The Pizzuti Collection is now home to Bar Room, a really cool Jamaican permanent art installation…read moreand working bar located inside of the museum. It is an homage to Skankland, Columbus' first reggae bar, and a nod to Roots Records, Columbus' first and only reggae focused record shop. Both of these businesses are gone now, which is what makes this bar so very cool. The atmosphere is joyous and just very special. The drinks are all very good, and they have a really good Jamaican menu featuring jerked chicken, ox tail and vegetarian pies. All delicious. There is a $5 admission fee if you are not a Columbus Museum of Art member, but I renewed our membership because this place made it so worth it. You might be able to get a free pass through the Columbus Metropolitan Library too, but I seriously recommend getting a CMA annual membership to support great art like this.

Attended a reception at the Columbus Museum of Art at The Pizzuti during a conference last week…read more The current museum exhibition (Las Vegas Ikebana: Maren Hassinger and Senga Nengudi) showcased some interesting works, including several dance-related pieces, a seesaw titled "See-See Riders", Sadness be Gone! Forever (ink on paper), and a video focusing on the color green. The setup of the displays made the rooms feel bare, but it was good for a quick walkthrough. I was actually more captivated by the lovely sculptures outside, surrounding the building. There were about 4 or 5 that I was able to check out while I was there (Jim Hodges' artwork is particularly unique and impressive).

Believe it or not I've been coming to the convention center for years and I have never seen the…read morestore before until recently. The staff here was moderately friendly and they have a great selection of snacks, drinks and gift items. What I didn't like about the store was that everything is grossly overpriced . A liquid death that's $2 at any other gas station is somehow almost $5 or one can here. The store wasn't very clean either. I will give it a star though because I did think it was cool that they sold cigarettes and beer here . Overall, I wasn't too big about the store nonetheless .

Pricey little market conscience store located downstairs inside the Columbus convention center…read moreright across from the food court area. We didn't end up purchasing anything but they did have a smorgasbord of necessities, souvenirs and snacks. So I'm sure it's useful to people who need it.

Why have I lived in Columbus my whole life and never known this existed until my nephew visiting…read morefrom out of town suggested it?? We went yesterday just in time to see the 'best of 2026' show and we loved it! It is indeed more that just crafts, it was also kinds of works of art done by craftspeople and there were lots of beautiful pieces to look at. Loved that we were also able to interact with voting for our favorite, and also a scavenger hunt (with stickers as prizes). Such great things in the gift shop and loved the silent auction section too. I know for sure I'll be back every time they have a new show- it's free to enter, walk around and see great art. And the employee working was so friendly and told us all about it and gave us lots of helpful info and attention. Highly recommend, we were there about an hour, lovely way to spend some time during a hot afternoon.

On a whim I reserved a spot for an autumnal crown making event. It was wonderful! Lots of fun,…read morecreativity, snacks, and laughter. The instructor was great and other participants even shared supplies. I look forward to another event!

This was a great store worth checking out. The person at the front desk was very nice and helpful…read more She's really passionate about her job. I love all the taxidermy animals especially a squirrel giving out the double bird. That's absolutely priceless! Everything is ethically resourced which is good. Great selection of little gifts as well and even t-shirts too. Prices here are pretty fair for what they are. Overall, this is a good store to check out.

I am so happy to be proven wrong! I've come here a couple times since my initial review, and had a…read morevery different and positive experience. Maybe the employees were having a bad day, maybe I was. There are some days I don't want to talk or smile either. The last time I was here, Cora herself was at the register and a joy to talk to. I felt very comfortable taking my time browsing the whole store, and took a few trinkets home with me. Their wares are random and constantly changing, but that day was a heart-shaped box with hand-glued buttons for me and an antique pink glass ashtray as a gift. (Fantastic gift store.) For me personally, I do consider this a pricier store - but it is so lovingly and uniquely curated, I can understand that choice. Now that I've given it a couple more tries, I can say it is worth just walking around anyway. If you're into freaky macabre stuff. I hope my negative review didn't do any damage and I'm still welcome to awe at the pet leeches!

We stopped by the Beeler Gallery at CCAD to view the "1,000 Miles Per Hour" exhibit. When we…read morestepped into the Canzani Center, where the gallery is located, we also found that there was some art immediately inside the door and we took a little detour to check out all of the pieces near the windows. The gallery space itself is to the right when you enter and has a small welcome desk. The staff person was very friendly, greeting us and wishing us a nice day when we departed. We weren't sure what to expect from the exhibit, but it was full of fascinating pieces! There were some particularly intriguing ones, including the artwork you see when you first step inside: rows of twigs (50 twigs in total) that track spacejunk overhead, by David Bowen. We were there when the one they had been tracking dropped below the horizon and got to experience the twigs snapping to a downward position before rising again to track the next bit. Very interesting. Ben Kinsley and Robin Hewlett's Google Street View video of people deliberately interacting with the street view vehicle was neat to see. We also really enjoyed a short film that went from all the way out in the universe and kept reducing down until it reached a galaxy, then a planet, then a person, the person's hand and so on. It was particularly thought-provoking. The exhibit was nicely set up and the gallery is a good size to explore. It is free to enter.

