The Wexner Center for the Arts is the

Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best pu ...

's "multidisciplinary, international laboratory for the exploration and advancement of

contemporary art Contemporary art is the art of today, produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the 21st century. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a dynamic co ...

". The Wexner Center opened in November 1989, named in honor of the father of Limited Brands founder Leslie Wexner, who was a major donor to the center. The Wexner Center is a lab and public gallery, but not an art museum, as it does not collect art. However, when the center was constructed, it replaced the University Gallery of Fine Arts, and assumed possession and stewardship of the University Gallery's permanent collection of roughly 3,000 art works. The collection serves a secondary role in the center's programs in the visual, media and performing arts. The Wexner Center is made available to OSU students and scholars for study, and is open to the public.

History

The precursor was the University Gallery of Fine Art which was curated by the university's fine art director. In 1970, under Director Betty Collings' leadership, the gallery began hosting major contemporary artists and acquiring the collection that would become the Wexner Center as a response to student grievances about the Kent State shootings. In the 1980s, Jonathan Green became director and acquired art that expressed activism. The gallery's final exhibit was “AIDS: The Artists’ Response” in 1989 prior to the opening of the Wexner Center. The $43 million Wexner Center, commissioned by

, was named after the father of Leslie H. Wexner, chairman of Limited Brands, an Ohio native and Ohio State alumnus who pledged $25 million to the project.Robin Pogrebin (September 18, 2005)
Extreme Makeover: Museum Edition
''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''.

Peter Eisenman Peter Eisenman (born August 11, 1932) is an American architect. Considered one of the New York Five, Eisenman is known for his writing and speaking about architecture as well as his designs, which have been called high modernist or deconstructive ...

won the design competition for the Wexner in 1983 over four other, more experienced finalists: Cesar Pelli;

Michael Graves Michael Graves (July 9, 1934 – March 12, 2015) was an American architect, designer, and educator, as well as principal of Michael Graves and Associates and Michael Graves Design Group. He was a member of The New York Five and the Memphis Gr ...

; Kallmann McKinnell & Wood; and

Arthur Erickson Arthur Charles Erickson (June 14, 1924 – May 20, 2009) was a Canadian architect and urban planner. He studied Engineering at the University of British Columbia and, in 1950, received his B.Arch. (Honours) from McGill University. He is known ...

. (Each was paired with a local architect.) ''Progressive Architecture'' magazine devoted a whole issue to the building even before it was finished. The Wexner Center opened on November 17, 1989, and architects like

Philip Johnson Philip Cortelyou Johnson (July 8, 1906 – January 25, 2005) was an American architect best known for his works of modern and postmodern architecture. Among his best-known designs are his modernist Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut; the p ...

, Richard Meier and

Charles Gwathmey Charles Gwathmey (June 19, 1938 – August 3, 2009) was an American architect. He was a principal at Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects, as well as one of the five architects identified as The New York Five in 1969. Gwathmey was perhaps bes ...

convened in Columbus to mark the building's completion with a public forum on the state of American architecture.Paul Goldberger (November 5, 1989)
The Museum That Theory Built
''

''. The event was hailed by ''The New York Times'' as "one of the most eagerly awaited architectural events of the last decade." During its three-year renovation between 2002 and 2005, the Wexner relocated its galleries in a former coffin factory two miles away, while the performing arts and film programs continued at the center. It typically drew 200,000 to 250,000 visitors a year before the renovation. In November 2005, the Wexner Center reopened.

Architecture

The Wexner Center's , three-story building was designed by architects

of New York and the late Richard Trott of Columbus with

landscape architect A landscape architect is a person who is educated in the field of landscape architecture. The practice of landscape architecture includes: site analysis, site inventory, site planning, land planning, planting design, grading, storm water manageme ...

Laurie Olin of Philadelphia. It was the first major public building to be designed by Eisenman, previously known primarily as a teacher and theorist. Based on the controversial theory that art should be "challenged" by its environment rather than displayed neutrally, the museum raised Eisenman's profile and he went on to design and build a number of other major projects including the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin.Hugo Lindgren
ARCHITECTURE; A Little Fascist Architecture Goes a Long Way
''The New York Times'', October 12, 2003, accessed May 10, 2018. When determining the site, Eisenman and Trott rejected four options from OSU in favor of their own site between Weigel Hall, home of the School of Music, and Mershon Auditorium, a 3,000-seat hall. The design includes a large, white metal grid meant to suggest

scaffolding Scaffolding, also called scaffold or staging, is a temporary structure used to support a work crew and materials to aid in the construction, maintenance and repair of buildings, bridges and all other man-made structures. Scaffolds are widely use ...

