There’s a nice big article in this month’s issue of CityScene Magazine focused on my friend Mike Reed and his contributions to the local art scene and beyond. Towards the end, there’s also a brief mention of myself as well as a few others who’ve taken the lead on promoting Columbus as the Independent Arts Capital of the World. Nice!
Michael Reed’s ideas color Columbus’ art scene
By: Alicia KelsoThe vibrant world of art can sometimes be a bit murky for Michael Reed, a Columbus artist colorblind to reds and greens.
Although this has caused him to have some trepidation, he still incorporates red and green onto his palette and turns out plenty of vivid pieces. Reed admits he’s always been afraid of colors, but by taking up painting about two years ago, he’s learned to respect color schemes, rather than fear them.
The self-admitted “scatterbrain” works simultaneously on various projects while juggling a computer technician day job and master’s classes in city planning. For someone who’s only been in the Columbus art scene a few years, he’s brought many ideas to fruition.
Reed facilitates www.columbusart.org; he’s a founding member of The Couchfire Collective, which hosts Agora shows that draw thousands of patrons to Junctionview Studios, in Grandview; and, perhaps most notably, he was the first to coin Columbus as “The Indie Art Capital of the World.”
Although he’s excited about the possibilities surrounding the tag, he says coming up with the idea is only “1 percent” of the process, and credits many others with having relentless motivation. “This isn’t about ‘Mike Reed’s idea.’ There were three other artists – Kyle Ezell, Walker Evans and Daniel Fox – who picked it up immediately and took it as their own. Since then hundreds of people have adopted it,” Reed says. “Having the idea is one thing, but delivering on the promise of an idea is what counts, and there are tons of people doing just that.”