Shownotes
We shine a spotlight on one of Columbus’s newest community treasures: The Fran Ryan Center. Opened in January 2025 as part of the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, this vibrant, creative arts and wellness hub sits just east of downtown and serves residents of all ages. We're joined by Kyle Farnbaugh, the center’s manager, who takes us inside the mission, innovative programs, and community partnerships that make the Fran Ryan Center unique.
From state-of-the-art studios and intergenerational classes to its new role as the home of the beloved Golden Hobby Shop, the Fran Ryan Center is redefining what a community space can be.
In our conversation, we’ll hear about Kyle’s fascinating journey into senior services, the center’s inclusive approach to arts and wellness, and how it’s creating opportunities for both new and established artists in Columbus. Plus, you’ll get an inside look at volunteer opportunities, special events, and the shop where over 300 consigners display handcrafted art.
Whether you’re an artist, a supporter of community programs, or simply curious about new ways to get involved in Columbus, this episode is packed with inspiration and practical information.
If you like this episode, please let us know. We appreciate the feed back, and your support of offset costs of producing the podcast!
Here are 3 key takeaways from the episode:
Inclusive, Intergenerational Programming
The Fran Ryan Center stands out by intentionally welcoming both older and younger adults. We offer programs ranging from beginner to advanced, and are building more opportunities for families, friends, and neighbors of all ages to connect and create together.
Affordable Access & Community Support
Accessibility is a core value. The center’s programs are supported by Columbus city operational dollars, meaning fees remain low and flexible. We even offer reduced fees for older adults and ensure materials are provided to make arts participation possible for everyone.
Golden Hobby Shop: A Senior Arts Marketplace
Now in a permanent home at the Fran Ryan Center, the Golden Hobby Shop features over 335 senior artisans and relies on volunteer power to fuel its success. Consignors enjoy a supportive, well-run environment to display and sell their handmade works, enriching both their lives and the community.
Moments
00:00 Senior Services Career Journey
05:45 "Voice Program Earns Top Honors"
08:06 Unique Offerings of Fran Rhine Center
10:35 "Fran Ryan Center Arts Studios"
13:50 Intergenerational Family Programming Model
19:15 Optimizing Class Costs and Lab Fees
20:01 "Lab Fee Range & Registration Info"
24:09 Volunteer Opportunities Available
27:43 Community Engagement at Fran Ryan Center
32:24 Senior-Only Consignment Program Process
34:34 Consignment Profit Split Model
36:34 "Columbus Souvenirs & Community Support"
40:14 "New Artist Residency Program Launched"
44:19 "Words of Wisdom & Community Tribute"
45:57 Progress Through Initiative
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Recorded in Studio C at 511 Studios. A production of Circle 270 Media® Podcast Consultants.
Copyright 2025 Carol Ventresca and Brett Johnson
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The views and opinions expressed by the experts interviewed on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcast hosts or any affiliated organizations. The information provided in these interviews is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice. Listeners are encouraged to consult with qualified professionals for specific advice or information related to their individual circumstances. The podcast host and producers do not endorse or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information provided by the experts interviewed. Listener discretion is advised.
Mentioned in this episode:
Listener Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed by the experts interviewed on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcast hosts or any affiliated organizations. The information provided in these interviews is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice. Listeners are encouraged to consult with qualified professionals for specific advice or information related to their individual circumstances. The podcast host and producers do not endorse or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information provided by the experts interviewed. Listener discretion is advised.
Transcripts
We are looking forward our way. Hi, this is Brett. Today we're going to explore one of the newest gems in our city, the Fran Ryan center, part of the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department. Opened In January of 25, this center is a creative arts and wellness hub located just east of downtown Columbus for participants of all ages. And a very important added attraction is the new home of the Golden Hobby Shop. Let's welcome Kyle Farnbaugh, manager of the Fran Ryan Center. Kyle, thanks for joining us.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Absolutely. Thank you so much for having. Super excited to be here and share about this new awesome facility.
Carol Ventresca [:Oh, we are so excited. And poor Kyle. I was like stalking him, trying to get ahold of him to do this podcast after going to one of the open house programs and absolutely falling in love with the shop. So we're really, really excited to have you here today. There are lots of programs, services, the beautiful artwork, everything that's going on at the center. But before we get into all of those details, we like letting our guests tell us about themselves. The audience wants to know more about you. You have a very interesting background, having done work in senior services early in your career.
