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It has been Amy Sherald’s fate to be known for one painting only. Her portrait of Michelle Obama, commissioned in 2018 by the National Portrait Gallery, brought the artist overnight fame. Ignoring the conventions of academic portraiture, a genre associated with pale men standing in front of burgundy drapes, Sherald liberated America’s first lady from the fusty, cigar-brown rooms of the past. Obama, dressed in a sleeveless gown, leans forward in her chair, channeling Rodin’s “Thinker.” The background, a featureless expanse of powder blue, suggests fresh air.

More than two million people are expected to travel through Columbus in 2025, leaving millions more dollars behind at area businesses.

With summer almost here and on this National Tourism Week, VisitColumbus leaders are stressing the importance of southern hospitality and its economic impact on the Chattahoochee Valley.

Listen to this exclusive interview between John Clark of Georgia Focus and Director Marianne Richter, as they dive into the details of the recently renovated Columbus Museum!

Chattahoochee Connections’ Bob Jeswald caught up with Kristen Hudson, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, at the Columbus Museum to discuss the current exhibition, American Made: Painting and Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection.

Spanning 250 years of American art, this collection includes masterworks of portraiture, landscape, and still life that have previously been featured at prestigious institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Over 100 works by renowned American artists such as Benjamin West, Thomas Cole, Mary Cassatt, Robert Henri, and Charles Alston are on view.

This exhibit is free and open to the public through July 6th.

Alma Thomas wasn’t just an artist—she was a disruptor, a radical force in a world that continuously denied Black women a seat at the table. While the art world prided itself on its “modern” ideals, it often refused to acknowledge the talents of Black women like Thomas—talents that redefined the very essence of art itself. Her work was not merely about color; it was a declaration of power, a fight against systemic exclusion, and a testament to the possibilities of Black futures.

“American Made: Paintings and Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection” is now open at the Columbus Museum in Columbus, Georgia. The exhibition includes more than 100 works b y American artists. The show opened March 8 and is open through July 6, 2025. It was organized by The Mint Museum and includes paintings and sculptures spanning the two centuries. Learn more about the show here from the museum’s Jonathan Frederick Walz, director of curatorial affairs and curator of American art, and Kristen Hudson, director of marketing and public relations. For museum hours and more go to comuga.org.

Join Kristen Hudson for WTVM’s Business Break, as she talks about the most recent exhibition at The Columbus Museum: “American Made: Paintings and Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection.”

Columbus, Georgia, is a city that weaves together the threads of history, culture, and modernity into a vibrant and welcoming community. I still remember the first time I set foot along the banks of the Chattahoochee River—the gentle lapping of water against the shore and the timeless beauty of the riverwalk left an indelible impression on me. Over time, this city grew on me, not just as a place to live, but as a living storybook of experiences, traditions, and endless possibilities.

The Best Black Art Books of 2024 explore many artists and themes including, Alvin Ailey, Elizaveth Catlett, Tschabalala Self, Sargen Claude Johnson, the Harlem Renaissance, African photographers, Carribean makers, and queer designers.