Alexandra477

Short North Hidden Gem: Dames Bond Marketplace

 

 

 

 

 

Covert parking spots. The identity of Vinchen. Jeni’s Salty Caramel recipe. Some Short North secrets are best kept hidden. Dames Bond Marketplace shouldn’t be one of them (even if its name is inspired by a certain secret agent). The 1,500-square-foot Garden District boutique opened last October and offers a smashing array of apparel, jewelry, accessories, artwork, candles, body care, and home décor.

 

 

 

 

 

But here’s the thing. It only sells items made by women in our community. The brainchild of Dames Bond founder and CEO Mary B. Relotto, this place truly is one of a kind.

 

 

 

 

 

“The Marketplace gives women an opportunity to showcase their talent and participate in a retail experience, Mary said. “I did a lot of research, and there’s nothing like it in Ohio or the Midwest.”

 

 

 

 

 

When it opened, the Marketplace featured 30 vendors. It now has 43, half of which use Dames Bond as their only brick-and-mortar location. Mary designed and merchandised the space, and the vendors work on consignment. It also serves as a small business incubator, offering vendors monthly workshops about trends and marketing.

 

 

 

    “This is all about championing women and giving them an opportunity to create something,” Mary said. “Social norms have stopped us from being our best selves, and I want to break that.” 

 

 

 

       Two new vendors joined the Marketplace yesterday: Sweet Simpliciteas dessert tea and Dragon Ikka Japanese jewelry and gifts. Upcoming events include a Bella Beads trunk show for tonight’s Gallery Hop; a silversmith demonstration tomorrow by Kristi Ross of KK Makes Things; and mother/daughter make-and-take journals with Thrive Theory on May 11. 

 

 

 

Elvis at 21: Photographs by Alfred Wertheimer

 

 

 

 

Elvis Presley will probably forever be considered the King of Rock and Roll. I mean, the man has almost 99,000 Twitter followers, and he passed away 29 years before Twitter began. An estimated 85,000 people impersonate him. But after learning about the free Elvis photography exhibit at Capital University’s Schumacher Gallery, I was skeptical. Rhinestone-studded visions of fist pumps and girdled velvet filled my head. Haven’t we seen all of Elvis there is to see? I headed to Bexley anyway, and was treated to a raw glimpse of the man before the pelvis.

Elvis at 21: Photographs by Alfred Wertheimer contains 56 photographs (most of them 36x48 pigment prints) that were taken during one week in 1956. Wertheimer was a  26-year-old freelance photographer from Brooklyn who had never heard of Elvis, and Elvis could still sit alone at a drugstore counter without getting mobbed. The black-and-white images were shot in close range, and rarely used flash. As evocative as the photos were the anecdotes pinned alongside them.

“I guess he felt that someone should be photographing him because one of these days he was going to be famous,” Wertheimer said. “People asked me later on, ‘What was so different about Elvis?’ I didn’t know at the time, but I would soon understand that first of all, he made the girls cry and second, he permitted closeness.”

 

 

 

 

 

Elvis was a hopeless flirt and a wicked dazzler — but he was talented and fearless. This show made me realize that, in spite of all the executives ordering him how to be a star, he defied them and became an icon. 

Elvis at 21 was developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service with support from The History Channel. It debuted at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles on January 8, 2010 (Elvis’ 75^th birthday) and has been touring throughout the country. The exhibit will be on display at Schumacher Gallery until April 27. 

Watershed Distillery and the Art of Whiskey Whispering

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When hearing the word “bourbon,” you may think of mahogany leather sofas, wrap-around front porches, or J.R. Ewing. Dave Rigo of Watershed Distillery stares at his oak bourbon barrels and ponders something considerably less nostalgic: his 401(k). Since co-founding Watershed in 2010, his “kinda crazy idea” of making spirits in Columbus has exploded into an intoxicating force. With the Kentucky Derby less than two months away, I had bourbon on the brain and toured Watershed to learn more about the process of microdistilling.

“We make vodka and gin to support our bourbon habit,” Rigo said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rigo and his partner Greg Lehman didn’t fall into microdistilling immediately. The Watershed concept was actually the duo’s 20^th business plan, after being informed by their attorney that their first 19 ideas “sucked.” After lots of passionate research and some out-of-state apprenticeships, they got started in a 2,000-square-foot Grandview warehouse. They recently expanded to 4,700 square feet and now produce up to 5,000 bottles a month. Their liquor is available in 150 liquor stores and 500 bars/restaurants in Ohio, as well as a handful of outlets in Kentucky and New York. They shipped their first order to Chicago this week.

Watershed produces four spirits: Four Peel Gin, Bourbon Barrel Gin, Vodka, and Bourbon. Gin is their signature item, which has been referred to as “The Gateway Gin” for its mild disposition. Many microdistillers use four or five botanicals when making their gin; Watershed uses eight. Rigo and Lehman also include the lowest possible amount of juniper in their gin (51%), making it more palatable for those who don’t like drinking Christmas trees. Watershed’s vodka is Ohio corn based and has been praised for its clean finish, thanks to the painstaking removal of methanol. As for the beloved bourbon, it’s double distilled and aged for roughly two-and-a-half years using a thoughtful mix of Ohio corn, wheat, rye, and spelt. Rigo is currently tinkering with malted barley for a possible new bourbon flavor and enlisted the expertise of a local molecular biologist to grow a proprietary strain of yeast.

According to The American Distilling Institute, there will be 400-450 boutique distillers in the United States and Canada by the end of 2015. Watershed aims to be one of the best of them. Until then, Rigo will gaze at his wall of 53-gallon bourbon barrels that won’t be ready until a few more years.

“We’re just sitting and watching our future in those barrels,” he laughed.

 

Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                 Some things are best kept secret. Colonel Sanders’ recipe. PIN numbers. What’s whispered at the end of Lost in Translation. The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum at The Ohio State University is one of the biggest secrets in Columbus, but big plans are in the works to make it a place you won’t forget.

The Cartoon Library was founded in 1977, when Ohio State alumnus and famed cartoonist Milton Caniff donated his artwork to the university. It was named after former Columbus Dispatch cartoonist Billy Ireland, who mentored Caniff. With more than 300,000 original cartoons, 50,000 books, and 2.5 million comic strip clippings, it’s the world’s largest academic research facility dedicated to printed cartoon art. In addition to editorial cartoons, comic strips, comic books, graphic novels, sports cartoons, and magazine cartoons, it has one of the world’s largest collections of Japanese manga.

This summer, the Cartoon Library will move from its hidden 6,000-square-foot digs behind the Wexner Center for the Arts to a 30,000-square-foot space at Sullivant Hall. The new area will feature three museum-quality galleries for visiting and permanent collections, and will host book tour events, cartooning workshops, and live slide show readings of comics. The Grand Opening Festival is scheduled for November.

“We want 2013-2014 to be the year of comics,” said Caitlin McGurk, visiting curator of the Cartoon Library (and a cartoonist herself).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                 There are some amazing exhibits planned for 2014 that you won’t want to miss. Trust me. In the meantime, an exhibit of A.B. Walker’s work opens tomorrow. Walker was a popular early 20^th century cartoonist who drew for Life, Harper’s, The Atlantic, The Saturday Evening Post, Judge, and Collier’s. The exhibit runs through April 26 and will be followed by a show of Civil War cartoons. In late May, the Cartoon Library will close for relocation.

The Cartoon Library is free and open to the public, but is a “closed stack” non-circulating institution. While you can’t browse items, you may access anything in the collection by completing simple paperwork and asking staff members for guidance. Researchers from around the globe visit the library to study items in the collection. All artwork is humidity/temperature controlled and stored in acid-free archival materials.

 “Tons of famous cartoonists are from Ohio,” McGurk said. “There’s no reason that Columbus shouldn’t be the main comic city in America.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                       Renderings courtesy of Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.

Great American Peanut Butter Tasting & Challenge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday I made a (last-minute) decision to hold the Great American Peanut Butter Tasting & Challenge. You see, the hubs is somewhat of a peanut butter sommelier. He knows more about PB than the combined workforces of Jif, Skippy, and Peter Pan. If I got a penny every time he said “Peanut butter is the perfect food,” I’d be typing this from my villa on Lake Como.

The rules of the Great Peanut Butter Tasting & Challenge were simple. I asked friends to do a blind taste testing of five peanut butters and rank them on a scale from 1 to 5 (5 being excellent). The challenge was to identify which of the five was organic, and which was the most expensive. All peanut butters sampled were creamy and all-natural, meaning that none of them contained added salt, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, trans fatty acids, or hydrogenated oils. Two of the five were Ohio made, and the milk I provided as a palate cleanser was locally produced from Snowville Creamery. Each peanut butter was graded on flavor, consistency, oil to butter ratio, aroma, appearance, peanutality¹, and jaunt factor². There were seven tasters, all of whom received gold star stickers for participating. Here are the results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*1^st Place*
Whole Foods Grind-Your-Own Natural Peanut Butter
$4.49 (16 oz)
Overall Score: 184
Average Rankings
Flavor: 3.6 / Consistency: 3.9 / Oil to Butter Ratio: 4.3 / Aroma: 2.9 / Appearance: 4.1 / Peanutality: 4.3 / Jaunt Factor: 3.4
Comments: “Simple. Fun to eat. Makes my tummy smile.” / “Just right. Oh yeah.” / “Grainy, very sweet. Would be good for baking.”

*2^nd Place*
Giant Eagle Nature’s Basket Organic Peanut Butter
$4.19 (16 oz)
Overall Score: 153
Average Rankings
Flavor: 3.3 / Consistency: 3.1 / Oil to Butter Ratio: 2.9 / Aroma: 3.1 / Appearance: 3.4 / Peanutality: 3.4 / Jaunt Factor: 2.4
Comments: “All around very good.”

*3^rd Place*
Trader Joe’s Creamy Unsalted Peanut Butter
$2.79 (16 oz)
Overall Score: 152
Average Rankings
Flavor: 2.9 / Consistency: 3.1 / Oil to Butter Ratio: 3 / Aroma: 3.1 / Appearance: 3.6 / Peanutality: 3.7 / Jaunt Factor: 2.3
Comments: “Tasty! Love it.” / “I feel duped. Looks tasty, but it’s actually bland.” / “Slightly metallic. Fairly ugly.”

*4^th Place*
Krema Natural Creamy Peanut Butter (Made in Columbus, Ohio)
$4.29 (16 oz)
Overall Score: 123
Average Rankings
Flavor: 2.6 / Consistency: 3.3 / Oil to Butter Ratio: 2.9 / Aroma: 1.9 / Appearance: 2.7 / Peanutality: 2.6 / Jaunt Factor: 1.9
Comments: “A bit bland.” / "Bland." / “Not a fan. Nice consistency though.” / “Vegetal taste. Least mouth-coaty. Sweet.”

*5th Place*
Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter (Made in Orrville, Ohio)
$3.99 (16 oz)
Overall Score: 81
Average Rankings
Flavor: 1.4 / Consistency: 1.1 / Oil to Butter Ratio: 1.3 / Aroma: 2 / Appearance: 2.6 / Peanutality: 1.9 / Jaunt Factor: 1.3
Comments: “Oily. Not fun to eat.” / “Clunky, gooey, hard to mix. Sloppy.” / “Linseedy.”

Random Comments
“I love processed peanut butter!”
“Hershey’s Kisses smell like vomit.”
“I’m lactose intolerant. Can I have vodka as my palate cleanser?” 

Sole Winner of Challenge
Shawnsation (a.k.a. “Keylime”) correctly guessed that the Whole Foods PB was the priciest.

1 Peanutality: overarching sense of peanuttiness.
2 Jaunt Factor: sense of giddiness and/or hyperactivity elicited by top notch peanut butter.

World AIDS Day Silent Memorial Flash Mob.

 

 Yesterday was World AIDS Day. Five Columbus organizations (AIDS Resource Center Ohio, Greater Columbus Mpowerment Center, Stonewall Columbus, Ohio AIDS Coalition, and Columbus Public Health) collaborated to host a silent memorial flash mob at last night’s bustling Short North Holiday Hop. As we walked up and down High Street carrying red glow sticks, we honored those who live with HIV/AIDS and remembered those who have died from it. This was one small event among thousands that were held across the globe, but it shared the same goals: to raise awareness, promote access to treatment, celebrate prevention services, and advocate an AIDS-free future. It was a memorable show of support that I won’t soon forget.

“You Will Rise” Anti-Bullying Student Art Exhibit.