Carol Ventresca [:And I always love helping our young folks see the value in working in senior services. And boy, you are a poster boy for this and for this career path. So thank you again for coming and tell us about you.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Absolutely. Yeah. Thank you so much again. So again, Kyle Farnboss, center manager at the Fran Ryan Center. I actually grew up in Columbus. I went to Hilliard Davidson and then went to Wittenberg University where I got a degree in marketing and psychology and then started my career at a senior service provider in Clark county, the Springfield area. If anybody's familiar familiar with that, it's called Elderly United or United Senior Services. They've had a couple of name changes, but they are the primary senior service provider in Clark County.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:And so they would do meals on wheels, they would do transportation, they would do all some very similar things and common things that we see in the senior service area and industry. And I specifically started as an operations manager, moved into a program development role, took on aspects of marketing and community relations and different things like that. So I kind of touched and worked in a lot of different areas, areas that allowed me to just kind of learn so much about kind of what it is like to work and specifically with seniors. Right. It's a very unique population that we work and serve. And so starting there, it was a really interesting and cool place to start. It was not something what everybody else was doing. It was a great Place to start again.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Lots of opportunity for growth for me, which I was definitely looking for after graduating was kind of what, what paths kind of were in play. But I've always lived in Columbus and so I was really excited by the opportunity to come back to Columbus and serve my community here. And things kind of just worked out that I applied and got the job at the center. So it's super exciting to be back.
Carol Ventresca [:Do I remember correctly that you started in the position in Springfield as an internship from Wittenberg?
Kyle Farnbaugh [:I did, yeah. So before I was even an operations manager, I was a volunteer and an intern while I was still in school. So I had a scholarship at Wittenberg where I did about 30 hours of community service a semester. Started at USS in the volunteer role my spring semester junior year and then transitioned to an internship role and volunteer my senior year. And then by the second semester senior year, I was more intern than volunteer.
Carol Ventresca [:Yeah. And as I said at the top of this, I've been trying to get young folks to see the value of going into senior citizens services for a long time. I was a career counselor at Ohio State, but also Kyle and I go to rival schools. I'm an Otterbein grad and I still work with Otterbein students. And I keep saying that's where the jobs are. Guess what? You know, and so take advantage of where those opportunities are.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Absolutely. There's no shortage. That is definitely something I know. There's no shortage of positions in the senior industry and that world. And we're always looking for young, talented people to be in those roles and bring again, a fresh new perspective and understanding to build and grow and continue serving the older adults of our community.
Carol Ventresca [:Right. As well as having incredible mentors to help you in your career path. So, yeah, wonderful. Thank you.
Brett Johnson [:So the parks and the recreation centers have made an enormous impact on our neighborhoods, but not always credited for the great work they do that they do in our neighborhoods. Can you give us a bit of an overview of the. The recreation centers, the parks, all the programs and the successes that they've achieved?
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Yeah, absolutely. So there's, there's some really great opportunities that we have here within our city. And one of the main focuses that we have is access for all. That means offering low to no cost programs for families. No matter where you live or what your income is, there's opportunities to engage, learn and grow. Whether that's in a recreation facility, in a park, in a sports league, on one of our greenway paths. There's just so many great places and opportunities for People to prosper. So one of the really cool things, one of the things we do is we have a great youth development and youth programming division.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:So the Voice program, in partnership with Columbus Public Health, has earned top honors for both National Recreation and Park association and Oprah, which is the Ohio Park Parks and Recreation association, for its work in breaking the cycle of violence and empowering youth. Our Apps job readiness program took first place at opra. Again, the Ohio Parks and Recreation association was a finalist for the Governor's Award. Helping teens to rebuild, helping teens build real world skills and prepare for the future. And then just this week, we learned that the Fran Ryan center as well as Warner woods park were recognized by Columbus Business Insider for best neighborhood Impact, which is really exciting.
Carol Ventresca [:Oh, that's wonderful. Congratulations.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Yeah, we're very excited. So it's a reflection of how these spaces are meeting the real community needs and creating places where residents, you know, feel connected, supported and proud of where they live to engage, engage in those different ways.
Carol Ventresca [:You know, having grown up in Columbus and I was two blocks away from the old, old, old Linden park, which has been rebuilt to a phenomenal new facility just recently. It's really where generations have been using the parks and rec centers. It's amazing that folks don't realize the value that it has for the community and in their neighborhood, but also realize this is where our tax dollars are being used and how fortunate we are that we have created this incredible program. And so, yeah, congratulations to everybody. Shout out to all the folks at the department and all the work that they're doing. So it's wonder.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Yeah, it's a team effort, that's for sure.
Carol Ventresca [:Oh, yeah. And I can't really ever remember anything negative about any of the centers or anything. You know, everything has. It's sort of like the libraries. Everything has completely going through renewals and updates and staying cutting edge.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Absolutely.
Carol Ventresca [:So fabulous. Okay, so the Fran Ryan center has been under development for a while and just opened early this year. The mission is slightly different than the other centers and programs and with a greater emphasis on an older clientele and on the arts. What is your vision and goals for the center?
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Yeah, absolutely. Like you said, it is unique. Right. There's not really anything like or comparable to the Fran Rhine center and what we have to offer within the department. We have similar buildings that do similar things and have some areas where we do overlap and like the Culture Arts center overlaps in our creative arts and fine arts areas. And then we mirror and kind of reflect some of our community centers with Having the wellness and the recreation and, you know, park space and things like that. But some of our goals and visions for the Fran Ryan center are to create inclusive programming. Again, access to all, primarily in the creative arts world.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Right. We have some really amazing facilities. We know that we have individuals in the Old Town east neighborhood where we're located, that are well established artists. We know we have a reach for newer artists. And so we really focus our programming around having opportunities for everybody. Right. So we have beginning, intermediate and advanced level programs. You know, we want to continue building that artist community.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:And then again, our neighborhood and our community. The Old Town east area is as one of my favorite places. I love being there to just go outside, walk around and the. The community is there, they're interacting with us. And that's really exciting.
