CityScene

The Return Voyage

COSI's record-breaking Titanic exhibit returns with new features

By: Emily Gibb

The lavish and ill-fated RMS Titanic has been romanticized in popular culture since its tragic sinking in 1912 that resulted in the loss of more than 1,500 passengers in the icy northern Atlantic Ocean.

The nearly-15,000-square-foot attraction, Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, has returned to COSI, with more than 350 artifacts from the Titanic, including 100 not seen before in Columbus, and 23 making their world debut.

Now you can wander among intimate remnants of the ship, including clothes, shoes, binoculars, dishes and jewelry from its passengers; feel the chill of an uncomfortably close iceberg; and take a journey through the grand ship’s construction. COSI “passengers” are given a pass that allows them to move throughout the vessel, with replicas of the Grand Staircase, a first-class cabin and a third-class cabin.

“You don’t feel like you’re in a science museum or at an exhibit. When you enter, you feel like you’re drawn back in time to 1912 – like you’re entering the ship,” says Kelli Nowinsky, COSI public relations and social media manager. “It’s a very moving, compelling story, unlike anything you’ll ever see. It’s a great exhibition.”

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition runs through Sept. 6, 2010
Tickets: Adults (13-59) $23.75, Seniors (60+) $21.75, Youth (2-12) $16.75, Under 2 Free, COSI Members (adult/youth) $8/$7.

COSI is open seven days a week during the duration of the exhibit from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and from 12 to 6 p.m. Sundays. For tickets or more information, visit www.cosi.org.

Ohio Connections
Of the more than 2,200 passengers on the Titanic, 18 of them were headed back to Ohio. Some were Columbus natives returning home; others were looking for a new life in Akron. Here are some of their stories.

In the early 1900s, Akron’s rubber plants attracted hundreds of immigrants from Penzance, Cornwall, England. Richard George Hocking moved to Akron to work at the Diamond Rubber Plant a few years before turning 22. In 1912, he went back to Penzance to lead a group of 11 to America, more than half of whom were family members, including his mother, an aunt, two sisters and two nephews. As was the case with so many families on the ship, the women and children lived while the men perished.

Sarah “Sallie” Monypeny was born into one of Columbus’ wealthiest families in the early 20th century. She married fellow Ohioan Logan Newsom, from Gallipolis, and was cousins with Ohio Governor Judson Harmon. When Newsom died young, Sallie remarried Richard Beckwith, a real estate broker from New York, and began going by the name of Sallie Beckwith.

At the time, a world champion tennis player, Karl Behr, was attracted to Sallie’s daughter Helen. Sallie took Helen to Europe to escape from his aggressive pursuit; however Behr followed and maintained contact with Helen while there. After he heard that Sallie and Helen were planning to return to the United States via the Titanic, he bought a ticket aboard the ship, as well. All three of them survived the tragedy and, upon their return to the United States, Helen and Behr were married, with Sallie’s approval.

In 1905, Jessie Bruce and her parents emigrated from Scotland to the United States and settled on a farm close to Camp Chase, the former military prison and Confederate Cemetery outside of Columbus. She married William Trout in March 1911, but he died just six months later. To combat her grief, Jessie visited her grandmother in Scotland. Not scheduled to return until May, she decided at the last minute to buy a ticket for the Titanic to return to her parents sooner. She also survived the sinking and became a favorite source of journalists upon her return to Columbus.

John Thomas Sr. immigrated to America prior to the rest of his family, and began a clothing manufacturing venture which brought much success. He eventually traveled from Columbus back to his homeland of Lebanon (at that time, a part of Syria) in 1911 to get his 15-year-old son, John Jr. Although they planned to leave in late March, other family members decided to come, too, so they pushed back their departure and boarded the Titanic at Cherbourg as third-class passengers. Thomas’ niece, however, was the only one who would see a new life in America.

These stories are among many that are part of the Titanic exhibit, and provide a more personal look into one of the world’s most notorious disasters.

Preservation and Recovery
Throughout seven expeditions to the site of the Titanic’s wreckage by RMS Titanic, Inc., the only company that can legally retrieve objects from the area, more than 5,500 artifacts have been recovered. The objects range from porcelain dishes to a 17-ton section of the ship’s hull.

