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Franklin County Media
1 1 Talk of the County Podcast | Cultivating Community Through Art: A Conversation with Columbus's Cultural Leaders
The latest episode of Talk of the County opens with County Administrator Kenneth Wilson hosting a discussion with two distinguished guests: Brooke Minto, CEO of the Columbus Museum of Art, and Tom Katzenmeyer, CEO of the Greater Columbus Arts Council. The engaging conversation delves into various aspects of art, culture, and their impact on the community of Central Ohio.
Tom Katzenmeyer highlights the collaborative efforts with local artists to create murals on plywood after the George Floyd murder and their documentation in a compelling book. He emphasizes their support for Transit Arts, recognizing the positive influence of art on the city's youth. The episode also showcases the annual event honoring emerging art talent from local high schools and the substantial investment of public funds into art. The commitment to championing creativity and innovation in young people is a key theme throughout the episode.
Brooke Minto shares her newfound interest in soccer and her support for the Columbus Crew's recent MLS championship win. The hosts and guests discuss the vibrant soccer culture in the city, the new soccer-specific stadium, and the strong community support for professional soccer. They also touch upon the transformative gift received by the museum from the Art Bridges Foundation, which allows free Sundays to continue through 2026.
The importance of art in creating a sense of wholeness and creativity, especially in a world heavily focused on science and technology, is a recurring theme. The guests and host highlight the planned public art initiatives funded by the Franklin County Commissioners that aim to create and maintain public art throughout the city and county.
Public art is celebrated for its role in fostering community identity and pride, as well as its substantial economic, health, and wellness benefits. The impact of specific public art installations, such as Janet Echelman's creation at the Gay and High Streets intersection, is also acknowledged.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion in the art community and its accessibility to all residents are highlighted. Tom Katzenmeyer emphasizes the importance of diversity and inclusion in their programs, reflecting on the board, staff, and the Aminah Robinson Fellowship for black artists. Brooke Minto underlines the efforts to ensure the art museum reflects the evolving Central Ohio demographic and remains accessible to all audiences, especially with free admission for Franklin County residents on Sundays.
The podcast acknowledges the collaborative effort involving private and public entities, including the city, arts council, arts institutions, and philanthropists in bringing public art projects to fruition. The potential for public art installations to attract tourists and drive economic development is also discussed, along with the positive impact of cultural tourists on the local economy.
Brooke Minto shares pleasant surprises and challenges at the Columbus Museum of Art, including national funding initiatives, partnerships with The Ohio State University's History of Art department for exhibitions, and the museum's role in incubating future museum leaders. The connection between the Columbus Museum of Art and the Columbus College of Art and Design, as well as the ongoing development in the King Lincoln District, is explored in detail.
Tom Katzenmeyer discusses the Greater Columbus Arts Council's support for local and emerging talent, its partnership with local institutions for art projects, and the significant changes made to its grant programs, resulting in more money being awarded to artists. New guidelines for the programs are already in place, leading to increased opportunities for artists.
The podcast also draws attention to the museum's collaborative programs, such as the Wonder School and the annual Columbus City School Day, where students and families are invited to the museum for free admission and art projects. The Aminah Robinson Project is highlighted, focusing on opportunities for black creatives to incubate and create projects, potentially leading to acquisitions for the museum's collection.
The collaborative efforts, investments in public art, dedication to nurturing emerging talent, and commitment to accessibility reflect the powerful role art and culture play in shaping a vibrant and inclusive Central Ohio.
Memorable Moments
04:39 Museum initiatives reflect the city's diversity and support DEI.
07:43 The Museum prioritizes diverse community and program transformation.
10:44 Museum plans to showcase architecture for newcomers.
14:24 Franklin County funds public art, roll out soon.
19:09 Experience Columbus promotes vibrant art community boosts revenue.
21:07 Museum partners with the OSU for artistic collaboration.
26:45 Boot camp, arts festival showcase, artist awards.
30:13 Highly recognized program taking Columbus story abroad.
31:38 Thank you for mentioning the Aminah Robinson Project.
35:03 Community supports youth art for positive expression.
Top 5 Takeaways
1. Public art initiatives showcase collaboration between private and public entities, driving cultural tourism and contributing to the local economy through longer visitor stays and increased spending.
2. The Columbus Museum of Art and the Greater Columbus Arts Council prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion by supporting minority artists and ensuring accessibility to all residents, reflected in their programs, staff, and board composition.
3. Youth involvement in the arts is emphasized through programs like Transit Arts and educational initiatives at the Columbus Museum of Art, fostering creativity, innovation, and potential future leadership in the arts.
4. Investments in public art, supported by the Franklin County commissioners, contribute to the city and county's identity, pride, and overall economic, health, and wellness benefits for its residents.
5. The availability of free admission at the Columbus Museum of Art, supported by initiatives such as the 3-year gift from the Art Bridges foundation, reflects the commitment to making art accessible to all residents, promoting a sense of wholeness, creativity, and innovation in the community.
Tom Katzenmeyer is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion in art and culture. As the leader of the art museum, he ensures that the board, staff, and programs reflect the diverse population of the county and city. One of his significant contributions is the Amina Robinson Fellowship, a partnership with the art museum that provides local and national fellows the opportunity to stay at Amina's House. With his dedication to DEI initiatives, Tom is making a lasting impact on the art community.