, to give the building a sense of incompleteness in tune with the architect's

deconstructivist Deconstructivism is a movement of postmodern architecture which appeared in the 1980s. It gives the impression of the fragmentation of the constructed building, commonly characterised by an absence of obvious harmony, continuity, or symmetry. ...

tastes. Eisenman also took note of the mismatched street grids of the OSU campus and the city of

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

, which vary by 12.25 degrees, and designed the Wexner Center to alternate which grids it followed. The result was a building of sometimes questionable functionality, but admitted architectural interest. The center's brick turrets make reference to the Ohio State University Armory and Gymnasium, a castle-like building that occupied the site until 1958. Included in the Wexner Center space are a film and video theater, a performance space – the Mershon Center stage, which seats 2,500 for dance, music, theater, multimedia productions and lectures –,Danya Issawi (November 28, 2018)
Wexner Center for the Arts Names a New Director, From New York
''

''. a film and video post production studio, a bookstore, café, and 12,000 square feet (1,100 m²) of galleries. The galleries are placed linearly in the building space to emphasize progression. The Fine Arts Library was located to the lower level of the building. Devoid of natural light, the architects employed an alternating warm and cool fluorescent lighting to mimic daylight and a grey palate that put the focus on the collection. In 1993, the Wexner Center installed

Maya Lin Maya Ying Lin (born October 5, 1959) is an American designer and sculptor. In 1981, while an undergraduate at Yale University, she achieved national recognition when she won a national design competition for the planned Vietnam Veterans Memoria ...

's large-scale site-specific installation ''Groundswell''. The work reinterprets Eastern and Western landscape forms in shattered tempered glass to fill in three sites of the building's design. That year, the building won the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to ...

' National Honor Award. The 2005 renovation originally enlisted the help of a local firm, then switched to Arup. In addition to the building envelope, the scope of renovation includes

HVAC Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air in an enclosed space. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. ...

, lighting, electrical, plumbing, fire protection systems. The renovation works had a minimum impact on the original architectural design while improving environmental, daylight and climate control. With the restoration of the center as a whole, the bookstore, film and video theater, and café sections were all revamped, equipment and layout-wise.

Programs

Exhibitions

Hallway in the Wexner Center for the Arts

Notable exhibitions include: Chris Marker: ''Silent Movie'', Julie Taymor: ''Playing With Fire'', Shirin Neshat: ''Suite Fantastique, As Painting: Division and Displacement, Mood River'', Pier Paolo Calzolari, ''Part Object Part Sculpture, Twice Untitled and Other Pictures (looking back)'', Louise Lawler, Chris Marker ''Staring Back'', William Wegman: ''Funney/Strange'', Andy Warhol: ''Other Voices, Other Rooms'', and William Forsythe: ''Transfigurations''. In 2002, the Wexner staged ''Mood River'', one of the most comprehensive exhibitions of industrial and commercial design staged in America, featuring artwork by Simparch, Tony Cragg, and

E.V. Day E.V. Day (born 1967, New York) is an American, New York-based installation artist and sculptor. Day's work explores themes of feminism and sexuality, while employing various suspension techniques and reflecting upon popular culture. Education D ...

; designs by Peter Eisenman,

Kivi Sotamaa Kivi may refer to: *Kivi (surname) *Kivi, Iran, a city in Ardabil Province, Iran *Kivi, Khalkhal, a village in Ardabil Province, Iran *KIVI-TV, a TV station in Boise-Nampa, Idaho *Kivi, an albatross in the book Call It Courage See also *Kivy (d ...

, and Ben van Berkel; and "products" like the Stealth Bomber and the Redman Self-Defense Instructor suits. In 2017, the gallery featured an exhibition by

Cindy Sherman Cynthia Morris Sherman (born January 19, 1954) is an American artist whose work consists primarily of photographic self-portraits, depicting herself in many different contexts and as various imagined characters. Her breakthrough work is often co ...

. In 2018, the Wexner showcased the works of 16 artists working in contemporary abstraction, including

Eric N. Mack Eric National Mack (born 1987) is an American painter, multi-media installation artist, and sculptor, based in New York City. Early life and education Mack was born in Columbia, Maryland. His middle name is National, after Washington DC's Nati ...