After spending years on the ocean floor, artifacts go through a meticulous preservation process. First, the objects undergo a careful process to remove rust and salt deposits. Once an object leaves the water and become exposed to the air, it must undergo an immediate stabilization process to prevent more deterioration. This process can take anywhere from six months to two years before an artifact can be further conserved by using a treatment compatible with its specific material. Metal, leather and wood objects, for example, require a process called “electrolysis,” which removes negative ions and salt. Chemical agents and fungicides are then used to remove rust and fungus. Also, a water-soluble wax replaces spaces in leather objects that were previously filled with debris and water.

Paper artifacts are first freeze-dried to remove water and then cleansed with specialized vacuums and hand tools that remove debris.

Once an artifact is sealed in a case, temperature, relative humidity and light levels can be controlled to protect it from further deterioration during worldwide exhibits.

Science of the Titanic – April 10
COSI will present a family workshop with a unique look at the science behind the Titanic. Geared toward children ages 6-12, the two-hour event will explain how the ship stayed afloat, why it sank and the changes made to future ships to avoid similar disasters. Young scientists eager to get a head start can download the “Float Your Boat” activity from the Family Workshops page of the COSI Web site. “Science of the Titanic,” runs from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1:30-3:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.cosi.org.

Highlights of the Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition include:
• A 3,000-pound section of the ship’s hull
• Recreations of both first- and third-class accommodations
• Personal items, including a gentleman’s top hat, china etched with the logo of the elite White Star Line, binoculars and more
• A collection of perfume vials that belonged to a first-class passenger, recovered during a dive in 2000
• A simulated iceberg offering a sense of the environmental conditions at play on the night of the Titanic disaster
• A gallery devoted the Titanic’s Ohio connections

Pickerington Magazine

Change of "Art"

Pickerington resident leaves corporate world for creative world

By Emily Gibb

Some artists hone their craft in an act of juvenile rebellion, but Pickerington resident Christy Chen, 33, found her calling because she mimicked her father – a professional artist who died when she was only 15.

She began painting when she was about 10 years old and has yet to stop.

“When it’s in your blood, you almost don’t have a choice,” Chen says of growing up around paints and canvases. “I always dreamed about it when I was little, I just didn’t always know if I would be able to do it.”

At first, art wasn’t Chen’s full time job. She attended the University of Kentucky with an art major, but moved to Ohio before finishing and ended up in a corporate position as a manager with NetJets for 10 years. During this time, however, she was trying to get her work in galleries and different art shows, but it was difficult balancing the two.

But because painting had always been her favorite hobby and a therapeutic outlet, Chen says she eventually realized it was time to end her corporate career and devote time to her art. She left NetJets in 2009 to focus solely on her artwork. The move opened up a huge, creative Pandora ’s Box, as she not only paints, but also creates dolls and jewelry.

“(Working at NetJets) was a fun job the first eight years, but the last two were really stressful, and it’s taxing on your creative side,” Chen says. “Finally, one day I decided life is way too short, so I decided to do (art) full time.”

Now Chen paints at her own leisure. It also gives her more time to spend with her daughters, Cameron, 7, and Avery, 5, and watch them grow up. They inspire her, she says.

Her paintings mainly depict landscapes because of her love of weather, the sky and the colors found in nature. If she wasn’t an artist, she’d be a meteorologist, she says.

“You don’t want to paint something when you’re not in the mood. You can’t just wake up and do it. I always say that art should be inspired and not required,” she says.

If she’s not inspired to paint, then she works on a line of children’s dolls she creates for her online store, the Fuzzy Wuzzy Boutique (www.chengallery.com). She sews the dolls based off drawings made by her daughters. She’s been making pet beds and dog toys for 12 years and still sells those on the side, as well.

Chen wanted to start making children’s toys to create something that couldn’t be found in stores, so she started Fuzzy Wuzzy Boutique in September.

Chen says she loves making dolls and children’s items, and it gives her something to do while her artwork dries.

The name for the dolls comes from a stuffed bear she’s had since childhood, named after a popular children’s poem. Chen receives many e-mails from parents telling her how much their kids love the dolls.

