COLUMBUS, IN — After the launch of the fourth cycle of Exhibit Columbus in June, with a “Community Kickoff” event in downtown Columbus, Landmark Columbus Foundation announces the next step in the 2022–23 cycle of Exhibit Columbus, the University Design Research Fellowship Competition. More than $70,000 will be awarded to full-time university and college professors in the United States from any area of design, architecture, art, and landscape architecture to participate in Exhibit Columbus.

Professors whose work explores community-based urban design projects and the current challenges of activating downtowns are invited to apply for a budget of up to $10,000 to support the realization of a project during the three-month exhibition in Columbus. Additionally, travel stipends will be provided to winners to attend the 2022 Exhibit Columbus Symposium (21–22 October, 2022), 2023 Exhibit Columbus Design Presentations (24–25 February, 2023), and ultimately, to design and build a public “installation” that showcases their research for the 2023 Exhibition (Opening Weekend 25–27 August, 2023).

As a component of the exhibition, UDRFellows will also be invited to participate in the UDRF Colloquium, an event that will be produced in partnership with the R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning at Ball State University and Eskenazi School of Architecture, Art + Design at Indiana University.

“The University Design Research Fellowship component of Exhibit Columbus is unlike anything else in the U.S.” said Richard McCoy, Executive Director of Landmark Columbus Foundation, the parent organization of Exhibit Columbus. “Over the past six years, we’ve seen how more than twenty professors have been able to leverage their research into the UDRFellowship as a way to advance and explore in the unique context of our community. We are very excited to see who is interested in participating this year and to grow this component as a unique and highly visible platform that showcases design research and education.”

Exhibit Columbus is partnering with the City of Columbus for this cycle in an effort to enhance its downtown corridor and further the City’s goals of creating a more diverse, accessible, and active city. In 2021, James Lima Planning + Development was commissioned to envision strategies that could enable downtown activation. For this competition, potential UDRFellows are invited to respond to, enhance, and/or critique the propositions of these strategies to generate discussion about the possibilities for the future of downtown Columbus. Through this process, it is believed that themes connected to larger issues in downtowns will emerge.

Applicants will be shortlisted by the six 2022-23 Exhibit Columbus Curatorial Partners. Based on the Request for Qualifications process, the final selection of UDRFellows will be made by a team of Community Jurors.

The 2022–23 Curatorial Partners are Paola Aguirre (Urban Designer, BORDERLESS), Chris Merritt (Landscape Architect, Merritt Chase), Lauren M. Pacheco (Civic and Cultural Artist, Steel Studio Foundation), Bryony Roberts (Designer, Writer, Educator, Bryony Roberts Studio), Raymund Ryan (Curator at Large, The Heinz Architectural Center at Carnegie Museum of Art), and Holly Warren (Assistant Director for the Arts, Economic and Sustainable Development Department, City of Bloomington).

This group forms the core of an engaged team that is shaping this cycle of Exhibit Columbus. They have comprehensive backgrounds in architecture, art, and design, and each has worked with diverse sets of communities to bring meaningful work to life.

“We’ve worked to create a decision-making process that brings together a world-class set of Curatorial Partners and also creates an unique way for dynamic members of our community to connect with the process,” said Jamie Goldsborough, Creative Director for Landmark Columbus Foundation and coordinator for the UDRF competition. “Giving our Community Jurors the final say in the process will lead to a new set of connections for Exhibit Columbus that will help create a greater impact for everyone.”

The UDRF Community Jurors are: Esther Afolayan, Anuja Chandra, Jackie Combest, Mary Ferdon, Mary Harmon, Erin Hawkins, Anakarina Hurtado, Grace Kestler, Andres Nieto, Jasmine O’Conner, Catie Rix, Shanda Sasse, Kim Wadholm.

Competition Timeline
07/07/2022 – Request for Qualifications Announcement
07/15/2022 – All Questions Received
07/21/2022 – Answers to Questions Released
08/22/2022 – Request for Qualifications Due
09/06/2022 – UDRF Winners Notified