Brooke Minto is a rising arts and culture enthusiast who recently made the move to Columbus. With only 8 months into her new journey, she has already been involved in various discussions and events, discussing the importance of arts and culture in the Central Ohio region. Her decision to relocate to Columbus was a thoughtful process, and she credits meeting Tom early on for helping her make the transition. Brooke is passionate about the arts and sees it as a vital part of life and lifestyle in Columbus. As she continues to immerse herself in the arts scene, Brooke is sure to make a positive impact in her new community.
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Transcripts
Hello, Franklin County, and welcome to Talk Of The County. I'm Kenneth Wilson, your County Administrator, and I'm pleased to be here today with two outstanding civic leaders in our community who happen to be the top leaders in art In Central Ohio. The CEO of the Columbus Museum of Art, Brooke Minto, and, Tom Katzenmeyer, the CEO of the Greater Columbus Arts Council. They are truly, rock stars in the area of art, and esteemed leaders. We are fortunate enough to be welcoming Brooke to our community, and and you're in your 1st year as the CEO, of this institution surrounded by just beautiful art, from all over. And I we were lucky to get you because you are you've been, highlighted in in in national publications, you are a, emerging star, each and every day, you are one of those people that, in this industry, that represent, diversity, equity, and inclusion in a very large way. In a in a in a area where, inclusion has been questioned in our in our In our history, when we talk about those that, enjoy fine art. Mhmm. And and and, Tom, you you've you've held many hats.
Kenneth Wilson [:We we're just gonna limit our conversations today around your decade, At the helm of, the Greater, Columbus Arts Council, and I know that that is a dynamic, position, Because as a, a long time member of this community, this community, is is very, art centric. We connect art with economic development. We collect art with, Physical wellness, we connect art, with, childhood development. Art connects with So many things. So you 2 are in a dynamic position. When I think about both of your organizations, and I think about, Our, cosign, our science, museum, Having the American Museum of Natural History, Central Ohio is a hub, for art and the creative class. Many don't know that, that Columbus is about art and very much about fashion. And we have more in common with New York and San Francisco, for example, than most people would realize.
Kenneth Wilson [:So you all are in a unique position, to, amplify, the fact that this community Believes in our invests in our, and has a, a strong infrastructure that has been, put in place, and there's dedicated funding, for the arts. So while are not a, a very, old community compared to others. We have, Made up for that, in in my opinion. But let's lead off on, talking about, ways in which, the the art community, addresses issues of diversity and in inclusivity. How do we, in this community, make art accessible to every resident every day?
Tom Katzenmeyer [:So I can start with that if you'd like. Sure. Go ahead. So thanks for the question, and thank you for the support that the county gives the arts in Franklin County, it's significant to us. We value it incredibly, so I have to start by thanking you for that. Diversity and inclusion is number 1 priority. It's key to our strategic plan. We live it every day.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:It starts with the board, the staff, the things that we fund, the things a lot of things that we do with the art museum, so we live it every day. Our board completely reflects the population of the county and the city, which I think is significant and important. Our staff reflects The county and city population also, we fund many programs that are completely targeted to DEI things. Actually, it makes me think of 1 that we do with the art museum here, and that's the Amina Robinson Fellowship, which, It's a complete partnership with the art museum. They own Amina's House. We select, A local fellow and a national fellow every year, and, they get to stay at the house. There's actually, I think, now 4 as many as 4 fellowships Yeah. Four people moving through there every year.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:It is targeted to black artists, period. End of discussions. No one else can apply for that. We might have the only one in the United States of that magnitude, so we live this every day. We have A group of individuals called the navigators, there's 30 of them that represent us in Franklin County that are, compensated by us. They know have been trained in all of our programs. It's a richly diverse group of people. They're trying to, educate Artists about what we do, how they can get money from us, it's this is the 2nd year of it.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:We're very proud of that program. So going back to your original question, we live this every day. I know it's the same at the art museum here too.
Brooke Minto [:Yeah. No. I agree. Thank you, Tom, and you, Ken, for having us. As you mentioned, I'm not even into my 1st year. I'm 8 months in, and I think your question Reminds me a lot of the process, that I went through in deciding whether or not to come to Columbus. I met Tom very early in that time when I was deciding to make the move to come here, but I think your question reminds me of a lot of things that I was thinking about early on as I was making this transition. As you you mentioned in your intro introduction, the arts and culture writ large are bedrock to life and and lifestyle in Columbus and around the Central Ohio region.
Brooke Minto [:And while I didn't know the Midwest well prior to moving here, getting to know Columbus, that was clear. You know, we are a wonderful mid city, but one that's growing and developing, and I think that's really exciting. It's a really wonderful time to live here. But even before all of that growth, the art museum was central to culture and to life in Columbus, and that's something that was really attractive to me. I came to this museum, and I met the staff. I met the leaders. I saw the collection, and it was clear that this has always been central to life and lifestyle. So I go back to that to say many of the things you described about this region is what made it attractive to to change my life and to come here.
