Installations begin on Exhibit Columbus projects

Installations are underway on Exhibit Columbus projects.

An exhibit known as “Between the Threads,” a multi-colored rope maze designed by local high school students working alongside professional architects, has been installed at the corner of Seventh and Washington streets in front of the LHP Guest House building.

Four recent high school graduates — Mila Lipinski, Jane Phillips, Tim Cox and Kyle Kingen — began setting up the exhibit Thursday in downtown Columbus.

“We wanted something to be colorful, comfy and friendly,” Lipinski said. “We decided it had the right color and texture we wanted.”

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The students said their design was inspired by Alexander Girard’s fabric artwork, which is most notably a part of the Miller House in Columbus.

The exhibit features 87 white vertical metal panels characterized by Rexlace string featuring colors such as light pink, yellow, red, purple and two different shades of blue. The four students helped weld and build the exhibit that features 56 miles of string.

“Between the Threads” is among the 18 temporary installations that will be on display Aug. 26 to Nov. 26 during Exhibit Columbus, founded by Richard McCoy, who serves as director of Landmark Columbus.

“All of them are underway in various stages of production and you’re going to see more and more every day,” McCoy said.

He said the exhibition is unlike what a museum does behind the scenes, and hopes the public sees the city’s design heritage in a new way. The exhibition element of Exhibit Columbus is a new exploration of art, architecture and design.

“This is really about celebrating the community,” McCoy said.

Lipinski said she is looking forward to showing off “Between the Threads” after months of work that began last September.

“There’s been a lot of physical labor,” Lipinski said, a June graduate of Columbus East. “I want it to be fun and something that people will remember.”

The installation had originally called for cube-shaped seats accompanied by rope ceilings for shade, but Lipinski said they are still determining whether seats would part of the display.

The exhibit turned out better than what Kingen, a recent Columbus North graduate, said he had originally envisioned.

He said his involvement in the project allowed him to make a connection with design and art. It also was a chance for him to meet new people, said Kingen, who will study art history this fall the Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis.

Work to install other exhibits in Columbus for the upcoming event also is taking place at various locations.

Fencing has been put up in front of the Bartholomew County Public Library to assemble “Conversation Plinth,” designed by IKD of Boston.

In addition, the installation of “Another Circle” by Aranda/Lasch in Mill Race Park at Fifth and Lindsey streets also has started.

Phillips, a June graduate of Columbus North who plans to study studio art this fall at Bard College in New York, said she wants people to see how colors come together as part of “Between the Threads.”

Phillips, who fly home for the opening weekend of Exhibit Columbus, said she too is looking forward to showing off the group’s hard work and being able to interact with the community.

Phillips said her involvement in the project allowed her to better appreciate Columbus’ architecture.

“I see all architecture as beautifying everything in society,” Phillips said.

Lipinski, who plans to study architecture at the University of Illinois this fall, will join Phillips and Kingen during the opening weekend of Exhibit Columbus.

Cox, a June graduate of Columbus North, took a moment to look at the exhibit and described it as eye candy.

“You can’t really miss it at 7th and Washington streets,” said Cox, who will study architecture this fall at Virginia Tech University and won’t be able to return for the exhibit opening.

Two other members of the “Between the Threads” project — Josie Royer, a senior at Columbus East, and Tim Rix, who graduated from Columbus East in June — were not available to participate in last week’s installation work.

Travis Perry, of Columbus-based Tovey-Perry Co., said he has enjoyed working with the students and seeing what they developed on paper come to life.

“It definitely speaks as you drive or walk through it,” Perry said.