Exhibit Columbus
Exhibit Columbus is a biennial public design program in Columbus, Indiana, now in its tenth year. Each cycle commissions site-responsive installations by international architects, designers, and artists, and convenes national conversations about how design and the built environment strengthen civic life.
In 2026, Exhibit Columbus enters a Fieldwork year: caring for existing installations, conducting ten-year anniversary research, and preparing for the next cycle.
Two-Year Cycle of Events
Symposium
The Symposium places Columbus’ civic record in a global context, convening professionals, community leaders, and national peers to examine what design excellence produces over time. It is the intellectual anchor of each Exhibit Columbus cycle.
Design Presentations
The Design Presentations build excitement for the Exhibition and provide an opportunity for our community to experience the design process first-hand. In an open and public format, participants present their installation concepts for the upcoming exhibition and receive community feedback.
Exhibition
The Exhibition features site-responsive installations created by architects, designers, artists, and academics commissioned through a competitive process. Each installation uses Columbus’s civic heritage as context, demonstrating how design excellence can be tested in public and evaluated against the communities it serves.