The Columbus Museum is excited to announce its grand reopening celebration, inviting visitors to explore creativity and culture through the experience of American art, regional history, tranquil gardens, and more. As a destination for people of all ages and interests, The Columbus Museum has something for everyone - all in a reimagined space. 

“The extensive renovation, undertaken with the vision to enhance visitor experience, introduces open sight lines, increased natural light, and improved accessibility, creating a seamless connection between art and history galleries and the Bradley Olmsted Garden,” says Museum Director, Marianne Richter. 

The Museum boasts several new features including the redesign and reinstallation of the art and history galleries, a Children's Gallery and Garden near the main entrance, a modern courtyard, new orientation spaces, a reconceived, stunning Galleria, and a grab-and-go café. The historic features of the Bradley Olmsted Garden have undergone restoration, adding to the overall beauty of the Museum’s extensive grounds. 

"With immense joy, we announce the grand reopening celebration of The Columbus Museum after its monumental renovation, the first of such magnitude since 1989,” says Museum Board President, Chris Henson. “The Board of Trustees extends a warm invitation to the community to explore this reimagined space that honors our history and envisions an inspiring future." 

Grand Reopening Celebration Schedule 

Reopening Gala 

Date: Friday, April 26 

Time: 6 – 11 P.M. 

Ticket Prices: Members - $175 per person; Non-Members - $225 per person (includes an annual Supporting Level Museum Membership); $195 per person Under Age 35 

Members and friends are invited to an exclusive evening celebration offering a first look at the reimagined Museum. Indulge in culinary delights from Dennis Dean Catering, a premier Atlanta-based catering company known for more than a decade of creative, high-quality cuisine. They have developed a reputation for stellar food and exquisite presentation. 

Immerse yourself in exceptional musical performances that will have you on your feet! Okorie “OkCello” Johnson is an American cellist-songwriter whose artistry integrates cello performance, live-sound-looping, improvisation, and storytelling - all culminating in original compositions that collide classical with jazz, EDM, reggae, and funk. Okorie has performed and recorded with major celebrated artists such as India Arie, De La 

Soul, and Big Boi of OutKast, amongst many others. 

Simply put, 1 More Song Band is a collection of the BEST musicians Atlanta has to offer. Featuring exceptional vocalists, high-energy choreography, and a dynamic rhythm section, 1 More Song will have you on your feet with a non-stop 3-hour performance from pop and hip-hop to Motown and swing. These talented musicians are sure to keep the dance floor moving with their high-energy style and musical precision. 

Public Grand Reopening Weekend 

Dates: Saturday, May 4, 10 A.M. – 10 P.M.; Sunday, May 5, 1 – 5 P.M. 

Free for the Public 

The public is invited to a free weekend celebrating the reimagined Columbus Museum and the area’s vibrant cultural scene. The weekend kicks off at 10 A.M. on Saturday, May 4 with a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by two days of special interactive programming and activities. Highlights include artistic docent-led tours, a mystery scavenger hunt, collaborative art making, children’s story time, food trucks, giveaways, and a Saturday night silent disco. 

Enjoy performances by local artists from the Rainey-McCullers School of the Arts, Springer Theater Academy, Youth Orchestra of Greater Columbus, Voices of the Valley, Columbus State University Schwob School of Music, and many more. 

On View: Reopening Exhibitions & Special Loans 

Our Own Work, Our Own Way: Ascendant Women Artists in the Johnson Collection 

This exhibition brings together 42 women artists of the 20th century with connections to the South, including Elaine de Kooning, Zelda Fitzgerald, and Alma Thomas. Comprised of artwork from the 1930s to the 1990s, this exhibition champions a roster of artists whose aesthetic achievements transcended social conventions and invigorated modernism in the South. 

Crossroads: Chattahoochee Valley Blues and Folk Music 

This exhibition features well-known local figures of the 20th century such as Gertrude “Ma” Rainey and Darby & Tarlton alongside local folk singers and rock bands. Recording technologies and instruments are highlighted through both artifacts and digital content. 

Andy Warhol: Silver Clouds & Cow Wallpaper 

Silver Clouds is a special interactive installation on loan from the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. The exhibition features a roomful of floating pillow-shaped balloons, inflated with a proprietary mixture of air and pure helium, enabling them to hover enchantingly in space. The installation will be enhanced by Warhol’s Cow Wallpaper, the first in the artist's series of designs, which were never made commercially available. 

A Decade of Drawings 

Over the past ten years, The Columbus Museum has made noticeable gains in augmenting its outstanding collection of American drawings. This exhibition highlights over 30 images from a variety of media, most of which were gifts to the Museum. Highlights include portraits by John Singer Sargent and Burton Silverman, landscapes by Marsden Hartley and Frederick Hammersley, and figure studies by Benny Andrews and William Beckman. 

History of the Museum 

As The Columbus Museum reopens, it revisits its origins and major milestones over the past 71 years. This special display spotlights the history of the property, its transformation into a museum, and many of the collection strengths and noteworthy exhibitions. 

Special Loans 

Light is easy to love by Amy Sherald, 2017 

This extraordinary loan to celebrate The Columbus Museum’s reopening is made possible by the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University. 

John Bascombe by Edward Troye, 1836 

Yale University Art Gallery is collegially lending this work to mark The Columbus Museum’s reopening. 

Additional Preview & Museum Member Opportunities 

Member Family Day 

Date: Sunday, April 28 

Time: 1 – 5 P.M. 

Free for Members 

Members and their families are invited to an afternoon of fun and interactive activities, including an exclusive preview of the new Children's Gallery and Garden. 

Museum on Tour Passport Day 

Date: Wednesday, May 1 

Time: 4 – 8 P.M. 

Free for Museum on Tour Participants 

During the renovation, The Columbus Museum was the Museum on Tour, hosting exhibitions and programming at collaborating partner venues around the Chattahoochee Valley. Participants with two or more Museum on Tour passport stickers are invited for a sneak peek of the Museum. 

Member Preview Night 

Date: Thursday, May 2 

Time: 4 – 8 P.M. 

Free for Members 

Members can enjoy an intimate open house of the Museum, featuring tours of the updated gallery spaces. 

The Reimagining of The Columbus Museum was made possible through the leadership of the Campaign Committee, the generosity of our visionary donors, and the citizens of Muscogee County in support of Education SPLOST funding. We offer sincere thanks to Co-Chairs Kathelen Amos and Elizabeth Ogie, Honorary Co-Chairs Thornton Jordan and Elizabeth T. Corn, as well as our dedicated Campaign Committee, for their remarkable leadership in making this transformation a reality. 

Following the reopening, the Museum will return to regular operating hours, continuing its commitment to being free and open to the public. For more information on the Grand Reopening Celebration, visit the Museum’s website, or contact Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Kristen Hudson, at (706) 748-2562 or [email protected]. Follow us on social media or subscribe to our email list for spotlights on performers, exhibition details, and behind-the-scenes coverage.