Bullying is not an easy subject, but thankfully it has been getting lots of global attention. You Will Rise Project hosted a student art exhibit yesterday at Columbus Museum of Art, with pieces by 11 Columbus students aged 11 to 17 who have been victims of bullying. The multimedia display was as haunting and raw as it was uplifting. Each student spent several weeks embracing and releasing their innermost creative spirits with local artist volunteers. Here are some excerpts from the student bios, taken from the event program:

“People would attack me with words…I actually tried to commit suicide. My parents got me help and moved me to a very accepting school. I discovered art and it helped me get out of that dark place where I thought I wasn’t good enough.”

“I started getting bullied in the third grade. Then in sixth grade I started cutting myself. [In] seventh grade I finally tried to commit suicide…I finally found a healthy way to deal with my pain in art.”

“Art saved me…I was bullied because I am an art kid and I didn’t fit in at the other schools I went to…I have now begun to discover myself in my new accepting school that has a zero tolerance for bullying.”

To me, constructive and empowering efforts like these can help save the world. Click here for more photos.

 

Hocking Hills.

There are hundreds of things to love about Hocking Hills. One of them is that it’s out of cell phone and Wi-Fi range. You can travel to cities all over the world and stay plugged in, but an hour southeast of Columbus there’s no choice but to unwind. We recently hit the hills for three precious days and left our laptops at home. Yes, at home. During our stay, we:

Roamed for miles at Cedar Falls and Conkle’s Hollow.
    Embraced the stillness of Rose Lake.
    Journeyed through the past at the Logan Antique Mall.
    Used every chance to gaze at stars.
    Visited the Pencil Sharpener Museum.
    Echoed our voices through the walls of Rock House.
    Nestled by the fire with 40s crime novels.
    Ate fried bananas and played Scrabble.
    Talked to horses and laughed at woodpeckers.
    Enjoyed breathing crisp air.
    Discovered a Civil War cemetery along a quiet road.

So much can happen when you trade life’s bustle for the rustling of leaves.

 

Columbus Spirit Day Vigil.

At last night’s Spirit Day candlelight vigil in Goodale Park, a couple hundred community members came out to show their support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth who have taken their lives or been severely impacted by bullying. It was hosted by Stonewall Columbus in honor of Bullying Prevention Month. Passionate speakers including Karla Rothan, Paul Richmond, Linda Regula, Tayo Clyburn, and Kaleidoscope Youth Center inspired us with tales of resilience and visions of a violence-free world. The You Will Rise Project, created by Richmond and Regula, will present an exhibition of artwork by high school students who have been affected by bullying on November 18 at the Columbus Museum of Art.

Today is Spirit Day. It has been reported that up to 77% of students have been victimized by some form of bullying. If you know any young people who have been teased, scorned, or belittled, consider reaching out to them. Offer a reminder that it gets better. Bullying is real and it’s ugly, but love is stronger than hate, and together we can overcome it. 

Click here for more photos.

Short Stop Youth Center.

 

 

 

 

 

We often hear about programs that benefit the community. Last night at the first annual Short Stop Youth Center Open House, I experienced one that changes it. Children performed monologues from The Wizard of Oz, and the youth band performed such numbers as Seven Nation Army and Somebody That I Used to Know. Mentors spoke passionately about impacting young people’s lives through the arts. The air hummed with creativity and empowerment.

 

 

 

 

 

Short Stop is a free after-school program in the Short North for kids aged 7-18, offering activities in theater, art, music, dance, homework help, healthy eating, and drug/alcohol prevention. It’s open Monday to Friday from 2:30 to 8:00 p.m. There are currently 25 children enrolled at the center, which receives funding from United Way of Central Ohio and ADAMH, but it can accommodate more. The group is hosting a free haunted house on October 30. 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here for more photos.

Craftin' Outlaws.

The eighth annual Craftin’ Outlaws alternative craft fair takes place on Saturday, November 17 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Gateway Film Center. Admission is free and all ages are welcome. Modern handmade goods from more than 50 Midwest vendors will be for sale, including clothing, jewelry, paintings, posters, ceramics, knitted accessories, stuffed animals, soap, stationery, skateboards, and home décor. Early Bird Passes (for shopping access from 10:00 to 11:00) can be purchased online or at the show for $5. Early Bird shoppers will be invited to participate in an Early Bird Raffle, the proceeds of which benefit Project: Zero Ohio.

“At Craftin’ Outlaws, you’ll find gifts that you can’t just get at a mall,” said Megan Green, Craftin’ Outlaws lead organizer and Owner of Stinkybomb Soap. “Each one tells a handmade story.”

Related posts: Craftin' Outlaws 2011 and Craftin' Outlaws 2010.

 

Courtesy of Jessica Miller Photography.

10 Haunted Places in Ohio.

Ten years ago this month, I wrote a story for Discover Ohio Magazine about 10 haunted places in Ohio. These are the sites I profiled. Have fun, ghost hunters.

Twin City Opera House (McConnelsville)
The stage floor of the Twin City Opera House (formerly known as The McConnelsville Opera House) used to have trap doors that led to an underground dressing room, allowing performers to leave the building unseen. Its tunnels linked to other places in the village, and were said to have helped conceal slaves who fled the South during the Civil War. They say one of the building’s ghosts is the spirit of Everitt Miller, who ushered there for more than 30 years. Known for his crisp white suits, he still apparently hovers over the aisles of his beloved hall. Dozens of people have reported seeing the “man in white.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Courtesy of Lost & Found Ohio.

Lafayette Hotel (Marietta)
Another spirit that allegedly still likes to stick around is that of S. Durward Hoag, former owner of the Lafayette Hotel. Overlooking the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers, the hotel is said to have a “phantom elevator” that ascends and descends on its own, a possessed light bulb in the Gun Room restaurant, and coffee cups with a mind of their own. Several employees admitted having paranormal experiences on the third floor.

 

 

 

 

 
Courtesy of Hidden Marietta.

Fulton County Historical Museum (Wauseon)
The Fulton County Historical Musuem was both a high school and hospital back in the day, and psychics like contacting its young ghost “Little Johnny White.” A past curator said that Johnny once removed all of the Christmas tree ornaments and lined them up on the floor, one by one. Several people who grew up in the area claimed to see the spirit of an elderly woman clad in Victorian garb glaring at them from an upstairs window. Even though the building doesn’t allow smoking or display fresh flowers, some visitors have reported pungent smells of fresh bouquets and pipe tobacco.

 

 

 

 

 
Courtesy of Fulton County Historical Museum.

Wilson Hall, Ohio University (Athens)
Athens has been called the most haunted place in Ohio. Its surrounding hills are peppered with family cemeteries, including Simms, Hanning, Cuckler, Higgins, and Zion, which are said to form a pentagon. According to pagan beliefs, a pentagon offers a protective force, the center of which is exempt from any paranormal activity. Wilson Hall in Ohio University’s West Green is supposedly the center of the pentagon.

