CityScene April 2012

• Tickets to the Columbus Symphony Orchestra’s Masterworks 11, April 13-14, and Disney in Concert, April 28, both at the Ohio Theatre.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Crossfield, the Knowlton School of Architecture Digital Library

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Christa Smothers Creative Director

Garth Bishop Editor

Lisa Aurand, Duane St. Clair

Contributing Editors

Christopher Braun, Carla D’Errico, Tyler Davis, Phil Heit, Timothy Keny, Carly Kohake, Cara Laviola, Michael McEwan

Contributing Writers

Gianna Barrett, Julie Camp, Pam Henricks, Molly Pensyl

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foonery

Capitol Steps prepared for parody

By Cara Laviola

You’ve seen The Colbert Report and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, but when it comes to political satire, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

Political parody phenomenon the Capitol Steps will be at the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts April 13, armed with a vast arsenal of well-known tunes with all-new lyrics to suit the purposes of their humor.

H H H H H H H H H H H

the Steps just so happen to be celebrating their 30th birthday this year, and attendees will get to see them celebrate in style with songs such as Our Love is Here to Stain, a Gershwin tune repurposed to include Bill Clinton and Monica lewinsky; Three Little Wives of Newt, following the marital tendencies of newt Gingrich; and Love Potion 9-9-9, focused on Herman Cain.

“typically, the republicans goof up and the Democrats party. then the Democrats goof up and the republicans party,” says Elaina newport, one of the Steps’ founders. “no one party is singled out.”

Capitol Steps was born in December 1981 when staffers for U.S. Sen. Charles Percy (r-ill.) were planning entertainment for a Christmas party. newport, the late Bill Strauss and Jim Aidala decided to create song parodies and skits that conveyed a special brand of satirical humor. the group took its name from a scandal in the 1980s that involved U.S. rep. John Jenrette (D-S.C.) and his wife, rita – who

bragged that she and John had had intimate relations on the steps of the Capitol building (a story she later recanted).

“we made fun of people and no one told us to stop,” newport says. “it’s amazing that no one got fired!”

in fact, the politicians who become offended by the Capitol Steps tend to be the ones who are not mentioned in the group’s skits.

“Staffers for President George H.w. Bush once ordered the Steps not to make fun of the president in a white House performance, but Bush would not have it,” says newport. She recalls him saying, “i want to see your songs about me!”

the troupe has performed for the last five U.S. presidents and, despite the jokes, each has given the troupe nothing but praise. rave reviews posted on the Capitol Steps’ website, www.capsteps.com, include “the Steps were a smash hit out here at our residence,” from George w. Bush and “Some people in washington are confused … the Capitol Steps are not,” from Al Gore.

though a wide variety of washington characters is represented in the show, only five actors are used to represent the lot of them.

“there are two women and three men in our performance,” says newport, “and newt Gingrich had three wives. Every week we have to decide who will play the third wife, and (the men) actually get competitive about it!”

newport is the last of the original office party troupe still remaining, and she has come a long way since playing the piano at that very first performance.

“it’s funny to be in Capitol Steps and look back,” newport says. “(i remember) when swine flu was in the news and i got to play a pig, and i got to play Hillary Clinton when she was running for the presidential nomination. one of our funniest songs during that time was Ebony and Ovary.”

over its 30-year history, the Capitol Steps has evolved to keep up with the speed of news.

I got to play Hillary Clinton when she was running for the presidential nomination. One of our funniest songs during that time was Ebony and Ovary.

• ElAinA nEwPort

H H H H H H H H H H H

“instantly, we were whisked out of line to a private holding area … and 20 minutes later, the FBi arrived.”

And that was not the only time the Steps were stopped by airport security.

“we’re carrying around six enormous suitcases with terrorist outfits, fake swords, every once in a while an aggressive fake grenade,” says newport. So being detained is a necessary evil. “regardless, we have a lot of fun,” she says.

though song topics range from sex scandals to republican primaries and conventions, the Capitol Steps performance caters to a large demographic. “we try to keep something in it for everyone,” newport says. “our songs span 50 years, and this is not something you can see anywhere else.” cs

“nowadays, if people tweet, everyone knows about it, so we have had to get faster and faster at responding to things,” newport says. “luckily, our actors are very good at being given a song the day before and being told that they are going to have to perform it the next day.”

the cast of Capitol Steps has more to be proud of than humor and memorization skill. Counted together, the performers have been employed in a total of 18 Congressional offices and represent 62 years of collective House and Senate staff experience.

other performers also have extensive backgrounds in the performing arts. Bari Biern, a native of Cincinnati, is an accomplished playwright and lyricist whose first musical, A Dance Against Darkness: Living with AIDS, was nominated for the Helen Hayes Awards as outstanding new Play and outstanding resident Musical.

Along with her accomplishments, Biern has been a member of Capitol Steps since 1993 and thus has quite her share of stories.

“there’s a number in our show called Pack the Knife,” says Biern. “it’s about a nun trying to get through a security line at the airport.” one of the props for this number is a suitcase made of cardboard that reads on it Acme A-Bomb.

“once, on our way back to washington from Charleston, S.C., a security screener discovered the Acme suitcase,” says Biern.

Cara Laviola is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@pubgroupltd.com.

Elaina Newport

With Dr. Phil Heit

No Foreign Matter

Eat healthfully when you eat ethnic foods

As i began to write this article, i had food on my mind – not necessarily because of the topic, but rather, because it was Sunday.

it is this day of the week that is almost always accompanied by a desire to please my palate, not to mention my stomach, by dining outside the home. this is the day i fantasize about the restaurant at which my wife and i will dine. we tend toward the many ethnic eateries dispersed around the central ohio area. And each time we succumb to the urge to get out of the house to avoid the hassle of cooking – and, afterward, washing the culinary remnants off the assortment of dinnerware that is a post-meal reality, and a dreaded one for me – we try to take advantage of one of the many culinary gems in the area.

Mind you, when i use the term culinary gem, i am thinking of central ohio. Understand, i am a native new Yorker, and arriving in this city in the 1970s to begin my long tenure as an oSU professor was an experience in culture shock. Ethnic restaurants in central ohio were an anomaly at that time. with great pride, i can say i am glad to see how the dining options in our area have been elevated in number as well as in quality and ethnicity.

Since we now have so many ethnic dining options, making decisions about healthful choices has become a much more complex undertaking. which ethnic foods are high in calories? How can fat intake be reduced? what ingredients are the most healthful?

Here’s a selection of some of the more popular ethnic food options and how one can make choices that are healthful versus harmful.

Italian Food

Almost everyone i know likes pizza. Beware! Each slice contains 300-350 calories, and often more. Adding meat toppings such as pepperoni and sausage adds not only calories, but also fats, not to mention all the accompanying nitrates.

when my daughters had sleepovers with their friends and wanted pizza, we would order pizza without the cheese and load it up with a colorful assort-

ment of veggies – and, when possible, use marinara sauce, as it is rich in lycopene. lycopene is an antioxidant thought to help reduce the risk of developing cancer and heart disease.

whenever i dine at an italian restaurant, i am greeted with garlic bread dripping with butter. typically, the garlic bread contains salt and, on occasion, cheese. A better option is to ask for bread with olive oil for dipping, but the most healthful choice is to skip the bread entirely and forge ahead to a side salad.

when it comes to entrées, try to avoid sauces with names like Alfredo and carbonara, as they are loaded with heavy cream and, of course, calories. in fact, a chicken and shrimp cabonara entrée at a well-known restaurant chain contains 1,440 calories. At this same chain, a chicken marsala has only 770 calories, and the herb grilled salmon, only 510 calories.

chinese Food

For many people, Chinese food may be perceived as healthful because it seems to contain large amounts of vegetables. Chinese food is also tasty and, to some degree, relatively inexpensive. But in reality Chinese food can be very high in sodium and, when fried, stocked with fat.

i tend to start my meal with soup. Soup is a good filler and may help you avoid eating too much of your entrée, as Chinese food often arrives tableside in large portions. if you do choose soup, try hot and sour soup instead of egg drop or wonton soup for fewer calories. Avoid many of the typical appetizers – such as fried dumplings, egg rolls and spring rolls – as they are saturated with fat.

when it comes time to select your main course, choose dishes high in vegetables with small portions of meat. You can reduce your calorie intake by choos-

ing seafood or chicken instead of pork, beef or lamb.