Brooke Minto [:That said, I wouldn't be here if the leadership of this institution didn't feel strongly that This museum needs to reflect the growing and changing Central Ohio demographic. I have worked in museums for over 20 years in In cities of different sizes, New York City, but then also New Orleans, Miami. I've worked abroad in Cape Town. Cities with different kinds of diversity, but also different relationships to its institutions. And CMA is just a really wonderful place in that it has And for many years, visitor centered, community centered learning has been at the forefront of our mission, and we truly are here in the service of Everyone in this community. I think my priority over the next coming years is to make sure that we're hitting all of those demographics And to ensure that we can scale and transform our programs to meet the changing needs of Columbus and the Central Ohio region. You know, we have Growing immigrant populations in this community, we have change and transformation happening of all kinds with the transplants that are coming to this area. And I wanna be sure that The museum is meeting the needs of its audiences, and that, you know, newcomers understand how important this institution has been for so many years and that they feel just as much closeness and connectivity to CMA as those who have grown up here and lived here for generations.
Kenneth Wilson [:Yes. Brooke, turning it off. First introduction, You said something to me, that stuck, and it it it it told me that you were the right fit, for this community, and you you may not remember this. You you talked about the art museum, opening up The front door. Yeah. Having the art museum accessible. Yeah. You know, breaking you know, awakening the art museum for everyone.
Kenneth Wilson [:And there's been, you know, there's been there's been, You know that thought when you think about free admission on, Sundays, for Franklin County residents. But that intentionality in your statement stuck with me. You know? That this, Amazing building of of of so much art, and it, being Accessible and being able to amplify and express to the community that our door is open for you. Mhmm. That is that this art is for everyone's enjoyment. Mhmm. And you just never know What young person comes through here, and they will be touched, that may have not Been exposed, may have not known of art being amplified in this way. So Yeah.
Kenneth Wilson [:That was one thing that,
Brooke Minto [:In a lot of ways, I feel like a fresh set of eyes. Like you said, we've had free Sundays for quite some time now, and we actually were just recipients of a very transformative 3 year gift that will allow free Sundays to continue through 2026 from, the Art Bridges foundation in Arkansas is a national grant program, so we're excited to be able to continue that. But I say that to say, Coming here, I've not only been thinking about the collection, but also about architecture, as much as it defines the collection and who we are. We have this wonderful building that we're in right now that's a historic 1931 kind of Greco Roman temple, if you will, and then we have this beautiful expansion that's One of the most wonderful examples of contemporary architecture that was added on to the museum in 2016, and The conversation you were reflecting on had me thinking about architecture a lot, and how do young people, how do newcomers to this community Understand the museum before they walk through the doors. I've talked to people who have passed us on Broad Street, and some people think that the museum is just The classical architecture building, they don't necessarily realize if they haven't been here that the contemporary add on is part of the same institution. And part of thinking about reopening the front doors on Broadstreet is really helping people to understand And from all angles, that this is a warm and welcoming cultural institution for it to have more vibrancy and life on the main street, But also to just, you know, redefine it for for not only people who've lived here, this institution, but for newcomers who don't know necessarily what these Edifices hold within them.
Kenneth Wilson [:Right. Right. Right. You know, we we live in a in a very serious world, And there's, you know, a strong emphasis placed on science, strong emphasis placed on technology, a strong answer is placed on Engineering, and all of those things are extremely important. Mhmm. The big intel announcement, or What Google has planned next, or what Amazon, all of those things are great, but art provides us A a wholeness, that can't be, forgotten and is an important part of individual's creative nature Oh, yeah. To see art. And everyone, that looks at a piece of art See something different in it.
Kenneth Wilson [:None of us see the same thing when we look at a picture.
Brooke Minto [:I think that very often, those 2 things aren't tied together, aren't technology, and we have to remind ourselves that how much they are. Our educators here feel strongly that championing creativity and innovation in young people and just Allowing them to experiment and to take chances really leads to all of the sort of excellence that can develop as you learn more sciences, technology, and so forth, but it's that early championing of experimentation and innovation that allows you to think differently. And Mhmm. I hate the cliche, but outside the box.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:Right. Right.
Kenneth Wilson [:Because we all have unique gifts. Yeah. I'm only good at writing down numbers, and I learned that very early on, that My I didn't like my artwork when they'd say, okay. Here, you get this piece of paper and these crayons. And I'm like, oh, this is not I don't have a future here, but I know good art when I see it. I know something that I like, but if you ask me to draw it, that's gonna be a problem. So that's why I took a liking to numbers. And I figured if could add numbers together.
Kenneth Wilson [:I might there might be some way for me to, get grounded and just admire those with creative skills to write. You know?
Tom Katzenmeyer [:Ken, one of the big initiatives we have this year is the public art plan.
Brooke Minto [:Yeah. And
Tom Katzenmeyer [:the Franklin County commissioners have graciously funded Our efforts on that, Jamie Goldstein, is leading that work for us. We're gonna begin to roll it out on January 31st at the Columbus Metropolitan Club. Probably by midyear, June, July, we'll have a plan for the county and the city on this. The city and county are hungry. Citizens are hungry. We've done polling research on this, and it's unanimous that the city People that live in this county want more public art, so we're gonna get to that this year. We'll have a plan for it. We need a funding source, Both for the creation of it and the maintenance of the public art, that we have this public art throughout Mhmm.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:The outside of this building and around this building. It's tremendous on the CCID campus next door. So we're quite excited about that, and that's definitely one of the themes of the year in art this year.
