Public Art

The Short North Arts District is home to some of the most exciting and engaging public artworks in Columbus.

From iconic permanent murals to colorful Short North Arches and the wildly popular annual Short North Arts District Mural Series, the streets in the Short North Arts District are filled with enlightening and often unexpected works of art. Download a map of the gallery and art guide.

Crediting Our Public Artists

Taking images of public art works and sharing your experiences with public art is one of the most fun things about a visit to the Short North Arts District. As a community, we care deeply about the artists who have contributed the artworks we enjoy every day. Please make sure to credit artists and their galleries where they are noted on the helpful plaques next to artworks throughout the District when you share your photos. If you have an interest in using an image of a public artwork in the Short North Arts District for commercial use, please contact the Short North Alliance at info@shortnorth.org to obtain information on how to credit or compensate the artist for use.

 


PUBLIC ART

Summer Spray 2023

 

Artist: Hakim Callwood

 

The Short North Alliance has led the fourth installment of Summer Spray, a live mural-painting event that showcases and elevates the work and process of local artists in the Short North Arts District for the community to enjoy.

Summer Spray 2023 features a temporary 1,300-square-foot mural wall on the highly visible “Cap at Union Station” located on Goodale St. between High St. and Park St., Participating artists created their section of the mural inspired by the themes mentioned, their own experiences, and current events, and build upon the work created by the previous artist. 

Click here to learn more about Summer Spray 2023 artists, schedules and exhibitions.

Summer Spray is made possible with support from the Greater Columbus Arts Council, The Ohio Arts Council, and the Short North Alliance Art Fund.


 

Out of the Box

 

The innovative art project brings local artists’ talents to the forefront by covering everyday electrical utility cabinets with creative artworks. These often unsightly, and overlooked structures have become the canvas for talented artists to enliven public spaces. All artists participating in Out of the Box are emerging and have histories from historically marginalized communities. 

This project is made possible with support from the the Short North Foundation,  the Mary Marjorie Wittwer; Edith Doud Unrestricted; and Lewis B. and Myra B. Simpson funds of The Columbus Foundation, The Ohio Arts Council,  and the Short North Alliance Art Fund.

Artist Name: Niko Taylor
Artist Handle: @niko.rainbeau
Location: Spruce Ave. and High St.
moody, pop, comedic

Artist Name: Juan Daza
Artist Handle: @dazaarte
Location: High St. and Vine St.
Vibrant, Imaginative, Evocative

Artist Name: Dana Harper
Artist Handle: @danalynnharper
Location: Goodale Ave. and High St.
playful, color-driven, whimsical

Artist Name: Khaila Carr
Artist Handle: @baby.lumpia
Location: Russell Ave. and High St.
femme, saturated, kira-kira

Artist Name: Andy Smith
Artist Handle: @Hotblack00
Location: Buttles Ave. and High St.
Surreal Abstract Energetic

Artist Name: Cassidy Marietta
Artist Handle: @cassidyraemarietta
Location: W Hubbard Ave. and High St.
ornate, botanical, illustrative

Artist Name: Dane Khy
Artist Handle: @dane.khy
Location: Price Ave and High St.
Semi-realism, Interconnection and narrative

Artist Name: Abby Kamagate
Artist Handle: @abbykamagate
Location: King Ave. and High St.
Playful, Intuitive, Rich

Artist Name: Rather Severe
Artist Handle: @rather-severe
Location: Starr Ave. and High St.
Colorful Illustrative Abstractions

Artist Name: Anthony Pomales
Artist Handle: @anthonypomalesart
Location: 4th Ave. and High St.
Whimsical Indigenous Nonchalant

Artist Name: RAKES
Artist Handle: @Genericabadu
Location: 5th Ave. and High St.
Gritty, Enigmatic, Bold

Artist Name: Sarah Pagliaro
Artist Handle: @_SpookyMoose_
Location: Goodale Park
Spooky Cute Nature

 


Pride Circles

“Pride Circles” by Lisa McLymont
Located at Stonewall Columbus, 1160 N High St.