Nice modern gallery on the CCAD campus. Visited for the first to experience An Art Book Affair,…read moreColumbus' first art book fair. The show itself was rather small, but a nice collection of limited edition art books by local and international publishers and art book fairs. Some made by hand, some used. Even though there were books for sale, it definitely felt more like an exhibit than a book sale. The gallery is very easy to find. It's pretty much underneath the large, red metal ART sign and located on the first floor of the Canzani Center, on the southeast corner of Cleveland AVE & E. Gay ST. Admission is free to the public and there's plenty of free parking on campus. There's a welcome desk at the main entrance and inside you'll find three large exhibition rooms. It's open on both Saturdays and Sundays which makes it convenient for weekend gallery hopping.

A Muse is one of the few galleries in Columbus that has a parking lot (and a bathroom). One star…read morefor that alone. I made my first trip there earlier this week. It seemed like a strange location, under a bridge, just across from the Parking Solutions office. This is definitely a female bent establishment. The themes were all about femininity and trees. The art was okay. It definitely wasn't bad, but I don't think it was all the way there yet. I didn't see one piece that I downright enjoyed or that drew on any kind of emotion. There was a piece with a girl and some eggplants. I thought that was skillfully done, and I contemplated the meaning for a while. It held my attention, but it's not something I would want to own. There were also some aviator statues with no arms, but, once again, they were just almost there. The gallery is large though, and it's very inviting. They seem to represent a lot of artists. They have two locations, and they just celebrated their 10 year anniversary. The curator was there, and she was helpful and friendly - almost too helpful and friendly. She asked us how we were doing three times. I wasn't sure if she was suspicious, if she wanted us to leave, or if she just thought we really looked like we needed help. My favorite part of A Muse was the shop dog, shadow. He looked like an aging Great Dane/Black Lab mix. There were two love birds in the office, literal love birds. They were very chirpy. If you go, be sure to go back to the office because there's more art for show back there.

After a few years in Vic Village and a few too many Gallery Hops, local exhibitions have mostly…read morelost their luster. It takes something special to catch my eye, and it happened that a recent erotica show captured my interest. The space was small, like most of the surrounding architecture, but modern and airy. Each of the pieces were well-lit, thanks to large windows and carefully placed artificial light, and the art was thought-provoking. The interior is split among two rooms, which feels awkward at first, but lends itself to a comfortable meandering. Their featured artist Chas Ray Krider was present, and he was kind enough walk us through some of his work. It was a real treat, and shed some light on the subject matter and his creative process. I didn't find the location to be remote, it was full of viewers on our Sunday visit, and my husband and I had a nice lunch afterwards at the neighboring Brown Bag Deli. I also didn't find the curator overly friendly - personable and polite, yes, but certainly not pushy. If you're looking for an artistic afternoon in German Village, the Muse Gallery provides. But you might want to check the exhibit's theme before you visit.

Cameo Gallery has some wicked glass art. I love the shapes of the pieces. Many of them remind me of…read moreswans. They also have these large vases with long, pointy-sphered tips. The colors are stunning. This is craftsmanship at its finest. I'm amazed at the delicate, intricate, imaginative shapes that take place here. Cameo has other art like bronze sculptures and framed prints, but it's really all about the glass. They have vases, platters, paperweights, jewelry, etc. You need to see this place to believe it. Prices are high, so I mainly go in just to look at what's new and get my own creative juices flowing. They don't really mind that kind of thing. If you go, be sure to go upstairs too. There's a tiny, spiral staircase near the back that I didn't even notice the first few times I visited. I must have been too busy drooling over the glass sculptures in the front window. That reminds me, there are large windows on either side of this corner shop; they light up the gallery to show the pieces better, and they're great for window shopping. Usually there's just one consultant in the shop, but if you go on a Gallery Hop night, you'll find lots of workers there.

I finally made it into Cameo Gallery. Beautiful. I mean, gorgeous. I mean, god I don't know…read more There are these glass sculptures that look like primordial sea creatures, but more perfect than anything that evolution could ever manifest. Too amazing for me to even consider wanting. Besides the 3 to 4 thousand dollar price tags, I simply don't deserve them. It's like seeing a 500 year old Redwood and wanting to take it home with you. No, it's more perfect in the forest. I spoke for a bit with Shawn, the guy behind the counter. He said a good portion of the offerings are from local artists (including the sculptures I was most impressed by). The jewelry in the front case is primarily made by a local teacher, and it's professional grade stuff. Cameo is definitely worth a stop.

