Take a self-guided tour of Columbus sculptures, murals and more using new Art Walks app

Three of the most recognizable sculptures along Columbus' Scioto Mile are the deer by artist Terry Allen. 

The first can be seen on the Rich Street Bridge, another on the steps outside COSI, and the third lying in the grass on the steps behind COSI.

Installed in 2015, they are just three of the more than 1,200 pieces of art shown throughout central Ohio, according to Jami Goldstein, vice president of marketing for Greater Columbus Arts Council.

Now there's a new way to view art around the Columbus area. In 2019, the Greater Columbus Arts Council published an online arts database, showing where all the public art is in the area. Plus, it has added another feature on top of that.

With the addition of the Art Walks app, which can be found on the Apple or Google Play app stores, people can do self-guided tours of art in their area or around city landmarks like the Scioto riverfront, where the deer are included. It's a welcome addition to the city's focus of showing off its public art while also getting people out in an active way.

"We wanted to provide an incentive for people to go out and explore the public art in their community," Goldstein said.

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The Art Walks app was officially announced on July 20, but it was the culmination of efforts dating back to 2019.

The creation of the public database was the start of the latest push for more art awareness in the city. After two years of research, the city was able to publish that database to include the art not only citywide, but throughout central Ohio.

"We wanted people to see we do have public art," Goldstein said. "That’s nice to be able to say we have inventoried the public art in our communities."

The Art Walks app takes the artwork from that database and puts it in the hands of those walking around viewing the art.

There are three self-guided tours, one in the Short North area starting with the "Toil of a Ghanaian Mother" mural by Edmund Boating at 1288 N. High St. There's also the tour of landmark sculptures by African American artists and the tour on the riverfront.

But it's more than just walking and seeing the art. With the app, you can go on a navigated tour using your mobile GPS app. At each stop, the app has information to tell you more about the artwork.

On the riverfront tour, at the immigrants sculpture at Battle Riverfront Park, you can read the plaque text from your phone. At the "Flowing Kiss" sculpture at the end of the riverfront tour, you can read about the history of the sculpture on the app.

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And there's more still to come to the app. Goldstein hopes to add more soon, possibly one in Franklinton in time for the August Franklinton Fridays.

She's also looking forward to a version 3.0 next year, but before that, she wants people to enjoy the first installment of the art walk and give feedback.

"I hope people get out and give us feedback. What do you love, hate, what would make it more useful for you?" Goldstein said. "In the meantime, I hope they enjoy exploring."

Cameron Teague Robinson CTeagueRob@gannett.com; Twitter: @cj_teague; 

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: New Art Walks app offers self-guided tours of artwork around Columbus