It seems logical that a noteworthy celebration of pop-up architecture will once again spring to life from — what else? — an expansive bit of pop-up architecture of its own Aug. 20 in Mill Race Park.
Therein lies a sly way to announce that the traditional Exhibit Columbus Preview Party is on under a big-top-style tent that will accommodate more than 700 people.
The event will kick off the 13-installation exhibition “New Middles” running through November throughout the city and expected to attract thousands from the region, the nation, and even the globe. In 2019, an estimated 30,000 people viewed or interacted with the temporary works.
Exhibit Columbus is an every other year exploration of architecture, art, design and community that highlights the city’s heralded Modernist structures that once ranked it sixth nationally for number of buildings designed by top architects.
Exhibit Columbus Director Anne Surak acknowledged that she’d like to see an even larger crowd than in 2017 and 2019 — years in which attendees numbered 700.
A few months ago, before the COVID-19 vaccines began, organizers weren’t even sure they could reasonably host such a kickoff gathering. But that has changed.
“I guess we’d always ideally want to say bigger and the best yet,” Surak said. “Or at least at the same scale that it has been. Because this now seems like the perfect time to gather again.”
Tickets already have gone on sale at eventbrite.com for $200 and $275 individually. Deadline is Aug. 13, according to Jeff Baker, preview party organizer and coordinator with John Pickett.
“We’d definitely like to grow it,” Baker said.
The duo planned the two previous preview bashes to positive feedback at the end of those events on each of those nights and also in days following.
The parties highlight community leaders, exhibition designers and their fabrication collaborators, curators, corporate sponsors, volunteers, you name it — all enjoying a buffet meal, planned exhibition highlights, music, dancing and more.
Baker already is hoping for great weather, as in the past. Two years ago, the celebratory gala unfolded under sunny skies and a comfortable 75 degrees. It seemed to encourage more mingling beforehand outside the 100-yard-long tent.
“Both years, it was really temperate,” Baker said.
When prodded slightly, he mentioned that an energetic kickoff can be a bit of a key for a successful exhibition.
“I think that the whole celebration itself reflects well on the whole city,” Baker said. “Everyone is there to have a good time, first and foremost. And it’s such a mixture of various people.”
Not to mention an event to highlight such a mixture of various structures.
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What: Exhibit Columbus Preview Party with a buffet meal, speakers, music, dancing and more
When: 5 to 11 p.m. Aug. 20
Where: Under a tent in Mill Race Park on Fifth Street in downtown Columbus.
Tickets: $200 and $275 individually or $2,750 for a table of 10.
Information: eventbrite.com/e/2021-exhibit-columbus-preview-party-tickets-156766313263 or exhibitcolumbus.org
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