Special Tours

Special exhibitions tours are offered to visitors of all ages from elementary through adults.

Great Expectations: Aristocratic Children in European Portraiture
Feb. 15, 2008-June 8, 2008
Forty Old Master portraits of European royal and aristocratic children and adolescents open a window onto a fascinating world that has long since passed. In societies governed by dynastic descent, children played an important role, as the portraits in this exhibition demonstrate. A staple of art throughout the centuries, portraiture seeks to capture the inner psyche as well as the outward appearance. A subject's attire, pose, and attributes (background and accessories) help us learn about the sitter, the artist, and the time and place in which the portrait was made.

Material Matters: Quiltmaking in the 21st Century
June 20-August 31, 2008
Thirty-nine international contemporary quiltmakers push the basic technique, concept, and style of a quilt (layers of fabric held together by stitches) in new directions. Many of the quilts challenge the traditional concept of a two-dimensional pieced object in both their sculptural presentation and use of unconventional materials. The sometimes humorous marks and images on fabric portray environmental concerns, political and social comments, life narrative, and cultural and generational differences.

Objects of Wonder from the Ohio State University
September 26 2008-January 18, 2009
This Exhibition takes its cue from the age-old cabinet of curiosities that displayed an astonishing range of objects, from the scientific to the artistic. These privately held cabinets were the precursors of modern museums. For more than one hundred thirty years, the Columbus Museum of Art and The Ohio State University have shared a passion for knowledge and collecting. Visitors will explore some of the surprising treasures held in the University's vast collections, from matchboxes to Madonnas, pigeons to paintings and cartoons to costumes.

To Live Forever: Egyptians Treasures from the Brooklyn Museum
(February 13, 2009-June 7, 2009)
Ancient Egyptians believed in an afterlife and viewed death as an enemy that could be vanquished. To Live Forever includes objects that illustrate a range of strategies the ancient Egyptians developed to defeat death. Included in the more than 100 objects in this fascinating exhibition is the vividly painted coffin of a Mayor of Thebes, the mummy and mummy portrait of a wealthy citizen of Hawara, protective gold jewelry, faience amulets, and granite and clay vessels.

Tours for Special Audiences

Tour for people who are visually impaired
For several years, CMA docents and staff have collaborated to develop a special, multi-sensory tour designed to maximize the engagement of people with visual impairments. Varying techniques and props are used. Both human and canine companions are welcomed. This tour can be scheduled in the same manner as other tours. We also offer a tour for adults who are visually impaired on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month, 2:00 PM. Reservations are requested by 5:00 PM the previous Thursday. Call 614.629.0359 to schedule.