Celebrate Arts & Humanities Month in Ohio in October
by Elizabeth Weinstein

Governor John Kasich has issued a proclamation declaring October Arts & Humanities Month in Ohio.

"I hereby recognize October 2013 as Arts & Humanities Month throughout Ohio and encourage the residents of Ohio to celebrate and promote the arts and culture in our state," proclaimed Governor Kasich.

The Ohio Arts Council (OAC) and Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board will kick off the month-long National Arts & Humanities Month (NAHM) celebration in the Ohio Statehouse Atrium on Monday, October 7 from noon to 1 p.m. Following a reading of Governor Kasich's proclamation, celebrate Ohio music with a performance by Mo' Mojo, a popular, high energy, Zydeco-based "Party-Gras" band from Akron, featuring Cajun accordion, fiddle, guitar, bass, drums, rubboard/sax, percussion and vocals. Mo' Mojo is featured in the OAC's Ohio Artists on Tour directory.

Every Wednesday in October, beginning October 2 at noon, visitors to the Statehouse can take a special one-hour art tour highlighting the People's Art Collection. Depicting the hopes, dreams, values and aspirations of Ohioans, the collection commemorates Ohio's accomplishments and struggles. The tour will include the governors' portrait collection, the impressive artwork in the Rotunda and other paintings and sculptures throughout the Capitol Square complex. Tours will depart at noon from the Map Room on the ground floor of the Statehouse, easily accessible from the Third Street entrance. Oil painter and arts educator Ron Anderson will lead a special tour of his portraits on Friday, October 4, at 11:00 a.m. and Leslie Adams, a portrait artist and painter, will talk about her portraits during a special tour on Thursday, October 24 at noon.

For visual art lovers, the Poetics of Pattern exhibition will be on display at the OAC's Riffe Gallery in the Vern Riffe Center until October 6. For more information, visit www.riffegallery.org.

On Wednesday, October 16 at noon, our celebration continues at the Riffe Gallery Lobby with readings by notable Ohio poets Amy Greenberg, Susan Hendrickson, Terry Hermsen and Hannah Stephenson. The event is free and open to the public.

Downtown Columbus is just one place where Ohioans can discover and explore the arts during NAHM. To discover the rich variety of arts and cultural activities going on throughout Ohio, visit ArtsinOhio.com. The OAC also encourages arts organizations to schedule events in coordination with NAHM and to use ArtsinOhio.com to promote them. Organizations can register online for free and post their events to the website.

Ohio Arts & Humanities Month events are organized by the Ohio Arts Council and the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board.

NAHM is coordinated by Americans for the Arts, the national organization working to promote and support the arts in America. NAHM has been celebrated since 1993 as a national recognition of the importance of culture in the U.S. and to encourage all Americans to explore the arts and humanities and begin life-long participation in the arts. For more information or for suggestions on how to celebrate the arts, visit the OAC website.

About the Ohio Arts Council:
The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.

About the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board:
The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board is responsible for maintaining the historic character of the Statehouse and Capitol Square while providing for the health, safety and convenience of those who work in or visit the complex.

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