Kenneth Wilson [:So So, Tom, on that note, talk about what role public art plays in creating a sense of identity and pride amongst residents, and how This plan you outlined will Yeah. Will assist in that.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:You ticked off a few things at the beginning of this conversation, but There's a list of, like, 10 benefits to having Yeah. Public art, and, certainly, civic pride is near the top of it. There's economic development reasons to do that. On new developments, there should be public art, new buildings that are being built. We should be able to set aside money to do that. There's health and wellness Benefits for just beautification of the city, and so it's all of that. There'll be so many benefits to this when we get this underway. And, you know, when you travel, you really admire.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:And I'm not just talking about murals. I'm talking about Other large major installations Yeah. Too. So Well, when I
Brooke Minto [:arrived in May, one of my very first weeks on the ground was, the celebration of Janet Ekelman's current downtown at the intersection of Gay and High Streets, which is a new and growing arts district. And it was just such a wonderful welcome to arrive in Columbus and to know that you're doing this work and this deep research into public art and really talking with Community members to understand what they want and need and what they expect, but then also to have this really wonderful work celebrating the history of Columbus, But also kind of signaling this sort of future of this
Tom Katzenmeyer [:part
Brooke Minto [:of downtown as a culture district.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:Just to add to that, we coincidentally happen to be in the Lisa and Jeffrey Edwards There you go. Gallery here. There you go. He was the benefactor of that work, which just really Having that happen, coincidental, with this planned work going on and just really plowing the city ahead, the art museum owns that work, and it's just fantastic. So it really gives us momentum and really Yeah. Brought some momentum to the county.
Brooke Minto [:Your point about Art, technology, STEM, all the rest, we get a lot of questions about that work. That work is somewhat seasonal. It'll go up every spring. Comes down at the end of the year in November. But Janet is a phenomenal artist whose work blends all kinds of things, Sculpture, architecture, technology, and it's a wonderful teaching tool, you know, to think about not only art and public space, but also what goes into to, developing that kind of project.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:There is a lot. There's a
Brooke Minto [:lot of element. Of element.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:There's a lot of science in that project. Project.
Brooke Minto [:And a lot of engineering
Tom Katzenmeyer [:fabric that it's made out of, how it's hung from the four corners of the intersection. It's incredible.
Brooke Minto [:Just the work itself. Getting that project to come to be takes the collaboration of so many people, private and public entities, the city, Operation of so many people, private and public entities, the city, you know, the arts council, the arts institutions, philanthropists, you know, who lead the initiative. You know, there's a lot of complexity around public art that I think it's, you know, it's the object itself, but also all of what goes on to make these works come to pass that are quite interesting as
Kenneth Wilson [:Yes. Yes. And art also ties into appeal, to tourists. And travel and tourism It's a gigantic, business here in Central Ohio, and, oh, you know, hopefully, out of this public art project, Tom, Maybe we'll get, what many people refer to as the Bean and Minute they need a park in Chicago.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:We'll get that kind of it's
Kenneth Wilson [:kinda hallmark.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:There will be installations of that magnitude here in different parts of the county that will drive tourism. People will come here to see visit these institutions, but also to see the public art that we have.
Brooke Minto [:Yeah. And there's data that shows cultural tourists stay longer, and they spend more. So it's good for economic development as well.
Kenneth Wilson [:Yeah. I mean, you just You know, the work that Experience Columbus does in in in as a a destination an organization. Its success is also tied to to how, vibrant our art scene is and our art community and having those, permanent installations that people can see. And and and when they come to town, you could come to town for A sporting event. And after, the game ends, you stay a couple of days over if there are things that attract you, to, spend more time. And all of those things allow for us to raise more revenue to Take better care of our residents. So it's it's all it's a it's a it's cyclical. Mhmm.
Kenneth Wilson [:The benefit. Brooke, would you talk a little bit about, you you touched on it. Sure. But what has been some of your 1st year Experiences at the museum. Pleasant surprises and pleasant challenges.
Brooke Minto [:Let's see. Pleasant surprises, pleasant challenges. Well, I did mention this wonderful gift that we got from the Art Bridges Foundation. In addition to having Wonderful local and community support. It was nice to be recognized through this national funding initiative and to have, A national foundation recognized the importance of maintaining free sundaes here at Columbus Museum of Art and and what that means for our community, so that was a nice surprise. Let's see. I also have been really excited about a partnership that we forged, at a space that we have about 5 minutes from here We are downtown in the short north. So you may know that a number of years ago in 2019, the museum was gifted a wonderful building, so we actually have a second space, from the Puzutti family.
