I look forward to the Columbus Arts Festival because I believe creativity is in the mind; not in the machine. The festival celebrates hand-painted, handmade, hand-crafted paintings, prints, jewelry, fashion, ceramics and more – no artificially generated work here.
The Columbus Arts Festival has been going strong for over half a century. I recently spoke with Jami Goldstein, chief strategy officer of the Greater Columbus Arts Council, who has been with the Columbus Arts Festival for 16 years.
She has come full-circle since her days of booking and managing stage artists for a festival in Michigan. She gave me a peek into the history and process of the Columbus Arts Festival.
She explained that most festival patrons know the Scioto Riverfront as home to the exhibition of works by artists and creatives from across the country. However, in 2011, the festival was held in the Discovery District at Spring Street and Cleveland Avenue.
This particular festival is memorable not only for its location, but for the severe Saturday storm which blew over tents, leading to the prohibition of pop-up tents. One artist had to be rescued from the fracas by the police.
Today, tents along the Scioto Riverfront can be safely tethered to the concrete bridge. The Scioto Riverfront has been redone and makes an ideal spot to highlight the works of artists chosen by a blind panel of five jurists and two rounds of selection.
Columbus-based graphic designers and performers are hired to provide the colorful festival ads and entertainment to the event. As Goldstein commented, “My job is to bring the people.” And they come in droves. The festival attracts thousands, according to the its website.
Things to keep in mind
For artists and crafters interested in displaying their work, applications are open September through December to fill 230 coveted spots. There are 16 mediums, everything from painting to printmaking – in which artists may submit four work sample images – as well as an Emerging Artists category.
Emerging artists, that is first-timers, whose work is chosen for the festival, can be paired with mentor artists to guide them through the process. If emerging artists are selected for subsequent years, they must display in their own medium.
Perhaps the most notable evolution in the art world has been the use of technology and artificial intelligence-generated work. All artwork must be handmade, including beads. No commercial molds, kits or patterns may be used in creating any art object.
Artwork purchased for resale at the festival is strictly forbidden. Work may not be completed by hired studio artists or apprentices. No more than 25% of sale items may be reproductions of an artist’s proprietary work. A compliance committee oversees the integrity of the art; offenders have been asked to leave.
In addition to building an audience and client base, artists compete for $21,000 in prize money, distributed among 12 categories, including Best in Show.
Artists from 31 states and three countries are represented; Columbus can be proud of hometown artists who have made this year’s cut.
Here are just a few to look for:
JD Davison and JD Shipengrover from Lab Partners in Upper Arlington infuse “art, science, and history” in their unique jewelry. The pair first exhibited in the festival in 2014 as Emerging Artists and have returned as professionals. The two said about jewelry-making that “Lab Partners is a jewelry studio founded and run by two unsupervised mad scientist geeks, JD Shipengrover and JD Davison.
“[We] each have decades of experience in traditional silversmith jewelry-making. Driven by a love for experimentation, [we] blend new technology – like laser cutters and 3D printers – with classic techniques such as lost wax casting, hand fabrication and hydraulic forming.
“[Our] bold, playful designs combine etched, formed and cast sterling silver with laser-cut, cast and hand-painted acrylic pieces. Inspired by science and nature, many pieces feature intricate patterns drawn from microscopic and magnified views of sea and plant life, resulting in beautiful and unexpected jewelry.”
Henry Hess is an Emerging Artist for 2026 and a Columbus local. Hess is an artist with autism and expresses himself through drawing and painting. He derives inspiration from culture figures and classic movies. His work is regularly exhibited in the Franklin Arts District.
Joshua Schottenstein is a Grandview Heights local, and is returning for a third year with his ceramics.
Zach Vincent is a leatherworker from Columbus, and has exhibited his work every year since entering as an Emerging Artist in 2022.
More information on all of the artists can be found in the arist gallery on the Greater Columbus Arts Council website.
Before you go to the festival, take a look around your home or apartment and think about what type of art would enhance your space. You may just find a work by the next Picasso or Warhol.
Amy Drake, M.A., M.S. MCM, is a Telly Award-winning filmmaker, playwright and actor. She can be reached at draketheatrical@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Arts Festival showcases national and local artists
Reporting by Amy Drake, Special to The Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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By Amy Drake, Special to The Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
