The Do Good Fund, an art gallery situated on 111 W. 12th St. in Columbus, offers a breath of fresh air for the lungs of people who have a bitter distaste for the South. The fund is more than a gallery filled with aesthetically pleasing and well-crafted contemporary photography; it’s a visual narrative of a forever-shifting American South, and it’s open to everyone, cost-free.
“The Do Good Fund was founded in 2012 by Alan Rothschild,” said Emma Gaines, a gallery coordinator at The Do Good Fund and art major at Columbus State University. “His goal was to build a museum-quality collection of work about the American South.”
The gallery aims to increase access to art by partnering with regional museums, nonprofit galleries, and unconventional venues, while also promoting community-oriented spaces that complement each exhibition– a mission statement they achieve daily. Its doors are open to everyone, casual art enjoyers and art enthusiasts alike.
“There are a lot of opportunities for art majors at the Do Good Fund. We have exhibitions about every three months, and we have a Do Good Salon, where there are refreshments, and the artist comes and talks, and then there’s a time for questions. The artist talks are always very informative, and they’re held at the gallery, which is within walking distance for art students.”
Another resource for art majors at CSU is the gallery’s collection of over three hundred art books, located upstairs in the gallery, which are free to read. These books range from monographs to books on photography technique, and, of course, books on southern photography itself.
However, the main resource for art majors that the gallery provides is the collection of over 800 images of the South, captured by mid-career and emerging photographers.
“There’s kind of a two-fold resource, which is you get to learn about the history of the South, where you live, and then also learn about Contemporary photography,” Gaines observed.
The non-profit’s next exhibition is curiously titled “In Threes.” From Aug 28 to Nov 1, the gallery walls will display a carefully curated selection of photographs by a family of three– Maude Schuylar Clay, Langdon Clay, and Sophia Clay. A Do Good Salon will be held on Oct 9 at 6 p.m. EST, featuring the exhibition’s curator, Ashley Gates, as well as its photographers, the Clay family.
“This is a pretty big deal. We’ve engaged the curator, Ashley Gates from Mississippi,” said Gaines. “To be able to show the work from a married couple and their daughter is special. And they each have similarities in the work, but they each also kind of address their own subjects, and they address different subjects and different topics. It’s very cool.”
The Do Good Fund’s hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. For more information about past exhibitions and future ones, visit thedogoodfund.org.
“It’s a great resource for students to come and walk in the gallery for free, look at art, and learn about the history of southern photography,” reflected Gaines. “One thing we encourage is for students to come and see the work and visit the gallery, but also everyone in Columbus, because art is for everyone.”