Brett Johnson [:Cool. There's so many specialized areas, like you mentioned, the art studios, along with rooms for fitness equipment. It's got to be a challenge to implement the programs and then create a balance to meet all the diversity that you're talking about and those needs. So how does the center differ from the other rec centers in its offerings and scheduling? I guess there's probably some similarities as well, too.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Like you said, it is challenging to programmatically make it work at times because we do a lot for a lot of different people and a lot of different generations and a lot of people that have different schedules.
Brett Johnson [:And I imagine they're very vocal about, can we do this, please? You know, which is. Which is what you want.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:I am always looking for feedback because.
Brett Johnson [:Yeah, exactly. Exactly.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Yeah. So, you know, things that are similar with what we do or what we have. You know, we have an amazing fitness room. We have a great group fitness room. We have a community room that we use for programs and meetings, things like that. So a lot of those elements you're going to see in a community center. And then some of our specialized facilities and studios that we have within the building are going to mirror and be similar to what you might see at the Culture Arts Center. You might see an art room in a community center, things like that.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:So we have a wood shop, we have a lapidary studio which is cutting and polishing stones and rocks, and we have an amazing ceramic studio. We have the model railroad studio from Martin Janice Center. Lapidary, wood shop and model rail were all three studios that were at the Martin Janus center and have made their transition over into this new facility, which is really exciting for them to have their new home here in the Fran Ryan Center. So we're really excited about that. And that's primarily just the first floor. Then you go upstairs and there's the digital art studio, there's the sewing and fiber art studio, stained infused glass, painting and drawing. We have two expansion studios, general classrooms that we use for things. And so some of those elements are going to look similar again to the Culture Arts center or the Columbus Performing Arts center, the two other arts facilities that we have in the department.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:But we mirror our schedules around how the arts section does it. And so we do six eight week programs per year. And our classes here at the Fran Ryan center can be an hour long. If there may be one of those kind of fitness or wellness, nutrition oriented, maybe a performance based class, playwriting, things like that, they can be all the way up to about three hours. If there may be a weekly class that's meeting, those are some of those ones that we're really working to build the skills and the techniques within a specific craft. And then we also offer one time workshops. Sometimes they're two day workshops. You think about the wood shop, those are great opportunities.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:You need one day to kind of piece it together. You need the time for it to dry or finish curing or doing whatever it needs to do. And then the second day you go in and you do the finishing work. Right. So a lot of our studios have opportunities that match and mirror really. Again, like I said, the population that we serve, people have different schedules. And so it's important that we have flexible programming and opportunities and options for everybody. And so for us that's sometimes weekly, it's one time workshops or it's multi week opportunities as well.
Carol Ventresca [:Is it possible that a class would have a young person and an older person taking the class together? I think that's the value that this is bringing for our audience. You know, Fran Ryan is our matriarch of senior services in central Ohio. But this center is not just for older adults. So you're going to have a mixture of people at different times of the day or early evening taking different programs. The Old Town east residents may only be walking in and using the exercise facility, but other folks are going to be driving from who knows where around town and be able to utilize the art studios or shop.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Absolutely, yeah. So we have again, we focus on seniors and older adults during our daytime hours, which for us is primarily Monday. Monday through Friday, about 7:00am is when we open through about 4 or 5 and then about 5 o'. Clock. And on the weekends we are open on Saturdays. We transition our programming and we do a Little bit more of that programming for the community. Right. So our creative arts classes turn from 50 plus into 18 plus.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:And then we do have some specific youth programming as well, opportunities for kids to come in. And then one thing that we're working on and continuing to figure out how this works is the intergeneration. Intergenerational programming model and kind of how that works. And again, that's introducing, you know, grandparents and grandkids, aunts and nieces and nephews, things like that. Because it's not always a parent, child or a grandparent, grandchild relationship. There's all kinds of, you know, kinship within family structures. And so it's important for us to try and figure out what that looks like for us. And so one of the studios that we have started to make that work in is our wood shop.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Actually, you would think maybe not the wood shop, because it might seem like a dangerous place, but we have some excellent safety procedures and protocols in place to keep everybody safe. It's a great opportunity for, you know, older adults to bring in their, you know, children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, whoever it might be, and experience and build and create something together. Right. That's an amazing thing about the arts is, is we're creating together. We're building the sense of you might be creating something individual, but you're doing it in a community, which is so, so important.
Brett Johnson [:You bond over the smell of cut wood.
Carol Ventresca [:You do, you do.
Brett Johnson [:I mean, there's something about that.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Absolutely. There really is. Turn it into a candle scent.