“It makes me happy that all these little kids are happy,” Chen says.

Even though she is raising her daughters in an artistic environment, they seem to gravitate toward painting and drawing on their own, she says. They’ve never taken formal lessons, but they have strong creative sides.

“They’re better than I was when I was young,” Chen says.

Chen’s online store has become her most successful venue for selling her work. Rather than carrying around a large portfolio of her art, keeping it online allows her to only have to carry around her business cards that direct people to the Web site to shop what’s available.

She sells more paintings in Ohio than anywhere else, as people enjoy buying artwork from local artists, Chen says. But she is proud that she has sold paintings in all 50 states, as well as in Canada and Paris. By utilizing the Internet, she’s been able to reach people on a much larger scale.

This self-motivated creativity seems to run in the family. Chen’s father and sisters have also started their own businesses. One owned a flower shop for many years, and organized her own art show in Kentucky last spring that focused on pet portraits. The other creates cartoons and children’s art in Atlanta.

“I have the entrepreneur thing in my blood,” she says.

In addition to showcasing and selling her artwork through her Web site, Chen also has work on display at the Hayley Gallery in New Albany, and participates in fairs throughout the Columbus area.

In her spare time when she’s not making dolls or painting, she creates silver jewelry – mainly earrings and bracelets – that are also sold at the Hayley Gallery.

“I kind of jump around with hobbies,” Chen says. “I like to try everything out to see if I’m good at it.”

Emily Gibb is a contributing writer for Pickerington Magazine.

UWeekly OSU

Buckeyes mean business

OSU students go to New York, the concrete jungle where dreams are made.

By Emily Gibb

Throughout Winter Quarter, two groups of students from the Fisher College of Business at Ohio State University showed that they have what it takes to out-smart the competition when it comes to a good marketing campaign.Ivy League students have nothing on these Buckeyes.

Ten undergraduate students saw their names scroll across the Jumbotron in Times Square and received $5,000 after winning the American Eagle Outfitter's marketing competition. The students took first place during the final round of the competition on Jan. 26.

Although three groups from Fisher's Honors Cohort Program competed, only one made it to the semi-final round in Pittsburgh and eventually won, said group member Melissa McGhee.

For a half hour of every class during Fall Quarter, the group developed a full comprehensive marketing plan for the Back to School campaign for the denim segment of American Eagle Jeans. They began with research, moved on to do an analysis and ended with their creative ideas. The final result was their campaign titled "Do It In Denim."

"We were fairly confident that we did our best with the campaign ... The biggest rush was when we presented to the CEO of American Eagle, along with six other executives," McGhee said.

Additionally, a team of Fisher MBA students walked away with $50,000 Feb. 6 after winning Wake Forest University School of Business's 2010 marketing summit. The international case competition pinned Ohio State students up against schools such as Dartmouth, IESE-Barcelona and the London Business School, but the Bucks came out on top.

IBM challenged the students to spend 36 hours developing a comprehensive marketing plan to increase their business in Dubai. The presentation needed to last 40 minutes, including time for questions and answers. Having seven people helped to get all the work done, including an innovation framework, several mock print-ads and a 30-second commercial, as well a financial analysis to make sure it was a worthwhile project to be considered, said team captain Michael Hrostoski.

"Needless to say, we didn't get a whole lot of sleep that weekend," Hrostoski said.

Before they could reach that point though, the students had to go through a tight selection process, said Marc Ankerman, their coach and core professor in the Fisher College of Business. Ankerman coaches all Fisher case teams, including the CIBER competition, a Green Case Competition, the Minority Key Bank Case Competition and the Big 10 Case Competition, held annually at OSU in April.

The seven students selected came from the CIBER team and the Big 10 team from last year. The students then competed in an internal case competition, and needed to be the one of the winners, like best speaker or best presenter, Ankerman said.

"This was a "super-team" of our best students, so we were definitely in it to win it. I think we would have been a little disappointed coming home without the win," Hrostoski said.

Having both successful teams of undergraduate and graduate students might not be just a coincidence.

"I think the Fisher College attracts a special kind of student. One who not only has great technical ability, but also great interpersonal skills and a spirit of collaboration," Hrostoski said.

