Columbus explores new future for namesake statue

A series of public events aiming to rethink how we celebrate our city's people and namesake have been scheduled for the next few months.

Catch up quick: The Reimagining Columbus project is nearly four years in the making , following the removal of the Christopher Columbus statue outside City Hall in June 2020.

• The goal is to determine how and where the city could tastefully showcase the 1955 statue again, while also promoting local diversity through other public art.
• A $2 million grant from the Mellon Foundation and $1.5 million from the city are supporting the project.

What they're saying: This is an "opportunity to tell the truth about Columbus the man, and to rediscover how we can portray the spirit of the Columbus community to the world," Mayor Andrew Ginther said in a statement.

What's next: The first event, "It's Complicated: Culture Conversations in Community," is 6pm March 5 in the Main Library auditorium.

• The same forum is scheduled again March 26 at Columbus State Community College.
• In addition to community conversations, other activities throughout the spring will include family workshops, online educational resources and nature walks at local Indigenous mounds.

What we're watching: A wrap-up meeting and panel discussion will occur June 27.

• A team of historians, Indigenous architects and designers, and diversity and inclusion advisers will then review the insights and create recommendations.

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