Carla Clark | For The Republic Jerry Points poses for a photograh in front of one of his paintings during a reception featuring The Vibrant Vision of Jerry Points held at the Art in Focus Gallery, Stillframes Art & Design in Columbus, Ind., Thursday, September 11, 2025.
Stillframes Art & Design’s Art in Focus Gallery is shining a light on former Columbus resident Jerry Points’ work in a new featured artist gallery. Titled “The Vibrant Vision of Jerry Points,” the exhibit officially opened to the public on Sept. 9, and it will remain up until November.
The gallery is located at 4780 Progress Drive in Columbus. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
A graduate of the University of Evansville, Points later went on to graduate from Southern Illinois University with an master of fine arts in printmaking and painting. Following a brief college teaching career, he became a graphic designer in advertising.
He spent a few years in Columbus as the marketing director for Cosco. During his time in Columbus, he met a few artists, but he found that nothing was really organized. As a result, he founded the Columbus Art League and later served as its president.
“We did classes, gave the artists an opportunity to teach and then I tried to bring speakers in, mainly from Indianapolis, artists that I knew,” Points said. “Just to give a little more exposure of the arts to the community and (I) was working with The Commons at the time and doing some graphic design work for them. But it was great to be able to work with the artists there and meet everyone that was participating in that.”
Though he loved Columbus, Points received a job offer from Eli Lilly and Company, which he would accept and serve as the company’s creative director and designer. He retired at 62, but he continued working in the art world with studios including the Stutz Art Gallery in Indianapolis. Points later opened the Eye on Art Gallery in Carmel, but a case of shingles caused him to leave that gallery.
Now from his home studio in Broad Ripple, Points continues to create, even more than he did before, he said. His works have been displayed and recognized in numerous exhibitions across the state. Locally, he took home the Best of Show award at the Columbus Art Fair several years ago when he lived in the community.
Points’ portfolio features plein air pieces and abstract pieces, though as plein art art has become a little too physical now, he mostly focuses on abstract art. His abstract pieces are well known for their color work, and he often takes inspiration from patterns and designs that he sees in nature and architecture.
His creative process starts with a general idea of a painting, but that idea will morph over time as he continues to create. He said he tries to keep the creative process open so he won’t know when a piece is finished until it is finished, which keeps him from getting bored. However, he said he never really knows when exactly a piece is finished.
“The other thing is you’re never done,” Points said. “I’ve had paintings on the gallery walls or on my walls or wherever and when I look at them I think, ‘oh gosh, I think I could maybe change that and make it better.’ So, you’re never done, you just have to frame it, wire it, put it on the wall.”
Many of Points’ abstract works, which were created in the last five years, are in his featured gallery. He said he has been friends with Robert Anderson and Laurie Wright, co-founders of Stillframes Art & Design, for many years, and he is excited about the opportunity to show in this space.
“I really support the gallery, I know how difficult it is in that I had one for five years,” “So I admire their efforts to provide more of a contemporary look at art from artists that they’ve come in contact with over the years.”