Brett Johnson [:Exactly. Or cologne.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:You know? Absolutely.
Carol Ventresca [:Think about. Think about, you know, dads who help their kids do school projects. Build a bird's nest.
Brett Johnson [:Every time I cut something, I think of my dad. I mean, seriously.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Yeah.
Brett Johnson [:You know, so that's.
Carol Ventresca [:Yeah. I think that this sort of reminds me of another podcast we did, and I'm not taking away anything from the Fran Ryan center, but we had an opportunity to talk to the city manager of Upper Arlington, Steve Schone, when they were building the new community center in Upper Arlington. And one of his goals was to make sure that there were touch points in the building where an older adult and a younger person were going to run together.
Brett Johnson [:And one of the children or an older adult could kick a young adult's butt in some kind of sport at the billiard table. He would say that, yes, yes, it.
Carol Ventresca [:Was at the billiard table.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:I'm sure they have pickleball. There you go.
Brett Johnson [:Exactly.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:I've seen that plenty of times.
Carol Ventresca [:But it really brought up then that our centers are really. They're not changing focus. I think their focus is growing to realize the value of intergenerational opportunities. Because a lot of when I was growing up two blocks from the Linden park, you know, I was within miles of all of my family, where today the kids don't have that. And so these are opportunities for younger folks to meet older folks in a. It's not really a neutral, a positive setting.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Absolutely, yeah.
Brett Johnson [:Where does the funding come from for the rec and park programs? And is the Fran Ryan center funded the same way? I'm sure there's charges for participants for membership fees and such, but can you give us an overview of the center's participant fees and just how things are funded?
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Yeah, absolutely. So again, this tends to go back to one of my early answers, right, the access for all. So we want to make sure that we have opportunities for individuals at all stages of their life and at all, you know, income levels and access to things. And so we do have class fees and lab fees and things like that for some of our classes. But there are some really great opportunities that we have to lower that cost or make things free as much as possible. And so just like all the other recreation and parks facilities and centers and locations, we're just funded through city operational dollars, you know, and revenue generated from program fees and costs. And so depending on what class you're signing up for, specifically in the Fran Ryan center, it's going to determine what that price is going to look like. So it's different based on what you're signing up for.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:So for example, some of our 50 plus classes are a reduced cost. Right. We know that some of them might be on a fixed income, but they're, they should still have that opportunity. And they do have that opportunity to participate in the things that they want to participate in. So we've got lower and reduced costs for 50 plus. And then if you're in a 18 plus class or in a youth program, there might be a slightly higher fee for some of that. But all within reason depends honestly on what studio you're in and how many hours you're essentially getting. Instructional instruction hours is what we look at.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:So, you know, say you're taking a three hour class, eight hour, eight weeks, that's going to be 24 instructional hours. So that's a decent chunk of time and space in that studio and in that room. And so that cost is kind of determined out of that. So there's, that's how we determine class fees. And then one of the other things we do have been tasked with here in this building is again allowing and not having any costs be prohibitive for individuals to participate. And so in some of these opportunities, specifically in creative arts, a lot of the fees come into place when you need to purchase the supplies to get started. Right. So one of the things we do in our beginner level classes is we actually provide you with all the supplies for your class.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:So we talk with maybe it's a part time instructor or an independent contractor that's teaching the class and we say, okay, you know, what do you need to teach this class and be successful? And then we build that cost in with a lab fee. So whether that if you're in ceramics, that includes maybe firing the kilns and purchasing the glaze and purchasing the clay and different things like that. So there's some fees in there and most of our lab fees, again depending on studio, depending on skill level. At some of those advanced level classes, that labview actually drops because there's an expectation and we spell that out for people when they sign up. In the advanced and open studio level classes, you're going to already have a lot of the materials and tools and equipment that you personally like to use. Right. It's your personal stuff and so there's no punishment for you to come and bring that. Right.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:So we actually lower that lab fee for advanced and open studio type opportunities. And so I would comfortably say anywhere between 5 and 30 to $40 depending on that class or depending on that studio is what that lab fee is going to look like. And then again, free all the way up to maybe a hundred dollars for something in the wood shop is roughly what we're going to be looking at. It's all a range and it's all dependent. Activenet is our kind of online registration portal. It's the best place to get information about our classes and kind of what those free fee structures look like. And then you're always welcome to give us a call in the building, which I can provide that information as we go for how to get in contact with us and ask questions because we're always there and we're always looking for feedback. I just got feedback the other day about some pricing for some of our fitness and wellness opportunities.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:And we're going to take a look at that and make some adjustments that work for the community.
Carol Ventresca [:Do you have to be a resident of the city of Columbus to use the center?
Kyle Farnbaugh [:You do not.
Carol Ventresca [:Okay, that is critical.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Absolutely. Yeah. So we do have a price for residents and a price for non residents. There's a $10 charge per class for non residents. But it's again not cost prohibitive in most situations.
