by Lisa McPeek
The Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery is currently presenting HERE and Beyond: Ohio Art League’s 100th Anniversary Exhibition. Running through Oct. 25, the show highlights some of Ohio’s finest artists in collaboration with a celebration of the long-standing excellence the Ohio Art League (OAL) has brought to the Buckeye State.
“Columbus is known nationally and internationally as a city with a vibrant arts and culture scene,” says Emily Swartzlander, marketing and communications director for the Greater Columbus Arts Council. “Columbus artists such as Ann Hamilton and Aminah Robinson are respected and collected by people all over the world.”
OAL is a non-profit, member-based artist organization that has existed in the Columbus area for 100 years. Its dedication to enriching the visual arts community by promoting and engaging its artist members has earned it an impressive reputation.
Originally the Columbus Art League, OAL changed its name in order to accommodate its expanding membership. Today OAL has more than 600 members statewide with the majority living and working in Central Ohio.
Sixteen artists were chosen from OAL for the exhibit, with most being from the greater Columbus area.
“There is a great deal of artistic momentum in Central Ohio and this exhibition provided an opportunity to present a great selection of artists from the Ohio Arts League,” says Jaclyn Reynolds, communications specialist for the Ohio Arts Council.
Reynolds adds that the exhibit presents something for everyone, whether you’re an art connoisseur or a casual observer. Some of the display’s features include landscape imagery, images of urban sites that have been transformed through art, cartoon-based drawings and a sculpture made from quilt fabrics.
“There is plenty to like, to enjoy and even dislike or not understand right away but be challenged by. What's important is that all the work is interesting to look at and has something to say,” Reynolds says.
The exhibition's curator is Margo A. Crutchfield. Featured artists include Sandra Aska, Columbus; Carol Boram-Hays, Columbus; Denise Buckley, Richmond Heights; Mary Fahy, Columbus; Sarah E. Fairchild, Columbus; Matthew Friday, Athens; Curtis W.M. Goldstein, Columbus; Nicholas Hill, Granville; Morris Jackson, Columbus; Ardine Nelson, Columbus; Brent Payne, Oxford; Stephanie Sypsa, Columbus; Alicia Jean Vanderelli, Columbus; Barbara Vogel, Columbus; Melissa Vogley-Woods, Columbus; and Tom Ward, Columbus.
Visit www.riffegallery.org for more information.