To put it simply, he calls it being "smart, but nice."

These "smart, but nice" students might have a year or two until they graduate, but they already have a jump start on their "real world" competition. They've already figured out what it takes to run a successful marketing campaign.

Originally Published: March 3, 2010

Because Ashley Upperman told me to...

I’m just going to throw this out there: I DON’T WATCH “JERSEY SHORE.” In fact, I loathe everything about it. I would much rather kill brain cells by drinking a bottle of Evan Williams while huffing rubber cement than submit myself to a half hour of this bullshit. One sight of “The Situation” and I am nauseated. Needless to say, I was not in attendance at Lodge Bar when he appeared. I had better things to do, such as devour $ 0.35 wings at Paninis.

“Jersey Shore” is destroying popular culture with every nickname, every catch phrase and every fist pump. They have infiltrated the media and college parties alike. It’s inescapable. Things were bad enough when “Speidi” became a household name after destroying “The Hills.” Now there are fist pumps. Fist pumps.

Now, do not confuse me with someone too good for trashy TV. I am no stranger to reality television. There are few things I enjoy more than watching fat people try to get skinny while secretly wishing that I was Jillian Michaels, or getting sucked into the world of obsessive hoarders crying over stuffed animals covered in fecal matter. But I can’t bring myself to watch “Jersey Shore.” There is no number of jager bombs for me to take to the face that will make it okay for me to subject myself to this kind of torture. If I have an infinite amount of drama in my own life, why do I want to watch someone else’s? It’s not entertaining. It’s not funny. Frankly, they’re so pathetic that I feel bad for them. I had a neighbor with a dog named Snooki, and, let me tell you, she was much cuter than the broad with the overly-teased hair will ever be.

They can take their fake tans, their bad hair and their illegitimate fame and shove it up their fat asses. At least the world became a better place the night this season ended. We can have some peace … until next season.

UWeekly OSU

Tapping into the local dance scene

More students join Tap Happenings at The Shoebox

By Emily Gibb

As part of the Ohio State University Arts Initiative, beginner and experienced dancers can learn and practice tap in the space known as The Shoebox.

Performer and OSU tap instructor Jenai Cutcher is an artist in residence in the newly renovated arts spaces, better known as Arts in the Alley in the South Campus Gateway. After completing an English degree from OSU, Cutcher began her six-year career as a professional dancer in New York City. She returned to OSU to complete her master's in dance and has since stayed as a faculty member, helping to spark a re-growth in tap interest.

"The longer I've been around ... people start to realize that tap is still thriving," Cutcher said.

Karen Bell, dean of the Ohio State College of the Arts and associate vice president of the Arts Initiative, approached Cutcher about the Allied Arts program through the Arts Initiative and becoming an Artist in Residence.

Bell's aim is to keep artists in Columbus, and Arts in the Alley is one way to gain interest in the arts around campus and the Columbus area. She was also instrumental in organizing the OSU Urban Arts Space, located downtown in the former Lazarus Building, Cutcher said.

At The Shoebox, the walls exhibit paintings while the wood floor remains reserved for tappers. Exemplifying artist collaboration, one painter's work was directly inspired by the performance art taking place at the studio. Sarah Weinstock, who exhibited her work in The Shoebox throughout December and January, came up with the idea to paint the bottoms of Cutcher's shoes before she tap danced over the canvas. Currently, through February and March, the walls display the vibrant paintings of Adam Brouillette.

Because of spaces in the area like The Shoebox and the Gateway Film Center (formerly Landmark's Gateway Theatre), students have more opportunities to present their art. Before, the only university-sponsored stage made available to OSU tap students was through the elective classes' end-of-the-quarter performance called the "Informance."

Cutcher began an adult beginner-level tap class last fall and, despite a slow start, Cutcher said interest has picked up this winter. She acquires one new person almost every class. Dancers of all experience levels are welcome to join.

"If you've heard about it, you're the one we want to come," Cutcher said. "It's part of the tap tradition."

For more advanced dancers, Cutcher also runs a class called Tap Happenings. She encourages participants to bring their own choreography or ideas they would like to share or practice. The sessions are designed to be more like a tap lab than a tap class.