Brooke Minto [:And for years, that building housed a private collection and functioned as an independent foundation and art space, But that building is now a part of the museum, and we were really fortunate to have this wonderful partnership with the art history department at OSU And to plan an exhibition over the last several years there, it's it's a surprise and an exciting opportunity in that The show that's currently on view, it opened in September, and it remains on view through February, has been the is really the result of almost like a kind of laboratory like experience For, graduate students in the art history department at OSU, they worked alongside one of their professors, Chris Paulson, who's a contemporary art historian at to to formulate an exhibition of a kind of mid career artist, one who's of indigenous descent from Los Angeles, to Put together her 1st career survey and a very substantial and scholarly publication that accompanied the show. Now that's a very long, description, but why it was interesting is that it showed me that we could not only do wonderful and innovative learning programs for young kind of k through 12 learners, but that we could also be a really generative, resource for Advanced students, so graduate students earning their master's or their PhD at OSU. The result of this collaboration is not only a beautiful show, but, again, this scholarly publication that I think, you know, is is just first in class. The show has gotten recognition in the New York Times and so forth. So it was surprising because I didn't necessarily know this was on the horizon when I landed, but I heard we were working on this project, I was not only excited with the artist who was selected for the exhibition, Sarah Rosalina, but also To meet wonderful collaborators at the university and wonderful students who've come out of this program, who have this experience as young curators that the museum and the university helped to facilitate that can then take them into their career. They can use this as a really substantive springboard To go out and now apply for curatorial roles, whether it's here or nationally, and have, you know, a very substantial project on their CV, a beautiful kind of exhibition and curatorial experience, but also a publication that will go with them into their careers. And so I think For the museum to have been a part of that and to know that this is something we can continue to to do, incubate future museum leaders, It's really special and really exciting to me as much as I think about the young ones all the time because they're here in the museum taking guided tours. To know that we can have young curators, you know, getting their start in a space that is part of the museum was also really a wonderful surprise.
Kenneth Wilson [:What's what's you know, one of the really cool things about, Franklin County in Columbus is that we have a number of districts, and we are in the in the center of the Discovery District. Right. And
Brooke Minto [:Where I live and work.
Kenneth Wilson [:Your neighbor is the Columbus College of Art and Design. So how you know, how how Cool is that, to have students, you know, emerging, the next. Who knows? They are could be in here down the road.
Brooke Minto [:Well, our history with them I don't know if you know this, but we were Columbus Fine Art Gallery in school. So at one point, The museum and CCAD were a single institution when we were founded. And then in seventies, eighties, we became 2 separate, since CCAD became an independent school. But the, building that our administrative staff works in was a former CCAD teaching hall. So we're like extended family.
Kenneth Wilson [:Yeah. I mean, it's just it's it's a beautiful thing. And as we grow and as the as Things continue to develop. You're just gonna roll right into the King Lincoln District, which has its Own rich history
Tom Katzenmeyer [:Mhmm.
Kenneth Wilson [:Of art and music and theater, and and and highlighting the contributions, of of the historic African Americans, here in in Columbus and Franklin County.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:Yeah. There's some great landmarks over there. Lincoln Theatre, King Arts Center. The Pythian is now gonna be developed, the Pythian Theatre Yeah. By the Maroon Arts Group. It's all good.
Brooke Minto [:I was, on a nice panel as part of my introduction to the city, the Lincoln Theatre, and had a chance to visit and tour. And it's just such a wonderful facility, and to learn about its history here in the community is really special. And the Maroon Arts Group are folks who I met early days when I was still a candidate for this job. And, I got to visit the theater and go the scenes with them and hear about their future plans and their fundraising work that they were doing. And, Yeah. I think All of this development is really exciting to me, and I'm excited to see these projects grow over the next several years and certainly find ways in which the museum can Great. And be in partnership with all of these institutions. So more on
Kenneth Wilson [:that note, Tom. Talk about how your, organization helps support local and emerging talent.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:Yep. I got a great example of that for you. We have a program. We haven't talked about this yet, but the arts festival, we have a program at that for emerging artists. This year, we're we had 75 artists apply for that. That's where we teach artists how to show and market their work and price their work to at the arts festival, and it's all for local artists. We had 75 people apply for it this year. I think we're gonna be able to take 25 of them.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:They have a couple boot camp sessions, and then they get to show and sell their work at the arts festival, and they are also eligible for all the artist awards that they give out that we give out at that event. So it's a boots on the ground training for emerging artists, and we've had quite a few successes and award winners Out of that program, we love helping the emerging artists. We also, over the course of last summer, We had focus groups on our grant programs for artists, and we've changed a bunch of them this year after listening to that feedback. We did it, actually, at the Lincoln Theatre. We had focus groups there, and we had a facilitator. We stayed out of the room, so artists could feel free to say what they wanted to about GCAC, we've made some significant changes in those programs. This year, we're going and we're gonna get more money out to the artists This year as a result of that, we're gonna have 50 the artist part of it was they wanted to be eligible for, as you would expect, receiving more money than just the basic, supply grant that we give out. So this year, we're gonna do 50 awards to artists at $10,000 each, And there also will be 8 awards for filmmakers at up to $25,000.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:So we're gonna put a lot more money out into the community, not just for the emerging artists. We'll have that program for them, but for the artists that have been here too. So we're quite we're actually quite excited about that. The new guidelines for all this are on our website. They're in place right now. We just did that earlier this week, I think, And we're ready to go.
Kenneth Wilson [:Community partnerships. Let's talk community partnerships. Community partnerships, community collaborations, The Columbus Way, public private partnerships, all of those things are very much Franklin County, And it's what we do and how we do it, and and how we win competitions that we may go in. And others may think we won't win, and we come out on top, and and we and we walk away with the medal. Brooke, will you talk about, Some community collaborations with schools, educational and nonprofit institutions that you have, been exposed to so far Yeah. And that you are pleased that they exist and knows that you want to Amplify, grow, amend, modify.
