By Hailey Stangebye

Thanksgiving is just a few days away. This holiday is a wonderful time for reflection, community and gratitude. When we look back on all that the Harlem Renaissance campaign has created over the past year, we’re thankful for Donna and Larry James.

Without Donna and Larry, this citywide campaign wouldn’t exist. Their collective vision for the future of our community makes Columbus a better place to live every day.

Through their unique capacity to build relationships and partnerships between organizations, Larry and Donna continue to shape this city’s future.

“I think the Harlem Renaissance campaign is the poster child for how to better bring the arts collectively together.”

“I think the Harlem Renaissance campaign is the poster child for how to better bring the arts collectively together,” Larry says. “You have 30 arts organizations and 150+ black artists celebrating education, entertainment, exposure and a quality of life.”

Larry and Donna were able to garner support from so many different organizations because they gave each collective the autonomy to contribute in their own way.

“The genius of the Harlem Renaissance is the simplicity of it,” Donna says. “When everyone can do what they do, but they’re focused on a common theme… I think that’s important for the future. I’m hoping this is a precedent for collaboration, not just in the arts, but across the community. Because there’s no way that we can get the things done that need to be done for the people who need it if we’re not collaborating.”

“The genius of the Harlem Renaissance is the simplicity of it. When everyone can do what they do, but they’re focused on a common theme… I think that’s important for the future. I’m hoping this is a precedent for collaboration, not just in the arts, but across the community.”

Donna says that creating opportunity through collaboration is one of the core factors that motivates their efforts.

“It’s difficult to talk about what motivates you, because you can achieve a certain level of success individually. But you have to figure out what the collective piece is,” Larry says. “So, relationship building really drives [us]. And exceptional relationships, as we formed with the Harlem Renaissance, can help you get better. That’s what motivates us. To always strive to be better.”

Thank you, Donna and Larry, for showing us that we are better and stronger when we work together.

By Hailey Stangebye

Photos by Marshall Shorts

When Lori Lindsey enters a room her presence is distinct. From her posture to the way she shifts her weight, it’s clear that she possesses a wealth of kinesthetic awareness. That cognizant attention to movement is rooted in years of devotion to dance training.

Lori took her first ballet lesson when she was only 3 or 4 years old. Not long thereafter, she expanded her repertoire to styles such as jazz and tap. Then, after seeing the The Whiz with Michael Jackson and Diana Ross, Lori fell in love with the idea of life on Broadway.

Those aspirations came to a halt, though, before Lori reached high school.

“I overheard someone talking about me in a not-so-positive light. They said, basically, that I would never be dancer, that I don’t look like a dancer and that nobody wanted to see me on stage,” Lori says. “I took on their opinion of me and allowed it to define me. You’ve heard that phrase before: ‘Don’t let somebody’s opinion about you define you or  or your dreams.’ But I was young. And I did.”

“I took on their opinion of me and allowed it to define me. You’ve heard that phrase before: ‘Don’t let somebody’s opinion about you define you or  or your dreams.’ But I was young. And I did.”

Fortunately, Lori was reintroduced to dance as an adult. Today, she  performs professionally, and she was recently selected to participate in the Lincoln Theatre’s ‘Backstage at the Lincoln’ local artist showcase. Moreover, she was among five, local artists selected as part of the Harlem Renaissance campaign to go on a trip to Harlem.

“When I dance is when I feel most beautiful,” Lori says. “Dance is freedom. It allows me to do and be whatever I want to without apologies, without caring about anything else  or anyone else. When I dance, it’s just a release. Truly.”

“When I dance is when I feel most beautiful.”

Lori also has the ability to use her personal reflection through dance to move those that watch her perform. It’s a personally valuable experience for her, but it’s also a form of expression that she intentionally shares with her audience.

“Whenever I am honored to dance in front of other people, my goal — my intent — is to move them,” Lori say. “Whether it’s to think a different thought, to take action on something, maybe it’s just to brighten their day or to  give them hope. It’s more than steps to a song.”

“Whether it’s to think a different thought, to take action on something, maybe it’s just to brighten their day or to  give them hope. It’s more than steps to a song.”