Carol Ventresca [:And with the notion that the folks who live in the city of Columbus have been paying for the centers and the programs and services through their taxes. So that certainly makes sense to our audience. All of the information that we're talking about in terms of signing up for classes and the cost of classes and all, we're gonna make sure you have that information on the resources sheet when we post this podcast. So we'll go back and Kyle will make sure we have all of the information and his phone number right there ready for you to give him a buzz. So wonderful.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:All right.
Carol Ventresca [:It would seem to me that this center has an amazing staff and I'll bet that when you are looking at hiring these folks, you are really looking for some specific qualifications, background of these individuals. Now that it's all settled, tell us about your staff and how you chose these. Not maybe not individual names, but how, how you were, what you were looking for in your staff and also how about if somebody's interested in volunteering?
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Absolutely. Yeah. I am so lucky to have the staff and the team that I have. Right. I am also very fortunate in how I started and how we built this building. I sat in on every single interview for every single person that, that works in our building, minus two individuals. There were two individuals from the Golden Hobby Shop because it's a long running existing program within. They were our employees and ready already.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:But that doesn't make a difference because they are just as much a part of this team and two of my all time favorite people. So I couldn't do it without them. But yeah, I absolutely was looking for specific skill sets in the beginning. Right. So you know, just hearing and talking about some of the specialized studios that we have, there's a lot of technical skill required to know how to do that, to run the maintenance and keep kilns right and glass and, and ceramics and wood shop up and running. Right. So there's a lot of preventative maintenance that we do. And so we've got a great team of studio managers and instructors and our part time staff.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:We have recreation specialists that help our assistant managers and myself plan and organize and work with independent contractors. They also teach class. We have recreation aides that help, help work the front desk. They are, you know, kind of central command for our building. It's a, it's a very large building and so there's a lot of foot traffic. There's a lot of things to know, a lot of People to know. But again, I have an amazing team and I'm so thankful and blessed to, you know, have be able to essentially hand pick all of them. And with that.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Right. So things transition and change and we introduce new things and there are lots of opportunities for volunteers to get involved. And so one of the things we do right now is we run a lunch program through the commercial kitchen we have in the building. We partner with Life Care alliance here in the Franklin county area and provide a meal Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 11:30 to 1pm and that's a volunteer run right now. And so we're always looking for individuals to get involved in that aspect to help us again, pass out the meals, make sure that we're getting all the paperwork that we need, all that fun stuff. We have opportunities at our front desk. We always like to have two people on the front desk at all times. Again, there's a lot of foot traffic and so there's opportunities there to help check people in, answer the phone, do all kinds of different things there.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:We have opportunities for people to give tours. Right. That's a really big thing in a brand new building is people love to come in and want to tour and see the different spaces that, that they have access to. And so we're always looking for individuals to give tours because unfortunately us individuals that are on staff don't always have ample time to do that, nor are we always in the building. Right. Sometimes we've got to be off site for a meeting. I might just be talking about myself, but that's. We also have in the Golden Hobby Shop, that program does not run without volunteers.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:And so we are always looking for some amazing volunteers in that space. There's a wide, varain, wide range of different opportunities for people to participate there. So we have greeters, we have cashiers, we have stylists that go around and put out the product and, and, and style the store, make it look like a retail store. We have individuals that do intake with over 300 consigners in the program. There's a lot of individuals that come and drop off their items and we have to put it into the system and then we have to tag it and then we have to put it in the, you know, the containers that we, that take it out to the floor and all these different things. So there's lots and lots of opportunities there. And all of these volunteer opportunities, they are handled in ways that work with your schedule. Right.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:So it doesn't have to be this, you know, I'm always here on Wednesdays Or I'm always here multiple days. It's, you know, if you, if you are only available once a month or once every other week or you know, once every quarter on a Thursday, we can make that work. We absolutely can make that work. And we're always looking for volunteers to come down and engage and again help build that community that we're looking to build. And we are building here at the Fran Ryan center and Golden Hobby Shop. Wonderful.
Brett Johnson [:Well, let's stick with the Golden Hombie Shop. Let's change gears. So that shop began in 1971. It's been in a few locations around downtown area now I think probably found a permanent home. It's a brand new space. But let's talk about the Golden Hobby Shop, its history and the role it's played in the senior arts community.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Yeah, absolutely. So like you said, the Golden Hobby Shop has been around for quite some time. They started in 1971 in partnership with CRPD, Columbus Recreation and Parks and they sponsored the gift shop and have always housed them. Right. So the first location that they ever had was actually on East Broad Street. It was before the German Village location. It was a very small space but they expanded their inventory and membership and then that's when they moved into the location here on 3rd street in the German Village area which was eventually purchased during COVID by St. Mary's who use it for their school now, which is wonderful.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:So at that time they temporarily knowing that at the time we were going to be building the Fran Ryan center, they temporarily moved into the Columbus Performing Arts center in the Discovery District. And then, you know, now they're ultimately in their, their like you said, permanent home at the Fran Ryan Center. So they are within our building. They have the same front door that we do. And so you might not drive up to the building and you might drive up to the building and not be sure exactly where you're going to go, but you're going to go right in that front door and then there's a door there to the left that'll take you right into their amazing space that they have. So the program obviously is a, and is an amazing program that engages our community and our seniors, our 50 plus community in there through socialization, through volunteerism and all of those different things that we have for people to participate in. We again, I can't say this enough. We can't do it without the volunteers.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:We do have three city staff that are all part time that help oversee and advise in those operations and how that works. But everything else is Done by volunteers and the board members that we work with to make that shop happen and run.
