Here's just some of the historical stories and treasures we've exhibited at CHS over the years.
april 23rd, 2023-october 13th, 2023 the art of edoardo alfieri AS GENEROUSLY DONATED BY THE ALFIERI-MAISANO ARCHIVE, GENOA
Edoardo Alfieri (1913-1998) remains one of Italy's most renowned modern sculptors with architectural-scale works carved in marble and cast in bronze installed throughout Italy. Alfieri is best known in Columbus as the creator of the 1955 Christopher Columbus statue that stood at Columbus City Hall. This statue was presented as a gift from Genoa to Columbus, Ohio. The original idea of the statue as a gift from Genoa had evolved from conversations in the mid-1950s between Columbus Mayor Maynard E. Sensenbrenner and Genoa Mayor Vittorio Pertrusio. This gift marks the beginning of the Sister City relationship between Columbus and Genoa, Columbus’s very first Sister City!
The Art of Edoardo Alfieri features fifty-nine pieces by Edoardo Alfieri including nineteen original sculptures and reliefs, one of which is the original plaster maquette for the Christopher Columbus statue, and forty original drawings. This artwork represents a wide range of artistic styles and subject matter.
The art in this exhibit was given to CHS by Silvana and Stefania Maisano, sculptors and former students of Edoardo Alfieri, who were in charge of his collection after his death in 1998. The Maisano twins hope that Alfieri's legacy will continue to be recognized and revered. The Sister City Commissions brought the mayors of Columbus and Genoa together to arrange for the acceptance of this latest gift as a natural follow-up to the 1955 gift of the bronze statue which had established the now historical bond between the two cities.
October 10, 2021-August 30, 2022 The 70's Music Explosion in Columbus, Ohio Exhibit Curated By: JACK BENJAMIN
PROLOGUE TO THE MUSIC OF THE SEVENTIES:
"The innocent, whimsical '60s were over. Rock music was a business now. Album-oriented rock. Concept albums. International tours. Superstars. Rock gods. Guitar heroes. And everything that came with all that: money, cocaine, groupies -- organized excess on a massive scale."
-- Scott Rowley,
Editor in Chief, Classic Rock -- Legends of the '70's
Have you ever considered how music impacts your life?
Does Music make a difference in the world, or is it just entertainment?
In the Seventies, there were those who believed that music could change the world.
The youth embraced the music, the messages, and the musicians.
They listened to the lyrics, questioned the meanings, considered the relevance to their lives.
They believed in change.
Did the music actually reflect the times?
And, how did the times affect the music?
Did the music actually make any impact upon society, or were we fooling ourselves into believing that it could?
How did the music transition from the Sixties throughout the decade of the Seventies and how did the message change from the beginning to the end of the '70's decade?
The Columbus Historical Society’s 70's Music Explosion in Columbus, Ohio will explore these questions while taking you on a journey through the music scene of Columbus, introducing you to those individuals and groups who played a role in shaping the music, while visiting the venues and festivals that provided the stages to our local musicians. Return to the record shops, the bars, the night clubs and recording studios that served our local community. Find out what it was like to be a musician or just a music fan in Columbus in the Seventies.
Plus, we will relive the national music scene of the seventies which should awaken many memories, some of which are painful to revisit, but others that will certainly bring a smile to your face. If you are too young to have experienced the seventies for yourself, you will be able to visit the times that shaped your parents and grandparents and gave birth to classic music which is still heard today.
"Tin Soldiers and Nixon's coming
We're finally on our own
This summer I hear the drumming
Four Dead in Ohio"
Neil Young; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: Ohio, 1970
ADMISSION TO OUR EXHIBITION IS FREE, BUT TICKETS MUST BE RESERVED IN ADVANCE.
July 11-October 3, 2021 Central Ohio Artists’ Pandemic Art: Expressions Through Art Exhibit Curated By: Susan Schubert and Virginia Jenison
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Central Ohio Artists have been creating historical and inspiring art transitioning from illness through recovery. The artists cover a wide range of topics and use a variety of techniques.
The portraits of healthcare providers show the draining effects of the challenging years as well as unexpected triumphs. The artists donated their portraits to the healthcare professionals to show appreciation for their service.
