Courtesy of Greg Bartram
No two Columbus Arts Festivals are the same, and this year’s offering – slated for June 9-11 – is no exception.
First and foremost, the community favorite event has a new director: Alexis Perrone. Perrone, who has some 20 years of experience in event planning and marketing at such local institutions as WOSU and Experience Columbus, considers the upcoming festival a magnum opus of sorts.
“I would say it’s probably been the greatest and most precious honor of my career,” Perrone says.
One new highlight this year is a fashion show featuring the work of five Columbus-based designers, scheduled for the evening of June 9.
Alexis Perrone moved to Columbus in 2006 with the intention of leaving for the West Coast within a year or two. Now, she says, she can’t imagine residing anywhere else.
“Columbus is the best kind of quicksand,” Perrone says. “Once you start getting involved in things, you just can’t leave, because you just make so many great connections.”
Perrone hopes every artist present at the festival can feel celebrated and embraced by Columbus’ growing population.
“I think my ethos is just to live in service to those individuals and make sure they have a safe, wonderful and hopefully sunny platform to showcase everything that they’re providing,” Perrone says.
A pop-up called Scribble is set to extend across all three days of the festival as 12 artists work together to create one giant piece of art. This pop-up is based on Scrawl, another local festival based in Franklinton.
Just as downtown Columbus is subject to consistent development and change, so is the festival.
“Through no power of our own, Bicentennial Park will be closed,” says Jami Goldstein, vice president of marketing at the Greater Columbus Arts Council, which coordinates the festival. “So our main stage will be the amphitheater at Genoa Park on the west side of the river.”
Even with some rearranging, the summer celebration remains steadfast in its goal of unifying people by way of art.
“Art is a common dialogue,” Goldstein says. “No matter what language you speak, no matter where you come from or how much money you have, art can bring us together and generate conversation where there was previously divide.”
Lucy Lawler is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
Picnic with the Pops is back
Columbus Symphony Orchestra brings big names to its summer concert series
Between live collaborations and tributes, the 2023 Nationwide Picnic with the Pops season is set to span a variety of musical genres – from 1970s easy listening to 2000s hip-hop. The Columbus Symphony Orchetsra’s annual outdoor concert series hosts seven shows from June 17 to July 29 featuring a wide range of artists.
Ne-Yo brings his soulful sound to the stage at the Columbus Commons on June 17 to share a unique take on R&B. With decades of experience as a singer-songwriter, Ne-Yo has been to the top of his industry with hits such “Miss Independent” and “So Sick.” He is performing alongside his band, dancers and the Columbus Symphony.
Multi-platinum selling pianist and vocalist Ben Folds has been entertaining audiences since his time as part of the three-member Ben Folds Five in the 1990s, using his skills as a composer and pianist to create works that still find their place in pop culture today. Folds’ solo and collaborative albums provide the symphony with plenty of material, from ’90s alternative rock radio hit “Brick” to 2000s nu-metal spoof “Rockin’ the Suburbs,” when it joins him on July 22.
In an annual tradition, The Ohio State University Marching Band joins the symphony to celebrate the first tailgate of the year with a two-night performance to kick off the football season and finish off Picnic with the Pops. The TBDBITL performance has been a staple for years and provides some extra school spirit right before the fall semester. Performances are July 28 and 29.
Other performances in the concert series include:
Super Diamond: A Tribute to Neil Diamond, June 24
Patriotic Pops and Soul: featuring Tamika Lawrence and the Worship and Praise Chorale, July 1
The Music of Whitney Houston: A Celebration, July 8
The Concert: A Tribute to ABBA, July 15
Columbus Commons hosts all shows in the concert series. Doors open at 6 p.m., with music beginning at 8 p.m.. Tickets are available at www.columbussymphony.com.
Aaron Gilliam is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
