Contemporary Arts Center

The Contemporary Arts Center is an art museum in downtown Cincinnati housed in an 85,000 square foot building with sharp angular walls clad in black aluminum and white concrete. Exhibition spaces spread across multiple levels connected by open staircases and ramps.

The institution was founded in 1939 and moved to its current building in 2003, the first American museum structure designed by architect Zaha Hadid. In earlier decades the center presented early exhibitions of artists like Andy Warhol before they gained international recognition.

The center functions as a non-collecting institution that presents temporary exhibitions of current artists, including early career showings of creators like Andy Warhol.

The museum welcomes visitors Wednesday through Friday from ten in the morning until seven in the evening, and on weekends from ten in the morning until four in the afternoon at 44 East 6th Street. Interior spaces are accessible via ramps and elevators suitable for visitors with limited mobility.

The sidewalk in front of the entrance continues as a sloped floor inside the building, forming a single surface that guides pedestrians from street level up into the upper galleries. This so-called Urban Carpet blurs the boundary between exterior and interior space.

Location: Cincinnati

Inception: 1939

Address: 44 E 6th St, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Opening Hours: Wednesday-Friday 10:00-19:00, Saturday-Sunday 10:00-16:00

Phone: +15133458400

Website: http://contemporaryartscenter.org

GPS coordinates: 39.10290,-84.51220

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:27