Exhibit Columbus Opens Yes AndExhibition to Enthusiastic Crowds, Showcasing 13 Bold New Installations
Columbus, Indiana — Following a packed set of Opening Weekend events that drew a record-setting crowd to downtown Columbus, today Landmark Columbus Foundation announces that the Exhibit Columbus 2025 Exhibition, Yes And, is now open and on view through November 30, 2025. The free exhibition features thirteen outdoor installations created by leading architects, artists, educators, and local students in partnership with community organizations. Inspired by the theme Yes And, drawn from improvisational theater, the projects affirm the city’s art and architecture legacy and imagine new possibilities for public space.
“Walking the exhibition on Saturday morning with over 400 people from around the country was one of the most inspiring moments in the history of Exhibit Columbus,” said Richard McCoy, Executive Director of Landmark Columbus Foundation. “The participants, curators, community partners, and volunteers who helped produce this two-year cycle created an exhibition that shines equally as an artistic achievement as a community-loved one.”
The 13 Installations in the 2025 Exhibition, Yes And, are:
Communication Design
Exhibit Columbus presents an innovative approach to graphic design, wayfinding, and environmental design through Communication Design. The Communication Designer creates a visual expression and narrative that develops over the two-year cycle of events.
Motions by Sing-Sing
Los Angeles, California
The Los Angeles‑based studio Sing‑Sing developed the exhibition’s graphic identity and wayfinding signage, animated videos, and a suite of publications that capture the spirit of Yes And. These dynamic outputs combine playful shapes, colors, animations, and music scores to illustrate each installation in a variety of inspiring ways. By keeping the graphics in constant motion, their work invites visitors to embrace change and participate in an evolving creative dialogue. View all animations, directed by Sean Pecknold of Sing-Sing, at this YouTube playlist. View the animated Motions video on YouTube here.
J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize Recipients
The J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize honors two great patrons of community, architecture, art, and design. J. Irwin Miller was a community leader in Columbus with a national reputation in business and activism. Irwin and his wife, Xenia, helped bring twentieth-century architectural masterpieces to Columbus through public-private coalitions. The Miller Prize brings architectural excellence fostered by the Millers into dialogue with the best of twenty-first-century art and design, making it relevant to new audiences. This cycle’s four J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize Recipients created installations that embrace history and transformation at a critical moment in Columbus.
Accessing Nostalgia by Adaptive Operations
Chicago, Illinois
At the 136‑year‑old Crump Theatre, the Chicago-based Adaptive Operations created a new structure on the east side of the building, revealing layers of the building that point to its evolving history while creating new possibilities for experiences at this building as it begins to embark on an ambitious effort to bring it back to life. On the front facade are 130 silhouettes of Columbus residents who helped care for the building over the years; they are arranged to resemble a window, a feature that was part of the building in the early 20th century. Near the stage, up in one of the historic “opera boxes,” is an intimate area to dig deeper into the meaning of places with complex and evolving histories. View the animated Accessing Nostalgia video on YouTube here.
Ellipsis by AD—WO
Brooklyn, New York
On the former site of the Irwin Block, one of the city’s most beloved Victorian-style buildings, which burned in December of 2022, the New York-based AD—WO built an elliptical park with a bamboo canopy that subtly and symbolically excavates omitted Black and Indigenous histories. With hundreds of native grasses and flowers, the space has been transformed into a quiet place in downtown. Complete with limestone benches recovered from the remains of other demolished buildings, Ellipsis is set to host visitors for various uses and even gatherings to reconstruct histories erased from modern records. View the animated Ellipsis video on YouTube here.
Joy Riding by Studio Barnes
Miami, Florida
Transforming the Jackson Street Parking Garage, the Miami-based Studio Barnes celebrates Black car culture by installing a “Transformer‑like” sound system reminiscent of mid‑century modern furniture on the northeast corner of the roof. The sculptural speakers produce deep basslines central to car‑culture rituals, turning the garage into a venue for music and civic joy. With its Bluetooth capabilities, visitors can connect with the system and enjoy their music overlooking the city. View the animated Joy Riding video on YouTube here.
Lift by Studio Cooke John
Brooklyn, New York
At First Christian Church, the New York-based Studio Cooke John uses a gridded metal platform and soaring fabric forms to invite everyone into Eliel Saarinen’s sunken courtyard. The fabric extends upward like kites, drawing passersby from 5th Street, the Avenue of the Architects, and connecting sacred and civic spaces. Visitors are encouraged to wander through the structured spaces of contemplation, whimsy, and reflection. View the animated Lift video on YouTube here.
University Design Research Fellowship Installations
The University Design Research Fellowship (UDRF) recognizes full-time university professors whose work is deeply rooted in design research. For this cycle, Exhibit Columbus launched a national open call for UDRFellows. From sixty application submissions, the Curatorial Partners selected six UDRF teams. Each team is partnered with a Columbus-based organization and assigned a site where they will create an installation rooted in their research and connected to a partner in the community. The work by UDRFellows explores memory, identity, and play.
Inside Out by Chandler Ahrens, Constance Vale & Kelley Van Dyck Murphy
Washington University in St. Louis College of Architecture Sam Fox School
Drawing inspiration from Alexander Girard’s dollhouse next to the famous conversation pit at the Miller House and Garden (Eero Saarinen, 1957), this multi‑story installation flips Columbus’ architecture “inside out” to reveal more than a dozen interior spaces. New dolls designed by local youth animate the interiors, while a surrounding set of platforms allows visitors to climb and view the upper levels. By revealing the city’s hidden interiors, the piece invites visitors to weave their own stories of Columbus’ architectural legacy. View the animated Inside Out video on YouTube here.
