The tallest building in Columbus, the Rhodes Office Tower was completed in 1974 and was named after Ohio’s longest-serving governor, James A. Rhodes. Rhodes was the youngest mayor of Columbus in the 1940s and had served on the Columbus Board of Education. During his 16 years in office, Rhodes was best known for sending the Ohio National Guard to Kent State University to quell student protests against the Vietnam War, resulting in the deaths of four unarmed students on May 4, 1970.
A bronze sculpture of Governor Rhodes by artist Gary Ross, was originally located on the Statehouse Grounds, but was moved to its current location during the Statehouse restoration and Capitol Square improvements. When it was created, it was believed to be the only freestanding sculpture of a person carrying a briefcase in the United States.
Today, the contemporary glass and granite Rhodes Tower houses more than 4,000 state workers.
30 E Broad St
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Franklin County
Please note: The Greater Columbus Arts Council (Arts Council) does not own or manage any public art. For the purposes of this database many pieces were entered by the Arts Council while we continue to search for the appropriate owner/manager of the work and other information to complete the entry. The Arts Council has tried to gather all available information about the works in this database, however, we acknowledge there may be missing or inaccurate information. If you can help us correct any inaccuracies, or provide more complete information, we would be grateful. Please use “Something missing? Please send us a note” above.
Taking images of public art works and sharing your experiences is one of the most fun reasons to engage with public art. As a community, we care deeply about the artists who have contributed the artworks we enjoy every day. Please be sure to credit artists when you share your photos. If you have an interest in using public artwork present in this database for commercial purposes, please contact Jami Goldstein at the Greater Columbus Arts Council. Taking your own images of public artwork does not release you from the responsibility of artist credit and/or compensation.
This site is produced and managed by the Greater Columbus Arts Council and supported by the Ohio Arts Council and public art collections across the state. Contributors to the databases to date include collections held by the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo, City of Columbus, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Dublin Arts Council, City of Upper Arlington Cultural Arts Department, City of Kettering, Downtown Mansfield Inc., Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority, John Glenn Columbus International Airport, Licking County Foundation, Ohio Arts Council’s Percent for Art program, Short North Arts District and the City of Sandusky. The database was funded in part by a grant from the Ohio Arts Council. Research and development support is provided by Designing Local, OSA Technology Partners and Columbus artist Stephanie Rond. The Columbus Makes Art campaign is a citywide, collaborative marketing effort designed to highlight the incredible talent of central Ohio artists. The Greater Columbus Arts Council is supported by the City of Columbus and the Ohio Arts Council.
To support and advance the arts and cultural fabric of Columbus. www.gcac.org
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