 

 

 

 

Courtesy of Ohio University.

Hammel House Inn (Waynesville)
Built atop a prehistoric Indian burial ground, Waynesville is “The Antiques Capital of the Midwest” and host of the Ohio Sauerkraut Festival. But the Hammel House Inn was more than just a friendly stagecoach stop. As legend has it, the innkeeper killed a young traveling salesman in 1823 while he slept and stole gold coins from his saddlebag. The victim’s body is believed to be buried on site, and some guests have claimed to see a wispy white figure lurking on the stairway, flicking the basement storeroom lights.

 

 

 

 
Courtesy of Museum at the Friends Home.


Memorial Hall (Dayton)
Memorial Hall is a Civil War monument that once housed the Dayton Philharmonic. More than 50 years ago,  a stagehand fell into the orchestra pit and died. According to reports, he’s still lingering and has been linked to tales of cold bursts of air, flushing toilets, errant spotlights, and flickering stage lights.

 

 

 

 
Courtesy of route40.net.

Squire’s Castle (Cleveland)
A red light allegedly shines at Squire’s Castle in the North Chagrin Reservation. This mini castle was built by oil pioneer Feargus B. Squire at the turn of the 20^th century. As the story goes, Squire’s wife developed a nasty bout of insomnia. One night during a bout of sleeplessness, she suffered a fatal fall on her way to the basement library. Even though the basement has been filled in, visitors have claimed to see the spirit of Squire’s wife gliding through the castle with a scarlet lantern.

 

 

 

 

 
Courtesy of sunsets_for_you via Creative Commons.

Edison Birthplace Museum (Milan)
Built in 1841, the Edison Birthplace Museum has caused a few spine shivers for its unexplainable, unidentifiable noises. Thomas Edison’s father Samuel supposedly believed in ghosts and held a few séances there. Throughout the years, people have claimed to sense paranormal activity and hear spooky noises in the house.

 

 

 

 

 
Courtesy of Chris Light via Creative Commons.

Thurber House (Columbus)
Eerie noises weren’t considered strange at the Thurber House, where James Thurber grew up. Sounds of empty chairs scraping across the floor, books falling off shelves, and footsteps running up stairs were common occurrences. In 1912, Thurber reportedly saw the ghost of a previous male tenant who, upon learning of his wife’s infidelity, ran up the stairs and shot himself. Several families later moved out of the house to escape the apparition, but Thurber immortalized his encounter in The Night the Ghost Got In.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Brent Turner, courtesy of Thurber House.

Starstruck at Green Lawn Cemetery.

I used to be afraid of cemeteries. Growing up, I abided the Honorary Kid Code by holding my breath every time I passed one. Then someone suggested that I tour Green Lawn Cemetery. It took me five months to warm up to the idea.

On Thursday, I headed west on Greenlawn Avenue through the grand cemetery gates and landed in a world of legends and splendor that instantly struck me to the core. I met my tour guide Sandi Latimer, who has volunteered at Green Lawn for the past decade, and we set off in her car to meander the enchanted forest.

“This is beautiful. It’s just so beautiful,” I kept muttering.

Sandi nodded at me knowingly. She’s uncannily passionate about Ohio history, and about the history of everything in general. Like Green Lawn’s lioness, she unlocked the mystical secrets of all 360 of its acres, and meticulously answered my questions. All 97 of them. She is, quite simply, the perfect tour guide.

Founded in 1848, Green Lawn is Ohio’s second largest cemetery. It’s laid out like a Victorian rural cemetery, with 3,000 trees (including four state champions) and endless rolling hills. More than 200 species of birds have been sighted there, making it a hot birding destination. Basically, Green Lawn is a big, beautiful park. It has joggers and dog walkers, and it even recently hosted an eight-year-old’s birthday celebration.

“It’s like all of these amazing people from history are here together, having a big party,” I blurted.

Now, I can’t tell you why I said that. People buried in a cemetery having a party? I was so unhinged by the overall sense of majesty and tranquility that it just came out. And that’s when I started to get star struck. Because among Green Lawn’s 151,000 inhabitants are some very notable people. Thurber. Neil. Sullivant. Rickenbacker. Dennison. Lazarus. Hubbard.

“Oh my God, is that Lincoln Goodale?” I shrieked as I jumped out of Sandi’s (still moving) car.

“Yes, it is,” she smiled.

 

 

 

 

 

I sprinted to Dr. Goodale’s grave like it was going somewhere. Oh, the million times I would thank him for giving us the best park in the world. We ventured forth to the Civil War, Spanish American War, World War I, and World War II areas. We stopped by the oldest grave, belonging to Dr. Benjamin Gard, who died of cholera in 1849 after treating cholera patients at the Ohio Penitentiary. We visited the popular toy-adorned gravesite of George Blount, who died in 1873 at the age of five, after sliding down the banister and crashing into his family’s potbellied stove. We marveled at the Tiffany stained glass windows and mosaic murals inside of Huntington Chapel, which was built in 1902. I saw the grave of a man who rode with Wyatt Earp’s posse in the 1880’s, and of the woman who co-founded my alma mater in 1898. I learned that several relatives of prominent people are buried at Green Lawn, like George Armstrong Custer’s half-brother, Harvey Firestone’s cousin, George W. Bush’s great grandfather, J.C. Penney’s brother, and Woodrow Wilson’s grandparents. Above all else, I discovered that cemeteries can be resoundingly full of life.

Green Lawn Cemetery is open seven days a week, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. April through October, and 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. November through March. It hosts tours, First Saturday programs, and monthly bird walks, and has ongoing volunteer opportunities.

  

5 Things I Didn't Know About Ohio State Football.

 

When I moved to Columbus 22 years ago, I learned something key: In the land of Ohio State football, one either bleeds scarlet and gray or goes home. I found out about this thing called “tailgating,” where people set up compact parking lot parties and eat toothpicked meatballs out of contraptions called “crock pots.” I began wearing necklaces fashioned out of poisonous nuts, and obediently matched every bellowed “O-H!” with an equally boisterous “I-O!” But after attending the season opening Buckeye game against Miami University (Ohio) on Saturday, I learned that some of OSU football’s most memorable moments happen between plays.

