CAP-UP – two words that will be on the lips of downtowners this fall. No, it’s not the name of a new soda or game of skill; it stands for Columbus Arts Pop-Up Project. A partnership between Capital Crossroads and the Greater Columbus Arts Council, CAP-UP will feature a series of installation window displays by area artists. The windows in buildings throughout downtown will feature works celebrating the city’s Bicentennial.
Artists were asked to submit plans for the windows taking inspiration from 200Columbus (the city’s 200th birthday), either as a look toward the future of innovation and design or as a glimpse into the history of what has made Columbus great. Submissions were juried by Michael Bongiorno, DesignGroup principal and senior designer; Mary Gray, Riffe Gallery director; Nanette Maciejunes, Columbus Museum of Art executive director; Priscilla R. Tyson, Columbus City Council; and representatives from GCAC and CCSID. Chosen artists or collaboration of artists received $1,000 and a $250 materials fee for the project, which is being co-directed by Stephanie Rond and Amandda Graham.
The windows will be installed the week of September 17 - 22, with the unveiling and a public reception at the Capital Square Shoppes on September 25. Downtown residents, employees and visitors are encouraged to explore the window displays and can find more information and a walking map (the website with map can be found here after September 17). The windows will be on display through January 3, 2013.
“The public art that has been part of the 200Columbus celebration has been fantastic,” said Cleve Ricksecker, executive director of CCSID. “The SID is excited about CAP-UP because it recalls a time when families would come downtown to gaze into to storefront windows during the holidays. This project celebrates Columbus’ past and its future.”
“I am so happy to be working on this project and to have the opportunity to work with the artists from the beginning,” said Amandda Graham, co-director of CAP-UP. “The selected artists are very excited to be part of what we hope is the start of a new tradition downtown. The nostalgia around this project is thick, and it seems we are all beaming with excitement!”
A full listing of the artists chosen and the location of their windows can be found at on their website after September 17.