Longworth first made an offer to Spencer to send her to Boston for training, along with five hundred dollars. This advice she ignored; instead, she along with her father traveled to Cincinnati for an exhibition in the autumn of 1841. Cincinnati was ”swarming with artists" and Lilly would spend the next seven years studying there.
Longworth initially suggested that Spencer be sent to Boston for training, along with a $500 allowance. However, Lilly chose instead to travel to Cincinnati with her father for an exhibition in autumn 1841, where she would go on to study art for seven years amidst a thriving artistic community.