, Sam Gilliam and Zachary Armstrong. In 2019, the Wexner Center kicked off its 30th anniversary year of exhibitions with "HERE: Ann Hamilton,

Jenny Holzer Jenny Holzer (born July 29, 1950) is an American neo-conceptual artist, based in Hoosick, New York. The main focus of her work is the delivery of words and ideas in public spaces and includes large-scale installations, advertising billboards, pr ...

Film/Video Theater

The Wexner Center's Film/Video department is known for screening films that are new and different, rare and classic, or just too edgy for the multiplex. They have a year-round theater program that includes independent films, international cinema, new documentaries, classics, and experimental film. Films are often accompanied by visiting filmmakers discussing their works for the public. The Film/Video department presents more than 180 films and videos annually in all formats and genres in the center's Film/Video Theater that seats about 300; hosts visiting filmmakers year-round; operates the Film/Video Studio Program (known as the Art & Technology program until 2010), which is an in-kind residency program that offers production and post-production support to filmmakers and video artists; programs The Box, the center's dedicated video exhibition space; and organizes gallery-based exhibitions involving moving image media. The department was given the "Outstanding Organization" Award from NAMAC, the National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture, in 2002.

Performing arts

Creative residency and commissioning projects for artists include:

Bill T. Jones William Tass Jones, known as Bill T. Jones, (born February 15, 1952) is an American choreographer, director, author and dancer. He is the co-founder of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. Jones is Artistic Director of New York Live Ar ...

, Anne Bogart and the SITI Company, Big Art Group, Ann Hamilton (in collaboration with Meg Stuart and subsequently with Meredith Monk), Improbable Theatre, Bebe Miller, The Builders Association, Akram Khan, Elizabeth Streb, Eiko & Koma,

The Wooster Group The Wooster Group is a New York City-based experimental theater company known for creating numerous original dramatic works. It gradually emerged from Richard Schechner's The Performance Group (1967–1980) during the period from 1975 to 1980, a ...

Savion Glover Savion Glover (born November 19, 1973) is an American tap dancer, actor, and choreographer. Early life The youngest of three sons, Glover was born to a white father, who left the family before he was born, and a black mother. Glover's great grand ...

, Urban Bush Women, Anthony Davis, Richard Maxwell, da da kamera, Mark Morris, Young Jean Lee's Theater Company, and Kronos Quartet.

Artist awards

The Wexner Prize

Established in 1992, the Wexner Prize recognizes an artist whose work reflects exceptional innovation and the highest standards of artistic quality and integrity. The prize includes a $50,000 award and an engraved commemorative sculpture designed by

Jim Dine Jim Dine (born June 16, 1935 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is an American artist whose œuvre extends over sixty years. Dine’s work includes painting, drawing, printmaking (in many forms including lithographs, etchings, gravure, intaglio, woodcuts, ...

in 1991. Programs at the Wexner Center explore the prize recipient's career and thought. Past winners include film and theater director Peter Brook (1992), choreographer

Merce Cunningham Mercier Philip "Merce" Cunningham (April 16, 1919 – July 26, 2009) was an American dancer and choreographer who was at the forefront of American modern dance for more than 50 years. He frequently collaborated with artists of other discipl ...

and composer John Cage (1993), artist Bruce Nauman (1994), choreographer and filmmaker Yvonne Rainer (1995), filmmaker

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, incl ...

(1996/97), painter Gerhard Richter (1998), sculptor

Louise Bourgeois Louise Joséphine Bourgeois (; 25 December 191131 May 2010) was a French-American artist. Although she is best known for her large-scale sculpture and installation art, Bourgeois was also a prolific painter and printmaker. She explored a varie ...

(1999), artist

Robert Rauschenberg Milton Ernest "Robert" Rauschenberg (October 22, 1925 – May 12, 2008) was an American painter and graphic artist whose early works anticipated the Pop art movement. Rauschenberg is well known for his Combines (1954–1964), a group of artwor ...

(2000), architect

Renzo Piano Renzo Piano (; born 14 September 1937) is an Italian architect. His notable buildings include the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris (with Richard Rogers, 1977), The Shard in London (2012), the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City ...

(2001), choreographer William Forsythe (2002), designer

Issey Miyake was a Japanese fashion designer. He was known for his technology-driven clothing designs, exhibitions and fragrances, such as '' L'eau d'Issey'', which became his best-known product. Life and career Miyake was born on 22 April 1938 in Hiroshi ...

