By Lacey Luce
Hello my name is Lacey and I am a U2 fan. After Apple’s big forced-download fiasco, hating U2 seems to be then next hip thing. I, however, am no fair-weather fan. I loved them on the Joshua Tree tour and I still loved then when they hoisted a giant lemon as part of their set on the POPMART tour. For this reason, Saturday’s Picnic with the Pops U2 tribute appeals to me almost as much as the Beatles tribute.
If you haven’t been yet, there are only a few of these concerts left, which means summer is going to start winding down (at least as far as summer season events are concerned).
While we are on the subject of outdoor downtown concert series, Columbus Commons will have Mojoflo on Thursday as part of the Downtown Live Concert Series and Bicentennial Park has their Rhythm on the River series continuing on Friday. Both of these are free—how lucky are we to live in a city that does this?
While not free (but ridiculously low priced) there’s another summer series event this weekend, CD102.5’s Summer Fest. There are three different dates and three different line ups—all of them good. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make the Thursday show, which includes my current addiction Glass Animals—so tweet some pics for me will ya? #artmakescbus.
I’ve written a lot about the Summer Movie Series at the Ohio Theater. I can’t help it, it’s an awesome thing that my friends and I look forward to each year. You still have a few weeks left to enjoy these film gems, and this weekend has one of my all time favorites—Mel Brook’s Young Frankenstein.
Also good to note on the film front: The North Market is hosting another Downtown Drive-In. This time they are featuring Batman (circa 1989). Jack Nicholson as the Joker dancing to Prince?! YES!
Speaking of dancing, Ballet Met is celebrating National Dance Day with a free interactive public event on Saturday at the Topiary Park—Let’s Move Columbus.
I need to wrap this up with something that is near and dear to my heart, the Riffe Gallery. They are opening their next exhibition, Flashback to Now, on Thursday. I am eager to go to the opening reception on Thursday to show my support for a gem in our city that I fear I sometimes take for granted. Solidarity aside, I’m really excited to see this exhibition that includes work from 15 Ohio artists who received Ohio Arts Council grants in the 80s. The show is presenting work the artists created at the time of their grant, alongside thier current work. This is a fascinating and rare opportunity to see how an artist’s work evolves over time.
Speaking of rare opportunities, next week, on July 28, Roy G Biv Gallery is hosting a one-night exhibition of work by Stefan Hurtig who is in Columbus from Dresden as part of a Greater Columbus Arts Council Artist exchange. One night people. One. Night.
That’s it from me. Go out, have fun, and share your photos #artmakescbus.
Want more event tips? Follow @artmakescbus on Twitter. Want random photos of art in its natural habitat? Follow @artmakescbus on Instagram.
Above image (detail): Brinsley Tyrrell, “Winter with the Sparrow Bush,” 2011 Glass enamel on steel, 36″ x 48″ courtesy of the Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery.
Lacey Luce (@laceyluce) is a marketing, communications and events strategist at the Greater Columbus Arts Council who will likely be quoting Young Frankenstein for the rest of the week.
