Columbus Honors Gallery Hop & Highball Halloween
The Short North
Arts District was honored with an "EXPY" Award at Experience
Columbus' 2012 Annual Meeting. Experience Columbus, the city's convention
& visitors bureau, presented the award before an audience of nearly
1,000 in the Battelle Grand Ballroom at the Greater Columbus Convention
Center.
The honor
showcased the Art District's long-established and highly acclaimed Gallery Hop and the
up-and-coming HighBall Halloween:
Masquerade on High. Both events have not only served as marketing
tools for the Short North, but have also helped shape the image and draw
of Greater Columbus.
The EXPY Awards
program (now in its 10th year) recognizes outstanding contributions by
businesses, organizations and individuals whose creativity and innovation
have created a vibrant and distinctive Columbus experience for visitors
and residents and have propelled Columbus into the national spotlight.
In recorded
remarks, Angela Pace (EXPY emcee) commented:
Known as
Columbus' Art & Soul, the culturally rich Short North Arts District
with its restaurants, shops, boutiques, galleries and pubs is a
phenomenal draw for leisure visitors and convention attendees alike.
Gallery Hop now in its 27th year*, is every first Saturday of the month
and brings thousands of visitors to the galleries and shops of the Short
North. On a typical hop, more than 40 galleries and venues spotlight the
best of established and emerging, Ohio-based, nationally and
internationally acclaimed artists.
In just
four short years, HighBall has become one of the most talked about and
highly anticipated events in the Midwest. The key to its success has been
its focus on celebrating the art of design. The signature of HighBall is
a dramatic runway stage built on the street under the iconic Short North
arches. It's a cross between Carnival and Mardi Gras with a pinch of
Halloween and health splash of Short North spirit.
*-Editor's correction. Gallery Hop is actually celebrating its 28th year
 This year marks the 28th anniversary of Gallery Hop. In
October 1984, pm gallery and ARTreach Gallery spearheaded an initiative to
synchronize their gallery openings on the first Saturday of the month to
increase the number of attendees in the fledgling neighborhood known then
as the "Near Northside." The initiative increased attendance
from 30 to 300; the gallery owners were on to something. It wasn't until
August of 1985 that the name "Gallery Hop" was born and attendance
went from 300 to 3,000. As Gallery Hop continued to grow, the gallery
owners inspired other District businesses to feature art in their spaces.
Restaurants, hair salons, offices, retail locations, all began to adopt
all-things-art. In addition to indoor exhibits, the streets became a
canvas for performance art.
Gallery Hop has
grown from a neighborhood gathering to a nationally recognized phenomenon
consistently attracting over 100,000 visitors every month. Gallery Hop
continues to be the calling card for the Short North. Since its
inception, the monthly event has generated more media attention and
visitor draw than any other district initiative. That media attention was
especially vibrant during the 25th anniversary of Gallery Hop. Links to
sample celebratory articles are included below:
 The EXPY Award also honored Highball Halloween. This annual
event is a cross between Carnival and Mardi Gras with a pinch of
Halloween and a splash of Short North spirit. In just four short years,
the event that focuses on fashion and the art of masquerade has become
one of the signature events for the city of Columbus.
This year,
HighBall lands on Saturday, October 27. It is expected to draw almost
20,000 attendees. Under the iconic arches of the Short North on High
Street, an 80-foot runway stage showcases Columbus' creative geniuses:
fashion designers, costumers, make-up and hair artists, performing
artists, and the list goes on.
During the
acceptance of the EXPY Award, the Short North Business Association
orchestrated a taste of Highball with a performance that included couture
costume designs, The Amazing Giants stilt-walkers, 15-feet tall body
puppets and drag-queen-extraordinaire, Nina West. Immediately following
the pulsating performance, Columbus media was buzzing about the
experience:
"The Short North Business Association thanks Experience
Columbus for honoring us with the EXPY Award," says Short North
Business Association Senior Director, Diesha Condon."Our
organization is proud to produce both of these events for the city of
Columbus."
Both Gallery Hop
and Highball Halloween continue to grow and evolve as the Short North
Arts District welcomes hundreds of thousands of new and recurring
visitors yearly. The District has become an unmistakable benchmark of the
great city of Columbus. As Mayor Coleman says, "the Short
North gives Columbus its swagger."
Gallery Hop is the
first Saturday of every month.
Holiday Hop is the first Saturday of December.
Highball Halloween
2012 is Saturday, October 27.
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