1. Urban Meyer is a big deal. Like, bigger than Santa Claus, President Obama, and Lady Gaga combined. I had a hunch this was the case, but when our new coach jogged onto the field for the first time, I thought all 105,039 of us at Ohio Stadium had enough emotional voltage to power Cedar Point for a year. 

2. The raising and lowering of the American flag, heroically performed by Ohio military personnel, is an unbelievably profound and respectful ceremonial ritual. This was the first time I got to see it up close, and I’ll never forget it.

3. Touchdown push-ups, also executed by local members of the U.S. Military, are crazy impressive. I can’t even do one push-up, so the 252 they did after we beat the Red Hawks 56-10 blew my freaking mind.

4. The Ohio State Marching Band, a.k.a. The Best Damn Band In The Land, plays opponents’ fight songs in their honor. At the end of the game, after the crowd left and a few stragglers were hanging on, TBDBITL marched in formation at the middle of the field and played Miami’s fight song in front of the visiting band. I may have fought back a tear.

5. After home games, spectators can stand by the southeast gates of the stadium to catch a glimpse of star players exiting the building. When I got wind of this, I made the hubs wait with me for an hour so I could see Braxton Miller in person for 8.4 seconds. We also saw more armed servicemen and women, who were chatting with and posing for photographs alongside top players. OSU Athletics has a program that helps military personnel meet members of the team. We talked to one of them who is being deployed this week and was thrilled to have that experience.

Although Ohio State fans are sometimes nuts¹, what happens just off the field can underlie the purest meaning of sportsmanship.

1 Yup. Went there.

   

Grange Audubon Center.

When it comes to birds, I’m what you might call “challenged.” I know that Big Bird is nice, being flipped the bird is not nice, and avoiding bird poop on your head is good.  I can’t tell a Blue-Breasted Kingfisher from a Trumpeter Hornbill and I only watched The Big Year because Steve Martin was in it. Yesterday, however, I upped my bird game with a visit to the Grange Insurance Audubon Center. On my way inside, a precocious 10-year-old saw the camera dangling from my neck and mistook me for a birder. “A Yellow Finch is hanging out by the rain garden if you want to photograph it,” he said. “And there’s a snapping turtle inside. Don’t put your hand in the tank though.”

Oh my God, I thought. This kid knows real names of actual birds. What the heck is a finch? And why can’t I pet the turtle?

I played it cool. “Thanks,” I said. “Yeah, I figured there’d be one over there so I’ll just go take a quick shot.”

Naturally, the little yellow maniac scurried to the highest branch when he sensed my oafishness. I thought I heard him chirp “You have to earn this.”

The Audubon Center opened three summers ago. Nestled in Scioto Audubon Metro Park, it’s the first U.S. Audubon Nature Center to be built so close to the heart of a big city. Admission is free, and at least 212 bird species have been sighted there. The building itself is Green Certified and acts as a working model of sustainability and energy efficiency. It contains recycled construction materials, geothermal wells that use the earth’s temperature to provide heating and cooling, low-flow plumbing, walkways and courtyards made of permeable concrete to increase rain recharge, and an angled roof that collects and distributes rainwater. Never have I experienced a place that’s as educational and environmentally conscious as it is peaceful.

I’m coming for you, Little Finchie. One of these days, I’ll catch you off guard and take your picture. Just don’t poop on my head.

 

Interactive Hanging Garden in Franklinton.

Alternative ad agency CivitasNow just installed an interactive hanging garden outside of Dinin’ Hall at 400 West Rich in Franklinton. Designed to promote social living and creative urban growing, the “cube garden” features 16 burlap-covered crates filled with tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. Visitors are welcome to tend and water the plants — and pluck vegetables from them. Dinin’ Hall opened in May and is the first street food hub in Columbus.

During the last Pecha Kucha Columbus event at Eartha Limited in May, CivitasNow built a warehouse garden installation with 100 veggie containers. The plants were strewn throughout the space in baskets, Campbell’s Soup cans, and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams cartons and given to attendees to take home. CivitasNow also gave away 150 seedlings of sweet basil, cilantro, mint, peas, eggplant, carrots, and beets in White Castle slider boxes.

According to CivitasNow co-founder Jacob Taylor, the goal of these imaginative giveaways is to foster eco-friendly ways of living and working. “We wanted to demonstrate how easy independent food production can be,” he said.    

 

5th Annual Independents' Day.

The 5^th annual Independents’ Day takes place on Saturday, September 15 from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. at Gay Street and Pearl Alley in downtown Columbus. Presented by Gateway Film Center, this all ages festival celebrates indie culture, commerce, and creativity by offering live music on four stages, artists, crafters, dancers, street performers, restaurants, food trucks/carts, beer tents, and a kids area.

Independents’ Day represents a collaboration of organizations including Capitol Square Rotary, CLOUDHAUS, Columbus Crafty Cotillion, Columbus Young Professionals, The Couchfire Collective, DRAC (Downtown Residents’ Association of Columbus), Etsy Team Columbus, Experience Columbus, Franklinton Arts District, Kobo Live, Locality 2012, Music Loves Ohio, Ohio Historical Society, The SBB (Small Business Beanstalk), and Wonderland Columbus. This year’s Independents’ Day beneficiaries are Columbus Youth Guild and TRANSIT Arts. Sponsors include Gateway Film Center, Alexandra477, Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District, Columbus Alive, ColumbusLocalMusic.com, Due Amici, Eartha Limited, Greater Columbus Arts Council, Little Industries, The Other Paper, and WCBE 90.5 FM.

New This Year
A free Independents’ Day mobile phone app will launch in August. Other new elements include a dance stage, an Ohio-grown short film festival, a local author fair, a Fashion Collection area with apparel and accessories from local fashion designers, a craft vending machine, a social media corral, and a comedy show.

Vendor Applications
The application deadline for musicians and vendors is August 1. Dancer applications are due on September 1. Click here to apply.

Volunteer Opportunities
People who are interested in volunteering at Independents’ Day can sign up for a shift here. 

       

Pecha Kucha August 16 at Junctionview Studios.

The next Pecha Kucha Columbus event takes place on August 16 outisde of Junctionview Studios. A live performance by The Randys kicks things off at 7:30 p.m. and presentations start at 8:00.

Each speaker will follow the international Pecha Kucha format of showing 20 images and speaking about each image for 20 seconds. Presenters include Matthew Barnes and Jacob Taylor with CivitasNow, Bear Braumoeller from Slow Food Columbus, Erin Corrigan of Independents’ Day, Kim Crabtree from IM Creative, Connie De Jong with Global Gallery, dance artist Cassia Hinchman, and artist Lisa McLymont. Presenters are subject to change. Pecha Kucha is about sharing passion and creativity. It’s not a forum for sales pitches, commercial presentations, or self-promotional material.

