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All Riffe Gallery events are free and open to the public

Posted February 9, 2010 at 12:00 p.m. Given the poor weather conditions, please call the gallery's general information line for updates on our hours before heading out for a visit on Tuesday, February 9 and Wednesday, February 10, 614/644-9624.

Now on View

image of Behind the Tents by Clarence Holbrook Carter, 1936

February 4 – April 21, 2010
Sawdust and Spectacle: Under the Big Top in Small Town America
Curated by Sara Johnson, Director, Southern Ohio Museum

Tracing the rise and fall of the traveling circus through small town America, especially in the early 20th century, this exhibit features important imagery from Portsmouth native Clarence Carter and other major Ohio Artists of the last century, as well as vintage circus posters and banners, toys, documentary photographs from the Ackerman Collection, the Carter Archives and other public and private Ohio collections, and an exquisite set of 13 circus dioramas by the son of a lion tamer.

Image credit: Clarence Holbrook Carter, Behind the Tents, 1936

The Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery will also hold a Family Day Workshop Sunday, February 21, 2010 from 2 – 4 p.m. Local artist Helma Groot will help children ages 6-17 construct circus mobiles using plywood templates of clowns, horses, elephants, dancers, lions and more! Participants will decorate the circus-themed shapes with paint, glue, glitter, paper and other festive supplies. Once shapes have been decorated, participants will construct them into a mobile, and take home their own kinetic sculpture. Registration is required as space is limited and all children must be accompanied by a registered adult. Registration begins February 4 and ends February 18, 2010 online at www.riffegallery.org.

Coming Soon

May 6 – July 11, 2010
The I of TEXT

Curated by Liz Maugans, The I of TEXT the exhibition features the work of 16 Ohio artists who use words as the driving force to create an experience around the myriad associations and meanings of text. The artists focus on the ways that the meaning of text and our interaction with it are transformed by current events, technology, socioeconomic status and race.

Image credit: Jeff Chiplis, Out of this Nap?, 2008

The Ohio Arts Council's Riffe Gallery showcases the work of Ohio’s artists and the collections of the state’s museums and galleries. The Riffe Gallery is located in the Vern Riffe Center for the Government and the Arts, across from the Statehouse on High Street in Downtown Columbus.

Due to state regulations refreshments cannot be provided by the Riffe Gallery.


Visiting the Gallery
Gallery Hours Tuesday 10 – 4 p.m. Wednesday and Friday 10 – 5:30 p.m. Thursday 10 – 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday noon – 4 p.m. Closed Mondays and state holidays. During Quilt National '09 the gallery will also be closed December 24 and closing at 5:30 p.m. on December 31.
Admission is free. For information or to schedule a tour call the Riffe Gallery at 614/644-9624 or e-mail Mary Gray, gallery director.

Directions/Parking

Would you like to be on our e-mail list? We will send out announcements about upcoming Riffe Gallery exhibitions and events. Easy online sign up.

SpotlightRiffeGallery.org is a Web site produced in partnership with Ohio Government Telecommunications to showcase images, videos and artist interviews from current and past Riffe Gallery exhibitions.

The Riffe Gallery's mailing address is 77 S. High Street, Columbus OH 43215.

View the Riffe Gallery's 30-second public service announcement (QuickTime required).

The Riffe Gallery is supported by Ohio Building Authority

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The Ohio Arts Council (OAC) has adopted a new regional structure to provide support for organizational applicants to OAC funding programs. The structure is based on the Ohio Department of Development�s 12 Economic Development regions.