There are many reasons to fall in love with a town. Chris and I landed in Columbus about 4 a.m. on a horrible night in August 2005. We were running from a witch named Katrina, her winds whipping too closely at our back. We pulled off the highway into this charming downtown, and felt like Dorothy entering Oz. I remember the funky little Statue of Liberty on a Main Street median, the inviting shops, and the calm allure of a place that seemed so very far from the storm.
However, the sight that intrigued me the most was the Rosenzweig. On the corner of what I later learned was possibly the most important intersection in the city were giant letters proclaiming “Arts Center.” This is a place that holds art in high regard, I thought.
Since settling in Columbus, Chris and I have spent many hours there, volunteering, curating and attending shows, meeting artists. Now we call it “The RAC,” with that air of familiarity reserved for old friends.
I have always felt that The RAC, alone, was not enough. Most cities have multiple galleries. They do not consider each other competitors, more like colleagues. There are usually art districts where the galleries are lined up on the same street. They plan coordinated openings. Art lovers can walk from exhibit to exhibit. Art shows are like choosing from a box of chocolates, one is never enough.
It is not only the big cities that feature gallery nights. Even a small place like Northport, Ala., has a thriving art scene. All businesses can participate. Restaurants, coffee houses, retail stores of all sorts host shows and receptions presented on the same evening. This is a great way to introduce an establishment to guests who may not have come in otherwise. The concept works well for Wassail Fest. I always buy a few things along the way as we taste different wassail. Why only do this once a year?
Recently, The Renee Reedy Studio mounted a wildly successful show of photos taken with cellphones. Some were fascinating because of quirky images. (I loved one photo of a sign that said “Hippies Use Side Door.”) Others were pure fine-art shots taken by the best photographers in town.
Renee, her husband, Will, along with arts organization Random Acts of Culture, are presenting a monthly series of shows with different themes. Each will have an opening reception. Most will be on the first Thursday of the month. The first one is Thursday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at her gallery, 101 Fifth St. S. (beneath Café on Main). Some of my “Art Dolls” will be featured. Author and artist Selden Lambert will be signing her new book “The Voyager,” an adult allegory illustrated with Selden’s quirky mixed-media images.
Since Mardi Gras is in February this year, the show will have a bit of a carnival ambiance. Guests are encouraged to don costumes, masks and beads (not mandatory, however). These shows are fun, certainly not stuffy. Everyone is invited.
Each month’s exhibit will have a different theme. For topics, submission guidelines and entry forms go to randomactsofculture.biz. Exhibition opportunities are open to all. Although the entries will be juried, you do not need to consider yourself a professional artist to submit. There is one show seeking emerging artists, one featuring found objects, one for glass artists and photographers. I am most excited about the “CeleBRAtion” show in October. Entrants will be asked to present altered bras, with some of the proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer education and research.
There will be much festivity on the evening of Feb. 2. The RAC will have a reception and concert in conjunction with the “Partial To Home” exhibit, and Jessica Peterson at The Southern Letterpress will host a Valentine-making workshop. All three shows are in the same block, so the gallery crowd can easily stroll from one to the other.
After six years I still love Columbus. The expansion of the art scene, both for artists and art lovers, makes me love it just a bit more.
Adele Elliott, a New Orleans native, moved to Columbus after Hurricane Katrina. Email reaches her at [email protected].
Adele Elliott, a New Orleans native, moved to Columbus after Hurricane Katrina.
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