A first-of-its-kind public art installation now has a home in the Short North Arts District. “Pride Circles” by local artist Lisa McLymont is the first ever permanent public art installation to be installed in the public right-of-way in the City of Columbus on a sidewalk where the public is invited to traverse the art as they pass.

Commissioned by the Short North Alliance in partnership with Stonewall Columbus, “Pride Circles” is a representation of a few of the many pride and identity flags in the LGBTQ+ community. The installation takes shape in the form of a pond of unified ripples, where passersby can imagine themselves as pebbles that break the surface symbolizing individual efforts that combine to make waves in the waters of change–analogous to the the queer rights movement. These ripples coalesce around the entrance of Stonewall, creating a symbolic and welcoming embrace around the many voices and identities in the community who enter. Made entirely of thermoplastic, which is the same material that is used in most roadway markings, the installation is designed to allow the public to inclusively experience LGBTQ+ identities.

Amidst Stonewall Columbus’ 40th Anniversary year, in service and advocacy to the Columbus community, “Pride Circles” not only reimagines the gateway into the nonprofit’s Short North Arts District headquarters, it works to elevate an understanding of the ways in which small acts can result in big change and the unique interconnectedness of the LGBTQ+ community.

The project was made possible with support from The Jack and Zoe Johnstone fund of the Short North Foundation, the Short North Alliance Art Fund, Stonewall Columbus, One Hospitality Group, and Griffin Pavement Striping.

A celebration with the artist is planned for Pride Month in June 2022 with details to follow.

About the Artist
Lisa McLymont is a multidisciplinary artist, graphic designer & social justice advocate. Lisa’s art is mainly expressed through drawing and painting, welcoming curiosity to explore many directions knowing that each new experience provides insight while creating work that connects past and future worlds. Lisa has two ongoing portrait series, “The Universe Tribe”, & “The Odes”, focused on nuances within identity and inspired by the powerful communicative styles of protest posters and dreamy expressionism.

Driven to affect the world in a positive way, Lisa’s art encourages others to know the power in collaboratively seeking change. She overcomes anxieties about the unrest in the world through a meditative process of making & taking time to view concepts at myopic levels.

Lisa McLymont was born in Manhattan, NY and has called Columbus, Ohio home since the age of ten. Formally educated in graphic design and visual communications at The Ohio State University, McLymont’s career as a self-taught, multi-disciplinary artist started in 2009, and has included forays into drawing, painting, murals, sculpture, and jewelry design, while letting inspiration found through research and the process of making lead. She is currently a member of the Columbus Public Art Commission, Maroon Arts Group, and is Black, Out, and Proud.

About Stonewall Columbus
Stonewall Columbus, an independent 501(c)(3)nonprofit, is one of the oldest LGBTQ+ community organizations in the country; founded in 1981, today Stonewall Columbus’ mission is to increase visibility, inclusion, and connection for the LGBTQ+ community. Stonewall represents more than 10,000 LGBTQ+ and allied community members in the Central Ohio region. Stonewall provides an array of evolving programs and services to the LGBTQ+ and allied communities supported by community donations, corporate partnerships, and grants. Annual Columbus PRIDE events and march are produced by Stonewall Columbus. Stonewall’s physical home is the Center on High–a community center for all. Stonewall envisions a community where we all THRIVE.





 The Makers Monument

Photo: @Abby_Kamagate

The Short North Arts District is now home to the most significant public art installation in the City of Columbus’ history called “The Makers Monument.” “The Makers Monument” is a new sculpture installation by Ohio-born and New York-based artist Mark Reigelman. The 20’ tall crystalline sculpture is site specific, inspired by and perforated with the shapes of items that have been made in Columbus throughout Columbus’ history. A celebration of the great makers in our City, “The Makers Monument” showcases how Columbus is a city of great people making great things. “The Makers Monument” was funded by the City of Columbus Capital Budget and through contributions from property owners in the Short North Special Improvement District.

See “The Makers Monument” at the corner of W. Hubbard Ave. and High St.