Whoever said you can see everything here in 45 minutes to an hour didn't have my level of…read morefanaticism as I whiled away two hours here soaking everything in. And that's with the library portion closed and only the museum open on account of New Year's Eve. I could pick a bone with them as I called in advance seeing Google said NYE may affect their usual 1-5 hours and the lady on the other end assuring me they were open. Neither of us was specific about it being the museum or the library and I figured it was just a package deal. As you can see from the five star rating I'm not marking them down for it but that was a bit of a bummer. I had planned on being here for their entire four hours open on this day and I'm sure I would have if that library was open. As it was I had a grand time (as my grandmother used to say) and I ended up making great use of that precious little late December daylight elsewhere on some Calvin and Hobbesesque exploring so everything worked out. The museum is upstairs on the second floor but I already knew I was in the right place when I saw a Garfield statue in the middle of a park bench against the wall of the bright airy first floor atrium. Admission is free, another reason why I shouldn't harp too much on the library being shuttered on the last day of 2024. There is a donation box and I did drop some currency into it. There's also some cabinets you can stick your coats or other belongings in by the front door. You can just take the key with you as you wander the three or four galleries of the museum. (One gallery is partially bisected by a wall and I'm not sure if it counts as one or two rooms.) They have you sign in on a tablet at the front desk and you have to provide an email. Definitely not a problem for me. I don't know when I'll be down in Buckeye territory again but the main exhibits change every six months and I'm curious to see what's on tap in the future. So if you're coming from afar, be it the Wolverine State or not, you might want to stay abreast of the exhibit schedule or give them a ring to make sure they're not between shows as they do shut down for a time to take down the old exhibits and install the new ones. The exhibits at the tail end of 2024 were dedicated to Edward Koren, a quirky artist with a philosophical bent known for his many published works in the New Yorker. His style is very distinctive and I'd seen it in passing but it was cool to do a deep dive to really appreciate him. And despite the library being closed there was a single stack of Edward Koren collections on an end table between two comfortable chairs. I read one cover to cover after poring over everything on the walls and glass cases in that gallery. The other special exhibit was dedicated to Larry Ivie, a comic book artist active in the superhero and horror genres in the mid 20th century. Besides being a great comic book artist in his own right, Ivie was also a huge fan and collector, something he carried over from his youth into his old age. So in addition to his own works this gallery also presented highlights from material Ivie had collected as well as his correspondence with other creators. They even had some superhero costumes he and his mates had put together and donned, long before anyone had coined the term cosplay. The glass cases in this gallery had pop culture ephemera like lunchboxes, board games and fan club collectibles in addition to a slew of comic books and original art. The last gallery - or two - covered a variety of artists and material so I'm sure how much, if any, that rotates. One wall was dedicated to Ohio native Bill Watterson, creator of the venerable, beloved comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. No matter how big of a Michigander you are, you can't hate on Bill Watterson! Despite having already seen every Calvin and Hobbes strip they had original art for framed on the walls multiple times I still found myself cackling in hilarity. Always feels good to laugh. The Edward Koren work was humorous in nature, too, but it was more like smirk and nod at how wry and wise it was, not LOL funny. The miscellaneous gallery also had sliding drawers that come out from a section of the wall - the one that possibly counts as a room divider - and from underneath two glass cases. These are rather ingenious as they allow for a lot more work to be displayed in the limited space they have. It does get a little tedious sliding them open and shut after awhile but when there's some wondrous new surprise behind door number two or three or twenty or thirty it makes it worthwhile. And worthwhile is a good way to describe this place if you're at all a fan of comics or cartoons. There's stuff going all the way back to the 1800s in the gallery of many sliding drawers. Spring-Heeled Jack was an inspiration for Batman? I never knew! They even had a couple hand crafted quilts and winter caps on display. I could get lost all over again here once their displays change over.

I saw this online a day before going to Columbus. It was the last thing we did before meeting…read morefriends for dinner who live in the area. Located on the second floor of Sullivan Hall on the campus of The Ohio State University it is free and open from 1-5 pm. OK, you have to pay for parking. The most convenient parking garage was the South Garage that is listed as a tenth of a mile away from the museum. We were there about an hour and parking cost us $6. Apparently it was pre-enrollment day at Sullivan Hall and was packed with people so we had to navigate through the crowd to get to the museum. Although we weren't familiar with some of the artists/comic strips it was still an interesting museum especially the Calvin and Hobbs comic strips. Certainly well worth a look if you're in the area.