COSI is back with a new exhibit, RACE: Are We Really So Different. Visitors will be treated to a thought-provoking look at the cultural phenomenon of race. Early on, the exhibit shows there is no scientific basis for race, but that the effect of race are pervasive. The visually arresting photographs of Wing Young Huie demonstrate individuals’ very personal experiences with race, in a world where it’s illogical to classify people into categories.

You can look at your own skin under a microscope, put yourself into the shoes of people from different background to see how everyday life may be different, see the journey our species has taken from our common ancestor in Africa less than 150,000 years ago, and learn about the pseudoscientific methods people in eras gone by gauged race in a way that persists to the present day.

COSI’s education department has localized the exhibition by bringing in area high school students to talk about how race affects them. The students used their own backgrounds, feelings and points of view on race to design a locker. The Locker Project is on view in the corridor leading to the exhibition.

RACE will be on view at COSI through May 6.

You may have heard: Columbus is turning 200 this year! With celebrations planned all year long, there are a lot of great reasons to get out and explore the city and meet the people who make Columbus the great place it is. There’s another great reason to explore Columbus right around it’s 200th birthday celebration: 200Columbus Days !

200Columbus Days is a city-wide partnership that runs Feb. 11-15, 2012, offering amazing deals and discounts for entertainment and shopping !

I t’s a great time to explore all the great things that make Columbus Columbus! So many of us have lived here for years but haven’t experienced the great activities right under our noses.  Marquee attractions around the city like COSI, Franklin Park Conservatory and the Columbus Museum of Art are offering great deals. If you’ve still never caught a Blue Jackets game, indulged in a tour with Columbus Food Adventures or caught a CATCO performance – they’re offering discount tickets, too!

To take advantage of these great deals, all you have to do is print out and show the 200Columbus Days flier or simply visit it on your mobile device and show the screen to the participating business’ ticket taker, cashier or restaurant server.

I hope you have a great time re-discovering the city! Make sure to share your experiences with 200Columbus: The Bicentennial on Facebook and Twitter !

This post is written by Tim Simeone, Visitor Information Specialist for Experience Columbus. You can follow Tim on Twitter @Tim_Simeone.

Columbus is lucky to have a vibrant theater community. One theater company that makes it so vibrant is the Available Light Theatre Company. Founded six years ago, Available Light has catapulted itself among the best theaters in the city. Having just moved here from Chicago, I was anxious to see one of their productions. I was delighted to attend their most recent production, 33 Variations.

The play is about Beethoven’s obsession with Diabelli Variations and a terminally ill, present-day scholar who is equally obsessed with Beethoven’s intentions in writing the variations. The scholar’s daughter relentlessly worries about her mother’s well-being.

The director, Eleni Papaleonardos, showcases raw human obsession, its timeless existence, and the gift which comes from it. She makes bold choices and organically grows wonderful moments.

The show is hilarious, touching, thoughtful, and fantastical. I left caring about every character and woke up thinking about them this morning.

This weekend if your last chance to catch 33 Variations:

Friday, Jan. 20 @ 8 p.m. + TALKBACK
Saturday, Jan. 21 @ 8 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 22 @ 2 p.m.

If you don’t get a chance to catch this show, their next show, Sleeper, opens Feb. 16. They perform at the Columbus Performing Arts Center.

Make an evening out of it: Have dinner at Indian Oven, walk through Topiary Park before the show (across the street from the theater), and enjoy Available Light Theatre Company.

The Columbus Clippers Opening Day is just 77 days away! Though the Huntington Park looks ready for a pick-up game right now. Excitement is already building for that first crack of the bat (April 5, against the Louisville Bats ) as the Clippers attempt a three-peat AAA championship season! It’s not too early to get your tickets!

If you love great food at at a great price, this is your time to explore Columbus’ growing food scene ! Restaurant Week: Columbus is happening right now!

Restaurant Week: Columbus means some great eateries around the city are putting forth superb three-course, prix fixe menus at price-points between $15 and $35.

If you’re a seafood fan, it’s hard to beat Rigsby’s Kitchen’s menu ($35) with grilled sardines, shrimp pasta and scallops with fregola on offer. Columbus Brewing Company ($20) is serving dishes that not only accommodate but delight vegetarians and vegans, with choices including beer battered asparagus, a vegan burrito and risotto croquettes. For spicier fare, try Basil Thai ($20) in the Short North. Tom kha chicken soup, pad la praw and Thai red curry are sure to light up your tastebuds.

