Columbus’ city core is full of art galleries and museums, from long-standing institutions to dynamic exhibition spaces focused on contemporary and emerging talent. Let’s take a stroll through some of the downtown neighborhoods to experience the city’s rich offerings!
DOWNTOWN
Throughout downtown Columbus, you’ll find a number of galleries, artist studios and exhibition spaces featuring the work of both local and national artists. Here are a few highlights!
Chaos Contemporary Craft. Source: J Toland for Experience Columbus.
Chaos Contemporary Craft
Chaos Contemporary Craft hosts individual and group exhibitions in jewelry, ceramics, wood, sculpture, fiber, digital art, and many more mediums.
Lindsay Gallery
Recently relocated from the Short North, Duff Lindsay’s gallery has been a long-time Columbus staple that highlights American folk art and outsider artists.
Brandt Gallery
This Latina woman-owned gallery features contemporary artists exploring present-day narratives. Housed within Brandt Gallery is Pecha Projects, a space dedicated to underserved artists.
Sarah Gormley Gallery
Sarah Gormley’s much-lauded gallery infuses a sense of fun with its rotating exhibitions of contemporary artists.
Hammond Harkins Galleries
At its downtown gallery space, Hammond Harkins represents a wide variety of Columbus artists, both living and passed. It’s one of a growing number of galleries – particularly women-owned ones – located around the intersection of Gay and High streets downtown.
Hawk Galleries
Hawk Galleries on East Main Street represents dozens of artists and highlights their work through multiple exhibitions each year.
Blockfort
The Blockfort gallery and studio space is home to more than 20 local artists. In addition to their studios, the space includes a gallery space and is home to events like the annual Alley Islands mural painting festival in the Discovery District.
Phoenix Rising Printmaking Cooperative
The member-run Phoenix Rising hosts the studios, gallery, and event space of local printmakers. Visit for their classes, sales, workshops, and exhibitions.
Contemporary Art Matters
In addition to hosting a number of individual and group exhibitions, Contemporary Art Matters also offers curatorial services, advising, collection management, and more.
No Place Gallery
Tucked into a building on Gay Street, No Place Gallery is independently run and features emerging artists.
King Arts Complex
The King Arts Complex is a community center, event space, and gallery in the heart of the King-Lincoln Bronzeville neighborhood. On top of its many classes, concerts, festivals, and community events, the center features local artists in the Elijah Pierce Gallery.
Fresh A.I.R. Gallery
The “A.I.R.” in the gallery’s title stands for “Artists in Recovery.” Operated by Southeast, Inc., Fresh A.I.R. Gallery features the work of artists whose lives have been affected by substance use disorders or mental health challenges.
Streetlight Guild
In addition to a variety of exhibitions, Streetlight Guild hosts concerts, poetry readings, workshops, classes, open houses, and more wonderful community events.
934 Gallery
Close to downtown in Milo-Grogan, 934 Gallery features rotating exhibitions from local artists, digital artwork, and the annual mural-centric 934 Fest.
Milo Arts
The Milo Arts space is a live-work artist collective, located in an historic school building. In addition to artist studios, Milo Arts hosts a variety of community events.
Urban Arts Space
Located in the historic Lazarus building downtown, Urban Arts Space is dedicated to experimental exhibitions, installations and events. It also operates a companion gallery at Hopkins Hall on The Ohio State University’s campus.
Beeler Gallery
The Columbus College of Art & Design’s public Beeler Gallery spaces allow you to view work from students and contemporary artists.
Riffe Gallery
On the ground floor of the Riffe Center sits the Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery. The free gallery features rotating exhibitions of a wide variety of Ohio artists.
Losinski Gallery
The Losinski Gallery inside the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s downtown branch focuses on both established and emerging Ohio artists.
Columbus Museum of Art
The Columbus Museum of Art is the city's flagship visual arts institution and features a dynamic range of classical to contemporary art, with world-class exhibitions, fascinating installations and hands-on engagement for young art enthusiasts.
Priscilla R. Tyson Cultural Arts Center
This city-run arts center makes its home in the historic armory building along the Scioto Mile. There, visitors can take multitudes of classes and tour exhibitions.
FRANKLINTON
Just over the Scioto River from downtown, the Franklinton Arts District includes a growing number of artist studios and galleries paired with local restaurants, breweries, and bars. Visit during the monthly Franklinton Fridays the second Friday of the month, as well as more events that the Urban Scrawl mural festival in the fall.
Franklinton during Urban Scrawl. Source: Franklinton Arts District.
400 West Rich
Making its home in a former warehouse space, the 400 West Rich complex includes dozens of artist studios, event spaces, and galleries.
ROY G BIV Gallery
A long-time gallery focused on emerging artists, ROY G BIV builds fascinating exhibitions through juried submissions and collaborative projects.
Wild Goose Creative
On top of its monthly arts programming, Wild Goose Creative is a multidisciplinary space that features regular exhibitions, often with openings on Franklinton Fridays.
Chromedge Studios
This artist studio collective opens regularly for exhibitions and more community events.
Columbus Glass Art Center
As the city’s largest glass-dedicated studio, the Columbus Glass Art Center features fun exhibitions and offers dozens of classes in glassblowing, bead-making, stained glass, torch work, and more.
SHORT NORTH ARTS DISTRICT
The Short North has long been a hub for galleries and studio spaces. Tour them all during Gallery Hop, a favorite local event held the first Saturday of the month for more than 40 years!
Sharon Weiss. Source: Tim Johnson, Columbus Monthly
Sharon Weiss Gallery
Sharon Weiss’ gallery and its companion studios on East Lincoln have been a Short North mainstay for more than three decades. She’s showcased some of the best fine artists across the region in her cozy and welcoming gallery during that time.
Sean Christopher Gallery
For more than two decades, the Sean Christopher Gallery has served as a crucial alternative gallery space for emerging artists.
Adamah Ceramics
Founded by Columbus ceramic artist Joshua Schottenstein, Adamah Ceramics features studios and gallery space dedicated to top-notch ceramic artistry.
Marcia Evans Gallery
Over many years, Marcia Evans’ gallery has highlighted the work of local, national, and international artists in painting, printmaking, glasswork, and sculpture.
CMA at The Pizzuti
The Columbus Museum of Art’s companion location, The Pizzuti, in the Short North focuses on the work of contemporary artists and pushes the boundaries of exhibition work through pop-up bars, film, installations, and more dynamic offerings.
Studios on High Gallery
A Short North fixture since 1987, Studios on High features the work of more than 20 local artists in rotating exhibitions.