As for those exotic sauces, skip the sweet and sour anything. For many entrées, carbs are in abundance, especially if you order thick sauces, as they acquire their pastelike texture from corn flour.

i can’t help but say a word about rice. white rice contains many carbs. Most Chinese restaurants now serve brown rice, a more healthful choice. Brown rice is rich in fiber. Definitely avoid fried rice.

Mexican Food

Mexican food has become one of the more popular foods consumed by Americans. You can eat Mexican food without the fats and carbs with which it is often associated.

Some ways to dine healthfully when consuming Mexican foods: Minimize the tortilla chips and, if you must indulge, dip them in salsa versus queso dip; avoid the cheese and fatty meats on your fajitas, and instead defer to chicken and fish; substitute black beans for the refried beans; avoid anything with flour tortillas; keep away from the fried dishes such as chimichangas; and watch out for those margaritas. these drinks can add hundreds of calories to your meal. if you want to feel the spirit of Mexico, go for a light Mexican beer.

For the remainder of the day, i will continue to think about where my dining adventure will culminate. After all, it is Sunday. cs

Dr. Phil Heit is Professor Emeritus of Physical Activity and Educational Services at The Ohio State University.

photo: Wes Kroninger

• Brent C. Behrens, M.D.

• Scott C. Blair, M.D.

• Christopher S. George, M.D.

• Andrew V. Grainger, M.D.

• Joseph K. Hofmeister, M.D.

• Peter Kourlas, M.D.

• J. Philip Kuebler, M.D.

• Nse Ntukidem, M.D.

• Thomas J. Sweeney, M.D.

Mile Driver

Riverfront restaurant prepares for Year No. 2

By Garth Bishop

Photography by Christa Smothers

When expectations are sky high, exceeding them is no simple feat.

But that’s what Milestone 229 has done since opening its doors on the Scioto river waterfront last July.

now its key decision-makers are taking what they’ve learned over the last year –about food, about drinks, about staffing and about their surroundings – and using it to maintain the reputation their sightseerfriendly waterfront restaurant has earned.

Milestone 229 opened for business on July 7, the same day the Scioto Mile was unveiled. As the Scioto Mile was a heavily talked-up project that had been in the works for years, it was hotly anticipated – and that anticipation extended to Mile stone 229, the new restaurant right in the center of the project.

As details emerged about the Scioto Mile – its flowered planters, its sus pended benches, its packed entertainment sched ule, its careful design, its enor mous water fea ture – they only served to further raise hopes for the restaurant.

“it became more and more exciting the more we learned about the project,” says restaurant coowner Doug Griggs.

one of the biggest challenges Milestone 229 faced last summer was a good problem to have: the restaurant was even busier than its owners anticipated. that meant fewer staff members and less food on hand than needed – the restaurant actually ran out of food and ice on the Sunday of its opening weekend and had to close early.

“Going into this summer, we’ll be much better prepared for that,” Griggs says.

Milestone 229 currently has 92 seats inside and more than 100 on its patio, and outdoor seating may be added if the owners can figure out a way to make it happen. Space for large groups is another option being explored.

he menu has already seen one significant change since the restaurant’s opennovember, brunch was added to the offerings. Chicken and waffles, housemade granola, a quiche of the day and the popular Christian’s Eggs Benedict –with poached eggs, doublesmoked bacon, a cheddar biscuit, spiced tomato hollandaise, braised collard greens and three-po-

tato hash, named for head chef Christian Hatterner – are some of the items on the menu, which is rounded out by a brunchspecific drink menu.

“we have eight Bloody Marys, including the Kentucky Cowboy,” which includes Maker’s Mark bourbon with a black pepper rim and a beef jerky garnish, Griggs says.

A spring freshening up of the lunch and dinner menus will change about 20 percent of each, Griggs says, but the favorites will remain untouched.

Among the most popular items on the menu is the roasted Gerber Chicken

Milestone 229 co-owner Doug Griggs (left) and general manager Kevin Jones.

Strawberry Basil Gimlet

Milestone 229 is located right in the heart of the Scioto Mile in downtown Columbus.

Breast, free-range chicken with savory gravy, skillet green beans and macaroni and cheese.

on the appetizer menu, the Judith Pointe Calamari with thai chili sauce –served in a Chinese take-out container with chopsticks – has gotten rave reviews from customers. the sandwich menu’s top seller is the three little Pigs, a pork trifecta stacked high with pulled pork, thick

double-smoked hickory bacon and caramelized pork belly, along with cole slaw, pickles and mustard barbecue sauce on a brioche roll. the pork belly in particular goes through a lengthy process before it’s ready, says Hatterner – it’s cured overnight, roasted for five hours, cooled, sliced and seared before serving.

And on the dessert side of things, nothing seems to garner praise as much as the Black and Blue Mojito

Judith Pointe Calamari

Wesley

Wesley Glen will open a new WELLness Center early in 2012. The center will include a lap pool with classes offered by the YMCA, state of the art physical therapy and rehabilitation areas, fitness center, wellness clinic and a juice bar!

All you need for living the WELLlife in 2012!

On the east side, Wesley Ridge has new plans on the way . . . schedule a visit to learn more. chocolate cake, which comes served with a jug of milk.

“it’s probably eight, nine inches tall,” Griggs says.

the standard drink menu has its favorites as well – like the Black and Blue Mojito, which includes ten Cane rum and muddled blueberries and blackberries; the Strawberry Basil Gimlet, which features lime vodka, lime, cane syrup and a splash

of soda in addition to the two titular ingredients; and a white sangria that contrasts with the more conventional red. the drinks aren’t expected to change much, but one newcomer will be the Peach-Sicle, which includes Ciroc Peach vodka, peach puree, orange juice and cream.

the Milestone 229 menu is committed to more than just tasting good. there’s a heavy emphasis on local ingredients –including the Gerber chicken and ohio Proud beef – and they always have an eye out for more.

“it’s part of our mission statement,” says Kevin Jones, general manager.

Patrons at Milestone 229 have more to decide than just their favorite entrée and favorite drink – the restaurant’s glass walls also invite diners to pick a favorite view, whether of the fountain, the river or downtown Columbus. the Downtown view seems to be a favorite among customers, and both Griggs and Jones cite it as their favorite, though Griggs specifies his is a tie between that view and the sunset in the summertime.

“it just gives you a whole different view of Columbus,” says Jones. cs

gbishop@pub groupltd.com.

Garth Bishop is editor of CityScene Magazine. Feedback welcome at

Three Little Pigs

Grilled Barrel Cut Sirloin

There’s a heavy emphasis on local ingredients –including the Gerber chicken and Ohio Proud beef – and they always have an eye out for more.

The downtown Columbus skyline is visible through Milestone 229’s window walls.

Metropolitan Masterpieces

Plenty of public art deserves your attention in central Ohio

By Garth Bishop

If there’s one thing central ohio community leaders love –besides the Buckeyes – it’s dreaming up ambitious public art projects.

Public art can come in many forms. it need not be visual; it need not be permanent. But at the end of the day, it should enhance its surroundings and, ideally, help start conversations, says Jami Goldstein, vice president of marketing, communication and events for the Greater Columbus Arts Council.

“it should be something that … adds something to people’s day, changes the environment that they’re in, hopefully in a good way,” Goldstein says.

But moving from idea to execution is a strenuous process, and formulating such projects is an inexact science.

Sometimes, when presented with public art, the public balks. Maybe they have reservations about the design, as with the Columbiad sculpture that came under fire late last year after being proposed for installation at the new Scioto Mile. Maybe they have concerns about the particulars, as was the case with The Simulation of George M. Karrer’s Workshop in Dublin, proposed in 2010 and finally installed in 2011. Maybe they have residual worries following poorly received public art of years past, like the still-standing Brushstrokes in Flight at Port Columbus international Airport.