A View of the World from Indiana by Sarah Aziz
University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning
Located at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church (Gunnar Birkerts, 1988), Sarah Aziz assembled twelve “bathtub Madonna” shrines, each containing a wooden figure carved to resemble a notable architect born in a Midwestern state. The figures were created by Steven Carner of New Harmony, Indiana. The handmade elements surrounding the figures were decorated with colorful stones, glass, and seashells, creating a memorable experience. A banner proclaiming “NOTHING TO SEE HERE” was suspended 100 feet across the street. View the animated A View of the World from Indiana video on YouTube here.
A special note on A View of the World from Indiana: This installation was only on view during Opening Weekend. Exhibit Columbus values and elevates quality in design and artistic practice in and for Columbus and as a model and resource for other communities. A View of the World from Indiana was removed due to Sarah Aziz's late and unapproved changes to the concept and its resulting on-site execution. As installed, the work did not meet Exhibit Columbus's high standards. The decision to remove the work was made to uphold the integrity and caliber of the program and out of respect for the community partner hosting it. Aziz controls all of the work's components, and we look forward to the possibility of it being exhibited again elsewhere.
Pool/Side by Akima Brackeen
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Situated at the Cleo Rogers Memorial Library plaza (I.M. Pei, 1969) Pool/Side reinterprets modernist elements like reflection pools, sunken courtyards, and conversation pits. A shallow pool and elevated seating platform create space for gathering, play, and reflection. Reclaiming these typologies through inclusivity and historical acknowledgment, the installation challenges visitors to reconsider what makes public space welcoming while enjoying a new view of one of America’s most celebrated plazas. View the animated Pool/Side video on YouTube here.
The Steel Horsie by Andrew Fu, Aaron Goldstein, and Aleksandr Mergold
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Located at the Bartholomew County Historical Society, this installation resembles both a train trestle and a giant draught horse. Constructed from scrap metal, city signposts, and remnants of the recently restored First Christian Church tower, the Steel Horsie evokes Columbus’s transformation from rail and horsepower to today’s car‑centric landscape. Hay bales and stripped outlines mark vanished railroad buildings, while an exhibition in the nearby carriage house creates a photographic exploration of the past. View the animated The Steel Horsie video on YouTube here.
Apart, Together by Michael Jefferson and Suzanne Lettieri
Cornell University School of Architecture
Enclosing Ovation Plaza, this urban cinema screen comprises panels of different colors that can be chroma‑keyed for digital content. The hybrid physical‑digital installation hosts supports a custom web app that streams feature films and community‑generated content. The project celebrates the diverse interests of Columbus residents and demonstrates how technology can foster togetherness. View the animated Apart, Together video on YouTube here.
PUBLIC/SCHOOL/GROUNDS by César Lopez, Jess Myers, Amelyn Ng and Germán Pallares‑Avitia
Installed between Central Middle School and CSA Lincoln Elementary, and across the street from St. Peter’s Lutheran School, this outdoor classroom uses colorful hard, soft and furry platforms to break the front‑and‑back hierarchy of traditional classrooms. Inspired by Columbus’ modernist school roofs, it provides nooks for students to learn at varying heights and encourages self‑directed exploration. View the animated PUBLIC/SCHOOL/GROUNDS video on YouTube here.
Community-led installations celebrate learning and communication
Two Community-led installations celebrate learning and communication throughout the county and across many levels of education.
Valence by Design Education Team by Indiana University & C4 high‑school students
At the J. Irwin Miller Architecture Program, high‑school and university students collaborated with Indiana University professor Spencer Steenblik to create Valence, a modular pavilion inspired by chemical bonding. Using a custom “Xylode” joint system. The project pairs university students and high‑schoolers to nurture hands‑on learning and foster community connections. View the animated Valence video on YouTube here.
Our Reimagined City by 5th and 6th-grade Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation STEM students
Thirty-five miniature installations designed by fifth-grade STEM students in Bartholomew County answer the question “How could your favorite Columbus building be re‑envisioned for the future?” These models, displayed in eight downtown windows, bring new perspectives on the future of downtown. The STEM program fosters critical thinking and problem‑solving skills, giving young learners a voice in the city’s design conversation. View the animated Our Reimagined City video on YouTube here.
A season of events and community involvement
The opening weekend featured record-setting attendance at the weekend events: a rooftop happy hour, a walking tour guided by the designers, a day of installation activations, and a public screening of Sing-Sing’s 13 animated videos with an award presentation for all participants.
Beyond opening weekend, Columbus’ calendar is packed with cultural programming: Next Generation Day, Rock the Block, and Columbus Pride on September 6; Miller Prize Conversations throughout the fall; Fiesta Latina; the Scottish Festival; Progressive Preservation lectures; YES Design–AND Research: The 2025 University Design Research Fellowship Colloquium; and the Ethnic Expo. The Columbus Area Arts Council is hosting the Alexander Girard, Reverberations—Forever exhibition curated by Rick Valicenti and Suzie Shin. The Columbus Area Visitors Center is showcasing the exhibition Cheap Opulence by Sara Yourist and Ana Meza. The Bartholomew County Historical Society is displaying a tribute to 10 years of Exhibit Columbus and is set to open an exhibition titled Rivers, Rails, and Roads. These events ensure the best fall ever for art, design, and heritage enthusiasts.
The exhibition remains free and open to the public through November 30, offering locals and visitors an opportunity to experience world‑class art and architecture in a vibrant community setting.
For more information, including maps, programming, and event registration, visit exhibitcolumbus.org. For press: Here is a link to download photography. Photo credits are: Hadley Fruits for Landmark Columbus Foundation.
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
