Landmark Columbus Foundation cares for, celebrates, and advances the cultural heritage of Columbus, Indiana and like-minded communities.
To fulfill its mission, LCF directs three locally-engaged and globally-connected programs that are interwoven in their impact and networks: Progressive Preservation, Exhibit Columbus, and Columbus Design Institute.
Latest News and Events
Event
Progressive Preservation Talks Schools Edition: Southside Elementary
Thursday, January 29, 2026
6:30 pm
Columbus, Indiana
Columbus Area Visitors Center
This Progressive Preservation Talk with Glenda Winders will feature information about Southside Elementary School, which was designed by Eliot Noyes and completed in 1969. In a public discussion, Winders, a Columbus-based writer, will share her work researching the school and archives.
Event
Palm Springs Modernism Week
Small Towns + Great Architecture: Modernism’s Untold Stories
Friday, February 13, 2026
11 am PST
Palm Springs, California
Annenberg Theater
$25 *ticketed event
Discover the surprising architectural riches of three unlikely American towns: Palm Springs, California; Sarasota, Florida; and Columbus, Indiana. In this captivating symposium, leading experts from each city will share vivid stories, rare insights, and the pivotal moments that put their towns on the design map. Discover the creative forces and community spirit that drew top architects seeking to reimagine the very landscape of American small towns with ground-breaking residential and civic projects.
Event
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
SAIC Mitchell Lecture series
featuring Nora Daley and Richard McCoy
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
6 pm CST
Chicago, Illinois
Leroy Neiman Center
The purpose of the Mitchell lectures is to introduce future design practitioners to some of the most imaginative and creative thinkers in the field. This series is hosted by the Architecture, Interior Architecture, Designed Objects, and Historic Preservation department; lectures are free and open to everyone.
Event
Black History Month Columbus Progressive Preservation Talks: Goins Hotel
with Cameryn Kent and Paulette Roberts
Tuesday, February 10
4:30 pm
Columbus, Indiana
Columbus Area Visitors Center
In celebration of Black Heritage Month, Landmark Columbus Foundation presents a special edition of its Progressive Preservation Talks series focused on the historic Goins Hotel. This event will feature research and insights from Cameryn Kent and Paulette Roberts, highlighting the site’s layered history and its role within Columbus’ Black Heritage Trail.
Exhibition
10 Years of the J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize
Opening Reception Saturday, February 28 at 3 pm CST
On view through Saturday, April 11
New Harmony, Indiana
New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art
The purpose of the Mitchell lectures is to introduce future design practitioners to some of the most imaginative and creative thinkers in the field. This series is hosted by the Architecture, Interior Architecture, Designed Objects, and Historic Preservation department; lectures are free and open to everyone.
Event
Black History Month Columbus Progressive Preservation Talks: Granville Lee Edition
with Michael Cartwright and Kevin Jones
Tuesday, February 10
4:30 pm EST
Columbus, Indiana
Columbus Area Visitors Center
This Progressive Preservation Talk with Michael Cartwright and Kevin Jones will feature research and information about Columbus' local historic figure, Granville Lee. The talk will feature retired University of Indianapolis Vice President Michael G. Cartwright and Indiana University Columbus Professor Kevin Jones, who will narrate what happened before, during, and immediately after the Columbus High School commencement at the Crump Theatre on May 28, 1901. This landmark occasion has been remembered (somewhat inaccurately) as the occasion when the first African American male, Granville Lee, graduated.
Publication
American Modern: Architecture, Community, Columbus, Indiana
American Modern is the first in-depth publication about Columbus, Indiana, that demonstrates the unique convergence of civic, industrial, and social forces that produced the preeminent laboratory of architectural modernism in the country.
Publication
Exhibit Columbus post-exhibition publication, Public by Design
Public by Design is a guide to reimagining public space through community-driven design. Serving as both an archival record and post-exhibition catalog of the fourth cycle of Exhibit Columbus, this book showcases how art, architecture, and collaboration can transform downtowns into vibrant, equitable, and joyful places. Order your copy today from our online Shop.
Project
Announcing Atlas of Bartholomew Culture
The Atlas of Bartholomew Culture (ABC) is a digital tool that brings together new and existing resources to help residents, stakeholders, and decision-makers navigate the histories, stories, and contexts of culturally significant places across Bartholomew County. Increasing access to this type of information on a single platform will tell the stories of the buildings and places that make Columbus special, and help members of our community understand their value and the important place they have in Columbus’ future.
Project
Announcing Monumental Gestures
An Indianapolis-based project under the Columbus Design Institute program arm, Monumental Gestures transforms public spaces through ambitious art experiences that invite conversation, amplify voices, and celebrate histories.
We’ve launched a new Instagram account to document all that we’re doing in addition to our most visible program, @exhibitcolumbus. Please like, share, and contribute.
Two special acknowledgements: to Landmark Columbus Foundation photographer, Hadley Fruits, and his fifteen year documentation of Columbus, Indiana.