(2004), choreographer

(2005), and filmmaker

Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...

(2008).

Artist residencies

Residencies at the Wexner Center offer support to artists and often provide opportunities for interaction with the Ohio State community and the public at large. They are an essential part of the Wex's mandate to be a creative research laboratory for all the arts. Wexner Center Residency Awards are their most substantial and high-profile residencies. They are given annually in the main program areas—performing arts, media arts (film/video), and visual arts—with some projects extending over two or more years. Other artists participating in exhibitions and performances also may receive commissions and often engage in residency activities—workshops, master classes, and discussion sessions with students or the community—during their time at the center. In addition, each year about 20 visiting filmmakers and video artists from around the world are invited to work in residence in the Film/Video Studio Program. Wexner Center Residency Award recipients include: Performing arts: * Young Jean Lee's Theater Company *

The Builders Association Marianne Weems is the artistic director of the New York-based Obie Award-winning performance and media company, The Builders Association, https://thebuildersassociation.org/ founded in 1994. She is a director of theater and opera and a professor a ...

* da da kamera *

Twyla Tharp Twyla Tharp (; born July 1, 1941) is an American dancer, choreographer, and author who lives and works in New York City. In 1966 she formed the company Twyla Tharp Dance. Her work often uses classical music, jazz, and contemporary pop music. Fr ...

* Elizabeth Streb/

Ringside Ringside may refer to: Sports *Ringside of a boxing ring *Ringside of a wrestling ring *Ringside seating (combat sports), see Ringside (boxing) Film *'' Ringside Maisie'', 1941 boxing film * ''Ringside'' (1949 film), American boxing drama film ...

Mark Morris Dance Group Mark William Morris (born August 29, 1956) is an American dancer, choreographer and director whose work is acclaimed for its craftsmanship, ingenuity, humor, and at times eclectic musical accompaniments. Morris is popular among dance aficionados ...

* Anne Bogart/ SITI Company (multiple) * Improbable (multiple) *

* Ann Carlson * Amanda Miller/

Pretty Ugly Dance Company Pretty may refer to: * Beauty, the quality of being pleasing, especially to look at ** Physical attractiveness, of a person's physical features Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Pretty'' (advertisement), a 2006 television advertisement for Ni ...

* Michael Curry,

G.W. Mercier GW may refer to: People * George Washington, the first president of the United States * Gene Wilder, American actor and comedian Places * Gawok railway station, a railway station in Indonesia (station code) * George Washington Bridge across t ...

, Donald Holder,

Molly Anderson Molly, Mollie or mollies may refer to: Animals * ''Poecilia'', a genus of fishes ** ''Poecilia sphenops'', a fish species * A female mule (horse–donkey hybrid) People * Molly (name) or Mollie, a female given name, including a list of persons ...

(all collaborators with Julie Taymor) * William Forsythe, Visual arts: * Kerry James Marshall * Zoe Leonard * Josiah McElheny *

* Ann Hamilton * Barbara Kruger * Lorna Simpson * Barbara Bloom * Alexis Smith * Shirin Neshat *

Lee Mingwei LEE Mingwei (Chinese: 李明維; born 1964) is a Taiwanese-American contemporary artist currently living and working in Paris, France and New York, USA. Lee Mingwei creates participatory installations, where strangers can explore issues of trust, in ...

* Greg Lynn and Fabian Marcaccio *

Sarah Oppenheimer Sarah Oppenheimer (born 1972, in Austin, Texas)van Ryzin Jeanne Claire"UT Landmarks to unveil a new public art commission by Sarah Oppenheimer,"''Sightlines'', May 14, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2021. is a New York City-based artist whose proje ...

Hussein Chalayan Hussein Chalayan, (; tr, Hüseyin Çağlayan ; born 12 August 1970) is a British-Cypriot fashion designer. He has won the British Designer of the Year twice (in 1999 and 2000) and was awarded the MBE in 2006. Chalayan is currently teaching ...

* Terry Allen * Softworlds Media arts: *

Guy Maddin Guy Maddin (born February 28, 1956) is a Canadian screenwriter, director, author, cinematographer, and film editor of both features and short films, as well as an installation artist, from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Since completing his first film in ...

* Jennifer Reeder *

April Martin April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian and Julian calendars. It is the first of four months to have a length of 30 days, and the second of five months to have a length of less than 31 days. April is commonly associated with ...

* Yvonne Rainer * Jennifer Reeves * Deborah Stratman, *

Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 and ...

