One Happy Thing Cbus

CAPA and the Greater Columbus Arts Council (Arts Council) have partnered to launch #ArtUnitesCbus, an initiative to employ Columbus-based visual artists to paint murals on the plywood installed over the broken windows at the Ohio Theatre (39 East State Street) and Arts Council office (182 East Long Street). The selected artists are a diverse group of visual artists living and working in Columbus and are being paid for their work on the murals. The installations are already underway and are expected to be completed by the end of the week.

“Our city and our nation must address the serious issues of inequality and injustice that continue to plague our society. While these murals don’t solve those issues, this is an opportunity to spark hope and light in our community while we work toward much needed change,” stated CAPA President and CEO Chad Whittington. “The arts bring the community together and this is our way of doing that while the Ohio Theatre is closed and under repair.”

“#ArtUnitesCbus is just one small way the arts community is trying to help. These murals are not the answer, simply a message that we ALL can, and must, help heal our community,” said Tom Katzenmeyer, President & CEO of the Arts Council. “I’d like to call on Columbus businesses with boarded storefronts to consider hiring artists to paint messages of healing and unity. We can help you connect with these talented creatives, just reach out to grants@gcac.org.”

Artists to be exhibited at the Ohio Theatre:

Cynthia Amoah
Adam Brouilette
Duarte Brown
Mandy Caskey
Laurie Clements
Dionne Custer Edwards
Barbara Fant
Andy Graham (@wearefinite)
Bahirah Malik
Nafisah Malik
Lisa McLymont
Francesca Miller
Stephanie Rond
Shelbi Harris Roseboro
Tyiesha Radford Shorts
Brendan Spivey
April Sunami
Allen Watkins (amwprints)
Jen Wrubleski (@wrubles)
Wil Wong Yee

Artists to be exhibited at the Arts Council offices:

Bryant Anthony – aka Bee1ne
Hakim Callwood
Felicia Dunson
Katie Golonka
Briston Harris
Katerina Harris
Shelbi Harris Roseboro
Adam Hernandez
Kayneisha Holloway
Andrew Lundberg
Bryan Moss
Ariel Peguero – aka APEG
AJ Vanderelli

Visit www.capa.com to learn more.

(Repost from the Columbus Dispatch)

By Nancy Gilson For The Columbus Dispatch

Habiba Bankston, a fellow Leadership Columbus 2020 classmate and philanthropy leader at L Brands, shared her thoughts with the 68 members of the Best Class Ever in reflection after the death of George Floyd.

Her words are too valuable to leave there, but to share them is to help us move forward.

To the best class ever,

Through Leadership Columbus we have experienced so much together. We’ve made new connections, learned so much about ourselves and what it means to lead in our community. As my fellow leaders, I want to share my heart with you.

It has been a long week as we all watched the world shift. I’ve spent the last few days giving myself permission to feel every emotion, to cry and to take in all that has happened recently. From Christian Cooper who innocently bird watched in Central Park, the Ahmaud Arbery shooting death in Georgia, Breonna Taylor’s assassination inside her Louisville home and the Minneapolis murder of George Floyd, black people in America are running on fumes. We’re tired, angry, confused and yet, this space is familiar to us. This place of torment and trauma has become a home of sorts.

As I wiped my tears this weekend, I asked myself as a black woman and as a leader in this community – what can I do?

I’m reminded of the powerful words Franklin County Commissioner Marilyn Brown shared during our last program day on community trusteeship – “If everyone isn’t doing well, no one is doing well.”

Like Commissioner Brown, we heard from so many other leaders from different sectors who encouraged us to be bold, to take risks, to be vulnerable, fearless, empathetic, courageous, compassionate and collaborative. As the best class ever, we have an opportunity to REIMAGINE THE COLUMBUS WAY.  

This unparalleled moment in our history has reinforced that every person is precious and deserving of equal dignity, respect and treatment. Across many U.S. communities, horrifying incidents and monumental protests and civil unrest sweeping our nation, remind us of the ugliness of racism that continues to infect our world and plague our society. During this time of social unrest and global pandemic, the complexities of the emotions around us and in us need a true north. That true north is our leadership!

I serve on the Young Professionals Executive Leadership Board for the National Urban League and as protests erupted in cities across the nation, young leaders reached out for guidance as they worked to mobilize in their own communities. I shared with them – “there is so much work to be done, but you must focus on leading from where you are”. As I share these words with young leaders across this country, I would be remiss if I didn’t share it with my peers and leaders from all sectors in my own community. All of us may not feel comfortable protesting in the streets, but we all have a voice and the power to influence and play a role in moving the needle forward together towards progress.

I encourage each of you to LEAD FROM WHERE YOU ARE! From the dining rooms where you sit with your families, to the board rooms where you lead and make decisions on behalf of the companies you work for and lead.

We Are Not the Future, We Are Now!

With Love & Leadership,

Habiba K. Bankston

Columbus business owners, Cayenne Levorse of Pepper Pod Art and Jay Bennett of Drank Tank, partnered to bring art and coffee to Columbus neighbors with a surprise social distancing pop-up event over Memorial Day Weekend!

Photo by Adam Cairns/Dispatch

11-year-old decided to challenge her mail carrier to a game of tic-tac-toe and left a hand-drawn board in her family’s Hilliard mailbox.

Your move – read the full Columbus Dispatch story HERE.

Jeni Britton Bauer, of Jeni’s Ice Cream, has a mission that makes us smile – to shed light on Mental Health Awareness month with a limited release of a new flavor called Sunshine. What may immediately come to mind is the rainbow sherbet so many of us grew up on in the hot summer months, but what you’ll actually find when you open up your pint is a delicious shade of grey ice cream that may look a little dull but tastes like a ray of sunshine on your tongue.

A reminder to all that when gray clouds roll in and things feel heavy to not to lose hope, because the sun will always, ALWAYS shine again.

Find out more info about Jen’s new flavor, SUNSHINE.

If you or anyone you know needs emotional support, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness website or call the toll-free COVID CARLINE at 1-800-720-9616.

On May 16th, the original Race for the Cure date, Komen Columbus brought together their community to celebrate the history of this event and honor patients and survivors with the first-ever Rally for the Race, a virtual event and community to show spirit for the mission to end breast cancer forever. The Rally For The Race community showed their spirit all week long during Power in Pink Week, and enjoyed a socially distanced Hope Parade to celebrate survivors!

Photo by Walker Evans

‘As part of our LyftUp efforts nationwide, the program will provide free 30-minute CoGo rides to Columbus residents working on the frontlines against COVID-19,” says Caroline Samponaro, Head of Micromobility Policy at Lyft. Healthcare employers looking to enroll staff in the program, as well as employees hoping to sign up, can email herobikes@lyft.com for more information.

Read more here.

While searching for Columbus’ helpers, we found that they come in many different shapes and sizes. And this month, we are telling as many of their stories as we can. These are the stories of the innovators taking the resources they have and finding a way to make the most of it. They are helping those out in need, whether that be restaurant servers or EMT workers.

Photo by Brian Kaiser

Read more here:

https://614now.com/2020/community/meet-the-innovators-feeding-those-in-need-and-sanitizing-columbus#disqus_thread

Over the past several weeks, we’ve seen lots of companies doing their part to help those putting others before themselves every day.

And now, McDonald’s is stepping up to support our first responders.

Find out more here: https://www.nbc4i.com/daytime-columbus/free-thank-you-meals-for-first-responders-thru-may-5/