Get your copy today!
✺
Public by Design
✺
Get your copy today! ✺ Public by Design ✺
For sale in our Shop!
Edited by Jamie Goldsborough (Creative Director, Landmark Columbus Foundation)
Designed by Chris Grimley (SIGNALS and 2022–23 Exhibit Columbus Communication Designer)
Printed by Hightower Graphics (Franklin, Indiana)
Size: 6” x 8”
$10, plus shipping (local pick-up available)
This book is structured to take you through the entire Public by Design process, from early ideation to final execution and beyond. It follows the two-year cycle of Exhibit Columbus, outlining key moments such as the Symposium, Design Presentations, and the Exhibition.
Throughout, you’ll see how Public by Design evolved as a dialogue—one that invited participation at every level and left a lasting impact on Columbus’ public spaces and community relationships.
Featured Essays
Before Columbus, poetry by Matthew Graham, 2020–22 Indiana Poet Laureate
Foreword by Richard McCoy, Executive Director of Landmark Columbus Foundation
Hands-on, Feet First Introduction by Jamie Goldsborough, Creative Director at Landmark Columbus Foundation
Most traditional biennial exhibitions place art in space, whereas Public by Design is about choreographing dynamic interactions within a site. The installations became tools for togetherness, prompting new ways of gathering, playing, and co-creating. Participants and residents didn’t just observe the work—they made use of it. The result was an exhibition that transformed Columbus into a living, breathing example of how public space can be equitable, beautiful, and joyful.
The Economics of Urban Choreography by Curatorial Advisors James Lima, Yuxiang Luo, and Hayley Oleksiak, James Lima Planning and Development, an economic and sustainable development firm based in New York City
Developing engaging and enriching experiences that not only attract visitors but also resonate with the diverse population of both the city and its surrounding areas can significantly impact the economy. This concept, which we refer to as the “economics of relevance,” highlights the importance of cities going beyond mere financial incentives and transportation conveniences.
Short essays from the Curatorial Partners who created the theme, Public by Design
Make Art Accessible, an illustration by Columbus-based artist Annie Shields, about their experience of the Exhibition
How-to: The Art of Collaboration by Indiana University Center for Cultural Affairs and Ball State University Indiana Communities Institute
Pragmatic community leaders need to worry about getting stuff done, budgets and capacity, and herding cats. University folks—the ones you’ll want to partner with—are just as pragmatic. They just operate in a different world.
How-to Create Places That Matter by Brian Blackford (BSU Indiana Communities Institute)
Shifting economic and demographic paradigms are rapidly reinforcing the value of high-quality communities and redefining what it takes to ensure sustainable vibrancy. Prioritizing people and place in new and creative ways is a must for communities of all sizes and regardless of growth trends.
How-to Collaborate with Artists and Transform Public Space by Joanna Woronkowicz and Doug Noonan (Indiana University Center for Cultural Affairs)
Cities and corporations are hiring artists-in-residence to help infuse innovation into their operations, with the hope of finding solutions to problems and improving the way things get done.
A Locomotive Love Letter In-the-Round by 2022–23 University Design Research Fellows Joseph Altshuler and Zack Morrison (in addition, 2024–25 Exhibit Columbus Yes And Curatorial Partners)
Conventional public art has a tendency to take the form of sculptural objects that sit up on a plinth—aloof decorations for the city. I’m keen to stay at your level and invite you inside.
About Public by Design
The theme of the fourth cycle of Exhibit Columbus, Public by Design, built on the legacy of Columbus, Indiana to explore how collaborations between communities and designers could revitalize and reimagine historic downtowns as equitable, beautiful, and joyful places. Public by Design served as a platform for many vibrant communities to become connected around the values of inclusivity, care, and generosity. This cycle celebrated creative methods of collaboration that communities and designers could use to grow a sense of belonging and connection in public spaces.
These ideas extended through every aspect of this cycle of Exhibit Columbus, from shaping the curatorial team and process to selecting participants and creating the format and goals of every event. Starting with the 2022 Symposium, the voices, memories, and dreams of the many communities of Columbus were amplified and celebrated in the design process. We believed this collaborative effort and the process of co-creation would resonate far beyond the city limits of Columbus.
The 2023 Exhibition featured temporary installations throughout downtown, whose impacts were lasting and profound. They grew from the ideas explored in the Symposium, collaborations with community partners, and the creative imagination of the participants. The installations served as prototypes for permanent change in the urban core of this city and examples for other communities to consider.
Public by Design represented an opportunity for each of us to play new and transformative roles in shaping a public life that was more connected to public places and public institutions.
Public by Design Exhibition: August 26, 2023–November 26, 2023
Curatorial Partners: Paola Aguirre, Holly Warren, Raymund Ryan, Bryony Roberts, Lauren M. Pacheco, Chris Merritt.
Credits
Landmark Columbus Foundation presents this comprehensive summary of the 2022–23 cycle of Exhibit Columbus as a resource and model for those interested in improving the quality of life in cities by leveraging design excellence as a key driver for enhancing and creating quality place amenities.
This publication was made possible by a 2023 grant from the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation.
Editor: Jamie Goldsborough, Creative Director at Landmark Columbus Foundation
Graphic Design: Chris Grimley, SIGNALS, Boston
Photography: All photos by Hadley Fruits for Landmark Columbus Foundation, unless otherwise noted
Book Printing and Binding: Hightower Graphics
Special thanks to every single person who worked on this cycle, attended an event, visited the exhibition, supported the organization, and believed that Columbus, Indiana, is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Together, we are building on a remarkable legacy and ensuring it will continue for the next generation.
© 2025 Landmark Columbus Foundation.
All rights reserved.
This publication, including all text, images, and design elements, is protected under international copyright laws. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission from the Landmark Columbus Foundation.
Permissions & Credits
Every effort has been made to credit and obtain permission for copyrighted images and contributions. If there are any unintentional errors or omissions, please contact Landmark Columbus Foundation at info@landmarkcolumbus.org.
First Edition | Printed in the United States
For more information, visit: landmarkcolumbusfoundation.org