Carol Ventresca [:I think you said there were over 300 individuals who are showing artwork there.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Yeah, absolutely. So last report I got was There were over 335 consignors in the program, which, for context, before we moved out of the Columbus Performing Arts center, our temporary home on Franklin avenue, we had 197. We've almost doubled. So in six months, we have almost doubled our program enrollment in that program, which is amazing and exciting, and so many great new things have come into the shop and people are seeing and experiencing. But with that, you know, comes a lot of challenges and trying to, you know, make sure that everybody has the same opportunities to showcase their work and have people, you know, have the opportunity to purchase that is really important. And so, you know, it's exciting to have that many. That many. And we're looking forward to kind of what that.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:That continued growth looks like for the rest of 2025 and. And into 2026 and how that. That works for us.
Carol Ventresca [:So you might need an annex here soon.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:You know, we might. We might. When you would think we'd have lots of space in the facility to. To make that happen. But sometimes, if. If they need to grow, I'm like, I really don't know where we would go. But, you know, there's always.
Carol Ventresca [:There's always a way. There is. And if anybody can figure it out, Fran will be able to figure it out.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:I just got to give her a good old call, and she'll help me come up with a creative solution. I'm sure she will.
Carol Ventresca [:I was gonna say, I betcha she's already two steps ahead.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, you're right. You're right.
Brett Johnson [:She is.
Carol Ventresca [:So how is that whole program governed then? Is there an advisory group that helps you with the direction and future planning? And as we were just saying, you know, looks like you're gonna be able to expand the number of artists.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Absolutely. Yeah. So from the beginning of the Golden Hobby Shop program, we have had a working board that helps us with that program. And so that board of directors helps oversee and run the day to day. They're the ones that, you know, set the intake policy. Right. How many hanging items can you have? How many wreaths can you have? Right. So these are all the different things that they help us establish in.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:And we work together to establish what those numbers are, again, to make it fair and work within the space that we have. But they are a group of, again, dedicated volunteers that also Work in the shop and help us make this a successful operation.
Brett Johnson [:So what's the process of an artist to follow? We put down the term individual, but I'm going to call it artist to follow to get their artwork in the shop. It doesn't include a fee. Plus, are they asked to volunteer as well because they have their artwork in the shop?
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Absolutely, yeah. So there's. The first thing we always encourage people to do is come visit us. Right. Come see the space and come see, you know, the space that we're working with and the space that you could, you know, be involved with us. Speak with one of our volunteers or one of our staff members if you're looking to consign or volunteer or do both. Right. Because you absolutely can do both.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Both. And so the way it looks right now, there is a fee, an annual fee that consignors have to pay the city of Columbus to participate in that program. If you're a city of Columbus resident, it's 25 for the year. If you're a non resident, it's $30 for the year. And then from there you are signed up to be a consigner. That's all you got to do. And then we will work to schedule an intake appointment with you. Those intake appointments are when you can bring the works that you create.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Again, everything handcrafted, handmade. It's a senior only program, right. 50 plus. But you come during that intake appointment. We categorize and inventory all your stuff, put it in our system and then it goes out on the floor. And then from there you get an intake appointment once a month just for being a consigner. If you are also a volunteer, you get an extra appointment a month. So if you've got some things that are just flying off the shelves because they're really popular, you have another opportunity every month to come in and do that.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:So that's kind of how the process works to get people signed up and involved.
Carol Ventresca [:That's interesting. Let me make sure I understand this. So I may have 10 items that I would like to bring into the shop. So I have an appointment for a negotiation basically of how many of those 10 items are going to be accepted.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Yeah, absolutely. So if you're only bringing 10 items, it's actually not a negotiation in most situations. Some of our consigners have stock of total items up to about 60 items. It depends on what it is. Right. So it depends on primarily how your pieces are displayed within the store determines the inventory. So if it's a hanging piece Whether that be glass or a painting or something that hangs, those inventory levels are a little bit lower just because we don't have. We don't have a ton of hanging space.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Right. We've got the walls and we've got some great systems to hang that. But it's all dependent on what the item is and how that works. But it's. It's also not necessarily a negotiation we have with the golden hobby shop board. When an item is sold, the consigner receives 80% of the sale price. The golden hobby shop board receives 20% of that sale price, and that goes to help cover and pay for their operations like the consignment software, the credit card fees, all those different things that come with running a retail shop. So it's not really a negotiation in terms of how it happens.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Depending on the number of items that are brought in, the. The consigner receives 80% of the sale price for their different items. The golden hobby shop board receives 20% to pay for their different operations, like the consignment software and things like that. And so, based on what the consigner is looking to receive or what they think their. Their product is worth, they're going to determine what that sale price is going to be. And then we have a little matrix that we put in front of them to help them have an idea of what that looks like. Right. So if you sell an item for $100, you're going to get 80 right off.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:And that's how that. That works. And so it's actually the consigner's choice of. Of what price they want to sell something for.
