The Welsh Hills Inn’s colossal collection of Ohio artwork

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Arts + Entertainment

The owners of the Welsh Hills Inn didn’t set out to adorn their bed and breakfast with 200-plus pieces of artwork, each one by an Ohio artist.

That’s just how it turned out.

A sizable set of paintings, as well as indoor and outdoor sculpture, make up the massive art collection at the Granville inn.

Owners Bobbi and Jeff Noe began to make collecting a consistent priority when they got married in 1990.

“At first, we rarely ever missed a gallery opening in Columbus,” says Bobbi.

Bobbi specifically names Sharon Weiss – then owner of Antiques on Poplar, now owner of Sharon Weiss Gallery, both in the Short North – as an inspiration to the couple.

“We met Sharon in 1990 before the Cap was even started, or the Short North arches were in place,” says Bobbi. “It’s hard to believe that was nearly three decades ago. She has truly been an inspiration and wealth of knowledge for us to begin our education and collecting original artwork in many different mediums to this day.”

In those early years, Bobbi says Jeff would often find himself at the galleries a few days before they showed a new collection, when the pieces were first being hung, to pick up a special piece or two ahead of the crowds.

“We buy what we love – what speaks to us, if you will – and have found that even though our taste in art has refined somewhat over the past 28 years, we still enjoy the earlier pieces as much as we do the ones we’ve acquired more recently,” she says.

Guests might spot an 1890s painting by Silas Martin, the first teacher of legendary Columbus painter George Bellows, alongside contemporary works by artists such as James Young, Paul Hamilton, David Hostetler, Aminah Robinson and Dennison Griffith. Fine art paintings, folk and outsider art, sculptures in a variety of media, and a substantial collection of ice spearing fish decoys round out the artwork. 

“If there’s anything that’s most consistent in our collection, it is that the vast majority of the artwork that spans 125 years is created by Ohio artists,” Bobbi says. “There’s a story behind every piece in our collection, and we enjoy sharing them with our guests and friends.”

The Noes consider the art collection to be an integral element of the Welsh Hills Inn experience, Bobbi says.

“We tend to look at the inn, both indoors and outdoors, as our own little canvas that draws out our creativity (by) being able to create our own unique rooms, spaces, landscaping and gardens,” Bobbi says.

Sarah Davis is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.

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