We hope you enjoy our virtual gallery of highlights from the wide variety of new and continuing forms of creative experimentation and imaginative expression recently generated by Ohio State students, faculty and alumni in the arts.
Featured art exhibits
Each semester, our students enjoy experimenting with how art is imagined, made, viewed, and understood to develop unique art exhibitions that challenge people's perceptions about the world and themselves. View some of the recent art exhibitions from Urban Arts Space, Hopkins Hall Gallery and Hybrid Arts Lab.
Unitus
Unitus is an exhibition that aims to facilitate a dialogue of student experiences during the pandemic through their artworks, creating a greater sense of unity, inclusivity and understanding. The art exhibition features artists in a huge range of mediums — from painting and glass to written prose and moving image — to represent the range of creativity that came out of Ohio State despite — and even inspired by — these unprecedented times.
these that became us
In these that became us, an MFA thesis in Dance by Kylee Smith, she seeks to not only connect to her own ancestors but also encourage audiences to connect with their own lineages as well. The work spans Ohio and South Carolina as sites that transform public ancestral artifacts into sacred, transformative and intimate conduits for spiritual shifts.
Freedom Practice(s)
Students from the Department of Dance and the School of Music created scores for survival, embodiments of freedom, responses to confined spaces and imaginings focused on (un)tethering themselves from an overly politicized body. They created these ideas asynchronously and synchronously and only through the Zoom platform. This experiment in social distancing and connectivity was designed to usher our community towards the possibility of new and hybrid identities.
I Can See Clearly Now
I Can See Clearly Now is a collaborative installation that exists as a mix between painting, sculpture and set. Throughout the pandemic, we built barriers and reinforced our borders. As the vaccine became more available, we heard Jimmy Cliff singing: “I can see clearly now, the rain is gone. I can see all obstacles in my way.” Our barriers are not erased, but we can at least see or even walk over them. In this experimental exhibition, we layer and weave together porous materials that viewers can look through and move around in response to our current landscape.
Looking for Hamlet, 1603
Looking for Hamlet, 1603 is a full-length documentary film about the earliest text of Shakespeare’s most well-known play, where Hamlet utters not, “To be or not to be, that is the question,” but “To be or not to be – ay, there’s the point.” Scholars find so many significant differences in this early text when they compare it to its later versions that they have long challenged its authenticity.
To Be Heard, To Be Seen, To Belong
To Be Seen, To Be Heard, To Belong is an exhibit showcasing the diverse experiences and backgrounds of the student community. Residence Life invited undergraduate and graduate students to submit artwork sharing their unique stories.
Inside/Out
Inside/Out is a durational site-specific dance performance that invites audiences to pause, reflect and imagine. Through playful navigations of Hopkins Hall courtyard, reimagining relationships to space, place and each other, dancers invert expectations about architecture, bodies and the natural environment.
Be Well
Be Well blends typography, illustration, semiology, communication, psychology and sociology to communicate wellness support services, college students’ wellness concerns and how we may support ourselves on the path toward creating wellness in our own lives and in the lives of those around us.
Blackout Poetry
“Blackout poetry” is the process by which one views an existing text, then blocks out parts of words, lines or paragraphs, selecting the phrases and words they want in a new construction of meaning. A selection of poems is available to view online from community submissions sharing new meanings of texts through their own blackout poetry.
ITERATION X
ITERATION X, an MFA Thesis in Dance by Tara Lee Burns, is a series of four works that not only identify as documentation, archive and performance, but are interchangeable artworks of alternative and simultaneous realities as resistance and hope. The four works bridge aesthetics ranging from the bright colors of the VR and AR environments, thick hot pink elastic cords and bodies of improvisation evolving from themes circling location, space and the body as place.
Unitus
Unitus is an exhibition that aims to facilitate a dialogue of student experiences during the pandemic through their artworks, creating a greater sense of unity, inclusivity and understanding. The art exhibition features artists in a huge range of mediums — from painting and glass to written prose and moving image — to represent the range of creativity that came out of Ohio State despite — and even inspired by — these unprecedented times.
these that became us
In these that became us, an MFA thesis in Dance by Kylee Smith, she seeks to not only connect to her own ancestors but also encourage audiences to connect with their own lineages as well. The work spans Ohio and South Carolina as sites that transform public ancestral artifacts into sacred, transformative and intimate conduits for spiritual shifts.
Freedom Practice(s)
Students from the Department of Dance and the School of Music created scores for survival, embodiments of freedom, responses to confined spaces and imaginings focused on (un)tethering themselves from an overly politicized body. They created these ideas asynchronously and synchronously and only through the Zoom platform. This experiment in social distancing and connectivity was designed to usher our community towards the possibility of new and hybrid identities.
