When he was approached with the request to write a poem about his hometown, Isiah Harper responded that he was an essayist, not a poet. No matter, as the Northside High School English and drama teacher put into eloquent prose a unified narrative to describe Columbus. The final piece in the city-wide mural project envisioned and paid for by the Together 2017 initiative, Harper’s poem “My River...
A surprising-to-some dash of ethnic and cultural diversity has quietly thrived for decades in Columbus thanks in large part to the cross-pollinating predilections of global commerce and globe-trotting Army soldiers. Established to cater to international visitors coming to Columbus as host site for the softball competition pf the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, CIRCLE (the Commission for International...
Swinging open the doors from the fourth-floor conference room at Troy University-Phenix City Campus onto its expansive adjacent balcony, Vice Chancellor Dr. David White presents what is perhaps the best view of the Columbus riverfront. Instead of the bird’s-eye perspective on gleaming whitewater and impressive edifices for both home and office, however, White points toward an undeveloped lot that...
“We’re the best kept secret in Columbus, Georgia,” Columbus Botanical Garden Development and Marketing Director Danita Gibson Lloyd says, standing on the brick courtyard behind the simple elegance of the 19th century farmhouse housing the nonprofit’s offices and special-event space on a sunny summer afternoon. “And we no longer want to be a secret.” With more than 10,000 visitors annually to the...
Written by Brad Barnes with The Dew Abides Najee Dorsey has enjoyed a successful career as a mixed media artist whose works are deeply rooted in African-American Southern culture. Recently, his art entered a new period, one that incorporates found materials into clay sculpture. Though Najee began sculpting in the early 1990s, assemblage became his focal point in December 2015, and he has...
Written by Brenda Stevens & published in Columbus Arts Magazine My first encounter with Betsy Eby’s captivating encaustic paintings was at the Columbus Museum in 2013. I just stood there, mesmerized; I’d never seen anything like them. So, I’m very happy to have the opportunity to meet her and talk to her about her work and her life. Betsy, I know you spend part of your life each...
Art and culture was central to my environment growing up.
Jill Chancey Philips originally featured in Southern Views Magazine By: Stephanie Reeves As a child, Jill Chancey Philips began painting, ever since then art has been the main staple of her life. From sharing her talents with students as an art teacher to currently starting up her new business Knack and Jill, Jill shares her inspirations, her new ventures in the art world and her advice to those...
Tattoos are among the earliest and most universal art forms. For more than 5,000 years, cultures from every continent have been using tattoos to symbolize status, rites of passage, or simply as personal embellishment. The oldest discovery of tattooed human skin is found on Ötzi the Iceman, dating between 3370 and 3100 BC. Yet, in 1961 New York City (and many other cities) declared it “unlawful...
In its sixth year, The Columbus Museum’s Annual Fundraiser, “Let There Be Art!” is broadening its scope to feature local and regional artists in new ways.