Attend “The Makers Monument” Upcoming Events on August 7, 2021:
Public Dedication & Media Event
Artist Talk with Mark Reigelman
Meet the Maker: Artist Reception with Mark Reigelman


Intersecting Energy

The Short North Arts District recently welcomed a new public art project on the side of The Joseph building, located on East Russell Street, by artist Dion Johnson. Born in Ohio in 1975, Johnson is a rising American painter with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The Ohio State University and an Masters of Fine Arts from Claremont Graduate University. His acrylic paintings explore contemporary notions of urban, digital, and natural environments through the use of dynamic hard-edged color fields.

Titled Intersecting Energy, Johnson’s mural reflects the vibrancy and joy of the Short North and Arts District. Drawing from the lively activity of High Street and the changing seasons visible in Goodale Park, Intersecting Energy translates time, movement and emotion into layers of colors that progress across the wall. Slender shapes and colors seem to suddenly appear and quietly dissolve as they slip behind and peek out from five prominent rectangles. The geometry of these rectangles alludes to imaginary building facades built from color and light, while gradient transitions of color imply the sky and landscape at different times of day.

The mural was made possible with support from The Pizzuti Companies.


Be The Light

The Short North Arts District welcomed a new public art project on the new Lincoln Parking Garage, located at East Lincoln Street and North Pearl Street in October 2020. Local artist Adam Hernandez created the approximately 460-square-foot permanent mural, titled Be The Light, which marks the 14th new public art piece in the Short North Arts District this year.

This project is made possible with support from The Wood Companies, the Short North Civic Association, The Short North Foundation, the Italian Village Society, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, and the Short North Alliance Art Fund.


Short North Arts District Art Trail

Start with Art in the Short North Arts District! Use this Short North Arts District Art Trail to explore all the public art, galleries, performance art spaces, and more in the Art + Soul of Columbus.

 

 


Murals

The Short North Arts District is home to dozens of murals, including the popular Short North Mural Series and a number of large-scale permanent works.

Short North Arts District Mural Series


Brandt-Roberts Galleries/Bernard Palchick: “Invasive Species”

The Short North Alliance and 11 partner galleries and art institutions, with the support of the the Greater Columbus Arts Council and the Ohio Arts Council, present the seventh rendition of the highly popular Short North Mural Series titled One World. One World showcases the diversity of global artists and their experiences.

This iteration builds upon the popular Unconventional: A community-curated celebration of our unconventional city (2019-Present), I, Too, Sing America: The Harlem Renaissance at 100 (2018-2020), Six in the Short North (2017-2019), BLANK SPACES (2015-2017), Viewpoints: Murals by Young Professional Working Artists (2013-15), and 10x10x10 (2012-13).

One World is a project of the Short North Alliance and is made possible with support from the Greater Columbus Arts Council, the Ohio Arts Council, and the Short North Alliance Art Fund.

The temporary murals are installed on the exterior brick facades of 25 buildings along High Street in the Short North Arts District. They consist of high resolution images of art works that are printed on vinyl and heat-adhered to buildings. The process results in a work of art that looks painted on the building.

The Short North Mural Series has become one of the most anticipated and celebrated projects in the Short North Arts District and represents an incredible community-wide collaboration among the District’s art galleries.


Short North Arts District Permanent Murals

Wall Alley Portal

Wall Alley Portal is a mural installation by local, self-taught artists and up-and-coming muralists Ashley Pierce and Josh Cummings. Installed in Wall Alley directly behind the Garden Theater and adjacent to the Short North Church, Wall Alley Portal is an engaging new project that helps to enliven this space.

Pierce, who regularly shows her studio work at Lindsey Gallery in the Short North Arts District, was inspired by the unique architecture of the buildings that line Wall Alley, specifically an historic feature of the Garden Theater that was once a portal doorway into the old building. The imagery exhibited in Wall Alley Portal signifies hope, transformation, and the collective power that the many unique not-profits adjacent to the alley bring in helping the communities they serve. In addition to the artwork, lighting will be added to the alley to enhance safety and create an even more dynamic experience of the artwork at night.

Wall Alley Portal is a project of the Short North Alliance and is made possible with support from: the United Way of Central Ohio, PNC Bank, The Columbus Foundation, the Short North Foundation, the American Electric Power Foundation, the Short North Church, Rock City Church, The Lykens Companies, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, the Ohio Arts Council, and the Short North Alliance Art Fund.