Brooke Minto [:Yeah. And thank you for saying those that I know because we have a lot of programs here at the museum. And I say that It's taking me months and will probably take me more months to get to know every nuance of what our curators and our educators do. They're Pretty hardworking, but, I was thinking about some earlier when you were talking about the Discovery District. 1 in particular is a highly celebrated program Called Wonder School. That's, I think, in its 6th year, if I'm not mistaken. It's a laboratory preschool program where we've partnered with Columbus State Community college, also a neighbor as is CCAD here in downtown and in the Discovery District. And, Teachers in training partner with our arts educators to devise curriculum that is, you know, art based and and sort of art driven for preschoolers, and it's a really wonderful program.
Brooke Minto [:It's gotten a lot of recognition. I actually am headed, Of all places, to Canberra, Australia this month with our head of, learning and innovation here at the museum to talk about The Wonder School. We were invited speak at the National Art Educators Conference in Australia because they've read about this program, and they're that enamored by the program and interested to hear more about how we've collaborated with Columbus State and how we have developed this program over the last 5 years. So I say that to say you had the perfect intro. We have been Highly celebrated for this program. It's been written about. It's been awarded all kinds of recognition, and it's really wonderful to be able to take the Columbus story internationally and to to talk with our peers abroad about how they can create a similar kind of partnership. In addition to The Wonder School, we also do an annual Columbus, city school day, and that's a day where Columbus City School students and their families, like our free Sundays, are just invited into the museum Not only for free admission, but with an open studio where they can work and experiment in our center for creativity in all of the studio spaces and all of the lab spaces and have access to free materials, and do art projects throughout the day.
Brooke Minto [:And it's actually one of our highest attendance days of the year. So we we work with Columbus City Schools. We work with Columbus State, and we work with OSU, a number of education institutions, in the city.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:So we could go on and off.
Brooke Minto [:We could go on and off. But you mentioned, and I wanted to say, thank you for mentioning the Amina Robinson project. That's something that we work on with you guys, and we have actually a writer in residence who's just about to start Yeah. With about 3 visual artists per year and then a writer each year. So I think That program drawn on our wonderful collection of Amina Robinson's, as Tom mentioned. Amina left her estate to us, we have not only a deep collection of her work, but also of Elijah Pierce's work Mhmm. Has been the inspiration and the genesis of a residency program that is open to black creatives, not only visual artists, but also writers. What's great about that is that it also allows us to kind of incubate artists here, introduce them to the community, And then give them the opportunity to create projects, whether it's exhibitions here at the museum or with other arts organizations in the city that they might get to know during their Residency.
Brooke Minto [:It also allows us the opportunity to consider acquisitions for the collection from those residents from their time here in Columbus where they may have made a work inspired by their time in the city or in the region or something that reflects a bit of our history. So I think that partnership wouldn't be possible Without JT GCAC to help us sort of
Tom Katzenmeyer [:Thank you. And I think we're about to welcome the newest fellow Mhmm. I think in early February, if I remember right.
Brooke Minto [:And we do with the program to there's always a local fellow each year, as well as national fellows who move to Columbus and live in Amina's house, But we kind of mix, our selection of Columbus based creatives and makers as well as those who are coming to Columbus and visiting for 3 or 4 months and staying in
Tom Katzenmeyer [:I'm was reminded a couple weeks ago of a big partnership that Capa and Ballet Met do with Columbus City Schools and The Nutcracker. Yeah. They have an 11 AM Nutcracker performance that they the reason why you know it's happening is because All of State Street is lined with yellow school buses, and the kids get to come down and see a real have a real ballet experience, and it's Fabulous. We have done we encourage collaborations. We've done multiple citywide things. I think Celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance, which Oh, yeah. Was an idea that Larry James brought to us. Mhmm.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:And we probably had 25 arts organizations, including the museum, Involved in that, it was a year long project. Everybody was doing programming around that. And my point of Pride on that is we did it before New York City did it. Yeah.
Brooke Minto [:I've got that exhibition catalog on my desk.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:Do you? Yeah. That was a great catalog. So That was a big deal.
Kenneth Wilson [:And I had a book in my Office Yes. Someone just asked about it yesterday.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:Yeah. After, tragically, after George Floyd was murdered, we did murals On the plywood where all the windows were broken out, we did that with Kappa. We paid every artist To do that, you probably have that book too. We created a book afterwards, that documented the whole thing. All the artists are featured in there and Essays by local black creatives. It's, quite a stunning piece of work. I've gotta get you on those if you don't mind.
Brooke Minto [:I don't know if I've I might have seen it in the museum, but
Tom Katzenmeyer [:I don't
Kenneth Wilson [:think I have
Tom Katzenmeyer [:to come in my office.
Brooke Minto [:Alright. I have a loved one this time.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:So we're at collaboration is the key. Yeah. And we can encourage that in the grant making process because we ask The grantees about Yeah. That work and what they're doing, and they write us
Kenneth Wilson [:about it. I know the county has been big fans of Transit Arts and invested In Transit Arts. Yeah. And and just just how talented, our youth are and how Art, allows them the opportunity to, express themselves, in ways that are very positive. You hear we hear a lot about, the the negative things, but our art gives kids a positive outlet. And one of the things that we do, Tom, and I'm I'm and you collaborate with us on, and and I know our commissioners, Enjoy, doing it is we highlight, our, students that are exceptional In in arts, in in in academics, collectively, just like we celebrate our state champion athletes. So
Tom Katzenmeyer [:Mhmm. Talk a little bit about that.
