Christopher Columbus statue will return in new form
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Protesters in June 2020 at the base of the Christopher Columbus statue formerly located in front of City Hall. Photo: Seth Herald/AFP via Getty Images
A controversial Christopher Columbus statue is expected to eventually return to public display, while other longstanding city symbols are also being reconsidered.
Driving the news: A new "Reimagining Columbus" project will determine how and where the city could tastefully showcase the 1955 statue and promote local diversity through other forms of public art.
Why it matters: The effort is meant to fully reckon with the colonialist, violent past of our city's namesake and highlight underrepresented communities from the city's 211-year history.
State of play: Many U.S. cities have reevaluated local landmarks honoring Confederates and conquistadors in recent years, a process accelerated by the anti-racism protests in 2020.
- Christopher Columbus statues at City Hall and on the Columbus State Community College campus were removed that summer.
- A third, at the Statehouse, still stands.
What's happening: The city accepted a $2 million grant from the Mellon Foundation to design a new installation space away from City Hall for the statue that once resided there.
- It will grapple with "hard truths about Columbus the man" and contextualize his legacy, per a project website.
Separately, the city will invest $1.5 million in new sculptures, digital installations or murals at City Hall that reflect "who we are as a city today."
The intrigue: The future of our city seal and flag, which both reference Christopher Columbus' explorations, is also being assessed.
- "We need to hear more from the community about their affinities and associations with those symbols to assess next steps," Jennifer Fening, the deputy director of the city's development department, tells Axios.
What he's saying: "Today, we take the next step in rewriting our narrative," Mayor Andrew Ginther said on Tuesday in a statement announcing the plan.
- "I invite the entire community to join us in an inclusive discussion that will allow us to re-envision how we project ourselves to the world and create a symbolic landscape that more closely resembles our shared values and aspirations for our future."
What's next: Public hearings are expected to start next February and continue through the summer.
- Residents will review designs near the end of 2024.