"We choose what we do so it's not so much of a teacher-student setting," said Tap Happenings frequenter and senior Jackie Laroche.

Gradute student Justin Ziniel began tap dancing a year and half ago through the elective classes. He enrolled in Cutcher's Tap 2 class this quarter, and also participates in the Adult Beginner Class and Tap Happenings.

"I try to take advantage of the most opportunities I can to tap dance," Ziniel said.

Tap Happenings is every other Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. and the beginner class starts at 5:30 p.m. each Wednesday. For more information, visit www.jamjamproductions.org.

Originally Published: February 24, 2010

CityScene

Open Season

Galleries offering a more intimate art-buying experience

By: Emily Gibb

Art patrons in Columbus now have a convenient – and more intimate – vehicle to peruse and inquire about local pieces.

While Short North galleries have long benefited from the high-traffic monthly Gallery Hops, more serious collectors can plan on a quieter, more personal experience at the fledgling Short North Seasonal Open Houses.

Happening every three months, the galleries (eight participated in December’s event) open up on a Sunday afternoon to offer art, advice and a chance for collectors and first-time buyers alike to learn more about pieces of interest – whether currently exhibited or obscured in storage.

The idea for these events was conceptualized at the “Gallery Summit” — an initiative held in spring 2009 for shops and businesses in the district to network and collaborate with a goal of increased exposure. The first open house was held on June 21, 2009.

“We were thinking of ways to promote the galleries in addition to Gallery Hop, to educate the public, give them an opportunity where they might spend a little more time in the galleries and appeal to patrons and collectors,” says Jeanie Auseon of Studios on High.

A major objective of the open houses is to shatter misconceptions about art galleries, such as the notion that patrons will walk in and expect to be snubbed unless they want to buy artwork, according to Kelly Cousins, assistant director of the Mahan Gallery.

“Even though that’s not the case at all with any of these galleries, there’s still that perception, and the open house gives people a chance to feel like they can interact with the staff a lot easier. It’s a friendlier format,” she says.

The galleries create a more casual setting during the open houses compared to the Gallery Hops, which people often view as a “fancier, night-on-the-town, date night type of affair,” Cousins says.

With a relaxed atmosphere, smaller crowds and a relaxed Sunday afternoon environment, the open houses focus on just on the art, making it more convenient – and perhaps less intimidating – for potential buyers and serious collectors.

“It’s more laid back so a lot of people that maybe don’t understand art aren’t scared to ask questions, and I really like that,” Cousins says.

So far, the format seems to be working.

“I have definitely noticed that on the open house days, people kind of linger longer than if they’re just stopping in during the week, and they’re more perceptive to asking questions,” Cousins says.

Whether or not they’re actually buying art isn’t the only benefit of the events. Holly Featherstone, from the Kathryn Gallery, says even if open house patrons are in and out quickly, they’re still exposed to the gallery and therefore might be inspired to return.

Each gallery handles Sunday open houses differently – some include artist visits or schedule exhibit openings with drinks and appetizers, some schedule sales around the events and others open up their storage space to show off non-exhibited work.

“We’re not all alike. We’re different in mission and in focus. For instance, Mahan (Gallery) brings up inventory that they don’t have space to show continuously. It would be to collectors’ advantage to see things they normally would not have access to,” Auseon says.

Studios on High brings in one of their 18 resident artists to provide demonstrations and create art while customers browse what is already on display.

“Each of the galleries can use their unique structure to the public’s benefit,” Auseon says.

The Sherrie Gallery tries to coordinate exhibit openings during the quarterly events, with an artist on hand to answer questions.

“The intention is to make it more focused on art for people who are really interested. It’s a chance to educate people,” says Owner Sherrie Riley Hawk.

Gallery owners and managers are excited to see the fledgling event off and rolling, and are working on more marketing and advertising to attract more potential buyers. Hawk, Auseon and Cousins all concur there has been a sizeable growth in peoples’ interest in art, but that doesn’t always translate into a growth in purchased art. They’re hoping that changes in the event’s second year.