Kenneth Wilson [:Event every year.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:So, Brooke, once a year, Today, I gather, the arts leaders. They are the best art talent from every local high school. Okay. We have them in for breakfast. They get to meet. The county commissioners go to see a real live county commission meeting, and I get to talk to them, and they are the most Astounding group of creative students, and it's across all disciplines. So it's photographers, artists, playwrights, Poets, filmmakers, and they come with their mom and dad, and they bring their teacher or their adviser With them, it's a quite a special event. My guess is that's coming up sometime soon here.
Brooke Minto [:It has to be because I haven't seen it yet, and I'm closing in on 8 months.
Kenneth Wilson [:So They bring all of their art. It's it's
Tom Katzenmeyer [:They bring their art with them. Yeah. Art's fantastic.
Kenneth Wilson [:You and you get a chance. We have we have, like, a really low reception where we get chance to talk to the students, and, many of them are shy, especially when we first, begin Yeah. The meeting. But they open up over Times always is is
Tom Katzenmeyer [:Well, for me, I get to tell them that the county commissioners support the arts in Franklin county, and that's a significant way for me to, again, thank the commissioners, but these students and the parents need to understand that there's public money Going into the arts. Got it. It's important. Yeah.
Kenneth Wilson [:Okay. Tiffany, Brooke, a fun fact about yourself.
Brooke Minto [:Oh, fun fact. I might have to think about this. Let's see.
Kenneth Wilson [:A hobby, just totally unscripted. Well You like you like I mean, this is not Chardonnay, not Pinot Grigio, what
Brooke Minto [:am actually I love Rose, but I have never really thought of myself as a huge sports fan, Which yeah. So full stop. But that's changed in recent years, and I think one of the most fun things that's happened since I've been here this year Has been following and getting to know the Columbus crew and then being a part of their big win of the MLS championship. I grew up playing soccer. I grew up watching and loving soccer in my family.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:So
Brooke Minto [:even though I'm not really a sports person, I don't feel like I'm a real like, I've followed soccer my whole life and love And so to land and knowing they were a good team, this is not their 1st. I think it's their 3rd chance.
Kenneth Wilson [:They had their 3rd chance.
Brooke Minto [:But to just sort of, you know, be getting know the team and going to games and sort of getting involved with sports in that way in the city, and then they won. I thought, well, this is great. It's like a perfect 1st year all for you. All for me. They won the championship.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:So it's
Brooke Minto [:a fun fact. So I think, when I talk about the crew around the museum, people are like, oh, if she does something other than art. Mhmm. Like, You know, there's something other. So Yeah.
Kenneth Wilson [:In the North, typically, you know
Brooke Minto [:surprised when they hear
Kenneth Wilson [:that I left off. Had a crew. We built the 1st soccer Pacific stadium in the United States. We are a hub for, international soccer competitions. There is a a love for soccer.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:When happened? The all star game? Yeah.
Kenneth Wilson [:The all star game is coming in. And, it's when you go to a, a a crew match. The audience is
Brooke Minto [:It's phenomenal.
Kenneth Wilson [:So diverse and and And it's it's young, old Spirit. And spirit. It is, I I myself have have Drawn to appreciate soccer in a way that I didn't before. And at lord.comstadium, it all has been amplified.
Brooke Minto [:Yeah. It's a wonderful stadium.
Kenneth Wilson [:That championship game, it was so I it was so loud. It was so loud. Imagine.
Brooke Minto [:It's just amazing that a stadium of 20,000 can sound like that. It sounds like many times more. I say that I haven't been to an OSU team, so I don't know what a 120
Tom Katzenmeyer [:it sounds like, but it's exceptional. It's just the energy energy. Contained in there, the way that's designed. Yeah. OSU is much more open. So But
Brooke Minto [:I yeah. I'm a big Crew fan. I love the stadium. I love that the city supports soccer, and, you know, all the games are sold out. They've been sold out, like, every game home made for 3 years. You know, it's, great to see the community supporting a professional team in that way.
Kenneth Wilson [:Yeah. It was a it was a perfect script to to to come back from 2 nothing against Yeah. FC Cincinnati, our rival.
Brooke Minto [:Down the road, yes.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:Is real.
Brooke Minto [:Yes. That's been fun understanding that rivalry. And Yeah. Oh my goodness. So that's been this kind of fun other other narrative.
Kenneth Wilson [:Mister Cassie, you have lots of fun
Tom Katzenmeyer [:for me. The same thing so I had some time to think about it?
Kenneth Wilson [:Well, you did. Talking.
Brooke Minto [:Although My my soccer answer was very genuine. I love it.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:So, you might find this kinda surprising. It's kinda funny about me. So during the COVID years. I had a little bit of a midlife crisis, and I got a tattoo.
Brooke Minto [:Oh, wow.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:And it's it's yes. And it's, like, It's an art tattoo. It says Keith Haring dog. But Keith Haring is my favorite artist. He's an he was an activist 2 political activists, anti AIDS activists, and it's I'd show it to you, but it's right here. And it's the dawn, The key thing barking dog. The barking dog.
Brooke Minto [:Yeah. So here's where we have something in common. We never we never talked about this. Yeah. Okay. My very first, I guess, I would say, A sort of art or art history based paper. As a high school student, I think I took whatever the version of art history is in high school might be art appreciation.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:Yeah.
