Programs: Exhibitions / collections: the columbus museum of art (cma) has served as a vibrant centerpiece of the columbus community for nearly 140 years. Cma houses nearly 12,000 works of art including an extensive collection of internationally recognized american and european modernist works. Additional strengths of the collection include american folk, photography, and pre-columbian art, as well as a growing collection of textiles and contemporary art. Cma is actively engaged in collecting to grow and refine the collection to enhance quality and to reflect the diversity of its community. Cma's 2016 presentation of picasso brought national attention to cma and the community, including being named one of "17 blockbuster summer shows worth traveling for" by artnet news, which is read worldwide by 1. 2 million people monthly. The exhibition included major works from international museums including the museu picasso (barcelona), musee national picasso (paris), and rarely seen works from private collections. Cma has an outstanding permanent collection that travels the globe, bringing visibility to cma and columbus. In 2016, cma lent 37 works to 20 separate institutions including the grand palais (paris), the royal academy (london), and the prado (madrid).
programs / learning: cma is committed to being a 21st century museum - one we define as "transformative, active, participatory, and impacting the health and growth of the community. " creativity is the designated driver for this change as cma's permanent collection galleries house some of the best practices of creativity. The center for creativity-a space, a philosophy and a program initiative-champions new and different ways of thinking and doing. It celebrates the process and results of creativity and provides opportunities for people to discover the value of creativity in their own lives. Through captivating spaces and engaging experiences, we invite people of all ages to participate in activities that nurture critical and creative thinking and doing; observing, questioning, experimenting, analyzing, reflecting, and playing. Our goal is to prepare today's generations to think and lead as the future requires.
community outreach: the museum has reimagined its school partnership programs to foster and encourage creative and critical thinking skills for k-12 students and teachers. By practicing cma's own o. D. I. P. Strategy (observe, describe, interpret, and prove), students practice higher level thinking through analysis, interpretation, and evaluation; and give voice to multiple perspectives and interpretations to deeper learning and sustain a culture of risk-taking. Cma supports the needs of central ohio educators as they relate to best practices in creativity around imagination, critical thinking and innovation, as well. Programs for diverse audiences include sparking imagination, a tour experience for people with alzheimer's disease and their caregivers, and art of analysis, a program for all 2nd year medical students at the ohio state university.
