Columbus Area Arts Council

05/29/2026

On June 26, we’re taking over The Commons for an evening of weird and legendary fun, and we want YOU to be there. 👹

Here's what we have lined up:

🎶 Live music and dancing
🎨 A silent art auction and pop-up shop
🎭 Games and interactive experiences throughout the evening
🏆 Costume awards for Most Elegant and Most Monstrous
🍽️ Dinner and a cash bar

Proceeds support CAAC's year-round arts programming, and this year's Fund a Need will help launch the FIRST annual Mill Race Monster Festival: a three-day celebration of art, storytelling, and delightfully strange creativity inspired by a real local legend.

We can’t wait to celebrate all that YOUR support makes possible — and to look ahead to all that’s in store for the remainder of 2026 and beyond.

Don’t wait – pricing goes up after June 7!

Get Your Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/uncommon-cause-2026-monster-ball-tickets-1988564315398

Hope to see you there. 🎉

05/19/2026

A Columbus story, recognized internationally!

Alexander Girard — Reverberations Forever, our recent exhibition at 411 Gallery back in August of 2025, has been selected for the STA 100 — an annual showcase honoring 100 outstanding examples of typographic excellence from around the world 🌍

Curated by Rick Valicenti and Suzie Shin, the exhibition celebrated Girard's joyful visual language and lasting influence while connecting directly to Columbus's remarkable design legacy and local collections. Columbus and Chicago residents lent original works by Girard from their own homes, creating direct connections between now and the Midwest's artistic heritage.

This recognition affirms what we believe about a community gallery: that meaningful exhibitions can resonate far beyond our city💙

Congratulations and thank you to everyone who made this exhibition possible:

🎨 Curators: Rick Valicenti · Suzie Shin
🖼️ Contributors: Craighton Berman · Fabian Fohrer · Erin Jang · Jeffery Keedy · Jenice Kim · Zuzana Licko · Jonathan Nesci · Jane Park · Present Future Architects · Louise Sandhaus · Sing-Sing · UrbanLab · Kori Girard · MR.C · Anna Mort
✏️ Alexander Grotesk Type Designer: Juan Pantoja
📸 Photographer: Hadley Fruits
📍 Gallery Space: 411 Gallery



The Society of Typographic Arts

05/15/2026

Uncommon Cause returns this June! 🎉 Join us for its 50th anniversary with Monster Ball, a bold celebration of the arts in Columbus.

📅 Friday, June 26, 2026
🕖 7:00–11:00 pm
📍 The Commons, 300 Washington Street, Columbus, IN 47201
🎟️ Tickets start at $100 (Early Bird discount through June 7) | Ages 21+

This milestone event carries forward a legacy that has supported the arts in our community for five decades. Proceeds fuel year-round programs, and this year's Fund a Need will help launch Mill Race Monster Festival, a new community celebration inspired by our local cryptid legend. 👹

Expect a night of live music, dancing, interactive experiences, and games, plus dinner and a cash bar. No live auction — just a really good time! Upgrade to VIP tickets for an elevated experience.

🎟️ Tickets
$100 — Early Bird Monster Ball Experience (through June 7)
$125 — Monster Ball Experience (beginning June 8)
$225 — VIP Experience (open bar, reserved seating, 15% off at the Pop-Up Shop)

🔗 Come out and celebrate with us! Grab your tickets at artsincolumbus.org/ucc

Please join the Columbus Area Arts Council for Uncommon Cause, Columbus’ not-to-be-missed community arts celebration.

05/11/2026

Meet Columbus Wordsmith Community — a local collective creating space for writers to share work, connect, and build community through poetry and prose. Give them a follow to stay up to date on readings, open mics, and future gatherings.

This summer, they’re launching a new Poetry & Prose Open Mic Night series at Gramz Bakery and Cafe.

🎤 Hosted by Columbus Wordsmith Community
📍 Gramz Bakery & Cafe, 409 Washington Street
📅 May 19 · June 16 · July 21
🕕 6:00–8:00 pm
🎟️ Free and open to all

Columbus Wordsmith Community is a recipient of the Literary Arts Grant through Support Local Creatives, an initiative of Columbus Area Arts Council empowering creative changemakers in Columbus. Learn more at artsincolumbus.org.