Still, though, community leaders dream big – and with good reason. Proj ects that face initial criticism some times evolve into icons – like Field of Corn (with Osage Orange Trees) Dublin’s field of stone corn, and the 10-story-high ART sculpture towering over the Columbus College of Art and Design campus.

You’re probably well aware of those two pieces of public art, along with a handful of others that are highly visible and much discussed – the topiary Gar den in downtown Columbus, the Chris topher Columbus statue at Columbus City Hall, the upside-down American Gothic in the Short north. But there’s plenty more out there, just waiting for you to discover it.

Here’s a look at some of the unsung he roes of central ohio’s public art offerings.

It should be something that ... adds something to people’s day, changes the environment that they’re in,

“

Geometrical Garden

his installation has got your number. Garden of Constants by Barbara Grygutis was installed in 2004 on the west lawn of aboratory at the ohio State Univerhe series of 10 huge numbers – along with mathematical and formulaic constants set into the sidewalk – is appropriate for the subject matter studied at Dreese: electrical engineering and computer and information science.

t’s also, hopefully, a little bit of an educational tool to inform people about the prime numbers,” says Steve Volkmann, university landscape architect.

Visitors to the Garden of Constants have taken a shine to sitting on the various numbers to relax, Volkmann says – perhaps from the tougher equations in their homework.

Photos courtesy of Jessica Crossfield, the Knowlton School of Architecture Digital Library

Forever in Motion

You’ve probably spotted the installation located at the northeast corner of olentangy river road and lane Avenue – but did you know it’s a tribute to cancer survivors?

Sculptures, a walkway and inspirational paths are all part of the Bloch Cancer Survivors’ Plaza, built in 1996. the centerpiece is a 5,000-pound granite ball forever rotating in a water base.

A message near the ever-spinning ball explains its meaning: “this granite ball will constantly turn. By touching it with one finger and pushing it in a different direction, it will turn in the new direction. Cancer is a huge mass constantly in motion. Possibly with a little personal intervention it is possible to change the direction of that motion.”

the plaza is one of many installed throughout the nation by the r.A. Bloch Cancer Foundation. the foundation is named for richard and Annette Bloch – the former is the founder of H&r Block inc., and he survived a 1978 cancer diagnosis that was initially described to him as terminal.

Family Reunion

Talk about your dedicated library patrons. Anyone who’s visited the Hilliard branch of the Columbus Metropolitan library is familiar with the large installation outside it depicting people on a bench. installed in 1978, Family is the work of artist Kenneth Valimaki and architect Michael liscano.

it has graced the area in front of the Hilliard branch since the branch opened at its original location; it moved in the 1990s when the branch did. its longevity can be attributed to the materials used in its construction: self-weathering steel on pressure-treated pine, which resist not only the elements but also vandalism.

Photos courtesy of Jessica Crossfield, the Knowlton School of Architecture Digital Library

Hammer Time

Don’t worry. it’s not about to pronounce you guilty of anything. Gavel by Andrew Scott was installed in a fountain behind the ohio Supreme Court building in 2008. the late Chief Justice thomas J. Moyer was a driving force behind the installation of the massive gavel, which was funded primarily by a grant from the ohio State Bar Foundation.

“Chief Justice Moyer viewed the art collection here as a joining of two disciplines that, on their face, might seem quite different: art and the law,” says Chris Davey, director of public information for the court.

But, Moyer had said, art and the law both have the same fundamental goals: truth and bringing order out of disorder. Gavel and another public art project at the courthouse – In Principle and in Practice, a granite tablet submerged in a pool with words associated with the law carved into it, installed in 2006 – help visitors reflect on the importance of the rule of law, Davey says.

Deeper by the Dozen

2012 could be the Year of the Public Art Installation in Columbus.

A huge part of the city’s bicentennial celebration is Finding Time: Columbus Public Art 2012, a major undertaking that will bring 12 new public art projects to downtown Columbus over the course of the year.

Though the projects are temporary, organizers hope they will inspire residents and visitors alike to look at Columbus in a new way.

“We hope that people will stop, learn more and engage in a conversation about it,” says Jami Goldstein of GCAC.

Some of the projects are already in place. These include new chime compositions written by a variety of composers at Trinity Episcopal Church, which began playing Jan. 1; Breath of Life/Columbus by Stuart Williams, undulating waves of programmed LED lighting sweeping up and down the east façade of COSI that went up in February; a series of 24 paintings by members of the Central Ohio Plein Air Society, going up six at a time for each season on various buildings Downtown; and a 3D sentence written by Columbus residents and placed on a blank wall behind Key Bank by Janet Zweig.

Further plans include a commemorative book about Columbus, cylindrical post sculptures on the Broad Street Bridge, plaster extensions on 19th Century buildings and installations in the Scioto River near the Santa Maria.

“The arts and culture are a huge part of our community,” Goldstein says. “We have searched for, and continue to search for, all the different ways we can engage with the arts and culture in this effort.”

Lip Service

Apicture is worth a thousand words, and in Dublin, a piece of art is worth a thousand history lessons.

Education is a key component in the city’s public art, and it’s on full display with the city’s first major public art project: Chief Leatherlips by ralph Helmick, installed in 1990 at Scioto Park. now, not only does public art like Chief Leatherlips keep adults informed about their community, it’s often used by the schools as a teaching tool.

“one of the immediate effects was an educational tool,” says David Guion, executive director of the Dublin Arts Council.

Adding to the educational effect, Dublin recently started offering a cell phone tour of its public art, and is developing a mobile app for the tour as well. Public art is often misunderstood, Guion says, and ready access to pertinent information is a tool to fight that.

Home Free

Here’s one road that can take you right back to the past – no Delorean required.

on the side of the State Auto building in downtown Columbus is a mural depicting A Street Called Home, a painting by renowned Columbus artist Aminah robinson showing Mount Vernon Avenue in the 1940s. CCAD students reproduced the entire painting under the supervision of Kristine Schramer, associate professor of fine arts.

“one of the things that we were most interested in doing with it was sparking interest in the area that used to be here before the Discovery District came in,” Schramer says.

local history was always a focal point for robinson’s work, Schramer says, making it all the more fitting that her painting is now a part of history.

Striking Sculptures

Thanks to a new public art project, there’s no shortage of sculpture in westerville.

Public Art in westerville Spaces is nearing the end of its first year, but you can still catch a glimpse of 13 sculptures on display through the end of April – including multiple pieces at the westerville Community Center. the goal was to open lines of communication regarding art and the atmosphere of westerville, and the project has certainly achieved that goal, says Jane Denick, president of the westerville Arts Council.

“People have said that it just brightens the community, it enhances the landscape, the parks, everything –makes it more interesting,” Denick says.

After the current sculptures go away, another group will be installed to take their places – including more local artists this time, Denick hopes.

SPRING 2012

Garth Bishop is editor of CityScene Magazine. Feedback welcome at gbishop@pub groupltd.com.

The Clay’s the Thing Ceramicist’s

show focuses on simplification after death

By Christopher Braun

Ceramic Connection

Owner Tami Knight opened Clayspace in 2006. She had taken ceramic classes at The Ohio State University and bought her first pottery wheel, and after having little luck finding a venue in which to practice her hobby, she decided to open a studio of her very own.

They Were Older Than Me

Ceramic artist tara Polansky is making memories. literally.

Polansky’s exhibition Secrets, Speculation and Selective Memory will premiere this month at Clayspace’s Gallery 831 in the Brewery District. the show is her first at Clayspace and will center on “the issues of memory, commemoration and idealization and the simplification of each that happens when people are deceased,” she says.

Among the works showcased will be a piece that hits closer to home than most for Polansky.

“the piece will be called They Were Older Than Me, and it’s about women who were older than me at the time of Sept. 11 and now i’m older than them,” says Polansky. “i’m a survivor of Sept, 11 – i was below the world trade Center at the time of the attack – so it’s been something that i think about a lot.”

the piece will feature fragments of photos from the obituaries of women who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, printed on bricks Polansky made during a residency at the Belden Brick Company in Sugarcreek, ohio.

