The Ohio Artist Registry (OAR) is an exciting opportunity for artists to share their work, connect with the creative community, and establish an online presence—all on a free, virtual platform! The OAR encourages artists working in all art forms, throughout Ohio and beyond, to create a profile, which allows them to better promote themselves and their work. Being listed in the OAR provides artists with new opportunities to share their work with clients, galleries, patrons, and audiences. A listing in the OAR does not confer an endorsement, approval, or verification by the Ohio Arts Council.
For more information, contact Kathy Signorino, artist programs director, at kathy.signorino@oac.ohio.gov or 614-728-6140.
2024 Ohio Artist Registry Juried Exhibition
Simon Tam
Author/Musician/Speaker The Slants/The Slants FoundationBio
Simon may best be known for winning a landmark case in 2017 that helped expand civil liberties for minorities and artistic expression, unanimously, at the Supreme Court of the United States (Matal v. Tam). He is the founder and bassist of The Slants, one of the first all-Asian American dance rock bands in the world, and also leads The Slants Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides mentoring and resources for artists who incorporate activism into their work.
As a speaker, Tam has appeared at thousands of events across four continents, and is a regular at key industry events such as TEDx, SXSW, and INTA. Each year he speaks to Fortune 500 companies, universities, and many of the world’s top leaders in law, entertainment, and education. He has consulted world leaders and major organizations on policies related to equity, diversity, and inclusion. In 2016, Simon joined President Barack Obama, George Takei, Jeremy Lin, and other celebrities in the #ActToChange campaign to fight bullying.
Simon’s work has been highlighted in media features around the world, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Rolling Stone, and The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. He has earned many accolades for his work, including: The Mark T. Banner award from the American Bar Association, the Hugh M Hefner First Amendment Award, Milestone Case of the Year from Managing IP Magazine, the Ovation Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Distinguished Alum Award from Marylhurst University.
In 2019, he published his memoir, “Slanted: How an Asian American Troublemaker Took on the Supreme Court.” It was named One of the Best Books on the Constitution of All Time by BookAuthority and won an award for Best Autobiography/Memoir from the Independent Publisher Book Awards.
His storytelling + music theatrical show has been featured in the UNC Process Series, the international Borderlight Fringe Festival, and off-Broadway stages across the United States.
Simon Tam continues to fight for justice by serving on multiple nonprofit boards, developing innovative solutions to social problems, and sharing a message of radical optimism.
Artist Statement
I am guided by a relentless passion for justice and the following beliefs:
…that your uniqueness is your greatest strength, not how well you emulate others.
…that people who are driven by love will overcome hardships and hurdles in ways that people who are only driven by profit never can.
…that the words we choose can be a catalyst for change.
…that justice should be a process, not an afterthought.
…that the true cost of being values-driven isn’t what you sacrifice when you follow your principles, it’s what you lose when you don’t.
…that apathy is not compatible with love.