Exhibit Columbus 2025 Opening Weekend

Exhibit Columbus

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Opening Weekend

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Exhibit Columbus ✦ Opening Weekend ✦

Join us in downtown Columbus, Indiana, on Friday, August 15, and Saturday, August 16, for the Opening Weekend of Yes And, the 2025 Exhibit Columbus Exhibition.

This free, two-day series of events marks the debut of thirteen new outdoor, site-responsive installations created by leading architects, artists, and designers in collaboration with community partners from across Columbus.

The exhibition has been built with partnerships across the diverse communities of Columbus and connected to the theme of the 2024–25 Cycle, Yes And. The modern design legacy serves as a world-class backdrop for living, creating an unmatched experience alongside contemporary art and architecture.

Throughout the weekend, five signature events will enliven downtown with guided tours, conversations, celebrations, and installation activations. All events are free and open to the public.

The 2025 Exhibition will be on view from August 16–November 30, 2025.

Exhibit Columbus

✦

Opening Weekend

✦

Exhibit Columbus ✦ Opening Weekend ✦

2024–25 Exhibit Columbus Participants

J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize Recipients Adaptive Operations, AD—WO, Studio Barnes, Studio Cooke John University Design Research Fellows Chandler Ahrens, Constance Vale, Kelley Van Dyck Murphy, Sarah Aziz, Akima Brackeen, Andrew Fu, Aaron Goldstein, Aleksandr Mergold, Michael Jefferson, Suzanne Lettieri, César Lopez, Jess Myers, Amelyn Ng, Germán Pallares-Avitia Communication Designers Sing-Sing Design Education Teams Spencer Steenblik, Davida Harden Curatorial Partners Could Be Design, Mila Lipinski, Rasul Mowatt, Preservation Futures, Too Black

Opening Weekend

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Schedule

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Opening Weekend ✦ Schedule ✦

Sunset Preview Party

Friday
August 15

8 pm – 11 pm
4th Street

A festive kickoff with music by a special guest DJ, local food and drink, and a chance to preview the exhibition as the sun sets on Columbus.

Exhibition Walking Tour

Saturday
August 16

9 am – 11:30 am
Tour starts at the Columbus Area Visitors Center

Guided by the designers themselves, this tour begins with breakfast and coffee at the Columbus Area Visitors Center, and ends at The Crump. We will visit all 13 installations.

Installation Activations

Saturday
August 16

All day throughout the exhibition

Each installation will activate downtown through collaborative events created with community partners.

Curatorial Conversation

Saturday
August 16

9 am – 11:30 am
First Christian Church Sanctuary

Join the Curatorial Partners for a deep dive into the making of this cycle—and its power to inspire other communities.

Avenue of Architects Celebration

Saturday
August 16

5:30 pm – 10:30 pm
5th Street at Library Plaza

One of America’s most celebrated streets comes alive as everyone celebrates the opening of the exhibition with food trucks, specialty drinks, activities, and live performances. The evening culminates with a Variety Show and a ceremony honoring all 2025 participants.

2025 Exhibition Yes And

J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize

Adaptive Operations
Accessing Nostalgia

Studio Cooke John
Lift

AD—WO
Ellipsis

Studio Barnes
Joy Riding

University Design Research Fellowship

Chandler Ahrens, Constance Vale, and Kelley Van Dyck Murphy
Inside Out

Michael Jefferson and Suzanne Lettieri
Apart, Together

Sarah Aziz
A View of the World from Indiana

César Lopez, Jess Myers, Amelyn Ng, and Germán Pallares-Avitia
PUBLIC / SCHOOL / GROUNDS

Akima Brackeen
Pool/Side

Aaron Fu, Aaron Goldstein, and Aleksandr Mergold
The Steel Horsie

Communication Design

Sing-Sing
Motions

Design Education Teams

with Spencer Steenblik
Valence

with Davida Harden

Register
Free, open
to the public

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