Name: Emerson Burkhart
Statement: Considered too risque for high school students, Emerson Burkhart's mural was whitewashed. Decades later, high school students restored it and it was relocated here at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Music, Drama, Dance was painted by Columbus artist Emerson Burkhart in 1934. It was painted on seven canvases and installed about the proscenium arch in the auditorium of Central High School, located along the riverfront in downtown Columbus. Only four years later, Central's principal had the mural covered with whitewash. By the mid-1980s, Central High School was closed and the property was eventually sold to the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) for a new museum. The restoration of Music, Drama, Dance was made possible through the dedication and hard work of many especially the students, faculty, and administration of Ft. Hayes Metropolitan Education Center. Approximately 1,000 students worked over a six-year period to remove the layers of over paint and to restore the painted surface of the mural. It was precise and painstaking work and was accomplished one square inch at a time. Music, Drama, Dance was one of only two murals painted by Burkhart. The other is located at Stillman Hall at Ohio State University.
The Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority today owns the largest contemporary collection of local art in central Ohio. All of the pieces are on display in the Greater Columbus Convention Center, the Hilton Columbus Downtown and the three Convention Center parking garages. The collection is the result of a communitywide call for art, overseen by a committee of community members and implemented by collection curators James and Michael Reese of Reese Brothers Productions. The artists represent the diversity of the Columbus community, cutting across age, gender and race.
Made: 1934
Installed: 2016
D pod Second Floor near skybridge
400 N. High St.
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Franklin County
Venue Website
Oil on board
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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