I Can See Clearly Now
I Can See Clearly Now is a collaborative installation that exists as a mix between painting, sculpture and set. Throughout the pandemic, we built barriers and reinforced our borders. As the vaccine became more available, we heard Jimmy Cliff singing: “I can see clearly now, the rain is gone. I can see all obstacles in my way.” Our barriers are not erased, but we can at least see or even walk over them. In this experimental exhibition, we layer and weave together porous materials that viewers can look through and move around in response to our current landscape.
Looking for Hamlet, 1603
Looking for Hamlet, 1603 is a full-length documentary film about the earliest text of Shakespeare’s most well-known play, where Hamlet utters not, “To be or not to be, that is the question,” but “To be or not to be – ay, there’s the point.” Scholars find so many significant differences in this early text when they compare it to its later versions that they have long challenged its authenticity.
To Be Heard, To Be Seen, To Belong
To Be Seen, To Be Heard, To Belong is an exhibit showcasing the diverse experiences and backgrounds of the student community. Residence Life invited undergraduate and graduate students to submit artwork sharing their unique stories.
Inside/Out
Inside/Out is a durational site-specific dance performance that invites audiences to pause, reflect and imagine. Through playful navigations of Hopkins Hall courtyard, reimagining relationships to space, place and each other, dancers invert expectations about architecture, bodies and the natural environment.
Be Well
Be Well blends typography, illustration, semiology, communication, psychology and sociology to communicate wellness support services, college students’ wellness concerns and how we may support ourselves on the path toward creating wellness in our own lives and in the lives of those around us.
Blackout Poetry
“Blackout poetry” is the process by which one views an existing text, then blocks out parts of words, lines or paragraphs, selecting the phrases and words they want in a new construction of meaning. A selection of poems is available to view online from community submissions sharing new meanings of texts through their own blackout poetry.
ITERATION X
ITERATION X, an MFA Thesis in Dance by Tara Lee Burns, is a series of four works that not only identify as documentation, archive and performance, but are interchangeable artworks of alternative and simultaneous realities as resistance and hope. The four works bridge aesthetics ranging from the bright colors of the VR and AR environments, thick hot pink elastic cords and bodies of improvisation evolving from themes circling location, space and the body as place.
Creative art activities you can do at home
Learn to create simple art projects from the comfort of your own living room! Virtual workshops are led by Urban Arts Space interns in their home studios, teaching you how to make woven rugs, pop art portraits, bread sculptures, wizard wands, tiny cat hats and more.
Reflecting on the arts
The arts are where we go for inspiration, emotional connections, love, hope, joy and escape
"As the emergency situation progressed and announcements were made, I had no idea how we would move our deeply embodied work online. But after a few Zoom meetings with faculty and grad students sharing their brilliant ideas about how to be artists, scholars and teachers in this new situation, I was profoundly moved."
– Nadine George-Graves, Chair of the Department of Dance
On-campus tents accommodate the arts
At the beginning of the pandemic, the arts were showcased on Ohio State’s Columbus campus in a unique way that fostered connection during trying times. Three outdoor tents held spaces for physically distanced classes, rehearsals and exhibitions in the various arts units across the College of Arts and Sciences.
“The tents are a way of making the arts visible on campus in ways they haven’t been before,” said Michael Mercil, Arts and Sciences faculty fellow for arts and humanities, who also is a professor in the Department of Art. “It takes advantage of the current pandemic condition to reimagine and rethink how we present ourselves to the public both within and outside the university.”
Theatre professor Jeanine Thompson interviews Jesse Eisenberg
Jeanine Thompson, director of the Lawrence and Lee Theatre Research Institute, interviewed Jesse Eisenberg and Lorin Eric Salm (2020 Theatre Research Institute Award Recipient) in a live-streamed broadcast over Zoom for University Libraries. Eisenberg starred in the IFC Films biographical drama film, "Resistance" (2020), inspired by the life of Marcel Marceau. Salm coached Eisenberg in mime and provided choreography for the film.
Ann Hamilton reflects on "shifts in perceptions and creation myths"
"Like everyone — the daily news of the spreading virus, invisible to the eye but manifesting with heartbreak in bodies across the globe, the conditions of social distancing, the recent storms with nights of thunder and lightning, even the lone, long call of the cardinal signaling for a mate — collectively work to make a different lens on everything — no less so on work in the studio. The view out my window is the same but what I see is different."
- Ann Hamilton, Distinguished University Professor of Art
The significance of supporting the arts during crisis
Art is more than just a dispensable luxury during difficult times. In an essay for Artnews, Jody Patterson, Roy Lichtenstein Foundation Chair of Art History, examines how the arts were supported by Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal measures during the Great Depression.
