Terence Hammonds: Soul is a Ham Hock in Your Cornflakes
November 20, 2026 – March 28, 2027
Cincinnati Art Museum
Free Admission
See Terence Hammonds: Soul is a Ham Hock in Your Cornflakes at Cincinnati Art Museum from November 20 through March 28
With a title plucked from Funkadelic’s 1970 song What is Soul?, this exhibition featuring the work of Cincinnati-based artist Terence Hammonds throws a proverbial ham hock into the museum’s bowl of cornflakes. As the song’s vivid lyrics suggest, power and meaning often emerge from unlikely combinations, and “nothing is quite good until you play with it.”
Pairing historical objects from the museum’s collections with his newly created printed ceramics, wallpaper, and textiles, Hammonds constructs unexpected vignettes that speak to Black history, resilience, and cultural imagination.
“By juxtaposing these objects, I aim to create a form of historical fiction—a speculative ‘what if’,” Hammonds explains. “Through pattern, narrative, and material culture, [the exhibition] imagines how the visual language of domestic heirlooms might look if shaped by the histories, stories, and aspirations of Cincinnati’s Black middle class.”
Admission to Terence Hammonds: Soul is a Ham Hock in Your Cornflakes
Admission to Terence Hammonds: Soul is a Ham Hock in Your Cornflakes is free and open to the public.
Accessing the Exhibition
This exhibition is presented in Galleries 125 and 124, located on the museum’s first floor directly across from the Terrace Café.
Child’s Set: Plate, Bowl and Cup, 1929, Gorham Manufacturing Company (American, est. 1831), sterling silver, Gift of Andrew MacAoidh Jergens, 2018.2a–c, photography by Rob Deslongchamps 
Free Press and Curl, 2024, Terence Hammonds (American, b. 1976), Morgan Willenbrink (American, b. 1992), potter, LaRae Fischer (American, b. 1991), glazer, The Rookwood Pottery (American, est. 1880), manufactory, glazed stoneware with transfer print, Museum Purchase: Friends of Decorative Arts & Design, 2024.202, © Terence Hammonds, photography by Rob Deslongchamps 
James Van Der Zee (American, 1886–1983), Bridal Couple, New York, 1931, gelatin silver print, Museum Purchase with funds provided by Carl Jacobs and the Fleischmann Foundation in memory of Julius Fleischmann, 2001.241, © James Van Der Zee Archive, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, photography by Rachel Ellison 
Protest Platter, 2020, Terence Hammonds (American, b. 1976), Breakfront Pottery (American, est. 2017), Monica Andino (Honduran, b. 1988), Pedro Moreno (Bolivian, b. 1953), Erika Nj Allen (Guatemalan, b. 1969), Adriana Prieto Quintero (Venezuelan, b. 1981), glazed stoneware with transfer print, Museum Purchase with funds from the Friends of African American Art, 2020.37, © Terence Hammonds 2020, photography by Rob Deslongchamps 
Low End Theory, 2026, Terence Hammonds (American, b. 1976), Rebecca Rohr (American, b. 1994), potter, glazed porcelain with transfer print, Courtesy of the artist, © Terence Hammonds, 2026, photography by Rob Deslongchamps 
Protest Cups, 2026, Terence Hammonds (American, b. 1976), glazed porcelain with transfer print, Courtesy of the artist, © Terence Hammonds, 2026, photography by Rob Deslongchamps
Associated Events
Free Exhibition Tours
Every Thursday from November 20–March 28, 6:30–7:30 p.m.
CAM Presents – Looking Twice: Visual Representation and Black Cincinnati
Thursday, November 19, 2026, 6–7 p.m.
Evening for Educators
Thursday, January 21, 2027, 4–7 p.m.
Details coming soon
Curator Conversation
Thursday, January 28, 2027, 6:30–7:30 p.m.
Details coming soon
About Cincinnati Art Museum
Located in scenic Eden Park, the Cincinnati Art Museum features a diverse, encyclopedic art collection of more than 73,000 works spanning 6,000 years. In addition to displaying its own broad collection, the museum also hosts several national and international traveling exhibitions each year.
Visitors can enjoy the exhibitions or participate in the museum’s wide range of art-related programs, activities and special events. General admission is always free for all, thanks to the Rosenthal Family Foundation. Museum members receive additional benefit.
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Cincinnati Art Museum Venue Details
General Admission Hours
- Monday | Closed
- Tuesday | 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Wednesday | 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Thursday | 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
- Friday | 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Saturday | 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Sunday | 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Parking
Parking is free in Museum lots. Find parking options on the area map. Arrive using Cincinnati Metro.
Accessibility
The museum offers a wide variety of tours, programs, and accommodations to help make the collection accessible to everyone. View the full list of accessibility resources.
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Plate, 2026, Terence Hammonds (American, b. 1976), Rebecca Rohr (American, b. 1994), potter, glazed porcelain with transfer print, Courtesy of the artist, © Terence Hammonds, 2026, photography by Rob Deslongchamps
