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    GCAC Presents: Have you heard about the Ohio Art League?

    Artist Lisa McLymont at a fundraiser for the Ohio Art League. Photo courtesy OAL.

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    Working in the community for many years on events such as Independents’ Day, I have been surprised to hear how few of my friends and comrades have heard of, or been involved with, the Ohio Art League.

    I first got involved in Ohio Art League about six years ago through my friend Eliza Jones (now Cotton). She was working her butt off for this non-profit arts organization that I had heard little about. I started helping her out as a volunteer to sit in the gallery at the South Campus Gateway, and taking tickets at their annual One Night black tie fundraiser. It ended up being a great gateway in getting to know the local fine arts community, which involved much more than just Junctionview Studios (RIP) or the Columbus College of Art and Design. Those are the two big names you hear about a lot, but quietly in the background has always been the Ohio Art League.

    The Ohio Art League has a vast history that should not be dismissed. In 1909, a group of forty graduates of the Columbus Art School formed the Columbus Art Students League for the purpose of organizing artists under the objective “mutual and public benefit.” This vision has affected the lives of thousands of Ohio artists including distinguished members such as Ann Hamilton, Alice Schille, Roy Lichtenstein, Emerson Burkhart, and George Bellows.

    Today, over one hundred years later, that vision has solidified into being a successful member based non-profit arts organization. Ohio Art League has an equally strong mission statement: to provide exhibition and professional development opportunities to artists and enrich the community through art.

    The Ohio Art League’s calendar is filled with exhibitions and opportunities that toot their mission. These include Fall and Spring juried exhibitions, the new student juried exhibition, ArtINFOrmal community artists critiques, Sunday figure drawing sessions which are all open to the public. You don’t have to have a membership to participate, but why wouldn’t you?

    Being a member means you get a say in what kinds of exhibitions and programming you would like to see. Ohio Art League is truly member-based, which is evident in the unique member curated exhibitions held monthly in their gallery at 1552 N. High Street. Member curated exhibitions, where members curate for members, are voted on by the membership after viewing the proposals. Every vote counts. Being a member also guarantees the opportunity to show your work in the One Night annual black tie fundraiser as well as the holiday show “Thumbbox,” which shows small works no bigger than 6 x 6 x 6 inches.

    What makes the Ohio Art League stand out, is their continued partnerships throughout the community to get more opportunities for their members and create connections. Recent partnerships include the Franklin County Developmental Disabilities Early Childhood Education, VSA Ohio, and the Ohio Historical Society. You may not even have realized that you have seen their exhibits in high traffic areas such as the Port Columbus Airport, which houses quarterly exhibitions.

    I invite you to come join me as a member of Ohio Art League! Let’s have fun discussing art and maybe even dressing up for One Night!

    One Night will be November 9th at 400 W. Rich St Studios in Franklinton from 8-10pm with VIP access at 7pm.

    Find out more about the Ohio Art League at OAL.org. Follow them on Facebook, and keep up with them on Twitter.

    GCAC Presents is a bi-weekly column brought to you by the Greater Columbus Arts Council – supporting art and advancing culture in Columbus – in partnership with the Columbus Arts Marketing Association, a professional development and networking association of arts marketers. Each column will be written by a different local arts organization to give you an insiders look at the arts in Columbus.

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