Cultural Arts Center Explained

Priscilla R. TysonCultural Arts Center
Image Upright:	1.2
Former Name:	Ohio State Arsenal
Established:	1976
Location:	139 West Main Street Columbus, Ohio 43215 USA
Type:	Cultural center
Mapframe:	no
Publictransit:	CoGo
Embedded:	Ohio State Arsenal Nrhp Type: nrhp Architecture: Italianate Added: July 18, 1974 Refnum: 74001495 Embed: yes Designated Other1: Columbus Designated Other1 Abbr: CRHP Designated Other1 Date: February 8, 1982 Designated Other1 Number: CR-2 Designated Other1 Num Position: bottom

The Priscilla R. Tyson Cultural Arts Center is a combination art gallery and teaching space, primarily for visual artists and crafters, in downtown Columbus, Ohio. It is a 38,500 square-foot space at 139 West Main Street, and is part of the city's Scioto Mile tourist district.^[1] Features of the space include a ceramics lab in the basement, with painting and weaving labs on upper floors. It offers community oriented arts classes at a variety of levels, and is also utilized as an events space.^{[2] [3] [4] [5]}

History

The site of the center was originally a state penitentiary, in 1814. It was demolished and rebuilt in 1861 as it exists today by prisoner labor as the Ohio State Arsenal. This brick Italianate arsenal building housed weapons and horses during the American Civil War. Historical artifacts on site include an eagle-and-shield from the battleship USS Ohio and a bell from the missile cruiser the USS Columbus. A proposed flag of Ohio briefly flew over the arsenal.^[6] The arsenal building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 18, 1974. The Cultural Arts Center is also featured on many of Columbus's historical tours.^{[7] [8]}

Access to the building was acquired by the city from the state through a 99-year lease at a cost of $1/year. It was transformed into an arts center starting in 1976, with the help of a $1.4 million grant from the US Department of Commerce, with the official opening on June 11, 1978.^{[2] [9]} The arts center was formerly housed in the old Engine House No. 12, from 1952 to 1978.

The building was named for Priscilla Tyson, the longest-serving female councilmember on the Columbus City Council, in 2023.^[10]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Cultural Arts Center | Downtown Columbus Arts Space. www.sciotomile.com.
2. News: Cultural Arts Center marks 40th year of community-building. Gilson. Nancy Gilson. June 3, 2018. The Columbus Dispatch.
3. Web site: Columbus Cultural Arts Center | Columbus Makes Art. ColumbusMakesArt.com.
4. Web site: Cultural Arts Center. www.experiencecolumbus.com.
5. Web site: premier Visual Arts facility. www.culturalartscenteronline.org.
6. Speech by State Regent O. J. Hodge. Orlando John. Hodge. Thirteenth Continental Congress of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Washington, D.C.. April 19, 1904. Google Books.
7. Web site: Columbus Architectural Scavenger Hunt. letsroam.com. 2020-01-14.
8. Web site: Visit Columbus Tours=2020-01-14. 15 August 2016 .
9. Web site: Cultural Arts Center. March 15, 2019. March 31, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170331180959/http://www.civicartsproject.com/2013/01/19/cultural-arts-center-downtown-columbus/. dead.
10. Web site: Bush . Bill . 7 October 2022 . Columbus renames Downtown arts center after Priscilla R. Tyson, former City Council member . 2023-02-11 . The Columbus Dispatch . en-US.