ArtWorks Founder presents Creative Impact Award

ArtWorks Founder presents Creative Impact Award

Tamara Harkavy evaluated School of Art capstone projects during DAAPworks 2026

During DAAPworks 2026, ArtWorks founder Tamara Harkavy served as a juror for the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning's Creative Impact Awards for the School of Art.

Each year, DAAPworks transforms the entire College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP) at the University of Cincinnati into a living exhibition, where studios, hallways and galleries become a large-scale showcase of graduating student work. The five-day event features four disciplines and hundreds of bold final projects.

A selected group of partners were invited to present the Creative Impact Awards at DAAPworks. As part of her role as juror, ArtWorks founder Tamara Harkavy reviewed all School of Art capstone submissions. ArtWorks is an award-winning Greater Cincinnati nonprofit that creates community-based public art and career opportunities for artists of all ages. Through partnerships with community organizations, schools, businesses and civic institutions, the organization has trained more than 3,500 professional artists and 4,000 youth ages 14 to 24, contributing to more than 14,000 public and private art projects, including more than 300 permanent murals.

Across the college, students present capstone work that brings together research, process and collaboration. Many projects engage pressing social and environmental issues, reflecting a commitment to design and artistic practice as tools for meaningful impact in communities. Harkavy observed that within the School of Art specifically, this commitment often manifests through layered storytelling, material sensitivity and investigations of contemporary cultural conditions.

In reviewing the full body of work, Harkavy noted a strong emphasis on narrative development, material experimentation and the relationship between concept and execution. She highlighted Vivian George as the recipient for the Creative Impact Award in the School of Art.

Among the reviewed works, Harkavy noted that George's paintings initially presented a restrained visual approach, which revealed greater conceptual depth through closer engagement with the artist's statement and narrative intent.

Tamara Harkavy

"Chloris and Zephyrus" by DAAP student Vivian George.

"Engaging more deeply with her work, particularly through her artist statement, clarified the conceptual framework guiding these paintings," Harkavy said. "George clearly defines and confronts her subject, drawing on an aesthetic sensibility that recalls Renaissance painting."

She noted that George's work is grounded in narrative structure, with the central figure carrying the emotional and conceptual weight of the composition.

However, she also identified opportunities to expand visual complexity.

"By limiting detail to the primary figure and allowing the surrounding space to remain largely dark, she reinforces her conceptual intent," Harkavy said. "At the same time, additional depth and contextual elements could further draw the viewer into the image and enhance its impact."

Still, Harkavy emphasized the strength and relevance of the work within contemporary discourse.

"George's work meaningfully engages with contemporary social, political and cultural conditions," she said. "It stands as a thoughtful and relevant artistic statement."

In her overall assessment of the School of Art capstone cohort, Harkavy described a consistent emphasis on clarity of intent, material exploration and narrative development across the work. She noted that students demonstrated a strong ability to connect conceptual ideas with formal execution, often balancing experimentation with thoughtful communication of their artistic goals.

DAAPworks 2026 ran April 27 through May 2, showcasing graduating student work across the Schools of Design, Architecture and Interior Design, Art and Planning.

From May 26 through July 26, the Reed Gallery at the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning will present the Directors' Choice Showcase 2026, featuring exceptional capstone projects from graduating students across disciplines.

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Featured image at top of "Medusa and Poseidon" by Vivian George.

Images provided.

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