“I’m really excited to get this off the ground and build it into a bigger avenue for people to come down here. I’m expecting it to grow a lot in 2010,” Cousins says.

The next Short North Seasonal Open House is from 1-4 p.m. March 21. Other open house events are scheduled for June 20, Sept. 19 and Dec. 19. Participating galleries are noted by a silver balloon on display. More information and maps are available at www.shortnorth.org.

Emily Gibb is a contributing writer for CityScene.

Upper Arlington Magazine

Green ThumbsGarden club's focus for 2010 is miniature gardens By Emily Gibb

What began during the 1960s as a neighborhood welcome wagon has grown into a flourishing group of women and men passionate about home gardening.

The Serendipity Garden Club has since become a place for the young and the old, first-time gardeners and professionals, as well as an educational resource for horticulture and floral design.

“We have all age groups, from people who are having their first baby to people who are retired and enjoying their grandkids. Some of the founding members are actually still active in the group,” says club president Winnie Garabis.

Once a month, 10 months out of the year, the 25 members rotate meeting in each other’s homes. They socialize, eat and, most importantly, listen to a program from a club expert or an outside professional who is brought in to teach the group new tricks and ideas for their home gardens.

“We’ve had professors from Columbus State. We have people from local garden centers that are specialists in a particular area, and we have some pretty expert people in our club (who) do presentations,” Garabis says. “There actually have been instructors from the national level (in our club), so we’re just lucky to have that expertise to draw from.”

Every June, they replace their usual meeting with a Garden Hop to tour some of their fellow members’ gardens. During last June’s Garden Hop, club members fell in love with long-time member Nancy Heber’s miniature landscape (also sometimes called a “fairy garden”), so they decided to make it the club’s 2010 focus to learn more about such gardens.

Heber is glad to teach fellow gardeners about miniature gardens. For 12 years, she taught horticulture for national garden clubs in 28 different states after retiring in 1992. Previously, she worked at Greenview Elementary School as an instructional specialist.

According to Heber, miniature gardens are lower maintenance than the typical home garden.

“Miniature landscapes allow you to garden without major demands,” Heber says. This makes them perfect for gardeners with limited space or time.

To avoid common misconceptions, Heber says she prefers the phrase “miniature landscape.”

“We’re not putting fairies in our yards,” she says.

The first step in constructing a miniature landscape is to find a suitable container.

“There are a variety of ways to approach it,” Heber says. Anything like a “trough, planter, whiskey barrel, etc.” can be used.

When deciding what to put in the container, Heber recommends planting small ferns, various types of thyme, selaginella, hens and chicks or different types of sedum. For gardeners planning to leave the container out during the winter, dwarf wintergreens can be used, as well. But if not, it’s important to winterize the garden so it will be in optimal shape for the following year.

To incorporate some extra flair into a miniature landscape, decorative objects can be added, such as a miniature wheel barrel, deck chair, or other items intended for small landscapes. Serendipity member Beth Veldey makes fairy garden furniture, and will to teach the group at a spring session. The club also tentatively plans to visit A Proper Garden, 5840 Olentangy River Rd. in Delaware, where there are many options for miniature landscapes.

For those looking to start their own gardens, Garabis’ first advice is to join a garden club and start learning as much as possible. Heber agrees, and gives the example of one member who couldn’t tell the difference between weeds in her yard and Hostas when she first joined. Now, she is a master judge.

“You can come and learn a lot,” she says.

Emily Gibb is a contributing writer for Upper Arlington Magazine.


BONUS:
Heber has plenty more gardening tips for fellow UA residents and gardeners, such as:

For watering indoor plants:
* Don’t use tap water straight from the faucet. Allow it to come to room temperature and age for at least 24 hours. It’s best to let it sit for 36-48 hours.
* Keep the water in a container, such as a well-washed milk jug, so it’s ready when your plants are.
* Allowing water to sit at room temperature gets rid of chemicals and chlorine, which can kill your house plants.

Things to remember for spring:
*The yard clean-up process is important. Pick up any leaves and debris to get rid of any diseases or pathogens in the yard.
* Pruning is important. Know how to prune, when to prune and what to prune.
* Also, know when to plant. Do your research when thinking about what to plant so they will last.