Come see us! From Struggle to Strength: Inspiring Journeys of Central Ohio's Refugee Community and Perspective of Color are now open.
We will be following CDC protocols and state health orders. Face masks are welcome during your visit to the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio. Social distance will be maintained and visitor numbers monitored. Thank you for helping protect our visitors, volunteers, and staff!
We look forward to seeing you!
We will be following CDC protocols and state health orders. Face masks are welcome during your visit to the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio. Social distance will be maintained and visitor numbers monitored. Thank you for helping protect our visitors, volunteers, and staff!
We look forward to seeing you!
Current Exhibition
From Struggle to Strength: Inspiring Journeys of Central Ohio's Refugee Community
Tariq Tarey, Curator
January 27 - April 28, 2024
By way of stunning photographs and stories, meet a group of Central Ohio residents who were once forced to flee their homes and become among the millions of refugees who have found hope and resilience in the face of adversity.
Through the lens of award-winning photographer Tariq Tarey, discover how these individuals endured their arduous journeys to find a place to rebuild their lives. They aren’t just numbers. They are people with stories to share. Come and be inspired by their resilience, from Struggle to Strength.
This exhibition is funded in part by the Ohio Holocaust and Genocide Memorial and Education Commission, PNC Arts Alive, and Patrick & Brenda Smith.
Tariq Tarey, Curator
January 27 - April 28, 2024
By way of stunning photographs and stories, meet a group of Central Ohio residents who were once forced to flee their homes and become among the millions of refugees who have found hope and resilience in the face of adversity.
Through the lens of award-winning photographer Tariq Tarey, discover how these individuals endured their arduous journeys to find a place to rebuild their lives. They aren’t just numbers. They are people with stories to share. Come and be inspired by their resilience, from Struggle to Strength.
This exhibition is funded in part by the Ohio Holocaust and Genocide Memorial and Education Commission, PNC Arts Alive, and Patrick & Brenda Smith.
Perspective of Color
An exhibition of paintings by central Ohio painter Hani Hara. Born in Egypt, Hara immigrated to Ohio when still a child and began painting at age 40. This sampling of paintings created over the span of 35 years embodies Hara’s intensely colorful and uniquely expressive approach to painting human faces.
An exhibition of paintings by central Ohio painter Hani Hara. Born in Egypt, Hara immigrated to Ohio when still a child and began painting at age 40. This sampling of paintings created over the span of 35 years embodies Hara’s intensely colorful and uniquely expressive approach to painting human faces.
Exhibition Programming
Curator Talk
Sunday, January 28, 2:00 pm
FULL
Tariq Tarey will share insights into how, through photography, he captured the inspiring stories of Central Ohio residents who endured arduous journeys as they were once forced to flee their homes and become refugees. These stunning photographs and stories are displayed in From Struggle to Strength: Inspiring Journeys of Central Ohio’s Refugee Community.
Sunday, January 28, 2:00 pm
FULL
Tariq Tarey will share insights into how, through photography, he captured the inspiring stories of Central Ohio residents who endured arduous journeys as they were once forced to flee their homes and become refugees. These stunning photographs and stories are displayed in From Struggle to Strength: Inspiring Journeys of Central Ohio’s Refugee Community.
Road to Lancaster: Our Immigration
Sunday, February 18, 2:00 pm
Michael Johnson
$10/$5 member in advance | $15 at door
Michael Johnson, marketing director of the Fairfield County Heritage Association and museum director of the Sherman House Museum, will speak about the history of immigrants to Lancaster and how their unique backgrounds affected the community during the Civil War. This program is presented in conjunction with the Fairfield County Heritage Association.
Sunday, February 18, 2:00 pm
Michael Johnson
$10/$5 member in advance | $15 at door
Michael Johnson, marketing director of the Fairfield County Heritage Association and museum director of the Sherman House Museum, will speak about the history of immigrants to Lancaster and how their unique backgrounds affected the community during the Civil War. This program is presented in conjunction with the Fairfield County Heritage Association.