“these women have become really martyred, and if you read their obituaries, they’re very flat,” says Polansky. “they’re very idealized, like they never did anything wrong.”

Polansky came to Clayspace after graduating with an MFA with a concentration in ceramics from t he o hio State University. without a kiln of her own, and looking for a place to practice her work, Polansky was introduced to Clayspace and its owner, tami Knight, through her adviser at o SU, Mary Jo Bole.

“they weren’t really set up for artists; more for beginners and others making clay a hobby,” says Polansky. “(Clayspace) has kind of made room for me. they let me fire my work and they’ve been really flexible. they’ve been very welcoming.”

while Polansky does not limit her work to ceramics, clay is where her heart is.

“Clay’s very, very universal,” she says. “there’s nowhere in the world that people didn’t use clay from way back. it’s very equalitarian. Men use it; women use it. Everyone does things in clay. i was really drawn to it for this reason.”

to find more information on tara Polansky, view the artist’s portfolio or commission a work, visit www.tarapolansky. com. cs

Christopher Braun is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@pubgroup ltd.com.

Clayspace offers classes Monday through Thursday and holds open wheel, a time when anyone can come in to practice and create, each Friday. Private lessons, artistic date nights and birthday parties are among the other opportunities for entertainment at the studio. It also hosts a gallery with monthly exhibitions from up-andcoming local artists.

Clayspace’s studio and gallery are open 3-9 p.m. weekdays and 1-6 p.m. weekends, and are located at 831 S. Front St. For pricing and information, visit www. clayspace831.com.

Tara Polansky

In with the New

Vintage house gets some modern-day additions

profile

There’s always an unexpected wrinkle or two, it seems, when an older home is remodeled or updated.

And so it was with the 1927 vintage Bexley residence of Scott and Cindy Tyson.

continued on page 28

Luxury Living

The Tysons bought the stately two-story across the street from the complex of three public Bexley schools so their combined family of three could walk to buildings at all grade levels.

profile

A half-dozen years ago, they replaced a screened porch on one end of the house with a room that served as an office for Scott, a pediatrician. “We did it with the idea that we could eventually build a bathroom on top,” Cindy explains. It would be a master bath for their bedroom.

their bath with youngsters. Visiting other people’s homes, Cindy decided, “I knew if I had two things – a master bath and a mudroom – I could live here for the rest of my life.”

By Duane St. Clair

continued from page 25

They decided on both, and the first problem arose. They learned that the foundation under the room they had added wouldn’t do. They were advised, “You could do it, but a few years down the road, you’ll have problems,” Cindy says.

Although the home has four bedrooms, it was short on closet and bathroom space. The previous owner, a buyer for The Limited, had used one bedroom as a closet and filled it with clothes and accessories.

The family adjusted, but the urge for more quality space persisted – made more urgent as the adults sometimes shared

That meant tearing off the enclosure and building another foundation. “It was like we threw away $30,000,” she says.

Builder NJW Construction found some termite damage in the home’s original foundation and had to replace some of it, even though the infestation had been dealt with long ago, says Joel Walker, the company’s owner.

“I knew if I had two things – a master bath and a mudroom –I could live here the rest of my life.”

Otherwise, it was pretty much a straightforward building project. It added a new foundation; a two-story addition with no structural bells and whistles, such as tearing out walls and rewiring and replacing plumbing; and a mudroom off the kitchen on its own foundation. It provides storage for outer garments, backpacks and footwear, and it has storage cabinets and a pantry with a small countertop beside it.

Above: A two-story addition off the living room and an all-new mudroom off the kitchen are the major additions to the 1927 house. Left: A foundation had to be built to accommodate the additions. Below: The new mudroom exits to the back yard.

Luxury Living

Above: A new, expansive master bathroom is in the upstairs part of the two-story addition. Left: The mudroom affords storage space for a variety of outdoor garments, backpacks and footwear.

The first floor gained an updated family room with a glass door to the yard. The room is multi-purpose, Cindy says. It has Scott’s office space and comfortable seating to watch television or perhaps play games. Access from the original home is through existing glass doors in the living room.

Upstairs, what used to be two small closets in the master bedroom now are entryways to the addition. Their original doors were retained and the closets are walk-through areas. One is to the expansive master bath that features a large, glassenclosed, tiled shower and a claw-foot tub. The other is to an elongated walk-in closet with custom-built storage shelves and hanging rods.

A key to any successful addition is matching the exterior with the original home, and that presented a problem. The front of the home is what Cindy affectionately calls “Bexley stone,” widely used in Bexley-area homes when they were first built. The challenge became matching new stone to the old, which was of an unknown source.

Walker and stone masons turned to Lang Stone, supplier of stone and other hard materials of all shapes and sizes. The stone masons hand-picked pieces of mixed colors

that were an exact match and hauled them to the home.

The finished product has drawn lots of attention and compliments from neighbors because the new and old are exactly alike, Cindy says.

There’s no timetable yet, but next up: replacing the original wood single-car garage, a sign of the times in which it was built.

Duane St. Clair is a contributing editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@pubgroupltd.com.

An elongated walk-in closet with custom storage shelves and hanging rods makes up the remainder of the upstairs portion of the two-story addition.

Grape of theTALE

man cave

Professional-quality wine cellar invites onlookers to drink deep

Story by Garth Bishop phOTOgrAphY BY WeS krONINger

Luxury Living

Eric Bourekas is a longtime fan of the Scarlet and grey, but the most prominent colors in his basement are red and white.

Bourekas, a Dublin resident, worked with Dave Fox Design/ Build remodelers to turn a pair of small closets into a colossal, state-ofthe-art wine cellar.

“I just wanted something a little more substantial,” he says.

From there, he transformed the rest of the basement – an exercise room on one side and an entertainment room on the other. But the wine cellar is the centerpiece.

“This is what started everything,” Bourekas says.

The wine area is bordered on two sides by the basement’s existing walls, and on

the other two sides by glass panels, so everything inside is easily visible. The fully enclosed wine area is accessible by a door with a long, curved silver handle located across from the stairs.

Floor-to-ceiling, all-metal wine racks in the front and back of the wine room put every bottle on display, and bright lights keep them illuminated. Though the racks toward the back are of a more traditional type with the tops of the bottles facing outward, the frontmost racks put the labels in front to make them easily readable.

Temperature controls on the back wall keep conditions ideal for wine storage, and situated right next to the control box is a framed copy of the issue of Wine Spectator in which Bourekas’ wine cellar appeared. Wine Spectator is not the only group to have recognized the design work that went

into the cellar – it also won an award from the Central Ohio Chapter of the National Association of the remodeling Industry.

The majority of the wine bottles Bourekas keeps on his racks are his favorites –Insignia, Caymis Special Selection, Shafer hillside Select and krug Champagne. But a special rack on the side is filled with bottles whose labels amused him, such as Cheap red Wine and Buckeye Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

Bourekas also keeps on hand some of the boxes that have carried cases of wine he has ordered – including one from krug with his name engraved on it.

Wine has been Bourekas’ passion for many years. he developed his taste for wine slowly, gradually gaining appreciation for it as he tried new kinds and visited Napa Valley.

“ Most people like the house, but when they come down here, it’s ‘Wow, I’ve never seen anything like it.’”

“I like it because there’s a science to it and an art to it,” he says.

All told, the cellar can accommodate more than 1,100 bottles of wine – an impressive spectacle for visitors.

“Most people like the house, but when they come down here, it’s, ‘Wow, I’ve never seen anything like it,’” says Bourekas.

Beyond the wine area to the left of the stairs is a large entertainment room with an appropriately scarlet carpet. An OSU quilt – sporting the usual colors, as well as designs honoring the Buckeyes and Woody hayes and an autograph from Jim Tressel – hangs on the wall just past the wine room.

