Mike Wolanin | The Republic Exhibit Columbus Miller Prize recipients Vishaan Chakrabarti, Sara Zewde, Chris Marcinkoski and Tatiana Bilbao participate in a panel discussion during the Exhibit Columbus Symposium at The Commons in Columbus, Ind., Friday, Oct. 21, 2022.
Some of Exhibit Columbus’ top selected designers want to know what you want to see in the architectural exhibition “Public By Design” opening in August in Columbus.
And your chance begins with Zoom sessions Monday for one team and stretches to a Dec. 22 deadline for another firm for paper submissions to let your ideas be heard.
Practice for Architecture and Urbanism will host a Zoom session from 8 to 9 a.m. Monday and another from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Monday about what you want to see downtown near The Commons where it will build a temporary installation. That second session also will include the high school design team, according to Laura Garrett. She is director of partnerships for Landmark Columbus Foundation, the umbrella organization for Exhibit Columbus.
Garrett also mentioned that the firm may pitch two or three possible ideas it has been entertaining for its designated space to gauge public reaction. But none of the architects have formally done a design yet, she said.
“This is to help them to shape what they do eventually design,” Garrett said.
Each of the four Miller Prize winners, considered the centerpiece of the exhibition, get $80,000 for their design and construction for a work meant to amplify, link or highlight in some way the structure or landscape it is placed near.
Another Miller Prize winner, PORT, will host a Zoom session from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday about what the public would like to see in its design in Mill Race Park.
Plus, Tatiana Bilbao ESTUDIO, another Miller Prize winner, wants residents to draw or sketch what they would ideally like to see near the Bartholomew County Library Plaza by using activity sheets — with detailed instructions — available to be printed out from exhibitcolumbus.org or from mybcpl.org.
Designers will then possibly use some of those ideas or influences in their creations to be unveiled Feb. 25 in presentations at the Commons in downtown Columbus.
“Especially now with all our Miller Prize recipients, we’ve put a huge emphasis on being even more connected with the community and giving even more people a chance to be involved,” said Richard McCoy, executive director of Landmark Columbus Foundation. “And so now, we have asked those recipients how they would like to engage (with the public).”
McCoy pointed out that another Miller Prize designer, Sara Zewde of Studio Zewde, is still taking public input in general, but already has done some detailed background work about what people want to see in Mill Race Park.
“Each of the other Miller Prize winners have created their own way to incorporate community engagement,” McCoy said.
That included meeting with local residents during the Exhibit Columbus symposium Oct. 21-22.
“Structurally, as an organization, we’ve recently rebuilt how we think about Exhibit Columbus with community engagement and partnerships at the front,” McCoy said. “And we’re especially excited now, because we’re starting to see all that work really come to life in the way that the Miller Prize winners work.
“And they need to work with the community. And we want people from all types of backgrounds to participate in what we’re doing.
“And I honestly don’t know of another exhibition of art and architecture anywhere at this level with this measure of engagement and connection with people in a community that cares so much about where its downtown is going.”
Register for sessions
To register for the Zoom input sessions:
- 8 a.m. Monday: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-engagement-session-1-with-practice-for-architecture-and-urbanism-tickets-479464038847?aff=odeimcmailchimp&mc_eid=4fd1c97c35&mc_cid=d2428312e5
- 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Monday: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-engagement-session-2-with-practice-for-architecture-and-urbanism-tickets-479493426747?aff=odeimcmailchimp&mc_eid=4fd1c97c35&mc_cid=d2428312e5
- 10 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-engagement-session-with-port-and-mill-race-center-tickets-479499083667?aff=odeimcmailchimp&mc_eid=4fd1c97c35&mc_cid=d2428312e5