A pop-up art show will be on display, featuring work by Catherine Bell Smith and Helma Groot. Food trucks will sell refreshments, as organized by Food Fort Columbus. THOUGHTco will screen print T-shirts for guests throughout the evening ($5 for shirts brought from home and $12 to buy a new one). Scott Vayo will deejay.

The suggested donation is $2 per person, benefiting Pecha Kucha Columbus. Attendees are encouraged to bring reusable cups (for the water fountain) and lawn chairs. Junctionview Studios is located at 889 Williams Avenue in Grandview. Free parking is available on the street and alongside the building. Click here for a detailed map. Carpooling and bicycling are encouraged.

   

Photos by Jill Moorhead

Columbus Pride 2012.

 

At last weekend’s 31^st annual Columbus Pride celebration, the air literally swirled with love. Signs read “God Loves Us All,” “I Support Love,” “Love Makes a Family,” and “Love Never Fails.” Around 230,000 people visited the Short North in honor of diversity and equality. The needle is moving in the right direction, but there’s still work to be done. During Saturday’s parade, I overheard a college student say that his father tried to discourage him from moving to Columbus because it was “too gay,” a woman who said that her parents would never march in a parade to support her being a lesbian, and a man who said that he suffered with severe depression as a teenager. When all of us have true universal acceptance to love whomever we choose, the comfort to live without fear, and equal legal rights — humanity will have taken one of its biggest strides. Click here for more photos.

   

Screen on the Green 2012.

The Short North Civic Association will launch the fourth season of Screen on the Green on July 20 with a screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. This will be the first of three outdoor movie nights held on a 30-foot screen at the softball diamond in the southwest corner of Goodale Park.

July 20: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World — 8:30 p.m.
August 17: Steel Magnolias — 8:00 p.m.
September 21: The Sound of Music — 7:00 p.m.

All movies begin at sundown and will be preceded by a half hour of classic cartoons. Each film will also feature themed contests and activities that encourage audience participation. Details about these fun interactive elements will be shared two weeks before each screening.

A variety of food trucks and carts will sell refreshments, as organized by Food Fort Columbus. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and flashlights. There are no rain dates.

Screen on the Green is free and open to the public. It’s made possible through organization and major funding by the Short North Civic Association, with additional funding by the Gateway Film Center and ComFest.

Goodale Park Music Series 2012.

The 4^th annual Goodale Park Music Series will host six free concerts at Goodale Park’s Gazebo this summer. The lineup features Tony Monaco on July 8, The Fabulous Johnson Brothers on July 15, Maza Blaska on July 29, Mary Adam 12 on August 12, Nick Tolford & Company on August 19, and The Spikedrivers on August 26. All shows run from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m.

New This Year: Live Art + Comic Book Creators
A rotating group of local artists will create live art at the park throughout the series, including Short North artist Josey Joseph, Hayley Meyers with Terra Gallery, and youth artists from TRANSIT Arts. Local comic book creators including 2 Headed Monster Comics, Max Ink, Nix Comics, Sunday Comix, Vantage:Inhouse Productions, and Yuri The Comic will sell comic books at the concerts.

Food Carts
A variety of local food carts will sell refreshments at each show, as organized by Food Fort Columbus.

Free Kids Activities
Columbus Artmobile will provide rotating kids arts activities throughout the series, and openheartcreatures will perform in body puppets at the July 15 and August 12 concerts.

Sound
Veteran sound engineer Fred Blitzer with Vital Companies will run sound for all six shows.

Donors
The series is funded by the Short North Foundation, Short North Civic Association, ComFest, Friends of Goodale Park, and Harrison West Society.

Photos
Click here to see photo albums from the series.

 

ZombieWalk Columbus.

Oh, zombies of Central Ohio. I adore you. Congratulations on an amazing turnout at Saturday’s 6^th annual ZombieWalk Columbus. More than 2,000 of you trudged through the Short North, and you raised a staggering 4,264 pounds of food for the Mid-Ohio Foodbank. There were bride zombies, marching band zombies, surgeon zombies, hula girl zombies, scarecrow zombies, hippie zombies, baby zombies, dog zombies, a parrot zombie, and (of course) sexy zombies. And yet it was the zombie clowns that made me want to climb the arches and cry. Regular clowns scare me, let alone corpse ones. So thanks for the creepy clown memories, and see you next year. Click here for more photos.

   

 

Blooms, Butterflies, and Quitting Plastic Flowers.

Until last month, it wouldn’t have occurred to me to willingly visit a greenhouse or botanical garden. I’m a founding member of the Black Thumb Club, meaning that I struggle to keep plastic plants alive. You know those “fail-proof” orchids that thrive on three ice cubes a week? I’ve killed five of them. But a few weeks ago, seemingly out of nowhere, I started weeding and planting with fury. And I liked it. 

Our modern planet is wonderfully connected, but it’s easy to feel trapped by technology. Sometimes I need to disentangle from the wires and focus on things that transcend status updates, like playing in the dirt. Yesterday, amid a fit of technological suffocation, I zipped over to the Franklin Park Conservatory to see the Blooms & Butterflies exhibit. For one hour, I marveled at the wizardry of patterns in nature and forgot all about to-do lists. Plastic flowers: Love you, mean it — but we both knew this wasn’t going anywhere.

Blooms & Butterflies is on display through September 3, and there are butterfly releases at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. daily. Click here for more photos.

 

SPACE (Small Press & Alternative Comics Expo).

It started somewhere between Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Battlestar Galactica. It was intensified by The Hunger Games, Green Hornet, Super, Iron Man, The Oatmeal, and the Columbus Indie Comix Fair. Yep, my fate has been uncloaked: I have an Inner Nerdesse. Maybe she was always there, lying dormant until the Cylons activated her while being transported via hovercraft to the arena, but I can’t be sure. In my head, Admiral Adama was telling me it was time to join the fleet. And so yesterday I attended the 13^th annual SPACE convention. With more than 180 vendors from around the country, it’s the biggest creator-owned comic show in the Midwest. The two-day event is organized by Bob Corby of Back Porch Comics and features thousands of self-published comic books. In addition to hosting workshops and panels, it awards juried prizes to creators in various categories. There are so many talented indie writers, illustrators, graphic artists, and cartoonists with brain-bendingly kinetic material. It’s gratifying to support them directly, since the comic industry has been infiltrated by pop culture behemoths like movies and video games. This is evidenced in the Morgan Spurlock film Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope, which was released two weeks ago.