You can find the full list of participating restaurants at restaurantweekcolumbus.com . Restaurant Week is popular, so it’s always a good idea to make an advance reservation. Which menu is tempting you the most?

This post is written by Sandi Combs, Marketing Specialist for Experience Columbus. You can follow Sandi on Twitter @Sandi_ExpCols .

Visitors in Columbus will notice that something special is happening in our city this year- we’re celebrating Columbus’ 200th birthday! Festivities commemorating 200Columbus the Bicentennial (as it’s officially known) will take place all year long, with events being planned by a wide array of organizations and neighborhoods throughout the city. Although you might think that these are for locals only, there are many exciting events that will be fun for everyone, whether you’re a resident or visitor.

Here’s a look at what’s happening during the next month:

Columbus’ actual birth-date is Valentine’s Day, so there are several special events to experience in the first part of February. Take in the sights and sounds of an amazing collaboration by BalletMet and the Columbus Jazz Orchestra during the performance of Jazz Moves Columbus , Feb. 2-12, 2012. Then, enjoy special discounts on shopping and attractions throughout the city during 200Columbus Days – just download the discount flyer. You may also enjoy seeing the performance of The Ruby Elzy Story on Feb. 11, having fun with your family at COSI’s Columbus Family Weekend Feb. 11-12, or cheering at the Columbus Blue Jackets game when they take on the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 14.

In addition to those special events, there are many long-running exhibits to see. COSI is hosting Race: are we so different?, which is the first nationally traveling exhibition to tell the stories of race from the biological, cultural, and historical points of view. The Columbus Museum of Art is recognizing the Bicentennial with several special exhibits, including Monet to Matisse , Columbus Views and Caravaggio: Behold the Man! Other art exhibits include Ohio Arts Council Riffe Gallery’s 100 Years of Art: Celebrating Columbus’ Legacy , the King Arts Complex’s Cityscapes Yesteryear and OSU’s Columbus Cartoonists: A Bicentennial Celebration .

We’ll keep you updated on more Bicentennial events to experience as the year progresses. In the meantime, if you’d like to know more about the celebration, visit 200Columbus.com . Or find the Bicentennial on Facebook or Twitter .

Did we miss something? Share your information about other great Bicentennial events in the comments.

This post is written by Tim Simeone, Visitor Center Receptionist for Experience Columbus. You can follow him on Twitter @TimSimeone .

What instrument did Mozart’s father play? I won tickets to the Columbus Symphony Orchestra by answering that question on Twitter. I confess, I Googled the answer. Nevertheless, my Friday night plans were made. My wife’s friends were in town so I called up my mother-in-law. We grabbed a bite at De Novo before the show.

De Novo is a perfect spot to eat before a show at the Ohio Theatre. We walked over after our delicious meal. I had the Lamb Belly - thick noodles, with a rich white sauce and a perfectly poached egg. My mother-in-law had the scallops which were delicious and we each had a salad, all pictured below. The restaurant is beautiful with giant art, suspended branches, and jazz to add to the already perfect atmosphere.

Certainly my experience, being a symphony rookie, was different than someone who knows the music and all its complexities. So as I describe my experience please understand, my only experience with classical music is from Looney Tunes and accidentally landing on the classical station when searching for NPR on the radio. This is sad I agree, but my experience at the Columbus Symphony was so wonderful, I will definitely be returning for future shows.

The show was title Mozart and Brahms, featuring Yossif Ivanov a 23 year-old violinist. He and his surrounding orchestra were incredible. They all played a challenging score with such ease. At times the orchestra would be loud and powerful and then it would get so soft that I thought it had stopped and what I thought was silence was a single violinist easing and inviting me back in. Thinking of going? Here are some tips if you yourself are a symphony rookie:

• Dress up - Thankfully I came from work so I was already dressed
• Don’t clap until you hear other people clapping – There was a moment when I thought they had finished a piece, well they hadn’t and I clapped once and turned red in the face. Follow the lead of those around you.
• Take off your jacket before the show –There is nothing worse than having to wrestle out of your blazer when sitting in a theatre seat.
• Bring a lozenge and unwrap it before the show – Someone eight rows over was unwrapping candy during the show, it sounded like a raccoon trying to open a holiday fruit basket. Little noises can be distracting.

Follow the symphony at @C_S_O.

If you wanted to make a weekend of this trip, both the Ohio Theatre and De Novo are within walking distance of the Sheraton Columbus on Capitol Square and The Westin Great Southern.