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New exhibition explores five decades of public service, bipartisan leadership, and civic impact.

The Columbus Museum has opened a new exhibition chronicling five decades of public service by one of Georgia’s longest-serving lawmakers.

The Puzzle of Politics: Calvin Smyre in Service, 1975–2025 examines the 50-year career of the Honorable Calvin Smyre, who first took office in the Georgia House of Representatives in 1975 and went on to become one of the most influential figures in state government.

The Columbus Museum has opened a new exhibition spotlighting the five-decade public service career of Calvin Smyre, one of Georgia’s most influential and enduring state lawmakers.

Titled “The Puzzle of Politics: Calvin Smyre in Service, 1975–2025,” the exhibition traces Smyre’s career from his first election to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1975 through 50 years of legislative leadership. Known for his bipartisan respect and effectiveness, Smyre played key roles in several landmark measures, including the legislation establishing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday as a state holiday, replacing Georgia’s 1950s-era state flag, authorizing construction of the Georgia Dome, and passing the state’s hate crimes law.

Alma Thomas was the first Black woman to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art. It’s also true that she became internationally known seemingly overnight after retiring from a decades-long career in public education. She attended demonstrations during the height of the Civil Rights Movement in Washington, D.C. Her work quickly entered the permanent collections of some of the most prestigious institutions in the art world.

The Historic Columbus Foundation is partnering with the Columbus Consolidated Government to preserve the history of renowned Columbus artist Alma Thomas.

The Historic Columbus Foundation is proposing to move the Alma Thomas house from it’s current location in the Rose Hill neighborhood and place it next to the Ma Rainey Home, at 805 5th Ave. in Columbus, Georgia.

If you’ve lived in Columbus long enough, you’ve seen it happen. A child takes the stage for the first time. A dancer finds their footing at the barre. A student musician plays a solo that feels larger than the room. A young artist sees their work on a gallery wall and realizes, maybe for the first time: this is real.

THE FIRST RETROSPECTIVE of Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000) in Europe is currently on view in The Netherlands. “Jacob Lawrence: African American Modernist” at Kunsthal KAdE reflects Lawrence’s entire career across more than six decades, beginning in the 1930s.

Columbus, Georgia, the state’s second largest city, punches above its weight with a museum and landmark scene that ranges from immersive military and space exhibits to art, pop culture, music history, and quirky roadside stops.