Some personal SPACE highlights included getting my pony portrait, learning that the first edition of Grammar Man had typos, discussing how cats are plotting to overtake humans by communicating through Netflix envelopes, hearing the phrase “well-meaning homeless alligator,” and listening to my husband roar “Boba Fett!” when finding his favorite Star Wars character in a stack of drawings. I may have blurted “Battlestar Galactica is the best show ever” a little louder than I intended, but no one frakking cared. Click here for more photos.

 

Short North Yard Sale.

This year’s Short North Yard Sale will be held on Saturday, June 2 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Hosted by the Short North Civic Association, it takes place throughout Victorian Village, Harrison West, Italian Village, Dennison Place, and The Circles. The daylong treasure hunt of furniture, clothing, accessories, toys, and knickknacks is the largest neighborhood yard sale in Columbus. Short North area residents can register in the official listing here.

       

  

Pecha Kucha May 10 at Eartha Limited.

Pecha Kucha Columbus will present its next event on Thursday, May 10 at Eartha Limited. Festivities kick off at 7:00 p.m. with local band Both Girls and presentations begin at 7:30. Each speaker will follow the international PK format of showing 20 images and speaking about each image for 20 seconds. Presenters include Beth Berkemer and Ashley Sergent from COTA; Jackie Calderone of TRANSIT Arts; healthy living enthusiast Brian Erchenbrecher; Jung Kim with Columbus Chamber of Commerce and Columbus 2020; OSU student Carrie Krochta; Kenyon College museum curator Natalie Marsh; architects Joseph Mayer and Brandon Pence with DesignGroup; poet Rikki Santer; Columbus State Community College professor Bob Stein; and a representative from 200Columbus. Presenters are subject to change.

A pop-up art show will be on display, with work by Chris Sherman and Kim Webb. TRANSIT Arts will perform during intermission. Local food trucks will sell refreshments, as organized by Food Fort Columbus. THOUGHTco will screen print T-shirts for guests throughout the evening ($5 for shirts brought from home and $12 to buy a new one). Scott Vayo will deejay.

The suggested donation is $2 per person, benefiting Pecha Kucha Columbus. Eartha Limited is located at 371 Maier Place, adjacent to the Scioto Audubon Metro Park in the Brewery District. Free parking is available in Eartha Limited’s lot. Carpooling and bicycling are encouraged.

Pecha Kucha Night was devised and shared by Klein Dythan architecture. Drawing its name from the Japanese term for “chitchat,” it was founded in Tokyo in 2003 as a way for designers to meet and share their work in public. More than 500 cities around the world now host PK events. Pecha Kucha Columbus was formed in 2007 and holds four events a year.

High Five 5k.

Races can be so weird. You wake up frighteningly early, pay a registration fee, and pin a bib to your shirt. You deal with staggered starts, shoe chips, the gut-sinking blast of a starter gun, and attempted navigation through harried clusters of other runners. You want a side of claustrophobia with those nerves? Races are anything but laid back, which is why I quit them. Until yesterday’s High Five 5k in Clintonville.

Last week, I read an article about Pete Dully and his group High Five Running. Through the simple act of smacking someone’s palm, he reprogrammed a grim and laborious experience into a whimsical roving brouhaha. At his “race,” I learned that a few dozen high fives gave me more stamina than any training manual or pasta dinner. We started somewhere around (the reasonable hour of) 10:00 with Pete cassually yelling, “Ok, go.” As someone who has run in more races than I can remember, this was different. I had fun. Click here for more photos.

Ohio Hip Hop Expo.

There’s no crying in Hip Hop. I know this. But at yesterday’s 18^th annual Ohio Hip Hop Expo, I just couldn’t help myself. The minute I stepped into the day-long affair at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, this is what I saw: Talent. Pride. Community. Friendship. Joy. Positivity. And some ridiculously vicious dance moves. Presented by BHB (Brothers Helpin Bruthas), the Expo celebrates Hip Hop culture and its positive impact on Ohio’s urban communities. In addition to Krump and MC Battles, there were live performances by groups including A Breath of Fresh Heir, Columbus Dance Troop, The Deepest Entertainment, Goody The Great, I Am D.A.N.C.E., and TRANSIT Arts Dance Crew. Through this event and his multiple city-wide workshops, BHB is one charismatic and constructive force. Click here for more photos.

   

Short North Foundation Accepting Grant Requests.

The Short North Foundation is accepting requests for grants between $500 and $2,500 from area organizations with projects taking place in or around the Short North. Specifically, the Foundation seeks projects and programs that benefit Short North area residents, unite Short North neighborhoods, and incorporate or preserve public works of art and architecture.

The deadline to submit a grant proposal is June 29. Projects requiring multiple-year funding will be considered. Past projects that have been funded by the Foundation include the Goodale Park Music Series, Screen on the Green movie series in Goodale Park, Harrison Park Art Awards, tree plaques in Goodale Park, flower beds in Italian Village Park, Columbus Art Walks, and the Columbus Film Council. To request grant guidelines and a grant application, email Alexandra Kelley Fox. 

Founded in 2000, the Short North Foundation aims to advance the creative spirit, diversity, and vitality of the Short North Neighborhoods and Short North Arts District. It maintains partnerships with the Friends of Goodale Park, Harrison West Society, Italian Village Commission, Italian Village Society, Short North Business Association, Short North Civic Association, Short North Special Improvement District, and the Victorian Village Commission. Since its inception, the Foundation has worked with neighborhood civic organizations to help fund Short North area bench restorations, consistent neighborhood sign programs, bicycle bollards, the Community Campaign for Creating Encounters in Urban Art and History, the Short North Parking Initiative, the Short North Pocket Parks Campaign, and the Short North District Roundtables.

Arts and Social Change Panel Discussion at Fort Hayes.

I used to be so jealous of the kids who went to Fort Hayes. Yes, I was very fortunate to attend the school that I did — but Fort Hayes bleeds magic. An alternative high school in the Columbus Public Schools system, admission is based on a lottery system. With a strong focus on visual art, music, and the performing arts, it has this thumping and saucy straight-out-of-Fame aura. I was honored to be asked to participate in a panel discussion there yesterday about arts and social change.

