08-27-2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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“Not My Baggage” Mobile Exhibit Installed at Port Columbus

COLUMBUS -- Artist Helma Groot recently installed eye-catching mobiles in the Port Columbus Gateway to The Arts, an exhibit space located on the ticketing level of the airport.

Port Columbus Gateway to The Arts is a collaboration between the Columbus Regional Airport Authority and the Ohio Art League, which is a non-profit visual arts organization that coordinates the rotating exhibits on a quarterly basis.

As explained by Groot, “This new series of work is titled 'Not My Baggage.’ It is a collection of two and three dimensional pieces inspired by a series of children's books called 'A Family From...' in which families from different countries around the world take their possessions and display them in front of their homes. The mobiles and paintings deal loosely with the idea of what we own, what we take with us and what is most important to us.”

Groot, a Dutch artist living in Columbus, is represented by the Ward gallery in Harbor Springs, Michigan, the River gallery in Chelsea, Michigan, and the Art Access gallery in Columbus. Her recent solo shows include West Liberty State College in West Virginia, Ohio Dominican University and the Argyle gallery in Newark, Ohio. Her most recent public art piece is a large outdoor sculpture for the American Cancer Society in Dublin, Ohio. She was also featured on HGTV's “That's Clever.”

“Port Columbus impacts our community in numerous ways, including providing a window to the Columbus arts culture through the Port Columbus Gateway to the Arts exhibits,” explained Elaine Roberts, President & CEO of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority. “Providing opportunities for travelers to encounter the works of extremely talented artists enhances the airport’s value position as a gateway to Columbus.”

In addition to Port Columbus Gateway to The Arts, the airport also offers rotating and permanent art pieces created by artists ranging from local elementary students to the internationally-recognized Roy Lichtenstein. Standing 26-feet tall at the entranceway to Concourse B, “Brushstrokes in Flight” is a dynamic sculpture by the late Lichtenstein, an alumnus of The Ohio State University.

For additional information about Port Columbus or its art program, contact Angie Tabor, Manager of Communications, at (614) 239-4081 or atabor@columbusairports.com.

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