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Greater Columbus Arts Council’s Arts Passport Returns This Fall

in Press Releases August 10, 2022 2 min read

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Greater Columbus Arts Council (Arts Council) is bringing back last year’s popular Columbus Makes Art Passport, an arts passport to encourage people to “tour” arts, cultural and entertainment events in Columbus Sept. 1-Oct. 31, 2022.

Launched in 2021, the Columbus Makes Art Passport is a free booklet listing 50+ arts experiences (aka stops) where “tourists” can get a “stamp” on their passport in the form of artist-designed stickers. The program is designed to help art fans explore the offerings in Columbus and to encourage visits by offering prizes for stamped passport pages.

“We were so encouraged by the response last year,” said Jami Goldstein, vice president of marketing, communications and events for the Greater Columbus Arts Council. “Not only did the passport entice art fans back into arts spaces, but we heard over and over that the passport helped people discover places that were new to them. And, we heard from a number of arts organizations that they met new patrons thanks to the passport.”

“This year we have 14 organizations that are new to the passport, ensuring that even people who participated last year will find new venues to explore,” added Goldstein.

Physical passports will be available to pick up in mid-August, and pick up spots will be noted on ColumbusMakesArt.com/passport. “Tourists” can collect stamps Sept. 1 through Oct. 31.  Some stops can be visited at any time during those two months while others are one-time events. Many of the stops are free; some require a ticket/admission purchase to get the passport stamped.

Passports can be redeemed online for prizes starting Nov. 1. Prizes include everything from tickets to events, artwork, gift cards to arts spaces and local businesses, a one-night stay at the Hotel LeVeque, a private screening at the Gateway Film Center and more.

“So many participating arts organizations and local businesses have generously donated prizes,” said Goldstein. “And we’ve made additional purchases to ensure a robust selection of prizes. With 33 stops free to visit or offering free admission to passport holders, there will be plenty of prizes even if tourists focus their travels on free stops.”

Visit ColumbusMakesArt.com/passport to find passport distribution spots, a listing of sticker art and artists, events where passports can be stamped, and information on how to claim prizes. Passport redemption will start Nov. 1 and “tourists” will have until Nov. 30 to submit images of their stickered passports for prizes.

The Columbus Makes Art campaign, a program of the Greater Columbus Arts Council, is a city-wide, collaborative marketing effort designed to highlight the incredible talent of central Ohio artists. Columbus Makes Art is supported by Columbus Cultural Leadership Consortium, CD92.9, The Columbus Dispatch and WSNY. columbusmakesart.com

Mission of the Greater Columbus Arts Council: To support and advance the arts and cultural fabric of Columbus. www.gcac.org

The Greater Columbus Arts Council receives major financial support from the City of Columbus, Franklin County Commissioners and the Ohio Arts Council.

For translations of this release and other pages, please see the dropdown menu at the top right corner of gcac.org.

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CONTACT: Jami Goldstein
(614) 221-8492
jgoldstein@gcac.org