Led by Fort Hayes’ Technical Theatre Director Rodney Grist, the three-hour session took place at Shot Tower Gallery. It explored the ability and responsibility of Central Ohio arts organizations to impact social change, and the possible formation of a socially conscious nonprofit arts organization. The 11-person panel was a “change project” for Grist’s PhD study in Leadership and Change from Antioch University. In small groups and as a whole, we brainstormed how arts programs should tackle social injustice and oppression. We also dissected the needs of Columbus arts educators and studied our own individual roles as change fosterers.

Our music, visual arts, theater, film, and multimedia programs comprise a huge part of the Columbus soul. They’re engrained in our history and in our future. They inspire us to create and teach us to collaborate. They continue to make us unique. We owe it to everyone in our community, from young children to senior citizens, to be hyper-committed to this cause. Columbus Arts and Experience Columbus offer outstanding events calendars that are searchable by date, location, discipline, and price (including free). Now excuse me while I break out the glitter and legwarmers. I’m gonna live forever, I’m gonna learn how to fly.

     

“Poetry in Motion” at Carnegie Gallery.

In the first chapter of the brilliant book Orbiting the Giant Hairball, varying ages of school children are asked to raise their hands if they’re artists. All of the first graders raise their hands, half of the second graders do, and then a third of the third graders. The older we get, the more self-conscious we become — but we all possess creative spirit, and many of us have an inherent ability to promote compassion. I was reminded of that yesterday during the opening reception of Poetry in Motion at the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Carnegie Gallery.

The pieces in this collection were made by Columbus youth aged 5-21 in the Art in the House and TRANSIT ARTS out-of-school programs. They were inspired by poems from the Poetry Society of America’s Poetry in Motion project, with guiding civil rights themes of Rosa Parks and the “Power of One.” The free exhibition, which was curated by Stephanie Rond, marks a collaboration between the library, GCAC, and COTA. Reproductions of some of the artwork will be installed on 300 COTA buses starting this month. Poetry in Motion will be on display through March 27. Click here for more photos.

        

Columbus Indie Comix Fair.

The first Columbus Indie Comix Fair was held today at Ace of Cups. Presented by SPACE (Small Press & Alternative Comic Expo) and Nix Comics, it featured comic books and artwork by 2Headed Monster, Aliastrations, Back Porch Comics, Blink Comics, Ferret Press, Monkey’s Retreat, Neno World, Nix Comics, Pander Bear, Symphony of the Universe, and Yuri the Comic. Click here for more photos.

Good Design in Hard Times.

Before last night, I thought murals were just really cool works of public art. I didn’t perceive them as portals through which communities could stage improvement revolutions. But during the opening reception of Good Design in Hard Times at Whetsone Public Library, I learned a few things.

“A mural can be a transitional way to project the future,” said Eliza Ho, co-founder of the nonprofit group ALTernative. She and her husband Tim Lai presented about four Columbus projects they helped manage that are small in scale, but soaring in community impact. They founded ALTernative last year to benefit neighborhoods through art and design and to offer a platform where people can share ideas.

SoHud Murals
A graffiti-ridden wall at the southwest corner of Hudson and Summit Streets is now a panorama of bright painted trees, thanks to Wild Goose Creative and a slew of local supporters. The first piece of the SoHud Community Mural Project, it was unfurled last September by artists Jon Stommel and Travis Czekalski. ALTernative has proposed a second mural at the former Hudson Theater, which is covered in graffiti and has been abandoned for decades. Its “secret garden” design and surrealist pink stairways spark hope for a renaissance of the building.

Ohio Bird Mural
Inspired by the passion of the Lower Olentangy Urban Arboretum and Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed, this Glen Echo Ravine installation transforms a vandalized bridge underpass into an educational bird sanctuary. It will spotlight 20 Ohio bird species and feature 15 custom bird “abodes.” The project is set to be unveiled on July 14 to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of Glen Echo Park.

Dinin’ Hall
With more than 100 food trucks and carts roaming our streets, Columbus has become a mobile food mecca. Dinin’ Hall is a groundbreaking street food hub concept that will bump the phenomenon to a sleeker level. Offering a communal space where people can enjoy food truck delicacies, it simplifies ordering and minimizes lines. The 1,300-square-foot space at the loading dock of 400 West Rich in Franklinton is scheduled to open in late April.

“This is all about using design as a solution,” Tim said. Good Design in Hard Times will be on display at Whetstone Library through the end of April.

         

“Stigmatized: The African-American Male and Schizophrenia” at Fresh A.I.R. Gallery.

Schizophrenia is a heavy word. Sometimes we use it in jest, but the condition after which it’s named is dire. It casts a sense of shame that is so strong and dark, its sufferers have trouble coping. This is why Cincinnati artist and care provider Michael Coppage took action. For two years, he captured the “apathy, anger, and fear” he felt while counseling patients, and interpreted his experiences in a series of sculptural pastel portraits. The result is Stigmatized: The African-American Male and Schizophrenia, which opened on Wednesday night at Fresh A.I.R. Gallery in Columbus.

“I view Schizophrenia as a terminal illness with symptoms that carriers struggle to control their entire lives,” said Coppage. “The need to fit in and ‘be normal’ is often the biggest barrier to medication adherence and routine mental health treatment for the young African-American male population diagnosed with a mental illness.”

With this beautifully brave exhibit, Coppage aims to conjure something vital: Empathy. “We need all of the help and support we can get,” he said.

Fresh A.I.R. Gallery (A.I.R. stands for Artists in Recovery) highlights art created by individuals who are affected by mental illness and substance abuse. It educates community members and dispels stigmas by focusing on journeys of recovery and artistic spirit.

Stigmatized will be on display through March 30. An artist’s talk with Coppage will take place at the gallery on March 30 at 4:00 p.m. Click here for more photos.

  

My Secret Columbus Bicentennial Celebration.

Columbus turns 200 today¹. There have been several public festivities to honor this occasion, and yet I also wanted to acknowledge it privately. This has, after all, been my home for 22 years and I was born in the year of our country’s Bicentennial. So I trekked through the snow to a tree in the middle of Goodale Park, lit a Candle Lab candle, and sang Happy Birthday. I gave thanks. And I left a frosted vanilla cupcake from the North Market. Yes, I looked around to make sure no one was watching the kook with her makeshift solo Bicentennial party. But to do such a thing in the city that taught me about the power of accessibility and value of creative expression somehow felt appropriate.

1 It’s also Valentine’s Day. I’m wishing everyone a Happy Valentennial.