Breaktower by Jackie Ferrara at the Columbus Museum of Art
My nephew, Jim Varney, while
negotiating a divorce, making quality time with two remarkable kids (Colleen
and Lane), and juggling several residential real estate rehabs in Columbus,
found a window of time for me, his uncle Wes. I have two passions he is willing
to accommodate - golf and fine art. So, JV
is host to Uncle Wes for a quick visit to Columbus, Ohio. We planned to play
golf and I left the details to Jim. He did not disappoint. From the airport I
loaded my clubs and a small overnight suitcase into his Kia Soul and we were
off to the course at Cook’s Creek on Tuesday July 9.
Cook's Creek has proven to be
one of Ohio’s best courses. It won CBUS Top Picks Best Public Golf Course
for 2 years in a row (2017 & 2018). Bordered by the Little Walnut Creek and
the Scioto River, the golf course is challenging yet fair. Cook's Creek features elevated tee boxes, bent
grass tees, large forgiving fairways and rolling hills. Each hole provides a unique experience and layout.
Perfect weather and a memorable round
completed by middle afternoon left plenty of time for a cameo at Gallo’s for
a Black & Blue burger, cole slaw (for me) and an order of wings and a slice
of pizza for Jim. JV remembers a time when this watering hole was a trigger for
more than a fair share of cocktails. The waitress even recalls his drink of
preference (double Stoli with ice on the side). Alcohol is not in Jim’s program
for more than a year now. We reflect on the exquisite timing of a late morning
t-time on a Tuesday at Cook’s Creek while they battle challenges of maintaining
the course recovering from heavy water and some sort of fungus trying to eat
away at the front nine.
Golf
is an option for day 2 of my visit but an audible involving the Columbus Museum
of Art can include an early dismissal from summer school for Lane which is a
break for the excited third grader. It’s a plan. The museum The Columbus
Museum of Art, located in downtown Columbus, Ohio was formed in 1878. It is dedicated to
collecting and exhibiting American and European modern and contemporary art along with folk art, glass gart, and photography.
As we
arrived, I was thrilled to see sculpture by Alexander Calder, Aristide Maillol,
George Rickey, Kenneth Snelson and Jackie Ferrara even before we walked inside
the museum. Inside this beautiful haven of art, I spotted a sculpture by Roy
Lichtenstein. Inside the collection included representative works by some of my
favorites like Jackson Pollock, Jean Dubuffet, George Bellows, Dale Chihuly and
Chiam Gross. An exhibition retrospective representing the lifetime work of Columbus
born water color artist and educator Alice Shille (1869-1955) was a joyful
bonus.
The
shuttle via JV’s Kia Soul back to Columbus airport included the addition of the
lovely Colleen. The kids are looking forward to an overnight at dad’s place on
Slade Avenue. Uncle Wes is going home to Saint Louis.
Below: Water Color of NYC street scene by Alice Shille and Vinyl paint on paper mounted on canvas by Jean Dubuffet.
