A Commitment To Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility

For Columbus Glass Art Center to truly demonstrate a commitment to I.D.E.A it will require our staff and board to make a concerted effort across all aspects of this organization's operations. As an organization guided by science and art, we recognize that our very best ideas result when a wide range of backgrounds and experiences effectively work together to harness the creative power found in diversity. Championing all voices and ensuring our members artists, board, staff and class participants are empowered to bring their own unique view and history to our mission work is integral to our finding the bright, new future we are dedicated to building in our new space.

We have had the almost singular privilege of showcasing glass art to this city. We recognize that privilege brings with it a significant responsibility to make sure anyone who wants to experience glass making should have the opportunity while making sure every person who makes the choice to visit is treated with respect, dignity, and cultural sensitivity. We remain committed to telling our own organization’s story, which recognizes that we have not always valued everyone’s experience equally, especially in terms of gender equity. But we are actively trying to rewrite our own narrative and make it one that holds us accountable to consistently treat all communities with whom we interact with the respect and dignity they so richly deserve.

When planning for our new studio space, we used this planning as an opportunity to reevaluate a number of things about how the Columbus Glass Art center will be run. Along with reviewing and rewriting governing documents and our rules and regulations, the board will focus on relevant DEI work, which will include an updated Harassment & Discrimination policy, a vendor/service provider policy and overseeing performance evaluations and reviews across the entire organization. In this new studio space, we will have a unique opportunity to make our mark in a neighborhood that has not traditionally had an abundance of access to the arts. We are looking forward to welcoming these new community members through our doors and introducing them to the vibrant medium of glass art. The stories our artists share with us matter. We know they will be different from ours and we embrace the knowledge that it is our differences that make Columbus a better, more diverse, more vibrant place to live and grow. We commit to cultivating a space where each person’s identity, experiences, and abilities are valued and everyone benefits from the same opportunities, mutual respect and sense of belonging.

While budgeting for the future, we will be careful to make sure our pay equity measures up to the industry standard. Because we are a female-dominated staff, we want to make sure the talented women we hire and employ are compensated as well as any male working in a similarly-sized glass studio. In this small way, we can make sure our artists can afford to live and work in Central Ohio.

All staff and board members continue to be encouraged to participate in professional development opportunities on the subject of diversity, equity, inclusive culture and unconscious bias training. Programs like these held by our partner organizations such as CAMA, The Columbus Foundation and Experience Columbus continue to be the most thought-provoking and relevant to our staff and board members.

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On June 1, Glass Axis added its name to a letter to Columbus City Council in support of a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis, signed by more than 750 Columbus business and organization leaders.
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We are proud to stand with the Greater Columbus Arts Council and the work they are doing to unify the city of Columbus through art. #artunitescbus
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We are proud to be a member of the Columbus Arts Marketing Association that has committed itself to diversity and inclusion through this statement. We will participate in the August 2020 Diversity Training Series with Dr. Melissa Crum of the Mosaic Education Network.
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We stand with our fellow member artists of the Franklinton Arts District, and support the letter from the Franklinton Arts District Board of Trustees to Mayor Andrew J. Ginther requesting removal of all police checkpoints in Franklinton.
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We stand with glass artists around the world who are looking towards a decade of transparency by signing the Glass Pledge and making our actions speak louder than words to work for racial equity in the glass community.