Exhibit Columbus Announces Design Presentations, Participants Will Present Concepts for Fall 2025 Exhibition
The free, two-day event explores the connection between performing arts and the built environment, leading up to the 5th Exhibit Columbus Exhibition.
Columbus, Indiana — Exhibit Columbus announces its second major event of the 2024–25 cycle Yes And, the 2025 Design Presentations, on February 21 and 22 in downtown Columbus.
Both days will feature special guests exploring the curatorial theme, Yes And. Originating in improv theater, Yes And is a technique for affirming and building upon an idea to create a shared narrative. Highlighting this theme, the Design Presentations will kick off with a free Variety Show on Friday evening, February 21, at The Commons (300 Washington Street).
The Friday night Variety Show will feature a headlining performance by the acclaimed turntablist duo Da Odd Couple—comprised of DJ Rob Swift and Mista Sinista—recognized internationally for their innovative artistry and dynamic live sets. In addition, the event will showcase a diverse lineup of acts and performers, including the sword-wielding belly dancer Liah Mazz, comedian Daryl Holenquest, musician Allie Burbrink, magician Adam Schill, and the acclaimed jazz ensemble Premium Blend.
The Variety Show is an opportunity to experience the vibrant energy and creativity of Exhibit Columbus as an exploration of community, art, architecture, and design. Attendees can look forward to an evening that showcases artistic expression, cultural exchange, and a shared sense of belonging.
On Saturday, February 22, at Columbus City Hall (123 Washington Street), the public is invited to preview the design concepts of thirteen site-specific installations built for the exhibition, which will open in August of this year. The event will feature compelling presentations by four J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize Recipients, six University Design Research Fellowship teams, the High School Design Team, Communication Designer, and BCSC STEM5th and 6th graders. The event welcomes, encourages, and expects audience and community engagement with various opportunities to provide live feedback.
Doors for the event will open at 8:15 am, and refreshments by Lucabe Coffee Co. will be served. The presentations will begin at 8:30 am, kicking off with Yes And Communication Designers, Sing-Sing, a collaborative duo from Los Angeles whose work combines spatial design and videography to tell immersive and impactful stories. Sing-Sing’s Adi Goodrich and Sean Pecknold will present signage concepts that will express a look and feel for the 2025 Exhibition, including additional opportunities to experience the exhibition in physical and audio-visual ways. All presentations will allow time for community feedback.
“We’ve enjoyed supporting each participant through the community engagement and design process. Their enthusiasm, creativity, and thoughtfulness have truly embraced the spirit of Yes And. With each site, the designers have displayed a level of intentionality unmatched in other exhibitions,” said the seven curatorial partners, Could Be Design (Architects, Chicago and Urbana-Champaign, Illinois), Mila Lipinski (Architectural Associate, Jackson, Mississippi), Rasul Mowatt (Writer and Educator, Raleigh, North Carolina), Preservation Futures (Preservationists, Architect, and Historian, Chicago, Illinois), and Too Black (Artist and Poet, Indianapolis, Indiana).
“The Design Presentations offer an ideal ‘Yes And’ moment for the participants and attendees, where we can all share thoughts and ideas at this crucial moment to create something remarkable. As a curatorial team and fans of Columbus’s people and architecture, we look forward to the participants showing the community and a broader audience their proposed designs for this cycle of Exhibit Columbus.”
Following Communication Design will be a series of presentations from J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize Recipients and University Design Research Fellowship teams. Toward the very end of the day, the High School Design Team will present. See the full schedule below.
“This is a rare moment to experience the creative process up close and personal,” said Richard McCoy, Executive Director of Landmark Columbus Foundation, the organization that produces Exhibit Columbus. “If you’re interested in how community-based design can improve our cities, there’s no better event than this one.”
Yes And The Variety Show
Friday, February 21, 2025
Location: The Commons
Time: 7 – 10 pm
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Cash bar provided by Upland Brewing Co.