The Journey

The Short North Alliance, in collaboration with AJ Capital Partners and The Graduate Hotel, commissioned California-based artists Ryan Sarfati (@oh_yanoe) and Eric Skotnes (@zoueh_skotnes) to create and install three permanent public art murals on the exterior building walls of the new Graduate Hotel located in the Short North Arts District. Sarfati and Skotnes also led an artist-in-residency program for members of the Columbus Community. Click here to watch The Journey feature on Broad & High, and click here to see the process of the making of The Journey.

Take the journey when you discover The Journey in the Short North Arts District. Click here to watch The Journey come to life, and download the augmented reality app to experience how the murals come alive here:

 

 


The Journey
was made possible with support from:

Artist Information
Ryan “Yanoe” Sarfati
is a Belgian-American artist born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who moved to Los Angeles in the early 90s. He began graffitiing at the age of 11, and by the age of 17 was one of the most prolific names in Los Angeles. He has painted in over 20 countries and has appeared in multiple art publications around the world. In recent years, Yanoe has shifted his focus to fine art in the form of large-scale murals, studio works, and commercial works. Some of his clients include Nike, Urban Decay, Headspace, Google, Apple, Facebook, and Netflix.

Eric “Zoueh” Skotnes is a Los Angeles artist who embarked on graffiting at 11 years old. His obsession with constructing large-scale graffiti inspired him to design murals. Despite his unique esthetic creating abstract graffiti-derived murals, he was dissatisfied with his perceived artistic limitations and pursued a rigorous art education at the Art Center College of Design from 2005-2009, where he studied illustration and fine art. During his last term at the Art Center, Skotnes started to receive commissions from movie and television production studios. He has done paintings, graffiti, murals, and illustration for studio productions such as Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Family Tree, How to be a Latin Lover, Murder in the First, The Good Place, Marvel’s Runaways, and Last Man on Earth. Skotnes is currently working on a series of figurative paintings based on human interaction that blends his style of graffiti art with classical figurative painting.


Are You A Life-force?

CAAMP (Taylor Meier, Matt Vinson, Joe Kavalec, and Evan Westfall) pictured with Are you a life force?

CAAMP, which includes band members Taylor Meier, Evan Westfall, and Matt Vinson, are a local band on the rise. To celebrate their national success, they gifted a mural to the community that they love and call home. The permanent mural, titled Are You A Life-force? was created by Meier’s mother, local muralist Sally Meier, and CAAMP keyboardist Joe Kavalec. Inspired by the band’s album By and By, released July 26, 2019, the mural depicts the stories told through their music. It is located on the Buttles Avenue side of Bakersfield in the Short North Arts District.


The Messenger Wall

Located on the north-facing side of 1204 N. High Street, The Messenger Wall is a site-specific sculptural wallscape mural that was installed in the spring of 2017. The Messenger Wall commemorates the incredible messengers in our community who represent empowerment and give credence to the voices of the under-served, neglected, and overlooked. The artwork honors the legacy of the Short North Alliance’s founding director, John Angelo. Angelo means  “angel” or “messenger” in Italian. John was a consummate messenger for the neighborhood. He championed lasting programs for, events in, and improvements to our community. Like John, this building’s owner, Community Housing Network, and its tenant, Dress for Success Columbus, serve as profound messengers to those they serve. Artists Eric Raush (@erauschy) and Jen Kiko (@ottoiko) chose the messenger pigeon, set against an abstract backdrop of imagery from the Short North Arts District, to represent these treasured community messengers. The mural is made of carved and pigmented brick.

