Cincinnati Art Museum dishes on Artist Paul Scott in new exhibit, “Recall. Reframe. Respond.”

Most people have seen the familiar Blue Willow print on ceramic dishes and dining decor, but the exhibit “Recall. Reframe. Respond. The Art of Paul Scott” at the Cincinnati Art Museum invites guests to observe a twist to this classic pattern by contemporary artist Paul Scott.

“Scott’s work brilliantly connects antiques and familiar artworks from the past with present-day topics and perspectives on history,” says Amy Miller Dehan, curator of Decorative Arts and Design at the museum. “I hope that Scott’s clever subversion and reinvigoration of these wares encourage people to look closely and more critically at all works of art, the stories they tell and their layers of meaning.”

Based in the English county of Cumbria, Scott first encountered his inspiration for this collection when visiting Ohio State University in 1999. During his visit, he found himself inspired by that familiar blue-and-white ceramic transferware depicting American scenes. After seeing these, he challenged himself to create inspired pieces that depicted a more modern and inclusive American experience.

Today, Scott’s dinnerware is well-known for their contemporary look. However, under closer examination, guests can see a shift in the narrative on these refashioned glass pieces. This collection is comprised of both modern and antique pieces. Scott breaks, reconstructs and customizes these pieces into a glass collage with new messages of art, history and American experiences.

The piece Fukushima, No. 11 from the Cumbrian Blue series, for example, showcases Scott’s process of breaking and restructuring to make a new message. The piece is a collage of transferware, kintsugi and a Willow earthenware plate.

While the bulk of the exhibit is featured in the museum’s two exhibition galleries, Scott has also created pieces that respond to various works throughout the museum. The exhibit will feature local artists and their artistic responses to select pieces from this collection, as well as other voices from the community. The exhibit includes two transferware collaborative pieces made by Paul Scott and Cincinnati-based artist Terence Hammonds.

“Recall. Reframe. Respond.” invites museum guests to reenact the experience of Scott during that visit to Ohio State University, to recall the realities of the past and present American experience, to reframe that perspective and to respond accordingly.

“Scott encourages viewers to examine details more closely and think critically about the layered messages that historical transferwares and his work present,” Dehan says. “As viewers, we add to the complexity of these artworks when we look at them through our own lenses, bringing our personal beliefs, interests and experiences into our understanding of them.”

Another notable addition to “Recall. Reframe. Respond.” is the addition of an aid for visually impaired visitors. In collaboration with Clovernook Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired, the Cincinnati Art Museum will make this its first exhibit to include Braille labels. The Cincinnati Art Museum also supplies items such as fidgets, sensory headphones and other tools by request.

“Multisensory experiences engage and are meant for all our visitors, but tactile experiences are especially important as we engage with community members who are blind or have low vision,” Dehan says.

“Recall. Reframe. Respond. The Art of Paul Scott” will be open at the Cincinnati Art Museum through Jan. 4, 2026.