2026 Columbus Filmmakers Grant Winners By Paul Rowe Every industry analyst will tell you that 2026 is the rise (or the return, for you history buffs) of the independent film – of investing in new, creative voices. Five Columbus creators, all 2026 Local Filmmaker Grant Program winners, have entered the chat. The genres they work in span horror, comedy-thriller, drama, and crime. Ask any of them why they put themselves through the arduous journey of…
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Carol John’s Sunshine, Happiness, & Joy fills The Do Good Fund Gallery with color, curiosity, and possibility, offering visitors of every age the chance to discover something unexpected. By Monica Jones There is something wonderfully disarming about walking into a gallery filled with bright colors, playful shapes, and thousands upon thousands of painted circles. At first glance, Carol John’s work feels joyful. Her exhibition, Sunshine, Happiness, & Joy, now on view at The Do Good…
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On July 17, a room full of people will gather at The Pearl in downtown Columbus to sing. By Monica Jones Some will be experienced musicians. Some will be former choir kids. Some will know exactly what they’re doing. Others may be stepping into a choir for the first time. There will be food, drinks, laughter, a little friendly competition, and a room full of people making a case for their favorite song in this…
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Cold drinks. Serious food. Familiar faces. And a local bar with plenty of bite. By Monica Jones There are places in Columbus that don’t need much explaining. You either know them, know somebody who knows them, or have driven past enough times to wonder what all they’ve got going on in there. The Dawg House is one of those places. It’s a sports bar and grill, sure. There are pool tables, darts, cold drinks, karaoke…
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I Feel Good: An Homage to James Brown brings soul, swagger, and Southern music history to the Springer stage By Monica Jones The Springer Opera House is bringing the funk to Juneteenth. This year, the theater’s annual Juneteenth celebration turns its spotlight toward one of the most electrifying performers American music has ever produced with I Feel Good: An Homage to James Brown, a high-energy tribute to the Godfather of Soul. For audiences who moved…
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By Andy Carpenter Do you ever feel like you’re stuck in an eddy just upstream from a waterfall, where you ain’t got any business testing the water? That is how marketing a movie feels to me; flailing around, trying to keep my feet downstream, doing my best not to panic or go under, all the while thinking to myself, “bail out, bail out!” They say an honorable captain goes down with the ship, but when…
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From dive-bar childhood to Nashville road miles, Zac Young is still making music with the people and places that raised him. By Monica Jones Zac did not know he was being interviewed. We had been meaning to do this for years. Columbus is like that. Everybody knows everybody, everybody means to catch up, and then suddenly eight years have passed, three venues have changed names, six bands have evolved, and somebody’s phone is full. So…
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Decades after “Watching Airplanes,” Gary Allan continues to connect with audiences by remaining unmistakably himself. By Monica Jones You know that feeling when a song finds you? The kind that settles into your life and stays there. Years later, you may not remember exactly when you first heard it, but you remember the feeling it left behind. For me, it’s “Watching Airplanes.” Like many of Gary Allan’s songs, it lingered. It became attached to memories,…
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By Monica Jones Memorial Day weekend in Columbus doesn’t always win the pull over the beach—but for those who stay, there’s still plenty happening close to home. For 15 years, Bugs on the Hooch has brought Volkswagen enthusiasts, families, and curious wanderers together—now hosted at the National Civil War Naval Museum—for a weekend of classic cars, camping, and community along the riverfront. Amid all of it, there’s a moment that shifts the tone. On Saturday,…
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Cover Image: B.B. Palmer and Sammie Saxon- Image by Charley Windham By Monica Jones On May 9, Rose Hill Heights Park will be a little louder, a little brighter, a little stranger—in the best way. The second annual Crossroads Folk Art Festival isn’t designed to be explained. It’s designed to be experienced—where people aren’t just viewing art, but becoming part of it. Whether you show up knowing exactly what folk art is or whether you…
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