have gotten the wrong idea.
Cincinnati Bell has long been a friend to the arts in this community. For example, about three years ago, Cincinnati Bell came to the Cincinnati Institute of Fine Arts (Fine Arts Fund) with an invitation to join Cincinnati Exchange's partnership program. This invitation also included Cincinnati Bell's offer of Web site design and maintenance services. Not only did Cincinnati Bell offer this business opportunity to the Institute, but also to other arts organizations in the community. For the last few years, we have had Web sites on the Internet while Cincinnati Bell absorbed the hosting costs and paid a Web site design firm to help us with design needs and maintenance. This was a mutually satisfying partnership since Cincinnati Bell also profited from the content of our Web sites, sold banner advertising on each site and offered the community a wide array of information.
Most likely, the participating arts organizations, including ours, would not have had a Web site as soon as we did without Cincinnati Bell's partnership. This partnership represents many hundreds of thousands of dollars Cincinnati Bell has invested in the arts organizations. With Cincinnati Bell's decision to focus on other business areas, each arts organization has been given a new opportunity to evaluate their Web site, brainstorm on changes and enhancements and plan for future Internet needs. It's been a positive growing and learning experience for each or our organizations. Cincinnati Bell has not "bailed on arts groups" as the headline reads; indeed, Cincinnati Bell has supported and continues to support the arts in multiple ways. I would be remiss in not mentioning the incredible 12-year sponsorship of the Cincinnati Bell Fine Arts Sampler Weekend. Cincinnati has given this community an annual experience to "sample" the arts for two days in February that no other city in this country offers its citizens. We are very appreciative of the significant support that Cincinnati Bell continues to give the arts.
-- Mary McCullough-Hudson, Cincinnati Institute of Fine Arts
Congrats to The Ass Ponys
As a long-time Ass Ponys fan, I was glad to see CityBeat report that they're still alive and well and excited about their music ("The Life, Death and Rebirth of The Ass Ponys," issue of April 13-19). I miss the days when my friend and I could catch one of their shows at Sudsy's or, better yet, Top Cat's. It seemed there was always something different about each show -- whether they covered Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" or let the crowd write down the songs they wanted to hear and then drew titles from a hat. Of course, I don't know the band. And, to be honest, they always seemed a little aloof and pretty much just bantered with their friends in the crowd. But we didn't care and went to every show anyway.
Two things in your story I wanted to comment on. First, I disagree with Dave Morrison about the fans' attitude toward the local music scene. We did go to see The Ass Ponys because we loved the way they sounded. It was the same reason we went to see the Wolverton Brothers, Ditchweed, Tigerlilies, The Mortals, Scrawl, etc. As someone who doesn't fit at all into the local music scene, my love for the music is the only thing that would have made me go.
But things change. My friend moved to Los Angeles and I moved out of Clifton. My current group of friends aren't too interested in local music -- although I did manage to convince them to see an Ass Ponys show at BarrelHouse a year ago.
The band has obviously changed, too. Which brings me to my second comment: Although I'm sure Bill Allentzhauser is a pretty good guitarist, I don't think The Ass Ponys will ever be as good to me as they were when they had John Erhardt. I mean, nobody can do "Hey Swifty" like he could. And I don't think it was just him -- it was how the four of them sounded together. The past two CDs don't seem to have a consistent mood like Mr. Superlove and Grim had.
Even though things have changed, I still love the way The Ass Ponys sound. So, congratulations to the band for making it through all that A&M crap and for having a great time in Austin. Can't wait 'til your next show.
-- Karen Pugh, Norwood