Carol Ventresca [:Okay, well, and as I said, I've been there a couple of times now, and the staff are going out of their way to make sure that things are displayed really well. So you're not going to get your stuff shuffled. And with everybody else's stuff, it's sometimes a very unique way of displaying. So the folks who are doing that you call the arrangements the stylist. Yeah. Have done a wonderful job. So that's great.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Absolutely.
Carol Ventresca [:So I think the center and the hobby shop are also doing some programming with key partners in the neighborhood. Can you tell us a little bit about those partnerships and the programs that have been developed?
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Absolutely. Yeah. We love being, again, like I said, in the old town east neighborhood, there's so much history in that community, and there's so many different opportunities for us to be involved with our community. And so one of the groups that we've been working with so far as the Old Town East Neighborhood Association, Otina for short is what we call them. We've also worked with Old Town East Arts. We were just involved with their art walk on June 14th of this year. And so we're excited about what the different opportunities look like with Old Town East Arts. We are also involved with experience Columbus.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:And so getting the word out there about, you know, this being a place for people when they come and visit the Columbus, whether, whether it's for a convention or a conference or you know, just to visit family, there's, you know, this is a great space to pick up souvenirs and different things for people to, to take back to their family and share and say, hey, like look what I got from Columbus. It's handmade, it's, you know, by seniors and we're helping support their community. Right. We love local small business. Right. We absolutely love that. So and then in terms of programming, we have different ways again outside of being a consigner for the community to come and experience and see the shop and everything that it has to offer. So coming up here shortly, we actually have a open house that we're going to be doing with cider and cookies from 11:30 to 3:30 on Saturday, September 27th and Sunday, September 28th again, that's 11:30 to 3:30 at the Golden Hobby Shop.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Our address, which I'll say out loud as well, is 865 E. Capitol St. Columbus, Ohio, 43205. And then if you are don't have the opportunity to join us for the fall open house. We do have one of our annual sip and shops. So this is a wonderful opportunity for people to come in. The price of admission is $1 and then you get to have a beverage while you are shopping. It's a great opportunity to pick up some gifts for the holidays and different things like that.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:But that is going to be on Friday, December 5th from 4 to 8pm and again that includes the $1 admission to get in with your beverage and just see all the different things in the store.
Carol Ventresca [:When I was at the open house, we were sipping and it's so much more fun to shop when you're sipping.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:We do, I can't imagine, do love this event. We used to do it annually once a year and it would always be in this December, you know, kind of holiday time frame. And then moving into this new building we were like, okay, this is a great opportunity, opportunity. Let's, let's do another. And so we did one around. It was actually shortly before Easter Yes. A great opportunity to get maybe a gift for birthdays or anniversaries, different things like that.
Brett Johnson [:Right off the theme of Christmas in July.
Carol Ventresca [:Oh, you could do that. There you go.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:You can do a big one. There we go. This is great. This is great. I love it.
Brett Johnson [:Who would want a Christmas drink in July? You know?
Carol Ventresca [:Exactly.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:I'm sure we could come up with something refreshing.
Brett Johnson [:Exactly.
Carol Ventresca [:Oh, absolutely.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:That's awesome. Absolutely.
Carol Ventresca [:And it's, again, you really have to go in and experience it. I've looked at it online. I've seen the pictures and the videos, but just to walk in and see the level of artwork, this is not arts and crafts. This is true, true artwork.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:There's a lot of craftsmanship involved with it.
Carol Ventresca [:Absolutely, absolutely.
