Cincinnati Public Radio Celebrates 150 Years of Public Radio with “Play Me, I’m Yours” by Luke Jerram Interactive Piano Art Installation Will Make Its U.S. Debut in 2010
Cincinnati Public Radio announced today that it will celebrate a combined 150 years of public broadcasting on 90.9 WGUC, 91.7 WVXU and 88.5 WMUB in 2010 by welcoming the first U.S. installation of “Play Me, I’m Yours” by British artist Luke Jerram. The interactive public art installation will launch in August 2010 with painted upright pianos placed around the region for the general public to play and enjoy.
“Public radio is available to anyone so we are making this anniversary celebration as inclusive as possible,” said Richard Eiswerth, president/GM/CEO of Cincinnati Public Radio, Inc. “‘Play Me, I’m Yours’ is an installation in which the entire community can be involved and we look forward to hearing beautiful music all around the region next summer.”
Luke Jerram has presented “Play Me, I’m Yours” in Sao Paulo, Brazil; London, England; Sydney, Australia; and other cities in the U.K. Cincinnati is currently scheduled to be Jerram’s first foray into the United States. “Transforming the urban landscape, the pianos act as a blank canvas for the public to express themselves and share their creativity,” according to Jerram. “ 'Play Me I'm Yours' is a provocation, inviting the public to engage with and activate their urban environment.”
The pianos will be donated to the station and will be painted – half by artist Luke Jerram, the other half by local student artists (including those employed by ArtWorks). Once the pianos are on the streets, anyone will be able to sit down, play a tune and perhaps lead an impromptu sing-a-long.
Each piano will have its own page on www.cincinnatipianos.com where photos, videos and blog entries can be uploaded for all to see and read. “What a great chance to make this a shared experience whether someone plays a piano in Newport or at Fountain Square or in Hamilton,” said Eiswerth.
Each of the Cincinnati Public Radio stations will be celebrating an important anniversary milestone in 2010. 90.9 WGUC will celebrate 50 years; 91.7 WVXU celebrates 40 years; and 88.5 WMUB celebrates its 60th anniversary.
In addition to playing and enjoying the pianos next August, there are many ways for individuals and groups to be involved. Anyone interested in donating an upright piano, suggesting a location for a piano, volunteering to help with or providing sponsorship support for the project can visit www.playmeimyourscincy.com. This preliminary site will help with the logistics of the event before the official social networking site goes live.
Cincinnati Public Radio is grateful to the following community partners who are assisting with welcoming “Play Me, I’m Yours” to Greater Cincinnati:
City of Cincinnati
3CDC
Downtown Cincinnati, Inc.
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
Cincinnati USA Regional Tourism Network
CincyUSA Regional Chamber of Commerce
CincyUSA Convention and Visitors Bureau
Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau
Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County
CET
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Strata-G Communications
ArtWorks
Communicating Arts Credit Union
Community Based Arts Centers
About Luke Jerram
Luke Jerram
Luke Jerram's multidisciplinary practice involves the creation of sculptures, installations, live arts projects and gifts. Since his professional career as an artist began in 1997 Luke has created a number of extraordinary art projects which excite and inspire people around him. Currently working with a number of established arts institutions and organisations in the UK, new complex and ambitious arts projects are being developed in parallel with one another. Once born, these new projects will evolve and tour abroad. His celebrated street pianos installation 'Play Me, I'm Yours' is currently touring and being shown in different cities around the world.
Working with the ISVR (Institute of Sound and Vibration Research), University of Southampton, Jerram has just been awarded an £225K grant from EPRRC to design, build and tour his new artwork Aeolus. Jerram is now a research fellow within the department.
Jerram’s ongoing research of perception is fuelled by the fact that he is colour-blind. He studies the qualities of space and perception in extreme locations, from the freezing forests of lapland to the sand dunes of the Sahara desert. New ways of seeing and new artworks emerge from these research field trips. Works such as 'Retinal Memory Volume', Sky Orchestra and his glass virus sculptures have emerged from Jerram exploring the edges of perception Published by The Watershed, 'Art in Mind' is a new book tracking much of Jerram's perceptual research.
Jerram also works as a creative consultant where he feels confident in applying his creativity to any new situation. In 2007 his presentation in London to the DCSF helped secure £0.5million of funding for interactive exhibits in Bideford School. His recent clients included the Polish Cultural Institute, London and the Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford.
Fascinated with how the world works, Jerram consults and collaborates with scientists and engineers. Working in partnerships with individuals and institutions he builds teams of specialists to make each work come into being. Working with a team of specialist glassblowers, Jerram's microbiological glass sculptures are in numerous private collections around the globe and on permanent display at the Wellcome Collection, London and in Bristol City Museum. In 2007 Jerram won an Institute for Medical Imaging award for this work.
Jerram also creates unusual artwork gifts for his friends and family. In 2006 he made a Talking Engagement Ring for his girlfriend. The ring has his proposal etched onto the outside of it which can be played back using a miniature record player.
Out of 350 people taking part in the UK science communication competition Famelab, Jerram got through to the final. Consequently Famelab changed the rules preventing 'artists making science related work' from competing. Jerram has been working with TV companies developing new arts and science programmes ever since.
In 2001 he was awarded Europe's largest art award, a 3 year NESTA Fellowship. The Sky Orchestra emerged out of this research period. 7 hot air balloons fly over a city at dawn, delivering sleep music to the public from out of the sky. In 2006 they were commissioned by the RSC and Fierce to fly over Statford-Upon-Avon for the Complete Works Festival and in 2007 Sky Orchestra launched the Sydney Festival.
In 2000 Jerram taught in war torn Mostar, Bosnia and he continues to teach and lecture both in the UK and abroad. In 2006 he was presented a Drawing Inspiration Award for his workshops with young people.
Awarded a bursary from Da2 in 1999 Jerram created Tide - an installation controlled by the changing gravitational pull of the moon. The installation has toured the UK and been shown at the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum), Toronto and at ACMI (The Australian Centre for Moving Image), Melbourne.
Jerram's first major commission was in 1997 by EMAF to create Retinal Memory Volume, an installation that creates three dimensional retinal after-image sculpture inside the mind of a viewer. 12 years later and this same work is still touring museums and festivals of the world. A miniature version of this work is installed at the Phaeno Museum in Wolfsburg, Germany.
Luke Jerram lives in Bristol UK with his wife Shelina Jerram and two children Maya and Nico.
Each piano will have its own page on 
City of Cincinnati