The Messenger Wall was made possible with the support of the following:
Short North Alliance | Jack and Zoe Johnstone Fund of the Short North Foundation | Greater Columbus Arts Council | United Way of Central Ohio Neighborhood Partnership Grant Program | Charly and Jeni Bauer | Community Housing Network | Rick Gore and Peter Yockel | Sharon and Thaddeus O’Brien | Matthew Romanoff | Stephanie Stein and Chris Minnillo | Susan Scherer Charitable Foundation | Mary Catherine’s Antiques | Juli Peisher Rogers | Brian and Michelle Brandt


Short North Gothic


Photo by Bailey Lytle

The Short North Arts District’s twist on Grant Wood’s iconic classic, American Gothic, is one of the images for which the District is most well known. Located on the corner of N. High Street and E. Lincoln Street, Short North Gothic is on the outer wall of another famous Short North Arts District spot – Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. The original piece depicts a farmer and his daughter, while the District’s skillful reproduction by Steve Galgas (@gtron3000) and Mike Altman (@pixarmike) has flipped the daughter on her head and switched the subjects’ positions. The beautiful mural embodies the spirit of the District and makes a statement of its own.


Mona Lisa

Photo via Experience Columbus

An icon in both the art world and the Short North Arts District, Mona Lisa helped put Columbus on the map as an art destination. Painted by Brian Clemons, the public mural is the only one in the District not visible from High Street, but is an important symbol of the neighborhood. The famous muse’s enigmatic smile is as beautiful as the original, but in signature Short North Arts District style, she was painted sideways on her ear, rather than upright.


Sculptures

The Short North Arts District is home to a number of sculptures, which make the neighborhoods buildings, street corners, and parks a joy to discover.

Jubilation

Columbus artists Stephen Canneto and Judith Spater have created a dynamic sculpture that is suspended nearly 30 feet up in the air at the northwest corner of Second Avenue and High Street. Spanning nearly 25 feet in length, the three part sculpture, titled Jubilation, delivers a dance of light and color that changes by the minute. Evoking the vibrancy and diversity of the Short North Arts District community, the sculpture is a celebration of the joy found within our community. Comprised of stainless steel, dichrolaminate, acrylic, and hundreds of Bluetooth controlled LED lights, the sculpture is one of a number of newly installed and planned permanent public artworks in the Short North Arts District.

Jubilation was made possible with support from the Ingram White Castle Foundation, the Borror Family Foundation, and The Short North Alliance Art. Support for the Short North Alliance 2019 season of public art projects comes from the Greater Columbus Arts Council.

Chase Park Artworks

Located just north of Chase Bank, Chase Park is a pocket where visitors and locals alike can take a seat in a wrought iron chair and soak in the urban ambiance of High Street. Recessed between two columns and watching over the park is The Guardian, a colorful, playful sculpture by Russ Vogt that proudly symbolizes the organic creativity and brilliance of the Short North Arts District. Inset between the bank and Biscuit & Branch, four concrete and brick pillars form beautiful archways with the help of three stained glass panels that act as an entrance to Chase Park. The colorful space is a wonderful backdrop for the musicians who play during Gallery Hop and adds another artistic touch to the Short North Arts District.

Poplar Park Mosaic Obelisk

Just north of the Cap is the picturesque Poplar Park, the Short North Arts District’s largest pocket park with one of the most exquisite public sculptures in the city, Andrew Lidgus’ obelisk titled In Dreams Again. The name is a phrase from Ohio’s state song, “Beautiful Ohio,” while the design on the totem depicts three cardinals and a trillium, Ohio’s state bird and flower, and nature spirits – one receiving water to represent the name “Ohio,” based on the Iroquois word meaning “beautiful river,” and one receiving leaves to honor the natural history of Ohio. The sculpture stands amongst café tables, chairs, and planters in the park’s stone plaza.


Short North Arches

Photo via Experience Columbus

One of the most recognizable parts of the Short North Arts District is its 17 arches, which pay homage to erstwhile wooden arches first built in 1888, which is when Columbus became known as “Arch City.” Ohio was chosen to host the centennial celebration of the creation of the Northwest Territory since it was the first state carved out of the territory. The wooden arches were lit by gaslight and had been built to both light the streets and dazzle visitors. In 1896, the wood and gas was replaced with steel and electric, but in 1916 the arches were torn down entirely and replaced by light posts. In 2002, almost 100 years later, 17 steel arches were reinstalled on High Street from Goodale to Fifth Avenue and are a hallmark of the Short North Arts District. The individually-programmable lights, which use LED technology, create a bright rainbow along the mile stretch of High Street that is the District.

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