Stand-Up Comedian and Social Media Sensation Brings New Art Studio to OTR

Opening Night of Shamala Hamala Set for Friday

CINCINNATI (August 6, 2025) – Kevin James Thornton, a portrait photographer and stand-up comedian, recently signed a lease for the space at 1306 Main Street in Over-the-Rhine (OTR). The 1,095-square-foot storefront, which is being leased from Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC), will be home to Shamala Hamala – a creative studio and gallery dedicated to sparking imagination.

Nearly two decades ago, as he was working to break into comedy, Thornton picked up a camera and began making ends meet as a photographer. Since that time, he’s gone on to tour three successful one-man comedy shows nationwide to theatre festivals and comedy clubs, been featured in The Huffington Post, The Advocate, The New Yorker and Cosmopolitan, been featured in NPR’s All Things Considered, and currently has a TV special available on Amazon Prime and Apple TV – but it was his social media presence that changed it all.

“During the pandemic, I was bored at home and started making these videos on Tik Tok using autotune,” Thornton recalls. “I would tell stories about what it was like to grow up gay in a fundamentalist church in the 90s – and they blew up! People loved them. I started gaining followers like crazy. I now have over 2 million followers on social media thanks to my pandemic boredom.”

After moving his personal residence to OTR, Thornton knew he wanted to open a creative space in the neighborhood. He’d originally planned to open a photography studio, but in time, his idea evolved.

“I kept hearing people talk about ‘third spaces’ and community – and I really believe that art brings people together,” Thornton said. “From there, Shamala Hamala, a nonsense social media catch phrase, began to take shape. I started poking my head in all the open storefronts trying to find a place to open my gallery. When I looked inside the Main Street space, I fell in love with the exposed brick and the arched doorway, and I knew it was the one.”

Created as a private working studio and curated gallery to nurture thoughtful art, slow creativity and imaginative publishing, Shamala Hamala is a quiet space for making that helps bring ideas to life through objects, images, and print. It includes a working photographic darkroom, curated exhibitions, and a small shop featuring art prints and creative objects for purchase. It will also feature many community-focused projects, inviting visitors in for seasonal openings and special releases.

“Kevin has built an impressive fan base through his work as a comedian, and we can’t wait to see him fill his Main Street space with the same positive energy that people have come to know and love,” said Christy Samad, Executive Vice President of Civic and Commercial Space Activation for 3CDC. “Shamala Hamala will be the perfect complement to the existing businesses in the Main Street corridor, like Shea Candle Co. and 10th Island Tiki Bar & Grill, creating a diverse range of art, food and retail in Main Street business district.”

Opening night at Shamala Hamala will take place Friday from 7 – 9 PM and will include a casual open house, art gallery featuring the works of local artists and makers, live crocheting, a harpist, and more. Due to an overwhelming response, opening night is a free, but ticketed event and has officially sold out. However, walk-ins are welcome, as space allows, after 8 PM. Following the opening night festivities, the grand opening celebration will continue Saturday from noon to 6 PM and Sunday from noon to 5 PM. Tickets are not required for Saturday and Sunday.

To learn more about Kevin James Thornton or Shamala Hamala, please visit www.kevinjamesthornton.com and www.shamalahamala.com respectively.

# # #