HOME

Located in the JP Morgan Chase Center for Creativity, the Big Idea Gallery is a family-friendly space that brings together works of art around a relatable, one-word theme. Previous themes have been PLAY, MOTION, FACES, and DOGS. The current installation, titled HOME, highlights a variety of works in CMA’s collection paired with hands-on activities designed by local artists to explore the idea of home.

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, HOME takes on new and more personal dimensions. The guiding questions that loosely organize the gallery stand out as relatable, now more than ever as we all work to find our new normal during Ohio’s shelter-in-place orders.

Who makes you feel at home?

Julie Blackmon’s playful family portrait empathizes with many of us who are balancing full-time parenting and distance learning with working from home. For single people who are staying-at-home solo and discovering the value of their own company, Kelli Connell’s piece Clothesline resonates at the moment. To create this image, the artist digitally manipulated photographs of herself to visualize a close personal relationship between two copies of her own image.

Julie Blackmon, Candy, 2007. Color inkjet print, 22 x 22 in. (55.88 x 55.88 cm) Museum Purchase, Derby Fund.

Kelli Connell, Clothesline, 2002. Columbus Museum of Art, Ohio: Museum Purchase, Derby Fund.

Wyze, a local photographer, collaborated with CMA to document the people and places of her community displayed in the Big Idea Gallery.

Where do you feel at home?

A seemingly obvious question, this section of the gallery reflects on the distinct features of our communities and environment. Wyze, a local photographer, collaborated with CMA to document the people and places of her community. Visitors are encouraged to share photos of their neighborhoods on a screen that is integrated within the installation. Now, images shared might be of places and people that are currently out of reach, but that we hope to visit soon.

Wyze, a local photographer, collaborated with CMA to document the people and places of her community displayed in the Big Idea Gallery.

What objects remind you of home?

Priscilla Roberts’s painting, The Attic Scene, is surrounded by objects—some created by artists, others created by visitors—that evoke a sense of home. One such object is a wooden fork and spoon set borrowed from CMA’s Lead for Gallery Learning, Stephanie Samera. Call 614.448.5095 and press 210# to hear Stephanie share why this set reminds her of home.

The painting depicts items that have been forgotten, gathering dust in storage. And yet, they have not been thrown away, so we can imagine they still have value to someone. Now that many of us are working from home and are constantly surrounded by our things, take some time to think about the memories they hold, and which objects bring you the most joy.

While everyone has different experiences of home, we all value a good one. In this installation, visitors are encouraged to think about the people, places, and objects that mean home to them, while also exploring diverse perspectives present in the gallery. Stay connected with CMA as we share more content and activities found in this installation.

Right Image: Priscilla Roberts, The Attic Scene, 1946-1947. Oil on Masonite ® 44 3/4 x 38 1/2 in. (113.67 x 97.79 cm) Museum Purchase, Derby Fund.