By Jennifer Sadler and Anne Shackleford
Summer—‘tis the season for outdoor fun and festivals! Make this a summer to remember and take advantage of the many great festivals happening all summer long in Columbus. Most local favorite festivals are free, compliments of generous corporate sponsors, dedicated civic organizers and volunteers.
The 49th annual Columbus Arts Festival presented by Time Warner Cable, consistently ranked as one of best juried festivals in the U.S., will kick off the summer event season this weekend, June 4, 5 & 6.
Located in downtown's Discovery District, this year’s Festival will feature fine art and fine craft from more than 220 nationally acclaimed artists, along with continuous live entertainment, gourmet food and hands-on art activities for all ages. Artists representing 34 states and two countries, Canada and Israel, will exhibit artwork in 15 different categories. Hundreds of thousands of people of all ages and diverse backgrounds are expected to attend and discover the art at Columbus' "kick-off to summer" event.
Visual art is just one aspect of the Columbus Arts Festival. The ColumbusArts.com Main Stage provides ongoing musical entertainment representing a wide range of genres—from jazz to rock, bluegrass to pop and more. The Ohio Magazine Word is Art Stage will highlight talented poets, both student and adult, and will host the 6th Annual Poetry Slam on Saturday. Adults and children can try their hands at creating a masterpiece in the Giant Eagle Hands-On Arts Activities Area. Jewelry-making, paper casting and throwing clay on a potter’s wheel are just a few of the activities led by local artists and arts organizations this weekend.
Some of the highlights for this year’s event are the many Columbus and Central Ohio area artists participating, the performances at the Ohio Magazine Word is Art Poetry Stage, and the fun and interactive social media and online contests—the Columbus Arts Festival Flickr Photo Contest and the Tweet and Go Seek scavenger hunt.
By Anne Shackleford and Jennifer Sadler
GCAC recently interviewed some of the key players behind the Columbus Arts Festival. The many talented visual artists, loyal and hardworking volunteers and generous corporate sponsors help make the Festival not only a community favorite, but a nationally acclaimed event.
“I try to put my own twist on everything I do,” says Brian Becher, perched at the lip of his toasty Hilltop glass studio. Appearances are deceptive in this place—from the outside, the studio warehouse is a relic of artists past with leftover material scattered across the yard. But step inside and dodge blasts of heat from the furnace, and you’ll find a treasure trove of vases, goblets, platters and bowls, all in Becher’s dramatic color weave and twisting lattice patterns. Becher, a graduate of OSU’s glass program and a five-year veteran of the Columbus Arts Festival, sat down to talk with us about the Festival and his work.
Saving baby ducklings and engineering quick solutions in a crunch—all in a day’s work for Renea Hushour, Operations Committee co-chair for the Columbus Arts Festival. Currently a school nurse at South High School, Hushour served as a medic during the Vietnam War before transferring to the military band and then to the Reserves. Maybe it was that military pluck and discipline that led Hushour to be referred to as the Columbus Arts Festival’s very own “McGuyver.” Hushour gives us an inside look at over 15 years volunteering for the Columbus Arts Festival.
High-speed internet and high quality digital cable isn’t all you should think of when you think about Time Warner Cable. The organization is also passionate about supporting community involvement, education, and the arts. It’s a commitment that shows as Time Warner Cable enters its third year as the presenting sponsor of the Columbus Arts Festival. Mark Dunford, the Regional Vice President of Operations for Time Warner Cable Mid-Ohio Division, discusses the organization’s philanthropic efforts and educational initiatives, as well as what the Columbus Arts Festival means to them.
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39th Annual ComfestSocial consciousness, environmentalism, voter registration, eclectic art—and, lest we forget, distinctive souvenir beer mugs—all define Comfest, Columbus’s “Party with a Purpose.” Comfest began in 1972 as a collaboration between local, progressive community organizations. |
CAPA presents Festival Latino 2010Celebrate family and community with a day of children’s activities, music, food and dance from the heart of Latin America! Festival Latino, in its second year presented by CAPA, is Ohio’s largest Hispanic/Latino event. The festival has been a Columbus favorite since its 1996 inception as a five-hour event put on by the City of Columbus’ Music in the Air program. |
Columbus Recreation and Parks presents 2010 Jazz & Ribs FestFrom sweet scats to spicy barbeque, the Jazz & Ribs Fest promises to be a sensory sensation. Columbus Recreation and Parks invites you to enjoy hot ribs and cool jazz at the event that has gotten taste buds watering and toes tapping for over 30 years. |
Image by Chris Graham. Courtesy of the North Market.
Music in the Parks—City of Upper Arlington
Presented by Upper Arlington Cultural Arts Division
6/3/2010 - 8/5/2010
The Cave Dwellers
Presented by Presented by Upper Arlington Cultural Arts Division
6/4/2010 - 6/6/2010
Columbus Jazz Orchestra/Cleveland Jazz Orchestra "Battle of the Bands"
Presented by Jazz Arts Group
6/5/2010
Asparagus! The Event, the Film, the Food.
Presented by Wild Goose Creative
6/6/2010
MADE IN ITALY at Caterina Ltd.
Presented by Caterina Ltd.
6/12/2010 - 6/26/2010
Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival
Presented by Gahanna Convention and Visitors Bureau
6/18/2010 - 6/20/2010
Doo Dah Parade
Presented by Doo Dah Parad
7/4/2010
North Market Food & Ohio Wine Festival Presented by PNC
Presented by the North Market
Through 7/10/2010
Image courtesy of ARTillery.com.
Operating Support Grants Announced
GCAC Launches Visual Arts Fellowship Program Partnership
AmericanStyle Magazine Names Columbus to the Top 25 Cities for Art List
Columbus Museum of Art Announces $1.5 Million Gift
Local Emerging Arts Leader Receives 2010-2011 Joyce Fellowship
BalletMet to make Russian Debut; Dancers Receive Prestigious Violetta Boft Memorial Award
Glass Axis Announces First Executive Director
Columbus Landmarks Receives Grant for LeVeque Tower Documentary
Visiting Artist to Hold Jewelry Classes at ARTillery
ARTillery Monthly Art Market Accepting Applications from Artists
Call for Artists: CS Gallery & Events presents “Hit and Run Wednesdays”
Twenty Senators Sign Letter in Support of National Endowment of the Arts
Fox Foundation Resident Actor Fellowship Application Deadline June 11
Caldera Artist Residency Opportunities Deadline June 15
Metro Arts in Transit Request for Qualifications Deadline June 18
info@gcac.org © 2023 Greater Columbus Arts Council. All Rights Reserved.
GCAC appreciates and acknowledges support from: City of Columbus, Franklin County and the Ohio Arts Council.
Design by Fahlgren Mortine.
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Front Row Center provides an in-depth look into the creative individuals and organizations that make the Central Ohio arts and cultural community unique. Front Row Center features articles about local and national arts issues, profiles of creative professionals, previews of upcoming events and the inside scoop on what’s happening in the arts in Columbus. For complete submission guidelines please visit our Publications Page.