Homegrown: Silsilad Documentary Screening
Sunday, March 17, 2:00 pm
$10/$5 member, $15 at the door
Join us for a live screening of the documentary, Homegrown: Silsilad. This documentary by photographer Tariq Tarey explores the Soomaal House of Art in Minneapolis, the nation’s first Somali-American art center. Silsilad is part of the full collection of shorts screened at the Cleveland International Film Festival in March and the Milwaukee Film Festival in April. Following the documentary screening, Tarey will lead a panel discussion, “Welcoming Refugees to Central
Ohio,” with community leaders.
Sunday, March 17, 2:00 pm
$10/$5 member, $15 at the door
Join us for a live screening of the documentary, Homegrown: Silsilad. This documentary by photographer Tariq Tarey explores the Soomaal House of Art in Minneapolis, the nation’s first Somali-American art center. Silsilad is part of the full collection of shorts screened at the Cleveland International Film Festival in March and the Milwaukee Film Festival in April. Following the documentary screening, Tarey will lead a panel discussion, “Welcoming Refugees to Central
Ohio,” with community leaders.
Artist Talk with Hani Hara
Sunday, April 7, 2:00 pm
$10/$5 member in advance | $15 at door
Join Hani Hara as he shares about his journey, paintings, and "perspective of color."
Sunday, April 7, 2:00 pm
$10/$5 member in advance | $15 at door
Join Hani Hara as he shares about his journey, paintings, and "perspective of color."
Register for Artist Talk
Take Great Photos with Your Cell Phone
Saturday, March 16, 12:00 pm-1:30 pm
Ages 16-Adult
Bev Johnston, instructor
Class full
In this hands-on class, discover the art of capturing stunning photos using your cell phone, mastering artistic compositions and editing techniques like a professional, all while using your own device. Unlock the potential of your smartphone’s camera and unleash your creativity in this engaging workshop. Students must bring their own cell phones and have a working knowledge of how their phones function.
Saturday, March 16, 12:00 pm-1:30 pm
Ages 16-Adult
Bev Johnston, instructor
Class full
In this hands-on class, discover the art of capturing stunning photos using your cell phone, mastering artistic compositions and editing techniques like a professional, all while using your own device. Unlock the potential of your smartphone’s camera and unleash your creativity in this engaging workshop. Students must bring their own cell phones and have a working knowledge of how their phones function.
For more classes, visit our Programs, Classes and Events page
Upcoming Exhibitions
Mod: Visual, Social, Cultural Renaissance of the 1960s
Margaret Wunderlich, Curator
June 1 - August 25, 2024
Embark on a retrospective journey through an exhibition capturing the 1960s' pivotal cultural revolutions that are still blazing today, impacting visual, social and cultural landscapes.
Through a variety of art mediums including prints, record albums, furniture and clothing, visitors will immerse themselves in the conflicts that arose from the growing pains of a society in the adolescence of extreme technological growth. Come be inspired by those who gave voice to the long-simmering grievances of humanity and freed the creative spirit of a generation yearning to challenge the status quo.
Margaret Wunderlich, Curator
June 1 - August 25, 2024
Embark on a retrospective journey through an exhibition capturing the 1960s' pivotal cultural revolutions that are still blazing today, impacting visual, social and cultural landscapes.
Through a variety of art mediums including prints, record albums, furniture and clothing, visitors will immerse themselves in the conflicts that arose from the growing pains of a society in the adolescence of extreme technological growth. Come be inspired by those who gave voice to the long-simmering grievances of humanity and freed the creative spirit of a generation yearning to challenge the status quo.
