The Ohio State University Faculty Club features a host of one-of-a-kind, curated art

Arts by the Oval

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Central Ohio’s art displays range far beyond art galleries and museums. Located in the heart of The Ohio State University, just between the Oval and Mirror Lake, is the OSU Faculty Club, which houses bimonthly rotating exhibitions by local artists with unique ties to OSU.

Since the early 1990s, the club has brought in exhibitions from George Bellows, Roy Lichtenstein, James Thurber and many more.

All of the exhibits the club brings in are selected and curated by the club’s arts coordinator, Robie Benve. Benve has received numerous awards for her mixed-media and acrylic paintings from the Greater Columbus Arts Council, Grange Insurance Audubon Center, Dublin Paint Out – the list goes on. She’s also held a range of executive positions for the Dublin Area Art League, and worked extensively with Marcia Evans of Marcia Evans Gallery in the Short North.

Benve became the arts coordinator in April, and is looking forward to implementing knowledge she’s gained through her work as an artist and her work with the Dublin Area Art League.

“I feel like (my experiences) have prepared me for this job,” she says. “I’m stepping into more responsibility and a different role, but I’m still doing the things I love to do: connecting with other artists, supporting the art community.”

September’s exhibit, which opened Aug. 29, is the first Benve has fully curated.

Entitled The Abstract Athlete, the exhibit aims to explore the intersection between the art and athletic disciplines with more than 15 paintings, woodworks and mixed media art, all created by professional athletes and military veterans. Among the artists are Percy King, a former OSU football player; Brett Tomko, a former pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds; and Marine veteran Elize McKelvey.

The works are on display at the Faculty Club through Oct. 28, when a new exhibition featuring collages and mixed media by Michael Rosen will fill the space.

For more information, visit www.ohio-statefacultyclub.com.

Megan Roth is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mroth@cityscenemediagroup.com.