Snacks for purchase by the Columbus East High School and Columbus North High School Multicultural Clubs
7 pm–8:50 pm Act I YES!
With performances by Liah Mazz (Belly Dance Performer), Daryl Holenquest(Comedian), Josh Hogan (Comedian), Allie Burbrink (Folk Musician and Clogger), and Premium Blend (Jazz Quartet) – plus more!
9 pm–10 pm Act II AND!
With a turntable performance by Da Odd Couple, comprised of Mista Sinstaand DJ Rob Swift.
Yes And 2025 Design Presentations
Saturday, February 22, 2025
Location: City Hall
8:30 am – 4:30 pm
8:15 am Coffee + Socialize
8:30 am Opening Remarks
8:45 am Sing-Sing (Communication Design)
9:15 am AD—WO (Miller Prize)
9:45 am Chandler Ahrens, Kelley Van Dyke Murphy, and Constance Vale (UDRF)
10:15 am Break
10:30 am Akima Brackeen (UDRF)
11:00 am Suzanne Lettieri and Michael Jefferson (UDRF)
11:30 am Studio Cooke John (Miller Prize)
Noon Lunch Break
1:00 pm Studio Barnes (Miller Prize)
1:30 pm César Lopez, Jess Myers, Amelyn Ng, Germán Pallares-Avita (UDRF)
2:00 pm Aleksandr Mergold, Aaron Fu, and Andrew Goldstein (UDRF)
2:30 pm Break
2:45 pm Sarah Aziz (UDRF)
3:15 pm High School Design Team
3:45 pm Adaptive Operations (Miller Prize)
4:15 pm Closing Remarks
Communication Design
Sing-Sing (Los Angeles, California)
About Exhibit Columbus Participants
J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize Recipients
Adaptive Operations (Chicago, Illinois) Site: The Crump Theatre
AD—WO (New York, New York) Site: The Former Irwin Block Building
Studio Barnes (Miami, Florida) Site: Jackson Street Parking Garage
Studio Cooke John (New York, New York) Site: First Christian Church
University Design Research Fellows
Chandler Ahrens, Constance Vale, and Kelley Van Dyck Murphy (St. Louis, Missouri) Washington University in St. Louis College of Architecture Sam Fox School, Site: Bartholomew County Public Library Plaza
Sarah Aziz (Albuquerque, New Mexico) University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning, Site: In progress
Akima Brackeen (Chicago, Illinois) University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Architecture, Site: Bartholomew County Public Library plaza
Andrew Fu (Brooklyn, New York), Aaron Goldstein (Berkley, California), Aleksandr Mergold (Ithaca, New York), New Jersey Institute of Technology Hillier College of Architecture and Design, Site: Bartholomew County Historical Society
Michael Jefferson and Suzanne Lettieri (Ithaca, New York) Cornell University School of Architecture, Site: Ovation Plaza
César Lopez (Charlottesville, Virginia) University of Virginia School of Architecture, Jess Myers (New York City, New York) Columbia University GSAPP, Amelyn Ng (Providence, Rhode Island) Rhode Island School of Design, Germán Pallares-Avitia (Syracuse, New York) Syracuse University School of Architecture, Site: Central Middle School
Communication Design
Sing-Sing (Los Angeles, California)
High School Design Team
Students from across Bartholomew County
Darin Johnson, BCSC C4 Instructor
Spencer Steenblik, HSDT Coordinator, Indiana University Sidney and Lois Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design
Site: Indiana University Sidney and Lois Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design
Bartholomew County School Corporation STEM
Davida Harden, 5th and 6th grade
Media Contact
Jamie Goldsborough
jamie@landmarkcolumbus.org
About Exhibit Columbus
Exhibit Columbus is a program of Landmark Columbus Foundation and an exploration of community, architecture, art, and design that activates the modern legacy of Columbus, Indiana. It creates a cycle of programming that uses this context to convene conversations around innovative ideas and commissions site-responsive installations in a free, public exhibition. exhibitcolumbus.org