The Buckeyes are well represented in Bourekas’ basement, and for good reason – he and The Ohio State University have a long history. Bourekas works as

Above: Eric Bourekas. Below left: Buckeye memorabilia adorns the walls of Bourekas’ entertainment room. Below right: The console next to the projection screen offers a wide variety of entertainment options, including DVD, Blu-Ray and Xbox.

Luxury Living

an interventional radiologist at OSU’s Wexner Medical Center. he also earned his undergraduate degree in biochemistry from OSU and has been a fan as long as he can remember.

“I grew up thinking Ohio State’s the place to be … and that’s continued,” he says.

he has been collecting Buckeye memorabilia for 10 years, and the items are distributed liberally throughout the basement – some framed on the walls, some set up on shelves in the entertainment room. The first item he ever got, a basketball signed by the five starters from the Buckeyes’ 1960 championship team, is on those shelves, as are a football signed by all the Big Ten coaches in the late 1990s and boxing gloves signed by James “Buster” Douglas.

Discerning visitors will notice that the four signed jerseys on the walls are the team’s four most recent heisman Trophy winners: howard “hopalong” Cassady, Archie griffin, eddie george and Troy Smith.

Where Dave Fox was responsible for the remodeling, Bourekas has used genesis Audio for almost all of the electronic work involved in updating his basement.

For the entertainment of guests – Bourekas himself does not watch much TV – a huge projection screen hangs down opposite the white leather couch and chair in the entertainment room. Two MartinLogan brand static speakers on either side of the screen provide the best sound possible, whether from a Buckeye game or just from music.

Bourekas estimates the size of the screen at about 120 inches, but is not 100 percent sure of the measurements.

“I just told the guy at genesis ‘I want big,’” he says.

Also on either side of the screen are two pillars hanging down from the ceiling – a clever design trick to cover up some duct work that couldn’t be moved.

“They came up with this design and made it look like it actually belonged,” says Bourekas.

A console controlling the TV offers almost every option possible – DVD, Bluray, music, Xbox and more.

Toward the back of the room is a pool table with wood trim and scarlet-and-grey balls. It can be converted to a ping-pong table, though doing so is, Bourekas says, a hassle.

A gas fireplace – the only part of the current basement that was there when Bourekas moved into the house – rounds out the entertainment room.

Opposite the entertainment room is a workout room with an elliptical, a bench press, a large flat-screen TV and more of Bourekas’ Buckeye memorabilia. v

Garth Bishop is editor of CityScene Magazine . Feedback welcome at gbishop@pub groupltd.com.

Floor-to-ceiling wine racks keep all of Bourekas’ favorite bottles on display.

A basketball signed by the Buckeyes’ 1960 national championship team, the first piece of serious OSU memorabilia Bourekas obtained, has a prominent place on his memorabilia rack.

Lemon-dary

in the spirit

Old Italian family recipe becomes spirituous smash

By Lisa Aurand

Wondering how to add a light, versatile splash of Columbus uniqueness to your drink?

The answer lies just beyond the freezer door.

Tessora Limone, a locallymade creamy lemon liqueur that’s traditionally served as cold as possible, hit the market in January 2011 and has taken central Ohio by storm. In the last year, the company has grown from one customer to 300-400 customers per day, owners george and Lynda Vergits say. They’ve already expanded to Cleveland and Cincinnati and plan to eventually have national – and international – reach as well.

The New Albany couple aren’t surprised at all this success. The beverage they call Tessora Limone is a 200-year-old family recipe that originated in the Abruzzo region of Italy and has been handed down through the generations to Lynda’s family.

She was the first of her siblings to be born in the U.S., and she grew up in central Ohio, drinking the liqueur at special family occasions.

“We would have it periodically, but then you wouldn’t make it for

awhile and you’d kind of forget about it until you make it again,” Lynda says. every time the Vergits would make up a batch for family or friends, they’d be inundated with questions of where the drink could be purchased.

“everyone that tasted it just loved it, not only in Italy, but here,” george says. But it was Lynda’s mother’s encouragement that gave her the final push to start the business.

“A large part of why we decided to take the leap was that my mom was so enthusiastic about doing it,” Lynda says. “It’s a soft, creamy lemon flavor. A lot of people would call it creamy limoncello. It is lemon, but it’s a lot more versatile.”

Tessora, which means treasure in Italian, is traditionally served straight from the freezer in a chilled cordial glass. “It’s served at the end of the meal. It’s a palate cleanser,” Lynda says. george adds that he loves the texture of the chilled drink.

“It finishes so nice,” he says. “The texture, once it comes out of the freezer, is so luxurious.”

It can also serve as a dessert sauce, over fresh fruit or ice cream, or be used in mixed drinks. “It’s a ready-made elegant dessert topping,” Lynda says. “And there’s really an endless variety of cocktails.”

The flavor even, to the surprise of some, mixes well with coffee. The Vergits are pleased that local chefs and bartenders have embraced the liqueur and used it in a variety of recipes.

Lemon-dary

Craig Loose, bartender at Black Creek Bistro, serves a Lemon Cappucini – 2 oz. of Van gogh Double espresso Vodka and 3/4 oz. Tessora Limone garnished with three espresso beans. Another simple combination suggested on the drink’s website, www. tessora-liqueur.com, is a mix of Tessora and prosecco.

No matter how you drink it, be aware that at 42 proof, it’s just as strong as or stronger than other comparable liqueurs.

“You don’t need any skills in the kitchen,” Lynda says. “You can just pour it right out of the bottle, put it over berries or dessert, or be adventurous and mix away.” v

Lisa Aurand is a contributing editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@pubgroupltd.com.

“ You don’t need any skills in the kitchen. You can just pour it right out of the bottle, put it over berries or dessert, or be adventurous and mix away.”

Lynda Vergits

Luxury Living spotlight

Stonebridge Crossing

Patio home living convenient to Upper Arlington and Dublin

Bob Webb is excited about his newest patio home community at Stonebridge Crossing, conveniently located off hayden run road. The location is ideal and the new floor plans developed for Stonebridge are exceptional.

Bob Webb jumped at the chance to create a patio home neighborhood to serve an established area that doesn’t see many new construction opportunities. For those considering downsizing, or seeking low-maintenance living without sacrificing upscale finishes and custom designs, this development is truly a rare find.

Stonebridge Crossing’s residents benefit from the City of Columbus location, and its proximity to the amenities of Upper Arlington, Dublin and hilliard, including the Mall at Tuttle Crossing, athletic clubs and numerous restaurants. The setting is surrounded by trees and a ravine, and the community offers all of the conveniences of patio living, including snow removal and lawn care.

The development consists of 47 home sites, some with walkout basement design capabilities. Several customizable floor plans range from 2,200 to 4,100 square feet and include first-floor master suites, finished basements and two- and three-car garages. prices are from the low $400,000s.

Stonebridge Crossing has several homes in various stages of completion, and a furnished model is open Saturday through Wednesday. For additional information, contact the sales office at 614-876-5577 or visit www.bobwebb.com. v

Little Bear Village

Municipality: Lewis Center

Builders: Bob Webb group

Location: South Old State road; North of polaris parkway and powell road; South of Orange road

School district: Olentangy

Number of homes: 93 singlefamily lots

Price range: From the $400,000s

Style of homes: Single-family homes

Special features: This new community offers an executive golf course, home sites with a view and a convenient location for those who enjoy shopping and dining experiences near polaris. The clubhouse features a fitness center, meeting space, a grill room and outdoor patio overlooking the golf course. There are several new floor plans, with models open every weekend. There is also a 4.2 percent 30-year fixed-rate loan for all qualified buyers in Little Bear.

Style of homes: english cottage

Tartan West

Municipality: Dublin

Builders in the community: Truberry Custom homes

School district: Dublin schools

Number of homes: 48

Price range: From the $300s

Special features: New models coming soon! Truberry custom Villas and Condominiums. Don’t miss this great opportunity to move to Dublin’s premier neighborhood. Call 614-205-0783 for information.

Virtual Virtuosos Festival fixates on digital design

By Carly Kohake

They may start out as a blank screen rather than a blank canvas, but these works of digital art are still fit for framing.

