‘To Create …Takes Courage’

Experience the 51st Biennial in Columbus, Ohio

By Bev Goldie and Darlene Yeager-Torre, Biennial Co-Chairs 

Discover Columbus, Ohio, this coming April at the national Biennial! We’re planning to knock your socks off with the grand hotel venue, stimulating schedule, and elegant evening events.

Hard work has been rewarded with local funding to supplement programs and awards to make this a memorable event, including:

  • Live actors and musicians for the art reception provided by a grant from the Greater Columbus Arts Council.
  • Funding by The Johnstone Grant for New Music for music awards and musicians to perform the winning compositions.
  • A special, one-time, $1,000 Jeny Reynolds Art Award.
  • A display and presentation by sponsor International Moulding at the Sponsors/Members Boutique.
  • Internationally known, engaging keynote speakers.
  • Other in-kind donations and special treats.
logo of To Create Takes courage
Biennial logo design by Gayle Holton

Our host venue is the historic Westin Great Southern Hotel. You may want to arrive on Thursday, April 25, and begin to experience Columbus before checking into your hotel at 4. Early registration is from 4 to 8 p.m. Then browse the Sponsor/Member Boutique or head out for an evening downtown.

The hotel features recently renovated rooms that include a mini refrigerator, coffee maker, HDTV with premium channels, and free WiFi. Twenty-five rooms have been set aside at a special rate for our conference. To reserve your room, go to bit.ly/NLAPW24 (redirects to Marriott).

Sunday afternoon is completely free. You won’t want to leave Columbus without visiting popular sites:

  • Columbus Museum of Art: open until 9 p.m. Thursdays; free on Sundays.
  •  Thurber House Museum: open 1-4 daily.
  •  Franklin Park Conservatory and Gardens: with permanent Dale Chihuly glass throughout and an art gallery.
  •  National Veterans Memorial and Museum: open 10-5 daily.
  • Topiary Gardens and Park, a living re-creation of Georges Seurat’s famous painting, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of LaGrande Jatte”: open daily dawn until dusk.
  •  The Ohio State University campus: Be sure to stroll “the Oval,” which isn’t a building. Designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, it’s a beautiful example of landscape architecture.
  •  Ohio Statehouse: open 10-3 weekdays and 12-3 weekends, with guided tours on the hour.
    Other ideas include the historic German Village district, the Short North district art galleries, and Kelton House Museum and Gardens.

Plan your stay now and take advantage of the early bird registration until Jan. 31. We look forward to helping you discover “the heart of Ohio.”

Download the Biennial schedule and the registration form.

Learn how to enter the Biennial competitions.

Download the order form for Biennial program advertising.

Meet the Keynote Speakers

Angela Meleca Vinnie Ream Awards Banquet speaker Angela Meleca, CEO of Meleca Creative Advisors (MCA), is recognized as an industry leader. Prior to founding MCA, she was the executive director of CreativeOhio. She brings more than 30 years of experience as a gallery owner, press secretary to Ohio’s Senate president, and journalist with the aim of changing the disconnect in how noncreatives think of the arts. Meleca’s talk, “One Word’s Impact on Arts Relevance,” will share valuable insights, strategies, and wisdom to inspire new advocacy avenues for all arts and arts organizations. Her dedication and visionary approach have made her an influential catalyst in transforming how we perceive and invest in the arts.

 

Nannette Maciejunes Art and Music Luncheon speaker Nannette Maciejunes (who was the art competition juror) is executive director emeritus of the Columbus Museum of Art (CMA) after serving as executive director and CEO for 20 years. Prior to that, she worked as a curator for two decades, culminating in her tenure as chief curator. Maciejunes has lectured, written, and organized numerous exhibitions on American art and has served on the Ohio Advisory Group (OAG) for the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington.

 

 

Linda Kass Letters Luncheon speaker Linda Kass is the author of three historical novels, “Tasa’s Song” (2016); “A Ritchie Boy” (2020), an IPPY Gold Medal Winner in Historical Fiction in 2021; and “Bessie,” which was named a Hasty Book List most-anticipated historical fiction title for 2023. She is well known around Central Ohio for her civic leadership; her strong advocacy of education, literacy, and the arts; and as the founder and owner of Gramercy Books, an independent bookstore located just east of downtown Columbus.