Approximately 200,000 people tour the city’s major arts institution each year. It collects art from all time periods, and focuses on specific collections as well. Its holdings of Impressionist, German Expressionist and Cubist art are highly regarded, and it collects work by local Columbus artists, especially lithographs by George Bellows. Since the 2000s, it has particularly built its photography collection.
While the focus is on modern, contemporary and the photographic arts, the museum also has holdings of Old Master paintings and 19th century American art. Some highlights of the collection across all categories include Winslow Homer’s Haymaking, Artemisia Gentileschi’sBathsheba, Degas’s The Breakfast, and Aleksandr Rodchenko’s Pioneer with Horn.
Special exhibitions cull works from its holdings. They have recently included a showcase of Charles Burchfield’s work, photographs by William Christenberry, children in European portraiture, and perceptual art of the 1960s.
Columbus Museum of Art Information
- Public Transportation: Easily accessible
- Handicapped Accessibility: Yes
- Hours: Tuesday- Sunday 10 a.m.-5:30 a.m.; Thursdays 10 a.m.-8:30 a.m.; closed on Monday, as well as most holidays.
- Admission: $10 adults, $8 seniors (60+), students (18+), $5 students aged 6-17 years; free admission for members and for children 5 and under.
- Free Days: Admission to the permanent collection is free on Sundays.
- Subscription/Memberships: Basic membership, which can be used for a couple, or a member + guest, is $60 (seniors and educators pay $54), student memberships are $25, and household membership is $75 ($67.50 for seniors and educators). Reciprocal membership is $115 and gets you free admission to more than 200 other art museums in America. Basic member benefits include free museum admission (including special exhibitions), free parking, invitations to receptions, 10% discount at museum café, 15% discount at gift shop, free/discount admission to family and adult programs, travel opportunities, member advantage coupons, and ticket discounts at local arts organizations such as BalletMet, CSO, Chamber Music Columbus, Shadowbox Cabaret, and King Arts Complex.
