Groups hope idea of public art takes root and spreads

Speaking of Quality of Life issues while living in the big city of Columbus . . . .

Sculptures, murals enhance area’s image, backers say
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Debbie Gebolys
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH


Art in the Short North isn’t just for the galleries that line N. High Street.
Now, sculpture and murals are in a few nooks and crannies of the neighborhood and in little "pocket parks." But more public art could pop up soon in as many as 20 spots between Ohio State University and Downtown.

It’s the next stage in the upward transformation of neighborhoods including Victorian Village, Italian Village, Dennison Place and Harrison West. The effort instigated by a handful of residents and business owners is drawing backers like moths to a flame.

"Public art can give our city an identity," Wood told a recent Columbus Metropolitan Club luncheon audience. "We want to jump-start the whole city of Columbus."
Wood is one of the leaders of the Short North Neighborhood Foundation, a coalition of eight neighborhood groups that wants to raise $750,000 by 2008 for public art installations. One year into the campaign, they’ve passed the halfway mark with $390,000.

Rick Livingston, associate director of Ohio State University’s humanities institute, said he admires the grass-roots effort and will bring OSU’s backing to a public art summit this fall.
He hopes to draw as many as 80 participants from places including the Columbus College of Art and Design, the Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus Metropolitan Library and elsewhere. Among discussions will be whether the city should establish a public arts office, an idea that the Columbus City Council tabled most recently in 2003.

"I want to spread the word, beat the drum a little bit and get people excited about the possibilities," Livingston said. "I think it really is a rising tide and is an opportunity for people around the city to pull together and get things done."
dgebolys@dispatch.com