04/30/2026

Another exciting month ahead! 🎨

🖼️ 4/16–5/29: To Know This Place by Michele Po***ck 411 Gallery

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 5/1: First Fridays for Families: The Great Alphabet Adventure by Mill Race Theatre Company The Commons

✨ 5/1: Studio C: Trinket Tray Workshop Studio C — SOLD OUT!

📣 5/5: Open Call deadline — "A More Perfect Union"

🎉 5/7: Arts Alley Event & 411 Exhibition Reception at 6th Street Arts Parklet + 411 Gallery

🎊 5/13: Studio C Grand Opening at 4760 Ray Boll Blvd, Columbus, IN

🍄 5/15: Studio C : Mushroom Pinch Pot Jar Workshop — Registration is open!
https://pci.jotform.com/form/261115911746152

Learn more at https://www.artsincolumbus.org/calendar

04/29/2026

‼️ REJECTED! We tried to promote our Open Call for A More Perfect Union, this summer’s exhibition at 411 Gallery, but Meta shut it down. Booo!

An open call isn’t political. It’s simply an invitation to submit your artwork. What the exhibition becomes is shaped by the work you choose to share.

We welcome artists of all perspectives and backgrounds. Engage with the theme in whatever way feels true to you.

Learn more and submit your work at https://www.artsincolumbus.org/artistopportunities

Deadline to submit: May 5!

04/28/2026

📅 Thursday, May 7 · 5:00–7:00 pm
📍Arts Alley Parklet · 6th Street, Downtown Columbus
🎟️ Free and open to all

Bring a friend, bring the kids, bring yourself! Thursday, May 7 is an evening on 6th Street with a 411 Gallery reception for To Know This Place exhibit, live drumming by Southern Indiana Taiko, pizza by Chubby's Wood Fired Pizza , and beverages by Elev8 Events Come out, grab a bite, and experience the fun!

🖼️ 411 Gallery Reception
Michele spent seven years creating To Know This Place, a large-format artist book that is also the centerpiece of her current exhibition at 411 Gallery. The book is made up of small quilts, each depicting plants and animals from her favorite forest walk. The work grew out of personal hardship — after becoming chronically ill, Michele could no longer take the long hikes that had inspired her art. The quilted pages became a way of preserving those memories in textile form.
The exhibition runs April 16 – May 29 at 411 Gallery, with regular hours Thursday and Friday, 12:00–6:00 pm, and by appointment.

🪘 Southern Indiana Taiko
Taiko is a form of Japanese drumming that has played many roles throughout history — accompanying religious ritual, marking time at harvest, and motivating troops in battle. Southern Indiana Taiko is bringing it to 6th Street.

This event is in collaboration with First Thursdays Downtown Columbus, IN 🌼

04/28/2026

Poetry & Prose Open Mic Night is back.

We’re excited to revive Open Mic Night, creating space for writers, poets, and creatives to share their work and connect with the community.

New this year:
We’ll be gathering at a new venue every three months, bringing fresh energy and new spaces to each season.

Join us at:
📍 Gramz Bakery & Cafe
📅 May 19th | June 16th | July 21st
⏰ 6–8pm

Come read, listen, and simply be part of the room.

We’re also shaping the future of our writers community, including the name.
We’d love your input. Take a moment to share your thoughts:
https://forms.gle/bvSMwkjWrhiwYYGX7

04/22/2026

🎉 First Fridays for Families
🎭 The Great Alphabet Adventure by Mill Race Theatre Company
📅 May 1, 2026
📍The Commons
🕜 Doors open at 5:00 pm | Performance starts at 5:30 pm
🌟 FREE Entry!

Young Alex faces an unexpected adventure when the power goes out, leaving him unable to play his favorite video games. With the help of his quirky neighbor, Zoey, and a cast of memorable characters from his bookshelf, Alex embarks on a journey through the world of stories and the written word. Join Alex and Zoey as they navigate this imaginative quest and assist them in finding the missing letters of his book before it is too late.

First Fridays for Families introduces young audiences to a wide range of performing arts in a playful atmosphere.

Made possible by Sharon and Patrick Andrews with additional support from the City of Columbus.

04/17/2026

We are incredibly excited to announce Mill Race Monster Festival, happening October 23–25 in Columbus! Do you know the legend of the Mill Race Monster? Follow along to learn more.