Five years after the 22-foot Christopher Columbus statue was removed from the grounds of City Hall, Reimagining Columbus is ready to present a vision for how the statue could be displayed in the city again — but don’t expect an announcement about where it’s going.
Just know, it’s not going back up at Columbus City Hall. Mayor Andrew J. Ginther has made that clear.
Reimagining Columbus, a group created to advise on public art, is hosting an event at Whetstone Park on the evening of Aug. 16 to present the results of about two years of community conversations.
The presentation will include a vision for how the statue could be brought back in a way that is reflective of the community’s values, said Dan Williamson with Werth public relations firm. Williamson is a member of the Reimagining Columbus team.
Reimagining Columbus can only provide recommendations. Ultimately, city elected officials will decide what to do with the statue.
Reimagining Columbus is funded by a $2 million grant the city received from the Mellon Foundation’s Monuments Project to explore the future of the statue and public art in general in the city. The project team includes city representatives, historians, designers and diversity and inclusion advisors. For about two years, the group has brought together community members for what at times have been uncomfortable conversations, Williamson said.
The city has also committed $1.5 million to fund new public art on City Hall’s campus and attendees of the event in Whetstone Park will hear a bit about that plan.
The statue of Columbus’ namesake was displayed in front of City Hall for 65 years and was a gift from Columbus’ sister city, Genoa, Italy, where Columbus was born.
City leaders decided to remove the statue in 2020 when communities across America were questioning monuments to historic figures with what are now often considered racist legacies. Many activists in Columbus say Christopher Columbus was responsible for genocide against Native Americans.
When the statue was taken down, Italian-American groups in Columbus opposed the removal and called for it to be displayed in the city.
The public event at Whetstone Park will run from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. It will include a complimentary meal, a recap of the engagement process, presentation of renderings of how the statue could be displayed again and an indigenous prophecy for the future of Columbus.
The event will launch the conversation about a new location for the statue with new context, Williamson said, which would require community support and likely private funders.
(This story was updated to add a gallery.)
Government and politics reporter Jordan Laird can be reached at jlaird@dispatch.com. Follow her on X, Instagram and Bluesky at @LairdWrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Group to present vision for Christopher Columbus statue, but not new location
Reporting by Jordan Laird, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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