Art gives us a way to connect, find inspiration, and experience joy – often in unexpected places. Several arts initiatives have taken root at Can’t Stop Columbus and you can find them all, and more, on the Columbus Arts Hub.
Developed in collaboration with the Greater Columbus Arts Council, the site is your destination to stream local art and performances, find creative learning opportunities and get to know your favorite artists. You can also support local artists by purchasing unique Zoom backgrounds and custom face masks, donating to the COVID-19 Emergency Relief for Artists grant program and requesting a Curbside Concert for your favorite senior.
Gravity Uplifts, one of our arts initiatives, is filling the city with positivity, from uplifting murals around the city, to posters and postcards of gratitude for the front line. The project also creates income opportunities for over 30 local artists.
Financial support for Gravity Uplifts has been generously provided by Gravity of Kaufman Development with administrative and project management support from the Create Columbus Commission. Several artist organizations partnered on creative development and execution of the projects, including Blockfort, Wild Goose Creative, 934 Gallery, Miss Birdy, 400 West Rich, and Vanderelli Room.
More than 30 artists have been hard at work creating mural cubes, which are public art pieces constructed from four stylistically distinct 8’x8’ paintings. The assembled cubes will be placed in high-traffic locations and near hospitals where they will be enjoyed by frontline healthcare workers as a thanks for their service to our community during the COVID-19 crisis. The first two mural cubes were installed last Friday in front of Gravity in Franklinton and in Bicentennial Park on the Scioto Mile. See launch coverage from Columbus Alive, WBNS-10TV, and Spectrum News. Also, artist Lucie Shearer teamed with a local musician to compose and record a song to go w/her mural — you can check it out here.
We recently launched two more cubes in front of OSU Medical Center’s campus and east locations and we are currently working with the Create Columbus Commission to raise funds for additional cubes. If you would like to donate, please visit the project’s PayPal page.
Other artists are creating original poster and postcard designs, which will be displayed in hospitals, senior care facilities, and other sites where they can uplift those who are most affected by COVID-19. Join us in our postcard-writing to frontline workers and elder care facilities by writing a postcard at Tafts Brewporium at Gravity.
There’s a story behind every piece of art. Come along on a tour of public art – whether physically or virtually – of your favorite neighborhoods. Art Walks are entertaining and educational, plus they can help you stay fit and active. If you see a work you’re eager to learn more about, you can dive into the Public Art Database, which is curated by the Greater Columbus Arts Council. Go deep and learn who painted your favorite mural or created that amazing sculpture down the street!
To learn more about all of the arts initiatives that Can’t Stop Columbus is bringing to the community, please visit ColumbusArtsHub.com.