* Tom Kalin *

Judith Barry Judith Barry (born 1954) is an American artist, writer, and educator best known for her installation and performance art and critical essays, but also known for her works in drawing and photography. She is a professor and the director of the M ...

Todd Haynes Todd Haynes (; born January 2, 1961) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. His films span four decades with themes examining the personalities of well-known musicians, dysfunctional and dystopian societies, and blurred gender ...

* Julie Dash * Isaac Julien, * Tacita Dean *

Miranda July Miranda July (born Miranda Jennifer Grossinger; February 15, 1974) is an American film director, screenwriter, singer, actress and author. Her body of work includes film, fiction, monologue, digital presentations and live performance art. She w ...

* Cheryl Dunn * Rineke Dijkstra * Sadie Benning * William Wegman, * Sowon Kwon,

Steven Bognar Steven Bognar (born 1963) is an American film director. An Oscar-winning and award-winning documentary filmmaker, his films have been screened at SXSW, Sundance, and the Ann Arbor Film Festival. Bognar has also worked as an instructor of me ...

Helen DeMichiel Helen may refer to: People * Helen of Troy, in Greek mythology, the most beautiful woman in the world * Helen (actress) (born 1938), Indian actress * Helen (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) Places * Helen ...

* Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle * Tom Poole *

Robert and Donald Kinney The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, ho ...

Steve Fagin ''yes'Steve is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Steven or Stephen Notable people with the name include: steve jops * Steve Abbott (disambiguation), several people * Steve Adams (disambiguation), several people * Steve ...

, * Daniel Minahan * Chris Marker *

Paper Tiger Television Paper Tiger Television (PTTV) is a non-profit, low-budget public access television program and open media collective based in New York City. Currently operating from Brooklyn, PPTV was co-founded by media activist and Academy Award nominated ...

In popular media

Portions of the

Jodie Foster Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster (born November 19, 1962) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and the hon ...

-directed film ''

Little Man Tate ''Little Man Tate'' is a 1991 American Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Jodie Foster (in her List of directorial debuts, directorial debut) from a screenplay written by Scott Frank. The film stars Adam Hann-Byrd as Fred Tate, ...

'' were shot at the Wexner Center in 1991.

Unionization Effort

On March 4, 2022, staff at the Wexner Center for the Arts announced their intent to form a union with the

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) is the largest trade union of public employees in the United States. It represents 1.3 million public sector employees and retirees, including health care workers, correct ...

(AFSCME). Organizing under the name Wex Workers United, staff cited "long-standing issues at the Wex and Ohio State, including pay equity and working culture" and said that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these problems. Wex Workers United has sought formal

voluntary recognition The National Labor Relations Board, an agency within the United States government, was created in 1935 as part of the National Labor Relations Act. Among the NLRB's chief responsibilities is the holding of elections to permit employees to vote whe ...

of the union from leadership at the Ohio State University and the Wexner Center for the Arts.

Management

Operations

As of 2021, the Wexner Center had a staff of 70 and budget of $12 million.

Directors

* Jonathan Green * Robert Stearns * 1993–2019: Sherri Geldin * 2018–2021: Johanna Burton * 2021–present: Megan Cavanaugh and Kelly Stevelt, co-interim executive directors In August 2021, it was announced that Burton would be leaving Wexner in November 2021 to become executive director of

MOCA Los Angeles The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA) is a contemporary art museum with two locations in greater Los Angeles, California. The main branch is located on Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, near the Walt Disney Concert Hall. MOCA's ori ...

References

External links

Wexner Center official website

Building Record of the Wexner Center in the John H. Herrick Archives
Includes statistics, timeline.
Finding aid for the Wexner Center for the Visual Arts project, Peter Eisenman fonds

Canadian Centre for Architecture The Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA; french: Centre Canadien d'Architecture) is a museum of architecture and research centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located at 1920, rue Baile (1920, Baile Street), between rue Fort (Fort Street ...

digitized items
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wexner Center For The Arts Museums in Columbus, Ohio Arts centers in Ohio Ohio State University Buildings and structures completed in 1989 Deconstructivism National Performance Network Partners Modern art museums in the United States Art museums and galleries in Ohio Contemporary art galleries in the United States Event venues established in 1989 Art galleries established in 1989 1989 establishments in Ohio Peter Eisenman buildings and structures University District (Columbus, Ohio) Ohio State University buildings University and college arts centers in the United States Les Wexner