411 GALLERY
A More Perfect Union
Juried by Allison Baker and Ana Meza, Curated by Bridget Conn
Participating Artists: Randy Bailey, Marilyn Brackney, Lucas Johannesen, Ken Klehm, David Ondrik, Thurman Pursley, Asha Raghava, Rowland Ricketts, John Ross, Clara Schuman, Sam Van Strien, Kathryn Baylor Trabold
In selecting work for A More Perfect Union, we were drawn to artists whose practices reflect the complexity of the American experience—its traditions, aspirations, and ongoing transformations. The works included in this exhibition speak from a range of positions, grounded in personal histories, cultural memories, and observations of contemporary life.
Traditional craft and art materials appear next to works that challenge mainstream stories and ask whose histories are highlighted, remembered, or forgotten. Some artists use familiar national symbols, like the American flag and the Statue of Liberty, to both honor and question their meanings.
Instead of giving just one idea of unity, A More Perfect Union holds space for multiple, sometimes competing perspectives. It asks viewers to think about how ideals are lived out, and how the meaning of “union” is shaped by people whose voices have not always been heard. The exhibition considers not just our past, but the possibilities ahead
Exhibition Dates
June 25–July 31, 2026
​​Gallery Hours
Thursday & Friday 12:00–6:00 pm
Saturdays 10:00 am–2:00 pm
Reception
July 2 | 5:00–7:00 pm
411 Gallery
411 Sixth Street
Columbus, Indiana
​
Gallery Hours
Thursday & Friday 12:00–6:00 pm
Saturdays 10:00 am–2:00 pm
Or by appointment:
info@artsincolumbus.org​​​
About The Curator
Bridget Conn is a photographic artist who explores the potential of photography as a chemical and physical medium through cameraless experimental processes. Dealing with themes of societal struggles, awe and wonder, challenges in communication, and digitized vs. physical encounters, Conn investigates the boundaries of photography with prints, wall installations, and sculptural works. She received her BFA from Tulane University and MFA from the University of Georgia. An enthusiastic educator and founder of The Asheville Darkroom, Conn has taught workshops at the Penland School of Crafts in NC, through Penumbra Foundation in NYC, at The Experimental Photo Festival in Spain, at conferences for the Society for Photographic Education, and at numerous colleges, universities, and art venues across the US. She is currently establishing The Experimental Photo Kitchen, a darkroom teaching facility on her property in Nashville, Indiana.
About The Jurors
Allison Baker is an Associate Professor of Fine Art- Sculpture in the Herron School of Art at Indiana University Indianapolis. Allison is a first-generation college student that earned her MFA at the Rhode Island School of Design. Her work and monumental public sculptures memorialize the complexities of late-stage capitalism, illuminating the aspirations and struggles of the American working class and working poor. Allison seeks to build monuments that challenge dominant narratives, humanize the ripple effects of poverty, and create work that the American working class and working poor can see as a reflection of their own experiences in gallery and museum spaces where their existence is seldom represented holistically.
Ana Meza is a sculpture artist born in Colombia based in Columbus, Indiana. In 2008 she immigrated to the United States where she pursued an artistic education. She received her Bachelor of Interior Architecture and sculpture degree from Indiana University as well as an MFA from Georgia State University. The use of delicate three-dimensional lines characterizes her work. Through interaction with a complex system of dots, Meza explores the relationship between line, plane, space and volume. Her use of patterns is informed by the fields of design and architecture. While her conceptual investigation of tension, fragility, spatial relations, and optical effects is informed by the field of psychology.
About 411 Gallery
​
411 Gallery is a community arts gallery and cultural space for exhibitions, events, and collaborations. Managed by the Columbus Area Arts Council, 411 Gallery is located in downtown Columbus on the 6th Street Arts Alley, a creative hub at the heart of the city.
Managed by the Columbus Area Arts Council, 411 is made possible by grants from the Efroymson Family Fund, City of Columbus, Columbus Museum of Art & Design and by donations from the community.​
Community Studio
​
The 411 Community Studio is a space for local creatives to work, connect, and collaborate. Constructed with custom plywood panels and built-in furniture, the studio is intentionally designed to evolve—easily transforming into a workspace, meeting room, or exhibition wall for temporary installations.
The Community Studio is part of the Columbus Area Arts Council's inaugural residency project and was made possible through generous support from Heritage Fund: The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County.
​
Interested in exhibiting your work in 411 Gallery?
Here's how it works:
411 Gallery is typically booked about two years into the future and has a long list of artists who want to exhibit their work. We curate the shows with much intention, selecting artists whose work connects to an exhibition theme or something happening within the community or who we know will be a draw to the gallery.
How to be invited to exhibit:
1. Attend and participate in what we're doing
2. Plug into our local artist community
3. Create good work! (practice, adapt, practice, adapt)
Submit your work:
Email 411@artsincolumbus.org. Limit the attachment size to 10 MB.
411 is made possible by the generosity of these organizations:
