The Reimagining Columbus project.
This project, which will develop recommendations for the Christopher Columbus statue removed from City Hall’s campus in 2020, will convene Central Ohio residents for education and conversations about how our shared history and values should be reflected through public art, monuments and symbols. A diverse, representative team of professionals who are experts in design, history, public engagement and cultural inclusion has been assembled to lead the community through this two-year project.
The City of Columbus has also committed to create new public art and commemorative spaces that reflect the city’s collective history, values, and aspirations.
Funding Partner | Mellon Foundation
This City-led, community-driven project is funded by the Mellon Foundation’s Monuments Project, a multi-year commitment aimed at transforming the nation’s commemorative landscape to ensure our collective histories are more completely and accurately represented.
In June of 2023, the Mellon Foundation’s Monuments Project awarded a $2 million grant to the Columbus Department of Development for the Reimagining Columbus Project. The City of Columbus has committed $1.5 million to fund public art that will come as a result of this project.
The Reimagining Columbus Project Team
Led by a team of historians, indigenous architects and designers, and diversity and inclusion advisors, the project will use conventional and restorative practices to support the sharing of personal narratives from Columbus residents to create places and symbols in which they see themselves.
Team Roles
Cultural Competency Committee
Will act as an internal sounding board and review committee for all content generated for this project.
Community Engagement Team
Will develop and facilitate engagement experiences for the general public.
Design Team
Will use engagement content to generate designs for the potential new space that allows the public to physically interact and understand difficult histories.
Project Management Team
Will ensure the team is on task and on schedule to reach the grant goals as well as interface with the City of Columbus.
Documentation Team
Will document the process through video and photo.
Timeline
Reimagining Columbus is a multi-year, multi-phase project. A tentative schedule is below.
Project Establishment:
Jun ‘23 - Aug ‘23
Historic Research:
Sept ‘23 - Jan ‘24
Community Engagement
Feb ‘24 - May ‘24
Visioning:
Jun ‘24 - Sep ‘24
Community Review:
Jan ‘25 - Jun ‘25
Conceptual Design:
Sept ‘24 - Dec ‘24
Final Design:
Apr ‘25 - Jun ‘25
FAQs
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Through a $2 million grant from the Mellon Foundation’s Monuments Project, we have an opportunity to reckon with symbols of our city’s namesake, Christopher Columbus, and create a more inclusive public art landscape. This will allow us all an opportunity to uncover and share our fuller, more complex story.
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The Monuments Project is an unprecedented commitment by the Mellon Foundation to transform the nation’s commemorative landscape by supporting public projects that more completely and accurately represent the multiplicity and complexity of American stories. By joining the Monuments Project, Columbus joins an effort by cities and organizations nationwide to grapple with difficult history and uplift the stories of people who haven’t been represented in our symbolic landscape.
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This process will include work with historians to research and understand Christopher Columbus’ legacy and the impacts of colonialism. We’ll then convene significant community engagement to encourage the sharing of personal histories and lived experiences associated with the Christopher Columbus statue. The City of Columbus will also invest $1.5 million in new public art on the City Hall campus that reflects who we are as a city today. Along the way, we’ll document what we’ve learned, so other cities grappling with difficult history may learn from our journey.
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The statue will not be reinstalled at City Hall; community engagement will influence the design and location of this new public space.
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