Deborah Barickman created “A Flower a Day” to bring cheer to friends and family. Her ingenious art is displayed on lightboxes to show a second dimension.
The rest of the exhibition includes landscapes and nature, abstracts, people and animals as well as COVID-related art. The range of subjects and techniques is stunning.
Except for the portraits of health care professionals, most of the art will be available for sale throughout the run of the exhibit. In addition, the artists accept commissions. A percentage of sales will be donated to the Columbus Historical Society.
May 16-September 2021 Damnatio Memoriae
We were excited when approached by Professor Kay Bea Jones of the Knowlton School of Architecture at The Ohio State University to partner with her students to create a possible design for our future home.
Not knowing what to expect, when the students presented their seven designs, we were totally impressed with their professionalism in how they adapted the exterior design to the surrounding architecture, the efficient use of space and flow of visitor traffic, and even the creative use of exhibits within the space including space for a research library, public meeting space, archives, and offices as well as the display of statuary.
The students’ work was so impressive, that we wanted to give the students proper recognition by sharing it with the community through an exhibition at our gallery to illustrate their excellent work.
We hope to have the opportunity to work together on future projects.
Please note: These are conceptual artistic renderings of a future CHS building and do not represent finalized plans approved by CHS. We still plan to purchase Engine House #6 which will become our permanent home.
KAY BEA JONES, PROFESSOR OF ARCHITECTURE, THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
Trey Marshall
Dan McDonnell
Aubrey Nelson
Fontyne Pagán
Jay Schlesinger
Dominic Sonby
Michael Wade
Rafael Armendariz
Ashlynn Berning
Hannah Clark-Havron
Suzie DeMeritte
Sam Ferguson
Nathan Fleeger
Brandon Holmes-Evans
Ismail Jallaq
July 3-November 17, 2020 Welcome to the Roaring Twenties: Travel Back 100 Years to Columbus in the 1920s Exhibit Curated By: Jack Benjamin
· How did the neighborhoods of Columbus look?
·Where did our families work and play?
·Was Columbus the home to speakeasies?
·How did citizens "quench their thirst" during the Prohibition era?
·Was society as decadent as portrayed in film and literature?
·How did families travel; train, plane or automobile?
·How did new technology and inventions, such as the radio, change lives?
·What were the impacts of women finally getting the right to vote?
·How did African Americans build new lives during the Great Migration?
·How did The Ohio State Buckeyes come to call the Shoe home?
Climb aboard The Columbus Historical Society's time machine to find out the answers to these and other questions about how life really was for Columbus in the 1920s.
August 23-October 29, 2019 The Evolution of Columbus Art Exhibit Curated By: David Terry and Fred Fochtman
The Evolution of Columbus Art features rarely seen exhibited works of local artists from private collections. Over 90 fine art pieces will be on display, some depicting Columbus subject matter.
Our guest curators, David Terry and Fred Fochtman, well-known local artists, art collectors, art restorers and appraisers, have selected some of the finest works from the artists, going back over a 150-year period. This exhibition offers a unique opportunity to view the pieces, all of which are on loan from several private collections.
The Evolution of Columbus Art highlights nationally-renowned artists such as George Bellows and Alice Schille along with many other local talents, like Nolan Pennell, Maurice Hague, and Erwin Frey, all of whom helped define the depth and breadth of Columbus' contribution to the American art community. Displayed genres range from traditional art styles, to editorial cartoons and illustrations, and to non-traditional works. Learn about the artists through stories that will bring the artwork to life.
See the complete exhibition catalog for The Evolution of Columbus Art!
August 30, 2018 to April 30, 2019
“We Shall Remember Them”: How Columbus Remembered the Great War
“We Shall Remember Them” are words inscribed on the base of the beloved Doughboy Statue in Columbus, Ohio. The statue, dedicated to the city’s World War I veterans in 1930, stands as one of the most recognizable pieces of public art in our community. How many of us know its whole story? What other World War I monuments have come and gone in the past 100 years in Columbus?
Please join us for an exciting program of exhibits and events focused on the memory of World War I in Columbus. It will open your eyes to the complex and controversial debates in a community about how we remember a war, its veterans, and its impact on our lives.