Students in the Integrated Media and Technology Department at Columbus State Community College are showing all of Columbus what they’ve got to offer at the Downtown Digital Arts Festival, now in its third year.

The festival is set for April 24-26.

Gene Burleson, interim chairman of the Integrated Media and Technology Department, is just as excited for this festival as he was for the past two.

“For many years, we felt it would be an opportunity to showcase the digital design and photography of the students,” Burleson says.

Festival-goers tend to be astonished at the caliber of work students produce, he says.

“The level of creativity that is being produced by the students in this department is the biggest surprise to anyone who comes in to take a look at the work,” says Burleson.

Attendees can do more than marvel at the talent of student designers, though. They also have the opportunity to learn about the latest advancements in digital design and how those advancements can apply to different media for different effects.

“Things that you think can only be produced on canvas can (now) be produced on a computer,” says Burleson. “There is a lot (attendees) can learn by just observing and seeing … how our students produce these images.”

On the last day of the festival, awards are presented to the students with the most impressive designs in multiple categories, including video, photography, graphics and interactive media. The winning art will then be on display on the fourth floor

of Columbus State’s Eibling Hall, and additional pieces will be scattered throughout the campus.

“They’re in the president’s office, the library and the cafeteria,” says Burleson. “We’re constantly getting demands from different offices that want art too. There isn’t a place on campus that you can go without seeing our art.” cs

Carly Kohake is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@pubgroupltd.com.

Untitled pieces by Columbus State students Mary Frey (above) and Jake Huston (left).

Once More

Unto the Beach

All-inclusive resorts simplify vacation relaxation

By Carla D’Errico

courtesy of Gary Morbitzer

You’ve seen the Sandals Resorts commercials that show the couple dancing blissfully with a reggae version of (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life playing in the background.

The original version of that song is 25 years old. All-inclusive resorts have been around even longer – but their popularity has undergone a big spike of late. So how do they work?

Photos

Jodie Shriver of Dublin-based travel agency Creative Vacations explains that resorts such as Sandals negotiate with vacation wholesalers such as Apple Vacations to offer travelers a packaged and lower-cost vacation. This includes hotel, food and travel to the destination.

Much to the delight of many a moneyconscious traveler, drinks are included as well. Some resorts manage to hook otherwise indecisive travelers by promising topshelf liquor in those free drinks.

Such resorts are less worry in general, Shriver says, because there is no need for the vacationer to keep track of how much money he or she is spending.

Outdoor activities are many, but only some resorts include motorized sports in

Above: The spacious beach at the Couples Swept Away resort in Jamaica

Left: Gary and Mary Morbitzer, left, relax with another couple at the Jamaican resort.

their all-inclusive packages. Other activities cover a wide expanse, including kayaking, snorkeling, windsurfing, flat bottom boat rides and scuba diving (with certification). Resorts are also known for their luxurious spas.

Food is plentiful at all-inclusive resorts. The average resort has at least one all-day buffet, and some have a la carte restaurants for dinner and snack bars by the pool or beach grilles during the day.

Food options vary by the scale of the resort. Moderately-priced resorts tend to have fewer options than upscale resorts, but some upscale resorts have only sitdown restaurants and no buffets. Even if you choose to venture off the resort for a meal or an adventure, says Shriver, it’s easy to keep your spending in check.

The heaviest concentrations of all-inclusive resorts are in the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico, though there are some in the South Pacific as well. Many people seek out these resorts as places to just relax. Few resorts can be found in places like Europe because, Shriver says, most Americans won’t travel all the way to Europe to just lay on the beach.

It’s a good idea to work with a travel agent, Shriver says, as each resort and location has a different personality and an agent can direct you toward the one catering to your interests. For instance, if ly-

One of the secluded, Caribbean-style suites at Couples Swept Away

ing on the beach is a top priority for you, Shriver might recommend Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic or the Turks and Caicos Islands because the beaches have soft white sand, crystal clear water and little nightlife in the town.

If you’re into the outdoors, Costa Rica may be the right place for you, with options like ziplining, whitewater rafting and volcano climbing. If you are looking for something in the middle, Jamaica has beautiful beaches and energetic nightlife.

Joe and Sally Rielly of Dublin have been frequenting all-inclusive resorts since the 1980s. Many years ago, Joe turned down an offer for an all-inclusive trip to Cancun for $30 a day. Out to dinner one night in Cancun, Sally asked how much they had spent. Joe’s answer: $50.

Since then, the couple has sworn by all-inclusive trips. “They’re the best bang for your buck,” Sally says. “You can eat 24 hours a day. You never have to worry about starving.”

Every year, the two take a trip with a group of 14 friends. Their 2011 trip, in October, took the lot of them to the Breezes resort on Curaçao in the southern Caribbean.

Relaxation was a key priority for the Riellys. If they weren’t lying on the beach, they were hanging out at the casino. The Riellys’ trip happened to coincide with Halloween, and the resort put on a costume contest with prizes, as well as comedy skits and music.

The Riellys were also impressed by how friendly and approachable the locals were. While they were there, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands stopped in, and the Riellys were surprised at how close they could get to her.

Gary Morbitzer of Grove City and his wife, Mary, have been vacationing at allinclusive resorts every three years for the past decade. The Morbitzers like all-inclusive

resorts particularly because they are worryfree, with everything paid for up front.

Most recently, the Morbitzers went to the Couples Swept Away resort in Negril, Jamaica for their 28th anniversary. They left thoroughly impressed.

“What I enjoyed most about Jamaica is they go a step further and actually get to know you,” says Gary.

On one night, the Morbitzers were to meet another couple for dinner, and the employees had no trouble showing them to their table. The staff had spent days observing the guests and seeing whom they befriended. “They make you feel good and want to be part of it all,” says Gary.

Every night, the resort had a special activity – movies on the beach, comedy skits, bonfires, steel drum sessions. Although

energy exudes from the atmosphere, the Morbitzers also found it relaxing, putting them at ease. They stayed in an open-air Caribbean-style suite set amidst tropical gardens and close to, but secluded from, the view of their neighbors. In the mornings they would wake to the sounds of birds chirping and frogs croaking. On the immaculate snow white beaches, the Morbitzers chilled in beach chairs they set in the water. At the resort, the sea is calm enough that when they fell asleep in their chairs, they woke up in the same place.

“It’s a world of its own, all-inclusive,” says Gary. “I can’t say enough good about it, really … just that you need to go.” cs

Carla D’Errico is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@pubgroupltd.com.

The beach at Couples Swept Away at midday and sunset

Gary and Mary Morbitzer dance at Couples Swept Away.

Making His Mark

Artist and professor has solid reputation as a ‘painter’s painter’

By Timothy Keny

He has been teaching aspiring artists as a college professor for almost 30 years, but almost every work by painter Neil Riley is a lesson in technique.

Neil Riley is among central Ohio’s most respected artists. He has also received national and international recognition for his art.

The artist received his art education from outstanding institutions such as the Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore (BFA); Boston University (MFA); and the Yale Summer School of Arts. He has received prestigious grants, including a Fulbright Fellowship and Yale Summer School Grant.

Riley has an excellent reputation as a knowledgeable, insightful and sensitive professor at the Columbus College of Art and Design, where he has taught for 27 years. He is considered by his students and fellow professional artists to be a “painter’s painter,” meaning that his colleagues respect his aesthetic acumen and his ability

Above: Summer Window, 2006 Oil on panel 9¾ x 5 inches

Left: Late Afternoon, 2009 Oil on panel 5 x 7 inches

Opposite page: Studio Scene 4, 2011 Oil on panel 10 x 8 inches

{visuals}

to communicate that knowledge in a helpful, supportive manner. Many artists collect his paintings and watercolors.

He has been represented by Keny Galleries in Columbus since 2004.

Riley paints intimately-scaled, light-diffused and exquisitely-toned interior scenes and vital, gestural, painterly landscapes in oil and watercolor.

