Local artist burns down house and mural and melts another
Local muralist Mandi Caskey turns fire into an artist in her first performance in a deserted Whitehall neighborhood.
Courtney Hergesheimer, The Columbus Dispatch
Columbus: Home of the Buckeyes, the Scioto River, Wendy’s and White Castle, the 2023 MLS champions, a vibrant craft brewing scene and… a giant cornfield??
Yes, you heard right.
There are a variety of exciting events and entertainment options around Columbus, but if you’re looking for a fun and lighthearted way to get to know the city, check out these five public art installations in all their charming, quirky and whimsical glory.
What’s more Ohio than a human-sized concrete cornfield?
In Dublin, a suburb 30 minutes northwest of Columbus, there is a field of giant concrete corn statues at 4995 Rings Road. According to Visit Dublin, Ohio, the city’s tourism agency, the installation was created by Columbus sculptor Malcolm Cochran as part of the city’s public art collection and is titled “Cornfield (with Osage Oranges).”
Officially opened in 1994, the facility pays homage to the region’s agricultural history and rural landscapes. Each ear of corn, made from one of three unique molds with different grain patterns, weighs 1,500 pounds.
The Stag of Scioto
As you stroll along the Scioto Mile, a 79-acre parkland surrounding the Scioto River, you’re sure to see visitors enjoying nature by relaxing on the swing benches, taking in views of the downtown skyline from one of the bridges, or grabbing a bite to eat or drink at Milestone 229, right on the riverfront.
What you might not expect is for an anthropomorphic deer to do the same thing.
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Scattered throughout the Scioto Mile is a series of three sculptures depicting anthropomorphic deer enjoying themselves on the riverbank – leaning over a bridge, sitting in front of COSI, or lying in the grass in Genoa Park.
Created by artist and country singer Terry Allen and called the “Scioto Lounge,” the deer were inspired by the river’s namesake, which comes from the Shawnee Indian word for “hairy water” after the Shawnee found deer hair floating in the river following their migration from the Carolinas.
Adding to the whimsy and wonder is the fact that the deer have returned to the Scioto Mile after all these years thanks to the sculptures.
Is that a giant steel hammer? Absolutely.
This one is pretty obvious, but not so predictable. In front of the Ohio Supreme Court building, 65 S. Front St., stands a gigantic, 31-foot-tall steel gavel and sound block resting on a reflecting pool. The sculpture, titled “Gavel,” was created by multimedia artist Andrew F. Scott and commissioned by the Ohio State Bar Association in 2008 for the price of $200,000.
Colorful city center
In the heart of the city centre, at the intersection of High Street and Gay Street, stands a gigantic 60-metre-high hanging sculpture made from 126 kilometres of string with 500,000 knots.
Created by artist Janet Echelman, “Current” is one of several such delicate, mystical sculptures around the world – in Singapore, Sydney, Shanghai, Montreal, New York and London. Columbus’ own sculpture came downtown just last year and is Echelman’s first to hang over a busy street.
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If you come in winter, you might miss it as the structure is removed to prevent ice buildup, but during the rest of the year it stands guard over the city skyline at night with brilliant colors and twinkling lights.
“A Sunday afternoon on the island of La Grande Jatte” – but with more green
Just behind the main branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library, Topiary Park at 480 E. Town St. offers a lush landscape with an attraction that those familiar with Post-Impressionist painter George Seurat’s iconic pointillist painting may recognize: “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte,” which has been recreated in meticulous detail using Japanese yew shrubs.
The topiary figures include 54 people, eight boats, three dogs, a cat and a monkey, surrounding a pond – a stand-in for the Seine in Paris. The garden was created by sculptor James Mason and his then-wife Elaine Mason, an arts administrator, who began the project in their backyard in 1989.
When the space became too large for the project, they brought the sculptures to the city of Columbus, which created and opened the park in 1992.
If you’re still craving more art after visiting Topiary Park, head to the library next door and check out the Carnegie Gallery, where you can purchase works by Ohio artists.