That intention informs each of Lori’s movements, and she knows that she’s on the right path when she hears feedback from her audience.

“What really really gets me is when people want to hug me, or they’ll say, ‘This reminded me of my grandmother,’ or ‘You brought me to tears because I’ve been feeling this,’” Lori says. “That, to me, is so much more than, ‘Hey, you did a great job.’ And because I get that response on a consistent basis, I know that I am supposed to dance. I’m supposed to be dancing to change people. To move people.”

“I’m supposed to be dancing to change people. To move people.”

Lori’s recent journey to Harlem as a part of the Harlem Renaissance celebration also encourages her to push boundaries and move forward with dance. In fact, while walking the streets of Harlem, someone stopped her to ask if she was a dancer.

“I’m thinking, ‘There are thousands of dancers walking around New York all the time.’ I don’t know why this person decided to stop and ask me if I was a dancer,” Lori says. “But, looking at me, they thought I was a dancer.”

Not that someone else’s opinion would impact Lori’s work. Despite the obstacles she faced at a young age , or, perhaps, because of them, Lori encourages everyone around her to pursue their passions without fear.

“I just have this hunger to do more with my art,” Lori says. “If you dream bigger, you welcome those things into your life. And I’m starting to see that. I’m dreaming bigger. I’m working hard. I am going after more opportunities than I did in the past.”

By Hailey Stangebye

Today, the Columbus Museum of Art hosts its annual Art Celebration.

Every year, this gala is an opportunity to pay tribute to the arts in Columbus, as well as to the dedicated individuals who make it possible for the arts to flourish. This year, the Art Celebration will honor Donna and Larry James.

Longtime supporters of the arts, Donna and Larry acted as the catalyst for our city-wide celebration, “I, Too, Sing America: The Harlem Renaissance at 100.” In addition to their work on this movement, they also created the city’s first leadership program for African Americans, revitalized the Lincoln Theater and established the Center for Healthy Families.

In addition to their work on this movement, they also created the city’s first leadership program for African Americans, revitalized the Lincoln Theater and established the Center for Healthy Families.

Thanks to their dedication, Columbus as a city is able to collectively celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance. Their vision led to gallery exhibitions, dance performances, poems, songs and even a trip from Columbus to Harlem, which will be documented in the upcoming My Great Day in Harlem docuseries. 

A portrait by Don “DonCee” Coulter of Donna and Larry James, which was used as the invitation for this year’s Art Celebration. This piece incorporates layers upon layers of textured fabric. It’s also an augmented reality portrait that comes to life when you use this application on your smart device.

More importantly, Donna and Larry have created a movement that will outlast the tenure of this campaign. Through their generosity, local, African American artists now have a myriad of valuable relationships with the movers and shakers in the Columbus arts world. They’ve created platforms for education, exposure and expression that will leave a lasting impact of Columbus as a whole.  

Thank you, Donna and Larry, for all that you’ve done and continue to do to make Columbus thrive.

As a part of Donna and Larry’s initiative, the Columbus Museum of Art will open their landmark exhibit — I, Too, Sing America: The Harlem Renaissance at 100 — on Saturday, October 20. For more information on the opening events, click here.

Today, he is a Broadway Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence at his alma mater, Miami University, and a guest curator of the I, Too, Sing America: The Harlem Renaissance at 100 exhibit at the Columbus Museum of art (opens Oct. 19).

Here is where you can hear Haygood speak:

Harlem Renaissance with Wil Haygood

9/19/18 at 12 p.m. | The Boat House at Confluence Park

The Columbus Metropolitan club will host Wil Haygood tomorrow, Sept. 19, from noon to 1:15 p.m. at the The Boat House at Confluence Park. This event falls on the day after the release of Haygood’s latest book, Tigerland: 1968-1969: A City Divided, a Nation Torn Apart, and a Magical Season of Healing.

Click here for more information.

An Evening with Wil Haygood

9/19/18 at 5:30 p.m. | The Lincoln Theatre

To celebrate the release of his latest book, The Lincoln Theatre will host a conversation with Wil Haygood. For more information or to reserve your tickets, click here.