PUBLIC ART FOR COLUMBUS HILLTOP

The Westside of Columbus has a new place to honor its history with the dedication last month of Sullivant Plaza, a project funded by the Ohio Percent for Art Program, administered by the Ohio Arts Council.

The Ohio Department of Transportation and the Ohio Department of Public Safety wanted to be good neighbors in the community near their new offices. They selected artists Howard and Kathleen Meehan of Santa Fe, New Mexico, to develop plans for a site between two new state buildings on West Broad Street, west of I-70. The Meehans created a place for concerts that allows people to interact with others and look out over downtown Columbus. People in the community are encouraged to visit the space.

A timeline of the community's history is etched into bricks on the plaza. It includes early American life, the Civil War, the National Road, Franklinton founder Lucas B. Sullivant, the Central Ohio Psychiatric Hospital and the Ohio Departments of Transportation and Public Safety. On a granite path, quotations from community members recall what it was like to grow up in the Hilltop area.

At the September dedication of the plaza, State Representative Priscilla Mead said, "The power of art is that it connects our beginnings to this moment in time and understanding. Ohio should be very proud of this accomplishment."

Architectural elements rescued by the Hilltop Historical Society from demolition of the Central Ohio Psychiatric Hospital have been donated to the project by the Greater Hilltop Community Development Corp. Historical items include arches, fireplace screens and porch columns. A water fountain representing the glacier that created the hilly area is included in the plaza.

For more information about the Ohio Percent for Art Program contact Irene Finck at 614/466-2613.

In October, communities statewide will join the Ohio Arts Council in celebrating National Arts and Humanities Month.

For the sixth year, mayors and governors from across America will join President Clinton in proclaiming October National Arts and Humanities Month, hailing the arts and humanities as vital to the well being of families, communities and the nation.

National Arts and Humanities Month, a celebration of culture in America sponsored by Americans for the Arts, is an opportunity to honor the role of the arts and humanities in Ohio.