City of Columbus

City of Columbus Installs Significant Public Sculpture in the Short North Arts District

Public invited to August 7 dedication events for "The Makers Monument" by Ohio Native Mark Reigelman

COLUMBUS, Ohio (June 21, 2021) -- Beginning June 22, the Short North Arts District will be home to the most significant public art installation in the City of Columbus’ history called "The Makers Monument." "The Makers Monument" is a new sculpture installation by Ohio-born and New York-based artist Mark Reigelman. The 20’ tall crystalline sculpture is site specific, inspired by and perforated with the shapes of items that have been made in Columbus throughout Columbus’ history. A celebration of the great makers in our City, "The Makers Monument" showcases how Columbus is a city of great people making great things.

“From the region’s indigenous earthworks dating back thousands of years to the sprawling network of navigable canals and railroads developed throughout the 19th century, Columbus’ tradition of making and manufacturing is embedded within the city’s historical and topographical memory,” said Mark Reigelman. “At the height of the Industrial Revolution, Columbus was flecked with hundreds of shops and facilities producing everything from toothpicks to locomotives. The towns surrounding Columbus, particularly those referred to as black diamond communities, provided the raw materials and fuel that powered the city to greatness. Situated within this manufacturing epicenter, The Makers Monument memorializes High Street’s position as a maker hub and celebrates the region’s ever-evolving landscape.

Extending from the earth in a tectonic fragment, the outstretched crystals nod to the region’s many accumulated deposits. Its lace-like surface, an assembly of interlocking cutouts ranging from rocking horses to axes to whistles, diagrams the vast collection of items made within the city limits. Light seeps through its perforated silhouette in varying patterns that shift throughout the day, recalling the city’s production history while reflecting the vibrant activity along High Street. The Makers Monument invites viewers to investigate its steel latticework, considering the puzzle of objects that influenced the region's handcrafted lineage and its current practices of making.”

The nearly half a million dollar project, including the art itself, foundation work, and lighting, represents the largest single investment in public art in the City of Columbus’ history. Planned in conjunction with the recently completed $35 million renovation of the High Street streetscape in the Short North, "The Makers Monument" represents a major advancement in public art in Columbus.

“Artist Mark Reigelman’s, The Makers Monument celebrates the creativity and industriousness of Columbus makers,” said Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther. “It charts a new, inspiring direction for the integration of art and function in City capital projects, bringing art into our daily lives.”

“With the Short North Arts District as the art and soul of our city, there is no better place to showcase such a stunning accomplishment honoring entrepreneurs than on High Street,” said Betsy Pandora, Executive Director of the Short North Alliance.

While site preparations for the sculpture have been underway for several weeks, the sculpture will arrive in Columbus to be installed beginning June 22. Installation and lighting are expected to be completed in July. Members of the public are invited to attend several dedication events hosted by the Short North Alliance during Gallery Hop on Saturday, August 7. Activities include: 

Public Dedication & Media Event
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Location: Adjacent to the sculpture at W. Hubbard Ave. and High St.
Details: Featuring remarks from elected officials, neighborhood leaders, and the artist. Local food trucks will be on site and live music will follow.
RSVP: None needed. Open to the public. 

The Short North Arts District Makers Marketplace
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Location: Poplar Park, 608 N. High St.
Details: Local makers selling items in a marketplace in honor of "The Makers Monument". 
Apply to be a featured maker: shortnorth.org/makersmarketplace

Artist Talk with Mark Reigelman
Time: 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Location: To be announced
Details: Learn about the creation of "The Makers Monument". Artist Mark Reigelman will be interviewed by local Columbus Artist, Columbus Art Commissioner, and Professor at the Columbus College of Art & Design, Matthew Mohr. A public Q&A will follow the talk. 
RSVP: themakersmonument.eventbrite.com 

Meet the Maker: Artist Reception with Mark Reigelman
Time: 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Location: To be announced
Details: Enjoy drinks from Seventh Son Brewing Co. and snacks with the artist and community members. 
RSVP: themakersmonument.eventbrite.com

Mark Reigelman Showcase
Time: Throughout August 2021
Location: Brandt-Roberts Galleries, 642 N. High St.
Details: See various components, sketches, and other pieces that went into the creation of "The Makers Monument" on display throughout the month of August. 
Visit brandtrobertsgalleries.com for more information.

"The Makers Monument" was funded by the City of Columbus Capital Budget and through contributions from property owners in the Short North Special Improvement District. 

Dedication events are made possible with support from The Short North Alliance and Seventh Son Brewing. 

About The Artist: Mark Reigelman
Mark Reigelman’s work reevaluates the everyday, reinvigorates public space, and challenges typical urban conditions. Emphasizing research and exploration, his diverse body of work is poised between abstraction and literal representation, which he meticulously integrates into civic spaces. 

Reigelman has exhibited work in public sites, galleries and museums across the country. His works, Manifest Destiny! (San Francisco), White Cloud (Cleveland), Wood-Pile (Cleveland), Upriver-Downriver (Louisville) and The Meeting House (Boston) have been recognized by the Americans for the Arts as being amongst the 50 most compelling public works across the country. His newest award winning site-specific installations include Formation at the San Diego International Airport, Sweetwater at the former Domino Sugar Factory site in Williamsburg Brooklyn and Groundswell which is located along the Potomac in Alexandria, Va. 

Reigelman has received many prestigious awards including two Windgate Fellowships from the Center of Craft Creativity and Design, the Graue Award from Southern Exposure and the Brownstoner RADD award which recognizes leaders in New York’s Real Estate, Architecture, Design and Development. His work has been included in exhibitions at the Shanghai Museum of Glass, The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA), The Oklahoma City Museum of Art, The Shelburne Museum, New Britain Museum of American Art, The Fuller Craft Museum, Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) and The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). French clothing company Lacoste recognized Reigelman as a Cultural Innovator and was described in Details magazine as a “visionary thinker whose work has changed the cultural landscape”. His work has been featured in publications including The New York Times, New York Magazine, Frame (Netherlands), L’uomo Vogue (Italy), Public Design (Korea), Télé Star (France), Details, Interior Design, Sculpture and Public Art Now. Reigelman’s work has been highlighted in books such as Uneven Growth: Tactical Urbanisms for Expanding Megacities (MoMA), Unexpected Art: Serendipitous Installations, Site-Specific Works, and Surprising Interventions (Chronicle Books), Small Homes Grand Living (Gestalten), Pallets 3.0: Remodeled, Reused, Recycled: Architecture + Design (Braun) and Cause and Effect: Visualizing Sustainability (Gestalten).

Reigelman is most proud of being included in the “Coolest Dads of 2019” list by Fatherly Magazine, which highlights the 50 coolest dads on earth. In the Innovation category he shared this award with Jordan Peele, Kanye West, Adam Driver and Hugh Herr.

Mark Reigelman studied Sculpture and Industrial Design at the Cleveland Institute of Art and product design at Central Saint Martins University of the Arts in London. The artist lives and works in Brooklyn.

About the Short North Arts District
The Short North Arts District is the most vibrant spot in the City of Columbus, and is home to more than 300 exciting businesses, the majority of which are locally-owned or headquartered. It has received numerous national accolades, is considered a model for urban revitalization, and is known as the art and soul of Columbus. The Short North Alliance (SNA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization serving both the property owners and business owners of the Short North Arts District. For more information, visit www.shortnorth.org.

###

Images of “The Makers Monument” and Mark Reigelman can be downloaded here.
Download the full press release here.