COMMUNITY OUTREACH & ENGAGEMENT

Where Creativity, History, and Community Meet

High Road Gallery & Studios is more than a gallery—we are a community arts home in Worthington’s historic 1818 house. Our outreach work is rooted in three commitments: creative access for all, historic preservation, and strengthening community belonging through the arts. Below are the core areas of outreach we provide to Worthington and the wider central Ohio community.

1. School & Youth Partnerships

We believe in nurturing young artists and celebrating creativity at every age. HRG partners with local elementary schools to display student artwork, host collaborative murals, and provide inspiring art experiences beyond the classroom.

  • Current collaborations include Colonial Hills Elementary’s large first-grade sunflower mural—9 feet tall and 5 feet wide—now exhibited at HRG.

  • We invite all Worthington schools to share student work with us and create their own collaborative pieces for display.

  • These partnerships build confidence, visual literacy, and a sense of belonging as children see their art celebrated in a public gallery.

If your school would like to collaborate, we would love to hear from you.

2. Public Art & Community Installations

Art belongs in the open air, where people of all ages can encounter it in daily life. HRG supports and creates public-art initiatives designed to bring joy, storytelling, and civic pride to Worthington.

  • Citywide projects (such Experience Worthington’s upcoming painted sheep installations)

  • Outdoor collaborative artwork, such as at the Old Worthington Public Library

  • Monthly seasonal outdoor events May through October featuring live art-making and music

These projects invite residents and visitors to experience Worthington as a walkable creative corridor and are cost-free.

3. Inclusive Creative Programming for All Ages

From young families to seniors, HRG strives to provide accessible, intergenerational art experiences.

  • Open Art Table for hands-on creativity. Free weekly collage table for walk-ins.

  • Senior outreach with Hartford Senior Living October through April through monthly art demonstrations at their facility

  • Art activities and opportunities for I Am Boundless clients

We believe art builds wellbeing, confidence, and connection—no matter your age or ability level.

4. Historic Preservation & Cultural Stewardship

High Road Gallery is housed in one of Worthington’s oldest Federal-style buildings, built in 1818. By maintaining and sharing this space, we honor more than two centuries of local history.

  • Visitors can tour studio spaces and learn about the home’s architecture

  • We offer exhibits and programs that blend art, history, and community storytelling. For example, we recently conducted a month-long joint exhibit of art with the Worthington Historical Society

Our outreach supports both the arts and Worthington’s heritage.

5. Artist Support & Creative Community Building

As an artist cooperative, we provide studio space significantly below market rates, mentorship, and opportunities for emerging and established artists.

  • Monthly exhibitions by outside artists from our community, Ohio and beyond. No commission is charged to these artists for any work that they may sell at HRG. These same artists are celebrated with free, open-to-the-public receptions and artist talks.

  • Twelve resident artists working and performing free demonstrations for the public in watercolor, pastel, printmaking, textiles, mixed media, sculpture, and more

  • Open studio events where visitors can meet artists and experience works in progress

By supporting artists, we strengthen the cultural vitality of Worthington.

6. Special Community Events & Festival Participation

HRG regularly hosts and participates in events that bring the wider community together.

  • “Art Off the Square at High Road” (formerly “Art Outside the Lines at High Road”)

  • Holiday receptions and neighborhood gatherings

  • Partnerships with the Worthington Partnership, Old Worthington North Association, McConnell Arts Center, Chamber of Commerce, and other cultural organizations

  • Free activities for families, seniors, and visitors

These events make the arts visible, welcoming, and woven into the fabric of community life.

Let’s Collaborate

We welcome new partnerships—with schools, businesses, nonprofits, and neighbors who share our love of creativity and community. If you'd like to work with us, display student artwork, sponsor a program, or bring art into your organization, please reach out.

Together, we can keep Worthington creative, connected, and thriving.