48 artists from across Ohio, including several recipients of Individual Artists Awards from the Ohio Arts Council, have joined forces to create a survey of the best of the contemporary art scene in our state today.  Each artist transforms a unique “canvas” into a spectacular artwork.

Working in all artistic media from oil, acrylic and watercolor paints to encaustic, fiber, and ceramics, from printmaking, photography, and pen & ink, to sculpture, light works and sculpture, the artists transform ostrich eggs into works of great beauty that refer to traditions in high art—the Imperial Easter eggs crafted by Peter Carl Fabergé—and to folk traditions as well—beeswax-decorated Ukrainian pysanaky eggs.

Exhibition organizer, Charles Bluestone, hatched the idea in 2007, when he served as a Trustee of The Ohio Art League, which is Ohio’s oldest artist collective.  His service on behalf of the OAL brought him into contact with many of Ohio's best contemporary artists. 

This exciting new exhibition is currently travelling to 5 art museums in Ohio and West Virginia.  Art 360 debuted at the Southern Ohio Museum & Cultural Center (Portsmouth) in the first 3 months of 2016, then travelled to the Columbus Museum of Art where it was on view from April through August 2016, at the Massillon Museum  from November 2016 through February 2017, at the Parkersburg, WV Arts Center from March to April 2017.  

Right now, the exhibit has landed for a 4 month stay at the Springfield Museum of Art from November 2017 to March 18, 2018.  

Following which, our exhibition heads overseas under the aegis of the Greater Columbus Sister Cities International organization - stops at all of Columbus' 10 sister cities are possible - the first visit will be Genoa, Italy in April 2019.  At each international venue, 6 local artists will be asked to create artworks also using Ostrich eggshells as their "canvas".  As Art 360 travels from point-to-point, viewers will be able to see differences in how each national group of artists attacked the creative challenge, thereby giving a true global context to this exhibition.

A poster and 80-page exhibition catalogue are available for purchase through this web site (click on the "Shop" tab).  Net proceeds from the sale of those items will benefit arts organizations designated by the Art 360 artists themselves. 

Support for the show has come from many quarters.  Student interns from the Columbus College of Art & Design designed the exhibition’s social media outlets, including a web site, www.arthatchingacrossohio.com; Facebook page, and Twitter account, #Art360Project.  The capitol city's public broadcasting station, WOSU, have created a 30 minute film and a 20 minute radio program about the artworks and the artists involved.  

The 80-page, full color exhibition catalogue and poster was designed by CCAD students.  The catalogue features the behind the scenes story recounting how the exhibit was conceived, a scholarly essay by art historian Ann Bremner, former Publications Editor for the Wexner Center for the Arts, and a poem by Rikki Santer inspired by the artworks as well as over 40 stunning photographs taken by the internationally known team of Brad Feinknopf & Lauren Davis.

The Greater Columbus Arts Council and the Ohio Arts Council provided generous financial support for the project.  

To bring this exhibition to your arts institution please contact: