Raise the Curtain on History and Art in Columbus, GA

Artists from the past influence the present arts scene in Columbus.

By Wesley Broome on January 23, 2024

Allie Kent

A strong desire to celebrate history and art in Columbus, GA, has always been part of what makes this city unique. With deep roots in theater, music and literature, Columbus continues to pay tribute to some of its most significant artists. 

Hannah Israel, professor of art at Columbus State University and director of the university’s Illges Gallery, sees art history as key to understanding the present. 

“What’s fascinating about Columbus is there’s a sense of history in our present,” says Israel, who’s been at Columbus State for 18 years. “We are an extension of the past.”

Courtesy of the Springer Opera House

Columbus Roots

At the Springer Opera House, a history spanning more than a century and a half is housed within its walls. 

“Being 153 years old, we have served a lot of patrons over the years,” says Danielle Patterson Varner, who got her start on the Springer stage and assumed the role of CEO in October. 

Though an early landmark that drew lecturers and performers from Booker T. Washington to Ethel Barrymore, the Springer Opera House almost did not make it to the present. The Columbus community  came forward to save the opera house from demolition in the 1960s, when this historical theater almost became a parking lot. 

However, two major renovations have since made Springer into a modern center for arts, education and community. “Springer is for everyone,” Varner says. “We like to say that we are the crown jewel of Columbus.” 

Among Springer’s most significant performers was blues singer Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, who won a talent show on the Springer stage in her youth and went on to tour the country with her Columbus band. The Ma Rainey House and Blues Museum is now located in Rainey’s former home, a two-story shotgun-style house on Fifth Avenue that is maintained as a tribute to her legacy. 

Courtesy of Columbus State University

Modern Impact

Carson McCullers was a quintessential Southern writer with Columbus roots. 

Her childhood home also remains a landmark, housing the Carson McCullers Center for Writers and Musicians, a museum and artist-in-residence program run by Columbus State. 

Columbus artists continue to make history today. Amy Sherald, who was born in Columbus, painted the official portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama on display in the White House. Sherald gained worldwide acclaim for her moving portraits of African American subjects, one of which is on display in the Columbus Museum. 

While artists from throughout its history continue to make an impact, Columbus also makes room for today’s artists. 

From the Do Good Fund, a gallery with a collection of photographs from across the South, to Artbeat, an annual festival uplifting the arts, Columbus continues to keep art at the forefront. 

“The impact of history here [in Columbus] is so much related to how we go forward,” Israel says. “In the present, it’s a great place to be.”