The city of Westerville is committed to supporting the arts, including murals, sculptures, and mosaics that unite communities and initiate conversations. Invite your family to explore Ohio’s art installations. It’s a fun and free activity that helps teach children about art appreciation while sparking their creativity and imagination. Use our guide to find some of the best examples of public art installations around the Westerville, Ohio, area.
Skywoman
Earth on Turtle’s Back by silver marquis is licensed with CC BY-ND 2.0
We recommend starting your self-guided tour with Skywoman. This 9-foot-tall wooden outdoor sculpture features a woman with feathers in her hair. She’s standing on a giant turtle, wearing a floor-length blue dress painted with stars, birds, and flowers. The sculpture by artist Lee Csrui sits within Inniswood Metro Gardens. This central figure of the gardens’ Story Maze depicts the Iroquois creation story, Earth on a Turtle’s Back, on carved tiles like the one above.
Inniswood Metro Gardens is situated on 123 acres of natural woodlands and is free to visit year-round. Your family will love exploring its six walking trails through waterways, wildflowers, and beautiful four-season scenery. It is also home to 10 magical gardens, one of which is a 2.8-acre children’s garden full of adventure and a tree house.
Location: 940 S. Hempstead Road, Westerville
Park Hours: Open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. October through March and 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. April through September
“Liberty Kay” Mare and Foal
“Liberty Kay” Mare and Foal are a lovely pair of welded steel sculptures featuring life-size horses. This Bob Tanner art piece honors the area’s illustrious horse-breeding heritage, which dates back to the 1800s. The mare was dubbed Liberty Kay after its benefactor, Kay Berry.
An enchanting photo opportunity for the whole family, they stand in front of the Liberty Township’s welcome sign in the grassy median off Sawmill Parkway in Powell, Ohio. You can spot them while traveling north on Sawmill Parkway behind the white fence. Park your vehicle at the nearby Shoppes at Wedgewood shopping center on Bradford Court and enjoy the short walk over to this outdoor art installation year-round.
Location: Near the intersection of Sawmill Parkway and Bradford Court, Liberty Township
Hours: Available any time of day
Tea House Mosaic
You’ll find our next pick, the Tea House Mosaic, on the exterior wall of the Northstar Cafe in Westerville, Ohio. This wonder-filled art installation features a rendition of Mount Fuji with a palette of soothing colors, like greens, blues, grays, and whites. The mosaic serves as a nod to the Japanese Kyoto Tea House and Shinto Shrine that once stood there decades ago. Its preservation is a gift to the community; you and your family can enjoy it while strolling around town.
Remember to head inside this modern, organic eatery. At Northstar Cafe, you’ll appreciate its friendly counter service and open kitchen. It’s the best place in uptown Westerville, Ohio, to get house-baked sweets or pick up delicious lunch and dinner options. They even have a yummy kids’ menu with favorites like cheeseburgers, grilled cheese, and pizza.
Location: 109 S. State St., Westerville
Hours: Open daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The Chase Sculpture
Installed in the perfect outdoor location, “The Chase” sculpture stands at the Westerville Sports Complex in Westerville, Ohio. The sculpture’s designer, Michael Tizzano, specializes in children and sculpted all three life-size bronze figures from start to finish before they went to the foundry. It encapsulates the joy of sports, featuring three kids playing with a soccer ball. The smiling girl seems to challenge the boys to a friendly competition. We think her smile is contagious, and the artist did a fantastic job showing how engaging the lightheartedness of play can be.
Westerville Sports Complex is an outstanding 51-acre neighborhood park. It offers visitors a 1.29-mile walking path, playgrounds with swings for the kids, and a picnic area. Bring your fishing poles and try your luck at the nearby Alum Creek or play a game of soccer, just like the children in the sculpture, on one of six sports fields. There’s a bike hub, an event pavilion, and modern restrooms. It’s a popular place near home where kids can burn off some energy.
Location: 325 N. Cleveland Ave., Westerville
Hours: Open 24 hours
The Listen (to Mother Nature) Sculpture
This oversized concrete chair sits outside the Nature Center in Highbanks Metro Park. The artist, Christina Grote, covered the nature-themed throne in colorful mosaic tiles. This neat interactive art piece is a great way to inspire your child’s imagination as they sit and think about Mother Earth. They’ll find awe in the images on the chair, like the hummingbirds that symbolize endurance and timeless joy in Native American culture. The inscription on the plaque of a nearby rock encourages you to sit quietly on the Listen sculpture, find the sounds of nature, and reflect on its beauty.
Located 20 minutes West of Westerville, Ohio, Highbanks Metro Park is a terrific city park where families can enjoy many amenities. Its best-known for its geological feature: a 100-foot-high shale bluff. The Olentangy Scenic River runs through this 1,200-acre recreational space. You can hike the trails, picnic, canoe, and fish. Winter sports are also popular here, from sledding to cross-country skiing.
Location: 9466 Columbus Pike, Lewis Center
Hours: Daily from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. October through March and 6:30 a.m to 10 p.m. April through September
Well, there you have it; our expert educators at Crème de la Crème of Westerville, Ohio, put together this guide to the city’s top art installations. With so many destinations around the city, there’s no way we could include them all. What is your family’s favorite public piece in the area? Let us know, and drop us a line. We want to check it out so we can share your ideas with other Ohioan parents. After all, we believe art expression helps children develop their “right brain” to explore their creative boundaries without limitations.