Reaction to the Armistice: This exhibit will explore how Columbus residents and leaders responded to the end of the war. The focus of this part of the exhibit will be newspapers, letters, diaries, and other written formats of expression that reveal how news of the end of the war was received in the city. Photographs and firsthand accounts of the victory parade will enhance this display.
Columbus WWI Veterans’ Postwar Life: The exhibit will examine the postwar experience of the city’s WWI soldiers. Visitors will learn about where soldiers lived when they returned, where they found jobs, and what sorts of challenges they faced upon coming back to Columbus. We will also examine how World War I veterans joined or created organizations to promote their issues and how they participated in reunions or later commemorative events of their time in the war.
The Creation of Monuments: This exhibit will investigate and reveal the way that the city consciously made decisions about memorializing World War I through physical monuments. Photos, archival documents, debate analysis, funding information, and more regarding WWI monuments in Columbus will be used to determine how monuments were funded, designed, built, and dedicated. Examples include The Doughboy at the West Entrance to the Ohio Statehouse, the Victorious Soldier Memorial at the Ohio History Connection, the Memorial Arch at High & Broad (no longer there) and the Veterans Memorial Rotunda (currently in storage at The Ohio State University).
City Landscape: This part of the exhibit will consider the ways that the city changed its built environment due to the war. Visitors will learn about new buildings that were constructed during the war for its needs and how were they changed and used after the war. We will also examine how Columbus residents sought to pay homage to the war through the naming of property such as buildings and streets.
April 20 to August 5, 2018
Remembering...Buckeye Steel Castings
Remembering...Buckeye Steel Castings takes a look at the company's long history in the Columbus area. Join us as we look at Buckeye Steel Castings's past through patterns, molds, drawings, and memorabilia.
September 24 to December 31, 2016
American Red Cross of Central Ohio: A Century of Service
For the last 100 years, the American Red Cross has been there for people in the Central Ohio area during the moments when they needed us. Since our chapter was chartered in 1916, we have helped millions of people affected by local disasters including home fires, floods, tornadoes and seasonal emergencies. From health and safety classes, to lifesaving blood collection and support of military members, their families and veterans, the Red Cross has helped make our community safer and more prepared for what may come in the next 100 years.
In 1916, with the U.S. poised to join “the war to end all wars”, concerned members of the community met and chartered the Columbus Chapter of the American Red Cross on July 13. They wanted to ensure that Central Ohio was ready to help the country in conflict, as well as during peacetime. Throughout 2016, as we commemorated the Red Cross of Central Ohio’s many accomplishments, we also celebrated the future plans for making our communities stronger and more resilient over the next 100 years.
Each weekend, children in grades 3-5 could participate in The Pillowcase Project, a preparedness activity sponsored by Disney.
May 2016 to December 2016
POINDEXTER VILLAGE: A PORTRAIT IN STORIES
Celebrates the history, culture, stories, and achievements of the first Ohio public housing for the African American community from 1940-1960s. The village was named after Revered James Preston Poindexter, who was a conductor of the Underground Railroad, served as clergyman at the Second Baptist Church in Columbus for 40 years. A barber by profession, he was also the first African American to serve on Columbus City Council and on the Columbus Board of Education.
A featured artist in the exhibition is Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson, whose folk art living art relays history and stories living in Poindexter Village during the 1940s and 50s. She also documents her love for the Columbus East Side community in her books A Street Called Home and Symphonic Poem.
April 2015 to April 2016
Reaching for the Sky
Reaching back to the beginning of controlled flight, Columbus has played a significant role in aviation history. From the early days of Roy Knabenshue, Cromwell Dixon, and the Driving Park to the national prominence of Eddie Rickenbacker, Transcontinental Air Transport, and Curtiss-Wright, and featuring colorful personalities like Foster Lane, Curtiss LeMay.
June 2014 to February 2015
Central Ohio Law Enforcement
On display were police attire, equipment, weapons, and photographs on display. Donations came from the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, and from both, The Columbus and Groveport Police Departments.
September 2013 to January 2014
Build It!
Coming from the Knowlton School of Architecture at OSU. This exhibit focused on the conception and construction of the stadium and the architect who made it happen, Howard Dwight Smith. Learn about the stadium’s supporters and why it’s so unique.
June 2013 to January 2014
Columbus at Play
Featuring popular summer pastimes and sports and music memorabilia.