Brooke Minto [:I think I was in 9th or 10th grade, and we had to do I don't know. I guess they were called book reports at the time. It all sounds very, very old fashioned now. But, I did a biographical Ethical paper on Keith Haring. Oh my god. I might have been 14.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:I thought I have 15 Keith Haring books. You know, art books and biographies of him, and, such a great artist, Person tragedy in his life, dying of AIDS at 31. Mhmm. I think that was in 1991, if I remember right.
Brooke Minto [:He was originally from Pennsylvania.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:Yeah. Yeah. And ran with people like Andy Warhol.
Brooke Minto [:Jean Michel Basquiat.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:Yes. All this. It was a Very heady time. Mhmm. Yes.
Brooke Minto [:Yeah. And it became synonymous with the New York art scene in the seventies eighties, Lower East Side, the East Village. But, yeah, dive Do we need to
Tom Katzenmeyer [:drag that paper out?
Brooke Minto [:I look at it? We can find it. I don't know. I'm an archivist by nature. I'm sure I could Find this paper. Alright. That's so interesting. Well, I wanna see the barking dog one day. That's definitely better than mine.
Brooke Minto [:I have no secret tattoos. That was a revolution. That was a revolution.
Kenneth Wilson [:We talk about talk of the county.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:I don't god that wasn't recorded. Now you know,
Kenneth Wilson [:many many of the people just grew beers. Right. Or or you know, their hair got real low, Oh, and they had to put a rubber band around it or something that didn't there. But
Tom Katzenmeyer [:Yes.
Kenneth Wilson [:Tom here went to the next level and got some
Tom Katzenmeyer [:ink. Yes.
Kenneth Wilson [:Yes. Me.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:The other thing about you getting your 1st ink, you want more. Really? So yeah. Okay. Yeah. That was, Debate with my spouse on that one. Yes.
Kenneth Wilson [:Yes. I guess, once they get in your bloodstream, you just wanna, You know, go with the ink. Right. I think the neck is next, Tom. Then I'm a know you're ready to retire when you right. Right. Right. When you get your when you get some fine art tatted on your neck, and then I'm gonna know And
Brooke Minto [:it's The retirement party invitation
Kenneth Wilson [:has come to you. And, one of my podcasts, I I asked, unknown guest. I said, So I wouldn't take you to buy a Harley. Do you have do you have did you buy a Harley during the pandemic? Have you ever ridden a Harley Davidson?
Tom Katzenmeyer [:No. Mm-mm.
Brooke Minto [:Do you have a desire to?
Tom Katzenmeyer [:No. Mm-mm.
Kenneth Wilson [:Have you ever driven a go kart?
Tom Katzenmeyer [:Of many times. Yeah.
Kenneth Wilson [:Yeah. Have you ridden a motorcycle of any type? Either one of you.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:On the back. Yeah. I didn't drive.
Brooke Minto [:A Vespa.
Kenneth Wilson [:Okay. Scooters count. Scooter.
Brooke Minto [:That's a
Kenneth Wilson [:that's a good scooter's love too. Scooters count. They they moan.
Brooke Minto [:But not a real motorcycle. No. Like to
Kenneth Wilson [:give the scooter some love. Yeah. I've I've ridden a dirt bike back in the day. Not a Harley Davidson yet yet.
Brooke Minto [:Well, something to plan.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:There you go.
Kenneth Wilson [:Their They're they're they're they're beautiful American machines, and many people see Harley Davidsons as forms of art.
Brooke Minto [:Yeah. They have an art museum. They have a me well, they have an art a museum of the motorcycle, I should say.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:Yeah.
Brooke Minto [:They're our neighbors.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:Have a Harley at the,
Brooke Minto [:I think Probably in the collection.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Brooke Minto [:But, they're Milwaukee based. They are not far away.
Kenneth Wilson [:And, yeah, people Who have, you know, art of different sorts on their bikes, the way Mhmm. They they paint them in certain places. It's, I I have a passion for vehicles with 4 wheels myself.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:But Yes.
Kenneth Wilson [:Not the 2 wheelers.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:I
Kenneth Wilson [:like I like vehicles of
Brooke Minto [:with 4 wheelers. Vintage cars? Or
Kenneth Wilson [:I like automobiles of any types. Really? Old, new, What are you driving? Between. I drive a Lincoln Aviator.
Brooke Minto [:That's a nice car. That's good space.
Kenneth Wilson [:Yeah. Good space. I need room. When you're over 50, you you appreciate room and comfort much more.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:Comfort. Yes.
Kenneth Wilson [:Conference is I have a very appreciation for the conference folks. You already don't talk to the county. We say we're here to educate, Informed, and by accident, entertained. So hopefully, during this, podcast today with, our 2 great leaders, that define art in Central Ohio. Brooke Mento and and Tom Casanar, the CEOs respectively The Columbus Museum of Art and the Greater Columbus Arts Council. Thanks so much. And again, wherever you podcast, Talk of the county will be available for you to listen. And every time, we will bring you something new.
Kenneth Wilson [:Just be yourself because no one else has time to do it. See you later.
Brooke Minto [:Thank you, Ken.
Tom Katzenmeyer [:Thank you, Ken. Yeah.