Brett Johnson [:So talk about future plans that are underway either for the center or the shop for the year of 26.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, being new in this facility and not knowing, you know, when we opened this building, exactly how our community was going to interact and involve in this space. 2025 has been a year of trying it and seeing how it goes, but we're really excited for what's to come later in 2025 and into 2026. And so we're going to continue to look at what those intergenerational, generational programs look like to involve, you know, individuals of. Of different generations. We will always have new class opportunities. One thing when it comes to our programmatic efforts is we are always willing to try something at least once, if not two to three times, because you never know if you're, you know, reaching the right population or the right audience for a program. It could also be a fluke based on time of the season of when we.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Or time of the year when we tried in a different program or opportunity. You know, people travel, people have different, you know, life situations and schedules, and so we. We try things multiple times to see what works for our community. So again, with us being so new, there's always something new that we're introducing and having people have the opportunity to try. So some of the other things that we have, we have an artist in residence program that just opened our application portal for that recently. So if you go to columbusreckparks.com and search Fran Ryan center, you'll be able to find all the information there about our artist in residence program. But our artist in residence program is specifically for an individual 50 and older that is looking to, you know, just create new work and experience and. And be in a space in a community where they can be around Artists and get ideas and collaborate and do different things like that.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:So that application portal and deadline is August 22nd is when that closes. And so there's still time to sign up for that if you or somebody, you know, is interested. But we will have one resident in this cycle, and the residency runs basically early January through early May. And then we'll have another cycle that'll open over the summer, and it'll actually be one in the fall of 2026 and then one in the spring of 2027. That would be our annual time frame for that. And that pairs very nicely with the Cultural Arts center and how they run their artist in residence program. And so we're excited about the, you know, the ability to all be moving in the same direction with three really unique facilities. One of the things we're working on, you know, is we really want a dedicated gallery space that we can have that also, again, works for our space, right.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:So something that's flexible and can be, you know, taken down and moved around and, you know, work for us. And so we're working on what that looks like for us. And so the plan is 2026 is going to be a time frame when we're going to, you know, really look at potentially having some. Some exhibits for people to come and experience and see the different one work created in our building and then showcase just different art artists within our community. So lots of opportunities there. We have an amazing outdoor space on the property as well. So we have a 1.4 acre park with a nice walking loop and an outdoor patio. And so we're looking at what some outdoor programming opportunities look like.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:You know, obviously, heat of the summer, we're not doing a whole bunch outside. Dead of the winter, we're not doing a whole bunch outside. But there, you know, here in this area, we obviously have some really great climate at certain times of the year. And so we're looking at how we get people outside. One of our classes coming up is a landscape class. And so the class is actually going to. It's a plein air, so they're going to be outside and painting what they see. Right.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:We've got two very old oak trees on the property as well. And so they're. They're quite historic. Right. They've been there, as far as I understand, before the Douglas School was there. And so there's. There's a lot of history with those. Those trees in our.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:In our community. So we also work with our special events team that plan jazz and rib fest, Winterfest, things like that. And so we're looking at what a potential arts festival might look like in our community. Again with an outdoor space. It would be really cool to see some opportunities there and then some things here in 2025 we do. We call them demo days, but they're an opportunity for the community, community to come and just see what the building offers. Right. So it's a great way for people to come and see the different studios, what you can create in the studios.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:It's a chance to meet our different instructors or independent contractors that teach classes. So the two coming up in 2025 are going to be Saturday, September 6, and Saturday, November 1, again at the Fran Ryan Center. Great opportunities to come and see and have an opportunity for us to showcase what's going on. But again, Our website and ActiveNet are really the two best places to get information on what's going on and what's coming up.
Carol Ventresca [:We have had so much information. I'm just, like, overwhelmed writing my notes here. We always ask our guests for their last words of wisdom. And first, before we do that, I want to give another shout out to Fran Ryan and her family, who have contributed an amazing amount of time, effort, and expert to our community, and particularly for the work that Fran's done in building senior services in central Ohio, which has been critical. So, hello and thank you to them all for that. I think it's really important to not just get this information out one time. So I guess what I'm saying to the audience, my words of wisdom for the audience is go and experience the center, go and shop at the shop, and make sure that you let your friends know, because this is really a hidden gem and we want to make sure that this information gets out. So thank you for your time today and expertise, but give us your last words of wisdom.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:Yeah, absolutely. Well, I'm so thankful that I got to be here and talk with you guys about the Fran Ryan center and everything that we have to offer. Like you said, we did cover a lot, and it's because there's a lot to do do one, within our building and two, within Columbus recreation and parks in general, and. And what we do to serve our community. And so I'm really excited to continue sharing with our community what that is. But one of the things that I have really had to embrace within this role and within this new building is, is just taking a step. I often call it a messy step because it doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to be the end product.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:It doesn't have to be this, you know, truly ready for the, the public to see. But it's all about taking that step and taking that initiative. And that's what, that's what a lot, a lot of what I've done. This, this first year, I'm about to celebrate a one year with CRPD here coming up in August. And so I'm just, it's amazing to see the progress that we've made within this building. Where we were a year ago when I started and where we are now feel like two completely different locations and places and times. And it's really just amazing. And so I'm always reminding myself that it's important to keep making those steps forward and keep making that progress.
Kyle Farnbaugh [:And so, again, I often remind myself that it's a messy step because it's.
Carol Ventresca [:Never perfect, but that's okay because you've got a lot of folks around you who are supporting the effort and a lot of folks who are truly interested in going to say, hey, why don't we do this? Hey, why don't we do it? So suggestions and opinions are critical. Wonderful. Thank you so much.
Brett Johnson [:Well, many thanks to our expert guest, Kyle Farmbaugh. He is the manager of the Fran Ryan center, part of the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department. Joining us today, listeners, thank you for joining us. You're going to find the contact information and resources we've discussed at the the podcast in the Show Notes and on our website@lookingforwardourway.com and we are looking forward to hearing your feedback on this or any of our other podcast episodes.
