Studios On High

I have really enjoyed all of the artists at Studios on High for many years. For full disclosure, I have known one of the founders for my whole life, but that means I have seen this place grow from a start-​up idea to a mainstay in the Short North that has showcased dozens of local artists over the years in many different genres.
DO go to this place if you want to see artists at work, affordable gifts, unique arts and crafts, and critters that will make you smile.
DON’T go here if you expect pretentious art folks, art you can’t understand, or art that is not appealling to a wide audience.
Next time there is a hop or for a quick stop check out Studios on High!

I really enjoy art. But I also really appreciate art that is accessible and easy to understand. I’ve been studying art since I was a wee one, but sometimes find myself up against a piece where its trying so hard to be something that I totally miss the point altogether. You won’t find that here. The boy and I were impressed with a number of the pieces and were impressed with the reasonable prices.
Although we’ve never found anything that we wanted to purchase for our own places, we always make sure to stop by during Gallery Hop and check out what they have because we never know what we might find there!

Studios on high is an art gallery that also features crafts. This is why I love it and stop in between gallery hops in the short north.
While there is a standing collection of art the crafts seem to turn over faster. Most likely becasue they are affordable, of high quality, and truly unique.
I just bought a beautiful sterling silver piece for myself and another for a friend each only for $ 40 each.
You will find nothing of the same quality or originality at Macy’s. This is a good place to shop for gifts or to add a new piece to your collection.

Studios on High is an artist collective. Artists come in and out of ownership of the gallery, but the average number of associated artists usually hovers around 15.
I find that Studios On High has a female slant. Many of the artists are women, many of the themes in the work deal with femininity, and much of the work is aimed (in my opinion) at female buyers.
A lot of the art features animals and nature as well.
I most appreciate Studios On High for its history as a Columbus gallery; it’s been around since the mid-​1980s. Many of the artists who leave end up opening their own galleries, case in point, Jeff Hersey of Terra Gallery. If you visit, you’ll catch a handful of the artists in the studio; sometimes they’re in the process of creating something, or perhaps they’re just knitting. The artists are very inviting and don’t mind if you hang around to watch them work.
My favorite pieces at Studios On High are always the blown glass vessels by husband and wife duo Scott Conover and Lisa Horkin. The tiny vessels are so colorful, and they all have great shapes. I saw Scott and Lisa last summer making the vessels on High St at a Gallery Hop. They also make bowels and vases.
The colored pencil drawings by Rhonda Bartoe Tuckers are also phenomenal. They are so smooth that they look like they were painted.
Since Studios On High is a collective, there’s all kinds of art to be seen (in all kinds of genres): prints, paintings, jewelry, sculptures, paintings, drawings, knits, glass, ceramics, etc. The artwork changes often.

I really like Studios on High. It’s run (owned?) by 17 local artists that volunteer their time once or twice a week to come in and work /​talk up the customers. There’s a wide range of art for sale at pretty reasonable prices, and the stuff ranges from sculpture to handmade (and particularly uncommon) scarves.
There’s generally some level of pretension in art galleries… particularly those that have a lot of quality professional stuff like Studios on High. None of that is apparent here, though. The art doesn’t reach that ultra cerebral level of fine art that makes your average gallery hopper whimper under the strain of all the headiness. This stuff is down to earth, for the most part, and it’s likely you’ll find something out of the 17 artists that fits your style and budget.

Another great stop along the Short North Gallery Hop and an affordable one to boot.
Friendly staff, clever items mixed with high-​end art, a laid back atmosphere, and a great ‘standing collection’ all contribute to making this one of the more accessible options in the Short North for fans of many styles.