OSU Urban Arts Space, a Hopping and Lively Spot

Last week (June 9th through the 13th) was an exciting and jam packed week for the OSU Urban Arts Space filled with: the Design Exhibition opening and closing, two art receptions of the Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition and Design Exhibition variety, and last but not least the successful Idea Lab Reception. And let me tell you, Columbus is noticing! We got press in the Indie Columbus for our Idea Lab Reception and all of the events were well attended. We had an outstanding number of 457 guests at the Design reception and 113 guests for the BFA Reception!

I was lucky enough to be scheduled to work during the Idea Lab Reception, and left work with new ideas and facts learned while also feeling creatively inspired. For those of you who do not know much about the Idea Lab, it was a contest generously funded by the Efroymson Family Fund, held in the fall of 2008. Over 30 Ohio State University students submitted project proposals for their dreams of programs, workshops, events, inventions and much, much more that their creative minds wanted to make into realities with the help of us here at The OSU Urban Arts Space. This year the chosen five student participants were: Morgan Green, Alex Hissong, Robert Klein, KC Wolfe, and Constance Rice. The Idea Lab reception gave these five student's a chance to present their hard-earned work to their peers, families, friends, and Columbus community. 

All of the projects were intuitive, unique, spunky, and definitely something to be proud of, but my two personal favorites were: Morgan Green’s “Connecting Abilities,” and Constant Rice’s “Student Farm at OSU.” “Connecting Abilities” was a program that showed off the artistic talent of artist’s with disabilities. Painted and collaged works of art were made as collaborations between OSU Art Scholars, student artists, and The Art Bridge Studio Artists. The Art Bridge Studio at the United Cerebral Palsy of Central Ohio provides a place where adults with disabilities learn about and participate in art, and we were lucky enough for some of the Art Bridge Artists to grace our space for the reception. I found the work to be quite unique and stunning. The art pieces featured everything from colorfully painted expressive elephants with a Van Gogh-esque brush stroke to magazine cutouts of 50’s glamorous women and popular rap stars in surreal, dream-like settings.

Constant Rice’s Idea Lab Project allowed for her and her OSU Student Organization “Student’s for Food Sovereignty” to create a student-run teaching and research farm at the existing Waterman Agriculture and Natural Resources Laboratory. This 1/2-acre organic garden plot is to be sustained by the students over the summer. While the Idea Lab Reception is over, many of the Idea Lab projects, including “Student Farm at OSU” are still very much involved, happening and up and running. We will see evidence of this here at The OSU Urban Arts Space on Wednesday, July 22nd from 11 – 2 pm and Tuesday, August 4th from 4 – 6 pm when fresh and organic produce from the OSU Student Farm will be sold at a pesticide-free produce stand right outside of our galleries. Make sure to come and shop for tasty, fresh produce. If you see a tall blonde working at the front desk stuffing her face with watermelon and carrots and all sorts of delicious goodies, that will be me. But no worries, I will not be rude and welcome you to OSU Urban Arts Space with a mouth full of fruits and vegetables.

The second week in June, 2009 was just another successful and enjoyable week here at 50 West Town Street, and there will be many more to come as we anxiously await the opening of our next stellar exhibition: BIGG (Breakthrough Ideas In Global Glass,) sponsored by Steuben Glass. Make sure to make it in to the gallery opening day, Friday, July 10, to see alluring, admirable, divine, and elegant glass pieces, some of them of epic large proportion, fill every corner and crevice of our space. You can also hang around for the BIGG Opening reception, also on opening day, from 5 – 7 pm for food, drinks, and to mingle with, or possibly meet some of the 27 local and international glass artists.

Joanna Reed, OSU Urban Arts Space Student Assistant

Images from top to bottom: (1) Idea lab recipient Alex Hissong discussing his project "Pedal Power for the People" at the Idea Lab Reception. (2) Some of the artwork, artists, and participants in Idea Lab recipient Morgan Green's project "Connecting Abilities." (3) The artwork for "Connecting Abilities" being made at The Art Bridge Studios in Columbus. (4) An OSU Student for the organization "Student's for Food Sovereignty" dressed as a carrot for a program that was part of Constance Rice's Idea Lab project "Student Farm at OSU."