The artist’s mastery of the nuances of value (range of light to dark) and color harmonies in his interior vignettes lends a poignant visual poetry to these paintings that is extraordinary. Summer Window (2006), Bexley Interior (2009) and Pontrieux (2010) are prime examples of such paintings. These works have affinities with the paintings and works on paper of such historic late 19th and early 20th Century

American and European masters as James Whistler, Robert Blum, Gwen John, Walter Sickert and Edouard Vuillard.

Riley’s abstracted ethereal forms, calligraphic use of line as “mark-making” and well-ordered pictorial structure relate to the drawings and paintings of such outstanding late 20th Century artists as Richard Diebenkorn and Avigdor Arikha. Works in which this “mark-making” and calligraphic orchestration of line are evident include Empty Classroom I (2006), Studio Scene 4 (2011) and Winter Interior (2011).

The artist’s landscapes, which often depict the Vermont countryside in winter, have the bravura brushwork and fresh, invigorating atmospheric qualities one associates with the exceptional winter landscapes of George Bellows, Rockwell

Above: Late Winter Aspens, 2009 Oil on panel 7 x 7½ inches

Left: Empty Classroom I, 2006 Oil on panel 7¾ x 71/8 inches

Below: Bexley Interior, 2009 Oil on panel 10¼ x 8 inches

Kent and Abbott Thayer of the early 20th Century. Yet these quasi-abstracted smaller landscapes have a reductive gestural quality one associates with the later 20th Century landscapes by Edwin Dickinson and George Nick. Riley’s paintings such as Late Winter Aspens (2008), Danville Winter (2009) and Late Afternoon (2009) have these attributes.

Riley uniquely distills the lessons learned for generations of interior and landscape artists into evocative visual verses that link the past with the present. cs

Timothy Keny is a contributing writer and co-owner of Keny Galleries in German Village. Feedback welcome at gbishop@pub groupltd.com.

Top: Danville Winter, 2009

Oil on panel, 6 x 8 inches

Right: Pontrieux, 2010

Oil on panel, 10 x 7 inches

Opposite page: Winter Interior, 2011

Watercolor, 5½ x 7½ inches

Riley uniquely distills the lessons learned for generations of interior and landscape artists into evocative visual verses that link the past with the present.

Grand Kenyon

School’s new gallery is a monument to artistic expression

By Tyler Davis

Aloving tribute to art, architecture and education is just more than an hour’s drive from central Ohio.

In August, Gambier-based Kenyon College threw open the doors of the Graham Gund Gallery. The newly constructed visual arts center, named for one of the school’s most famous alumni, is the result of years of fundraising and will be a cutting-edge producer of challenging new knowledge about the visual as it merges learning and exhibition space.

More than $240 million was raised for the project, which will include the construction of multiple buildings in the future. The new Gund Gallery covers more than 30,000 square feet and will house exhibitions by students and alumni, as well as working space for artists to create cultural conversation on campus.

“Apart from the 6,000 square feet for exhibition space in the gallery itself, the building will house the college’s Department of Art History, classrooms and a state-of-the-art auditorium,” says Natalie Marsh, the museum’s director and curator. “It will be used to screen modern films and provide a space for large lectures.”

The gallery’s mission: to “connect the global to Kenyon (and Kenyon to the

global) through valuing diversity and cultural awareness.”

“The Gund will foster ongoing intellectual engagement, as well as enhance opportunities for both teaching and learning,” Marsh says.

Graham Gund – a renowned architect, Ohio native, avid art collector and 1963 Kenyon graduate – designed the gallery that bears his name. He has also designed

other buildings on Kenyon’s campus, as well as in Boston as a part of the Architect’s Collective.

At any given time, the gallery showcases at least one large exhibition, along with a number of smaller showings, but there is also room for contributions from students and faculty. In fact, an exhibition by Kenyon’s senior art students just opened in late March.

“There will be student-only exhibitions, mounted every spring, that will be bookended by various prominent artists,” Marsh says.

For more information about the gallery opening, hours and special events, visit www.thegund gallery.org. cs

Tyler Davis is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@ pubgroupltd.com.

A glass-walled, two-story lobby welcomes visitors to the Graham Gund Gallery.

One of the gallery’s interactive art stations plays host to a class.

Gallery Exhibits

Hayley Gallery: Geology: Fragility & Strength by Melodie Thompson through April 13. Lucid Pathways by Todd Camp from April 14-May 11. www.hayley gallery.com

Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery: 100 Years of Art: Celebrating Columbus’ Legacy, featuring the work of 53 different artists in tribute to Columbus’ bicentennial celebration, through April 15. www.riffe gallery.org

Wexner Center for the Arts: David Smith: Cubes and Anarchy through April 15. www. wexarts.org

Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery

Art Access Gallery: A retrospective of works by Elena Osterwalder through April 14. Landscapes by M. Katherine Hurley, Toni Craig, Jason Lewis and Marti Steffy from April 17-May 26. www.artaccess gallery.com

Ursus Art Space: Hand Mirrors of the 7 Virtues by enamellist Michael Jaszczak through mid-April. www.ursusartspace.com

Dublin Arts Council Gallery: Yesterday – two- and three-dimensional works, installation, sound and performance art by Columbus College of Art and Design students – through April 20. www.dublin arts.org

The Works: Clay in 3D: Dirt, Desire and Design, featuring works from local ceramicists and collectors as well as co-curator Wendy Barrie Wilson, through April 21. Photo Monoprints by David Stichweh through April 21. Made by Hand – twoand three-dimensional, organic works of hand-felted art – from April 27-June 9. www.attheworks.org

High Road Gallery: Multimedia works from the Knox Country Art League through April 28. www.highroadgallery.com

Hayley Gallery

Art Access Gallery

{onview}

Sherrie Gallerie: Glass works by Davide Salvadore through April 30. www.sherriegallerie.com

Studios On High Gallery: A Touch of Nature, ceramic sculptures by Denise Romecki and polymer clay works by Debbie Jackson, from April 1-30. www.studiosonhigh.com

ROY G BIV Gallery: Sculptures by Jacob Tonski and digital media and video art by Dan Solberg from April 8-28. www.royg bivgallery.org

Capital . University Schumacher.Gallery : 2012 Student Art Exhibition from April 1027. www.capital.edu

Keny Galleries: Stephen Pentak: Persistent Image (Recent Paintings) from April 13May 11. www.keny galleries.com

Muse Gallery: In the Palm of Me, sculptures by Juliellen Byrne, through April 15. One Person Show by Randall LaGro from April 20May 20. www.amuse gallery.com

Columbus Museum of Art: Monet to Matisse: Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Sirak Collection, featuring pieces by Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, PierreAuguste-Renoir, Paul Klee, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Paul Cézanne, Chaim Soutine and Henri Matisse, among others, through May 13. Columbus Views, featuring pieces by George Bellows, Emerson Burkhart, Edmund Kuehn, Robert Chadeayne and others, through May 27. The Radical Camera: New York’s Photo League 1936-1951, featuring 150 vintage prints of street photography, from April 19-Sept. 9. www. columbusmuseum.org

Decorative Arts Center of Ohio: Looking Forward: Work by the Faculty of Columbus

Ohio Glass Museum: A Tisket A Tasket – Flowers, Frogs & Baskets. Exhibit opens April 1. www.ohioglassmuseum.org

Brandt-Roberts Galleries: In the Studio, featuring nudes, still-lifes and other works, from April 6-May 1. www.brandtroberts galleries.com

Rivet Gallery: Forgotten Finery, 2D and 3D artwork by Amanda L. Spayd, from April 7-30. www.rivetgallery.com

Hammond . Harkins Galleries : Chronicles of the Village: Songs for the New Millennium, 1200-1812, featuring the work of Aminah Robinson, opens April 20. www.hammond harkins.com

Miller Gallery, Otterbein University Art and Communication Building: Senior Art Exhibitions through May 11. www. otterbein.edu

Frank Museum of Art, Otterbein University: Etchings – Old and New by Vijay Kumar through May 11. www.otterbein.edu

Above: Hammond Harkins Galleries; below left: Keny Galleries

Studios On High Gallery

College of Art and Design – featuring work by Julie Abijanac, Carol Borham-Hays, Matthew Flegle, Dennison Griffith, Danielle Julian-Norton, Michael Litzau, Kelly Malec-Kosak, Ric Petry, Tim Rietenbach and Mariana Smith – through May 20. www.decartsohio.org

Fisher Gallery, Otterbein University

Roush Hall: Des de Mi Ventana (From my Window), images and black-and-white woodcuts by Eliana Calle Saari, through May 20. www.otterbein.edu

Hawk Galleries: Glass artwork by Ethan Stern and Nancy Callan through May 31. www. hawkgalleries.com cs

Rivet Gallery

Picks&Previews

CityScene spotlights what to watch, what to watch for and what not to miss!