Previous Exhibitions
It's an Honor to Be Here: Ohio Nature Artists in Their Natural State
September 30 - December 31, 2023
- Nov. 24 - Dec. 31, 2023 -- Homemade, Handmade & Artist-made Christmas
- Sept. 30 - Dec. 31, 2023 -- Duck Decoys of Ohio
- June 3 - August 27, 2023 -- Intrinsic Luminescence
- Feb. 4 - April 23, 2023 -- Flower Power: Flora in Fashion
- Sept. 24 - Dec. 31, 2022 -- Ohio: The Start of It All
- May 21 - August 28, 2022 -- Chronicles: The Great Depression and the Pandemic
- Jan. 29 - April 24, 2022 -- Hindsight: The Art of Looking Back
- June 5, 2021 - Jan. 2, 2022 -- Distinctly Paramount: Fashion & Costume from the Paramount Pictures Archive
- Nov. 21, 2020 - February 28, 2021 -- Russian Decorative Arts from the Tsars to the USSR
- July 18 - October 25, 2020 -- 2 + 3 x 18: Diptychs and Triptychs by 18 Contemporary Ohio Artists
- Jan. 25 - April 26, 2020 -- Tell Me a Story Where the Bad Girl Wins: The Life and Art of Barbara Shermund
- Sept. 21 - Dec. 29, 2019 -- The Ohio Presidents: Surprising Legacies
- May 25 - Aug. 18, 2019 -- Selections from the Pizzuti Collection
- Jan. 26 - April 28, 2019 -- Lilly's World: Decorative Arts & the Art of Lilly Martin Spencer, 1840-1900
- Sept. 15 - Dec. 30, 2018 -- Imagining a Better World: The Artwork of Nelly Toll
- May 19 - Aug. 19, 2018 -- Creating the Illusion: Costumes & Characters from the Paramount Pictures Archive
- Jan. 20 - April 15, 2018 -- Artists of the Winding Road A-Z
- Sept. 9- Dec. 31, 2017 -- In Our Own Image: The Genesis of Photography and the Contemporary Eye
- May 20 - Aug. 13, 2017 -- Three Voices: Conversations on Life and Conflict
- Feb. 4 - April 23, 2017 -- Circular Abstractions: Bull's Eye Quilts
- Sept. 10 - Dec. 31, 2016 -- An Ohio Childhood: 200 Years of Growing Up
- May 21- Aug. 14, 2016 -- Edith Head and Company: Costumes and Jewelry, 1924-2015
- Jan 23 - April 24, 2016 -- Blue Walk: The Art of William Kortlander
- Sept. 12 – Dec. 31, 2015 -- Early Visions of Ohio - 1765-1865
- June 20 – Aug. 23, 2015 -- Persistence of Nature: Featuring the works of James Mason and Karen Rumora
- February 7 - May 17, 2015 -- A Tradition of Progress: Ohio Decorative Arts 1860-1945
- Oct. 25 - Dec. 31, 2014 -- Campana Brothers: Brazilian Design Now
- June 7 - Aug. 24, 2014 -- Designing Woman: Edith Head at Paramount 1924-1967
- Jan. 25 - April 13, 2014 -- My Best Friends are Potters: Ceramics from the Tim Frederich Collection
- Oct. 26 - Dec. 29, 2013 -- Joseph O'Sickey: Unifying Art, Life and Love
- May 4 - Sept. 1, 2013 -- Gorgeous Threads: A World of Textiles
- Jan. 26 - April 7, 2013 -- A Remarkable Menagerie: Animals in Art
- Oct. 20 - Dec. 30, 2012 -- Outcault/Stahler
- June 23 – Sept. 9, 2012 -- Appalachian Strings
- Jan. 21 – May 20, 2012 -- Looking Forward
- Oct. 22, 2011 – Dec. 31, 2011 -- Once Upon a Page
- June 26 – Sept. 4, 2011 -- David Hostetler Unabridged
- Jan. 29 - June 5, 2011 -- Equal in Goodness: Ohio Decorative Arts
- Oct. 23, 2010 - Jan. 2, 2011 -- The Creative Spirit
- May 22 - Sept. 5, 2010 -- Paul Hamilton: Poetry of Place
- Jan. 30 - April 18, 2010 -- Artful Paper: Cut, Folded and Fabulous
- Oct. 3, 2009 - Jan. 3, 2010 -- The Shakers: Abiding Inspiration in Faith and Design
- June 25 - Sept. 6, 2009 -- Along Water Street: New Work by Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson
- April 4 - June 7, 2009 -- Nancy Miller: An Artist's Creative Journey