CINCINNATI — Self-taught and nationally recognized, Gee Horton is one of Cincinnati's artistic treasures, who with little more than pencils and charcoal, creates stunning works easily mistaken for photographs.
Horton's path to art was anything but direct. He grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, with a childhood obsession with drawing.
"I think for me it started when I was a kid around 7 back in my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. I was always obsessed with drawing. I was one of those kids who would draw anything I can get my hands on," Horton said.
He set that passion aside for years, playing basketball, coaching the Xavier University women's basketball team, and building a successful corporate career. It wasn't until 2019 that he made the leap back to art.
"It wasn't that I wasn't happy. I just wasn't fulfilled. I mean, I was finding purpose in the work, but it wasn't my life's calling, so I just went searching, and that search led me to picking up a pencil again, reconnecting to that seven year old kid," Horton said.
The transition became all-consuming.
"I would find myself going to work, doing the corporate thing, and then at night drawing when everybody was asleep and it became this obsession," Horton said.
Six years in, that bet on himself has paid off. Horton's murals appear on buildings throughout downtown Cincinnati, including one within walking distance of his studio. The subject of that mural is his nephew — a piece Horton created with intention.
"I think with that particular piece I was really interested in shining the spotlight on his transition from adolescence into adulthood and so that was really the focus is how can I bring this person's story to life," Horton said.
Growing up, Horton said he didn't see a clear path to a career in art.
"I didn't think art was a possibility, you know, growing up in the environment that I grew up I didn't see a lot of artists, let alone professional artists," Horton said.
For Horton, the act of drawing is more than a craft — it's a practice.
"Drawing truly is a form of meditation. It provides a sense of clarity, when I'm drawing it's like the world stops. And nothing else matters in that moment," Horton said.
His current exhibit at the Contemporary Arts Center was inspired by a trip to Senegal. A companion book with pullout maps and photos offers viewers an immersive experience alongside the work.
Horton said he hopes the work connects with people on a personal level.
"I hope that the work can kind of serve as a healing modality or as a vessel that allows individuals to see parts of themselves," Horton said.
That one-on-one connection with the viewer is central to his mission as an artist.
"I want to have a one on one intimate relationship. I believe my mission as an artist is to truly have an intimate conversation with the viewer," Horton said.
As an entrepreneur, Horton said the freedom of owning his time and creative process is something he refuses to give up.
"I love that I'm working on something that I'm passionate about. I love that I'm an entrepreneur and I get to set my own destiny. And if that means that I need to be here at 10 a.m. in the morning or 10 p.m. at night, I'm gonna do that," Horton said. "The freedom of being an entrepreneur, the beauty of having an idea and watch it come to life and the viewer and seeing the viewer experience it is something that I will never let go of."
During the studio visit, Horton invited me to pick up a pencil and contribute to one of his pieces, something he said no one has done before. The result: what Horton called the "Gee Horton and Michelle collaboration."
Horton's exhibit runs at the Contemporary Arts Center through August. A Cincinnati Ballet performance inspired by his work is also in the works.
"Come Have Coffee with Michelle" is sponsored by BT RISE. This segment aired on CINCY LIFESTYLE and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI.