Zakir Hussain & Masters of Percussion

April 10, 8 p.m.

Southern Theatre, 21 E. Main St.

Hussain, an Indian virtuoso of the classical tabla, presents a genre-spanning performance. www.capa.com

Capitol Steps

April 13, 8 p.m.

Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts, 100 W. Dublin-Granville Rd., New Albany

Experience a night of political satire through live song parodies and sketch comedy with the Capitol Steps. www.mc coycenter.org

Columbus Symphony Orchestra presents Masterworks 11: The Satirist and the Philosopher

Blown Glass Egg Making

April 7, noon-4 p.m.

The Works, 55 S. First St., Newark

Create a festive glass Easter egg-shaped paperweight with help from a professional The Works glassblower. www.at theworks.org

Easter Bunny Train and Egg Hunt

April 7, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Hocking Valley Scenic Railway, Nelsonville Depot, 33 W. Canal St. Take the kids on a special Easter train ride with an egg hunt to follow. www. hvsry.com

Shatner’s World: We Just Live in It

April 15, 6:30 p.m. Palace Theatre, 34 W. Broad St. Experience the story of the life and career of one of the world’s greatest stars from the man himself: William Shatner. www.shatnersworld.com

April 13-14

Ohio Theatre, 39 E. State St.

The CSO’s program will include music from Mozart, Harris and Strauss, each

Capitol Steps

West Side Story

centering on the mystical, philosophical, spiritual and intellectual. www.columbus symphony.com

CCAD Art Sale

April 14, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Loann Crane Center for Design, 112 Cleveland Ave.

Buy unique, one-of-a-kind pieces from CCAD student artists. First choice admission begins at 9 a.m. www.ccad.edu

Women’s Expo

April 14-15

Aladdin Shrine Event Center, 3850 Stelzer Rd.

This annual event features more than 150 vendors offering health, beauty, food, home décor, clothing, business services and much more. www.womens expo.org

New Albany Symphony Orchestra presents The New World

April 15, 5:30 p.m.

Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts, 100 W. Dublin-Granville Rd., New Albany

Celebrate the end of the orchestra’s 2011-2012 season at the Pre-Concert Spring Gala with food, wine and a silent auction before experiencing the music of Augusta Reed Thomas. www.mccoy center.org

Zakir Hussain

Broadway Across America presents West Side Story

April 17-22

Ohio Theatre, 39 E. State St.

Witness live one of the greatest love stories ever told and the one musical that changed theatre forever. www.broadway acrossamerica.com/columbus

The Imagination Movers Live: Rock-O-Matic 2012

April 20, 3 and 6:30 p.m.

Palace Theatre, 34 W. Broad St.

The Imagination Movers combine a kid-friendly atmosphere with music that would sound right at home on MTV in their fun and enthralling concerts. www. imaginationmovers.com

BalletMet presents DanceTech

April 20-28

Capitol Theatre, Riffe Center, 77 S. High St.

Contemporary dance and technology come together to create a unique and innovative interactive experience in this collaboration between BalletMet and the Wexner Center for the Arts. www.ballet met.org

Trio Solisti with Hsin-Yun Huang

April 21, 8 p.m. Southern Theatre, 21 E. Main St. Chamber Music Columbus presents the soulful and passionate Trio Solisti. www.cmcolumbus.org

ProMusica presents

A Theme on B-A-C-H

April 21-22

Pontifical College

Josephinum, 7625 N. High St.; Southern Theatre, 21 E. Main St.

World-renowned violinist Vadim Gluzman joins the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra for four pieces inspired by Bach. The first night’s performance is at the Josephinum, the second

Ashville Viking Festival

DanceTech

Photo by Will Shively

Trio Solisti

The Imagination Movers

Vadim Gluzman

Photo by Marco Borggreve

night’s at the Southern. www.promusica columbus.org

Shadowbox Live presents

Reefer Madness

April 22-July 8

Shadowbox Live, 503 S. Front St.

The 1963 film that became a cult classic comes to the stage courtesy of Shadowbox Live, following an all-American good boy whose life begins a downward spiral when he begins “smoking the reefer.” www.shadowboxlive.org

Downtown Digital Arts Festival

April 24-26

CEWD Building, Columbus State Community College, 315 Cleveland Ave.

The third annual Downtown Digital Arts Festival will showcase work by student artists in animation, digital design, digital photography and video. www.cscc. com/DDAF

Columbus Symphony Orchestra presents Disney in Concert

April 28, 8 p.m.

Ohio Theatre, 39 E. State St.

Join the symphony for a night of family fun as it performs your favorite Disney classics. www.columbussymphony.com

Ashville Viking Festival

April 28-29

Ashville Village Park, 200 Walnut St., Ashville

Experience the life of a Viking with food, crafts, music, swordplay and much more! www.ashvillevikingfest.com

Save the Date!

Earth Jam 2012

May 8, 6 p.m.

Lifestyle Communities Pavilion, 405 Neil Ave.

Aveda Institute presents its annual fashion benefit show with the help of Hauns Korpela of Scott J Salon in New York. The show follows the institute’s Earth Month activities throughout the month of April, which raise money for the Sierra Club of Central Ohio for its Clean Water Campaign. www.avedacolumbus.com

Discover the Dream

May 17, 6 p.m.

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, 4850 W. Powell Rd.

This benefit celebrates the 50th anniversary of the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. It features food, cocktails and a silent auction, and is hosted by Jack Hanna. www.stjude.org/discoverthedream

More....

For a comprehensive list of other happenings around Columbus, check out www.cityscenecolumbus.com.

Disney in Concert

With Michael McEwan

The Painter’s Eye

Featuring House at the Edge of a Cliff by Edgar Degas

The importance of collectors to a museum cannot be understated.

Museums are often a confluence of different private collections. The Columbus Museum of Art is no exception, and through May 13, visitors have the rare opportunity to see a major collection in its entirety.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Dr. Howard and Babette Sirak Collection, all 78 works are presented together for only the third time. The Sirak Collection is made up of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and Modernist works from the 20th Century, including this magnificent painting by Edgar Degas (34 ½” x 28 5/8”).

This painting is part of a series Degas created based on the seaside town of SaintValery sur Somme on the northern coast of France. While Degas (1834-1917) in general is grouped with the Impressionists, his methods were very different in that he rarely worked outdoors. Instead, he worked from drawings and photos in his studio. Degas liked to come back to a work over the course of years to rework areas as he wished.

A common Degas technique was to refine his forms with a thin mixture of brownblack paint. This painting shows many places where he redrew, scraped and scratched paint until he felt satisfied with the result.

Degas was a fine designer as well. The two large wedges of darker tones play off the evening sky and sandwich the rooftops and chimneys of the village dwellings. Notable is the blue triangle of a roof near the center of the lower register that acts like a fulcrum to balance the horizontals of the other roofs that, in turn, support the rhythm of the paletoned chimneys.

The most uncanny aspect of the painting is the glow of the late afternoon light. So perfect is the color balance that the palpable luminosity pulls you into the space. Philippe de Montebello, former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, once proclaimed this

would be the one painting from the CMA collection he would like to add to the Met’s.

Take time to visit this and the other 77 paintings of the Sirak Collection. The museum is open 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, staying open until 8 p.m. Thursdays. Admission is free on Sundays. cs

Artist Michael McEwan serves as Artist-in-Residence at Capital University, where he also teaches painting and drawing classes.

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