By Lacey Luce
Sometimes it’s just fun for me to go and see what all is happening in a particular discipline—it’s a great way to find events and organizations that aren’t always on my radar. It’s also a good way to be reminded about those things that I sometimes take for granted—like the film series at the Wexner Center.
So this week I played around ColumbusMakes Art.com and chose three events in four categories to spotlight. I tried to pick events and/ or organizations that are new to me or at least out of my comfort zone.
Live Music
1) The Dover Quartet: I have never been to a Chamber Music performance. Classical music is never my go-to, however, when I’m exposed to it (especially live) I always appreciate it.
2) Pete Mills Quartet at the Harrison West Jazz Stage: Jazz is more likely to be in my comfort zone, but I’ve never been to the Harrison West Jazz stage and hadn’t heard of it before finding it on ColumbusMakesArt.com
3) The Reaganomics at Hollywood Casino: I am a child of the 80s and I have heard of the Reaganomics but I’ve never been to see them play.
So, there we have three new things for me to play with. I love new toys.
Theater/Musical Theater
4) The Grown Up by Available Light Theatre: I have not yet been to an Available Light Theatre show, but from the moment I saw the listing for The Grown Up, it’s been on my short list of things to go see.
5) RENT by Otterbein University Department of Dance & Theater: I’ve seen plays at Otterbein before and I saw the movie RENT, but I’ve have never seen a live production.
6) Powerful Puccini by Opera Project Columbus: I’ve mentioned before that Opera is a new thing for me, and this is the first time I’ve heard of this group. It is fun to find new things.
Visual Arts
I mentioned above that trolling through the search often reminds me of organizations that are so familiar that I sometimes take them for granted. Here are three exhibitions by organizations that always put on amazing shows, and that I want to remember to visit more often:
7) In Close Proximity at the Cultural Arts Center
8) Fresh Perspectives: Young Artists with Ohio Connections, at Ohio Designer Craftsman
9) MJ Bole White Elephant (1860 – ), at Columbus College of Art & Design
Film
When it comes to film, I tend to lean toward movies that are more escapist than thought provoking. So some of these suggestions would be quite a stretch for me. But here’s the thing about stretches—I usually feel quite good after doing them.
10) Reelabilities Film Festival: The ReelAbilities Film Festival is a nationwide effort to change perceptions of disability. Each day is hosted by a different location in the city and the films are diverse and fascinating. One film (Here One Day, presented on day three of the festival) is by a filmmaker who discovered audio tapes of her mother, who was struggling with bi-polar disorder. Other films explore hearing loss, autism and the opening night includes a live performance by Dancing Wheels.
11) Court is a quietly devastating, absurdist portrait of injustice, caste prejudice, and venal politics in contemporary India and was just tapped as India’s Oscar submission.
12) Anything at the Gateway Film Center. I’m ending with GFC for several reasons (another list!): 1) They are a great place to get your mainstream, escapism, movie fix if that’s what you need. 2) They also have the thought-provoking stuff. 3) They offer programming you don’t normally find at a movie theater–e.g. EMPIRE. 4) They are a nonprofit and I have a soft spot for nonprofits. 5) They support local filmmakers, film festivals, and artists. 6) They have a gallery where they present quarterly, mini exhibitions of movie-themed art by Columbus artists—right now work by Larry Doyle is up.
However you choose to stretch yourself this weekend, share your adventures with #artmakescbus.
Lacey Luce is a marketing communications and events strategist for the Greater Columbus Arts Council who loves the fact that her job requires her to spend time exploring all the event listings on ColumbusMakesArt.com.
