Photo courtesy of Columbus Book Project
With a copy of the Columbus Book Project in hand, natives and newcomers alike can discover the wealth of culture Columbus offers.
The project, a set of two artfully crafted coffee table books, sheds light on more than 200 local artists, businesses and experiences in the Columbus community. It features contributions from hundreds of local photographers, artists, designers, writers and other creatives.
Founder Alexia Winfield noticed a glaring need for a guide to the city after moving here in 2010 to work for JPMorgan Chase & Co. During the transition, she faced the challenge of immersing herself in a new city, which seemed unfamiliar and out of reach. As she stepped out and engaged with the community, the vision for the project began.
“Once you get to know Columbus, it’s bursting with culture, diversity and experiences,” says Winfield.
But this local character is not always obvious to the casual eye, she says, sometimes requiring a little more effort to uncover.
“I would love for Columbus to be a city that is obvious,” says Winfield. “This book will bring that to the forefront, to the limelight.”
The two books, Reveal and Explore, highlight different aspects of Columbus’ culture. Reveal unveils stories of neighborhoods, traditions and family legacies that have been around for a while, such as University District doughnut shop Buckeye Donuts.
Once you get to know Columbus, it’s bursting with culture, diversity and experiences.
Explore delves into the food scene, natural areas and diversity discoverable within the city limits. Its content ranges from a pizza tour of Columbus to a brilliant photo shoot of women wearing ethnic head wraps by Baydian. Together, the books spell “Columbus” on the spine.
“Each book is a celebration piece, with all these visual artists, photographers and writers all in one place,” says Winfield.
At 255 and 301 pages, they are the product of collaboration among 220 talented locals.
“We wanted it to feel raw, like you were seeing what your friend loved about it before they recommended it to you,” says Whitney Ransdell, co-lead designer. “We wanted to push it out of the realm of editorial and onto the canvas by pushing the use of textures, angles and typography.”
“You aren’t going to find another product that describes Columbus like this,” says Winfield.
The books release Nov. 15 and are sold individually or as a set at the Book Loft, Gramercy Books, North Market, Stump, Sweet Carrot and online at www.columbusbookproject.com.
Mikayla Klein is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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