Born Gertrude Pridgett in 1886 in Columbus, Georgia, the artist would go on to become Ma Rainey. Known as the Mother of the Blues, Rainey was a woman whose voice reshaped American music long before most women, let alone Black women, were allowed to perform on stage. Ma Rainey didn’t wait for permission. She walked in, sang out, and carved her legacy with grit and determination.

Written by TJ Shockley 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 . Youth arts in Columbus don’t exist in isolation. Collectively, we weave them into after-school schedules, weekend rehearsals, carpools ac

Written by Carrie Beth Wallace Images by Morgan Duke For many young people in Columbus, the museum isn’t just a place to observe art—it’s a place to step into it. Through the Columbus Museum’s Teen Exhibition Council (TEC), local high school students are invited behind the scenes and into the decision-making process, learning what it means to curate, interpret, and advocate for art in a real-world setting. The program empowers teens to shape exhibitions that reflect their pe

The Columbus Jazz Society’s new President and CEO shares her vision for music, memory, and community in Columbus.