Reflecting on the arts
The arts are where we go for inspiration, emotional connections, love, hope, joy and escape
"As the emergency situation progressed and announcements were made, I had no idea how we would move our deeply embodied work online. But after a few Zoom meetings with faculty and grad students sharing their brilliant ideas about how to be artists, scholars and teachers in this new situation, I was profoundly moved."
– Nadine George-Graves, Chair of the Department of Dance
On-campus tents accommodate the arts
At the beginning of the pandemic, the arts were showcased on Ohio State’s Columbus campus in a unique way that fostered connection during trying times. Three outdoor tents held spaces for physically distanced classes, rehearsals and exhibitions in the various arts units across the College of Arts and Sciences.
“The tents are a way of making the arts visible on campus in ways they haven’t been before,” said Michael Mercil, Arts and Sciences faculty fellow for arts and humanities, who also is a professor in the Department of Art. “It takes advantage of the current pandemic condition to reimagine and rethink how we present ourselves to the public both within and outside the university.”
Theatre professor Jeanine Thompson interviews Jesse Eisenberg
Jeanine Thompson, director of the Lawrence and Lee Theatre Research Institute, interviewed Jesse Eisenberg and Lorin Eric Salm (2020 Theatre Research Institute Award Recipient) in a live-streamed broadcast over Zoom for University Libraries. Eisenberg starred in the IFC Films biographical drama film, "Resistance" (2020), inspired by the life of Marcel Marceau. Salm coached Eisenberg in mime and provided choreography for the film.
Ann Hamilton reflects on "shifts in perceptions and creation myths"
"Like everyone — the daily news of the spreading virus, invisible to the eye but manifesting with heartbreak in bodies across the globe, the conditions of social distancing, the recent storms with nights of thunder and lightning, even the lone, long call of the cardinal signaling for a mate — collectively work to make a different lens on everything — no less so on work in the studio. The view out my window is the same but what I see is different."
- Ann Hamilton, Distinguished University Professor of Art
The significance of supporting the arts during crisis
Art is more than just a dispensable luxury during difficult times. In an essay for Artnews, Jody Patterson, Roy Lichtenstein Foundation Chair of Art History, examines how the arts were supported by Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal measures during the Great Depression.
Urban Arts Space: Artist interviews and exhibition tours
Watch exclusive content featuring interviews with many talented student artists that have presented work online and in our galleries throughout the pandemic in addition to tours of recent art exhibitions.
2022 Department of Art Undergraduate Scholarships Exhibition
Each year, the Undergraduate Art Scholarships Exhibition features work by selected undergraduate art students who received an endowment, fund or scholarship from our generous donor community.
"Apollo/Aphrodite/Arte"
by Hong Huang
"Gilda"
by Lola Steele-Neal
"Hansel and Gretel"
by Max Reynolds
"Lost Signal"
by Shya Crable
"Nicholas"
by Nicholas Gribben
"Paramecium Cups and Decanters"
by Exer Thurston
"Symbiotic Magic"
by Lauren Wood
"The Professor"
by Allison Hess
"untitled (emotional abuse is still abuse)"
by Madison Gdovin
"untitled (street photograph)"
by Cheng Zhang
"Western Workwear"
by Hannah Buss
"Apollo/Aphrodite/Arte"
by Hong Huang
"Gilda"
by Lola Steele-Neal
"Hansel and Gretel"
by Max Reynolds
"Lost Signal"
by Shya Crable
"Nicholas"
by Nicholas Gribben
"Paramecium Cups and Decanters"
by Exer Thurston
"Symbiotic Magic"
by Lauren Wood
"The Professor"
by Allison Hess
"untitled (emotional abuse is still abuse)"
by Madison Gdovin
"untitled (street photograph)"
by Cheng Zhang
"Western Workwear"
by Hannah Buss
Virtual student choreography showcase from Ohio State dance students
Join us as we celebrate and uplift the creative voices and artistic growth of the Ohio State dance community. This video features performances from graduate students in the Department of Dance, showcasing a range of individual styles.
Fourth Annual Industrial Design Winter Market
The Fourth Annual Industrial Design Winter Market is the first-ever hybrid online/physical version of an emerging tradition within the Department of Design at Ohio State. While visiting the Winter Market, you have an opportunity to see and purchase limited-edition — and in several cases unique — products designed and produced during an autumn 2021 studio course by third-year students in the industrial design major.
Each of the nine “housewares” products in our 2021 Winter Market strike a balance between addressing the needs of potential users, the demands of small-run production, the constraints of a limited budget and approaches to sustainability.
