The Columbus arts scene is something every Ohio State student can experience. It’s vibrant and bursting with creativity, and can be experienced both on and off campus. One must-see venue is Ohio State’s own gallery, Urban Arts Space.

Five Facts:

1. 1. Located in the heart of downtown at 50 W. Town St., Urban Arts Space is housed in the historic Lazarus Building. This building was built in 1909 and has been renovated to become one of the largest LEED Gold Certified buildings in the nation. This means that it was renovated to maximize energy efficiency and make the most out of renewable and sustainable resources.
2. . A trip to Urban Arts Space won't cost you a dime! Not only is admission always free for exhibitions and receptions, but getting there is quick and easy too. Just hop on the #2 COTA bus on High Street and get off at the State Street or Town Street stop. All Ohio State students ride for free with their BuckIDs. In fact, Urban Arts Space encourages both staff and visitors to either ride the bus or bike there.
3. Urban Arts Space is more than just a gallery. It's a space that accommodates visual, performing and multimedia works by Ohio State faculty and students, and to local and visiting artists. The goal of Urban Arts Space is to challenge the way we think about art-making, which means that the over 300 artists featured each year are always unique and pushing boundaries. It's these reasons why Urban Arts Space has been voted "Best Art Gallery" by Columbus Alive readers for three years in a row.
4. It takes the combined hard work of a variety of people to run Urban Arts Space. Undergraduate and graduate students help run Urban Arts Space on a daily basis as docents, educators and administrators, along with a full-time staff, high school interns, special projects staff, graduate fellows and volunteers. This gives students an opportunity to learn what it’s like to work in the arts world while also sharing their passion for the arts with visitors. Student assistants come from many majors such as visual communications design, art education, marketing, history of art, Chinese and comparative studies.
5. Urban Arts Space offers more than exhibitions. If you're interested in making your own art, the space hosts a monthly program called "Crafternoons" for anyone over 16 who wants to get crafty. Other events include monthly tours of the Lazarus Building’s Rooftop Garden, a monthly book club, art-making classes and summer camps for children, and “Paging Columbus,” a literary series that celebrates Columbus’ community of writers and readers.

By Marissa Pacheco, editorial intern at ASC Communications