2022–23 Preview

The words “A new season for the Wex” in white font inside a blue arrow, which is pointing to the right and is surrounded by two rows images—also cropped in the shape of arrows—from our upcoming season.

This summer, the Wexner Center for the Arts returns to a full schedule of in-person programming and extends greater access to all with free gallery admission and discounted parking.

The 2022–23 season showcases the interdisciplinary collaborations and connections that only the Wex can offer—with contemporary visual art, film, dance, music, theater, talks, and wellness programs under one roof at the heart of a major research university.

And our work isn’t confined to the center’s stages, screens, and galleries. Every day our team cultivates free in-school programs and resilience workshops across our communities—and online—while supporting new work by international artists that travels the globe.

There’s never a been a better time to enjoy all the Wex has to offer. 
Below is just a sampling of all that’s in store.
Keep reading to discover what’s next and view a PDF of the complete lineup.

Like what you see?
Stand for creativity and support the Wex today.

A graphic with curved shapes in brown tones over which is the text "Portal For(e) the Ephemeral Passage"
Portal For(e) the Ephemeral Passage
Portal For(e) the Ephemeral Passage
June 10–August 14, 2022

ARTIST RESIDENCY AWARD PROJECT

Amplifying Black feminist voices in contemporary art and performance, this summer of exhibitions and events showcases new projects by guest curator and Artist Residency Award recipient jaamil olawale kosoko, nora chipaumire, Jennifer Harge and Devin Drake, Dana Michel, Jasmine Murrell, and Keioui Keijaun Thomas.

Clockwise from top left: Black-and-white still of a person sitting with legs outstretched and wearing a tuxedo and hat. Black-and-white still of a couple standing in a fountain, facing each other as if to kiss. Black-and-white still of a couple embracing; on the right is a person wearing a dress and hat, and on the right is a person in an Arabian headdress. Black-and-white still of a person with short, light hair who is waving and smiling widely while two people lean against a car.
Federico Fellini
Federico Fellini
July 7–August 18, 2022

NEW RESTORATIONS

This 12-film tribute to one of the world’s most influential filmmakers presents classics La dolce vita (1960) and (1963) alongside less-screened titles like Il bidone (1955), all in new restorations from Luce Cinecittà in Rome.

Photo of author Saeed Jones, who has brown skin, short black hair, and a patterned, purple-and-white jacket. They are in front of an orange background.
Saeed Jones
Saeed Jones
Lambert Family Lecture
September 16, 2022

The award-winning author returns to celebrate the release of his new book Alive at the End of the World. Jones’s recent works include the memoir How We Fight for Our Lives (2019) and poetry collection Prelude to Bruise (2014).

A small bronze sculpture of a head on a steel rod. The goblin-like figure has a snaking passing through its hollow eyes and mouth. Behind it, identical narrow, rectangular concrete pedestals with different bronze heads on each are tightly but evenly spaced in a white gallery.
Carlos Motta: Your Monsters, Our Idols
Carlos Motta: Your Monsters, Our Idols
September 16–December 30, 2022

ARTIST RESIDENCY AWARD PROJECT
WORLD PREMIERE

Exploring queer activism and histories, as well as legacies of colonialism, Motta’s largest US solo exhibition to date premieres his first multichannel sound installation, which probes the implications of changing the name of Columbus, Ohio.

Still of Sam Green, who has light beige skin and dark gray hair; is wearing a black button-down shirt, jeans, and headphones on his ears; and is holding a large microphone with cords hanging from it. He is looking up to the right of the camera and is in an anechoic chamber filled with brown, sound-proof panels that alternate their orientation from vertical to horizontal.
Sam Green: 25 Years in Film
Sam Green: 25 Years in Film
September 28–October 27, 2022

The past Artist Residency Award recipient and Film/Video Studio artist returns for this four-night retrospective of his documentaries—featuring a performance of his new “live cinema” work 32 Sounds accompanied by musicians JD Samson and Michael O’Neill.

Black-and-white still of a couple with white skin and dark hair. The man wearing jeans and a button-down work shirt is lying unconscious in the debris-filled water, while the woman with a wrap around her neck and bare arms cradles his neck and back and holds his hand. She looks somber and is resting her head against the man’s head.
Unorthodocs
Unorthodocs
October 27–31, 2022

Catch our sixth-annual festival exploring the possibilities of creative nonfiction filmmaking. This year’s lineup of acclaimed documentaries includes Anthony Banua-Simon’s Cane Fire (2020), a perceptive look at Hollywood’s complicated relationship with Hawaii and its Indigenous populations.

Monique McCrystal (left) and Deja Redman (right) from The Yoga Carriage @ Replenish sit on black cushions on the gallery floor in front of artwork featuring patterns of purple, blue, and white. Monique has black, curly hair, brown skin, glasses, and is wearing a black turtleneck and brown pants. Deja has dark hair in a bun on her head, light brown skin, and is wearing a gray t-shirt and cheetah-print pants. Her hands are crossed on her chest.
On Pause
On Pause
Fall 2022–Winter 2023

Partake in a relaxing and therapeutic union of art and meditation in the center’s galleries through this ongoing collaboration with The Yoga Carriage @ Replenish.

A dancer on their back, with white skin and wearing black pants with white stripes and a blue shirt, extends both arms and legs towards the ceiling. The background is blurred, and blue light is shining through the windows.
Abby Z and the New Utility
Abby Z and the New Utility
Radioactive Practice
November 17–20, 2022

ARTIST RESIDENCY AWARD PROJECT
MIDWEST PREMIERE

Drawing on a variety of movement styles—from modern dance and tap to synchronized swimming and soccer—this genre-bending performance choreographed by Abby Zbikowski tests the limits of its performers as they reconceive histories warped by racist, sexist, and classist misinformation.

Zoom Family Film and Book Festival logo; the word “ZOOM” is in multi-colored font against a blueish green background filled with multi-colored flower and star shapes.
Zoom: Family Film and Book Festival
Zoom: Family Film and Book Festival
December 9–10, 2022

Our all-ages weekend of affordable films and activities now includes a celebration of reading. With works that showcase kids’ perspectives around the world, Zoom is a fantastic way to introduce young ones to new books and films.

Still of three scuba divers on their knees on the sandy ground of the ocean floor. They are surrounded by plants, coral, and rocks. Streams of bubbles rise to the surface from their breathing.
Meditation Ocean Constellation
Meditation Ocean Constellation
Meditation Ocean
Winter–Spring 2023

ARTIST RESIDENCY AWARD PROJECT
WORLD PREMIERE

The culmination of Hope Ginsburg’s 2020–22 Wex residency, this collaborative project featuring the premiere of the immersive, multichannel video installation Meditation Ocean in our galleries connects ocean ecology, human wellness, and activism through robust cross-departmental programs.

Photo of Kulapat Yantrasast, who has short, black hair with gray on the sides, beige skin, glasses, and a black button-down shirt. He is smiling and standing in front of book-filled, brown wooden shelves protruding from the white wall behind him.
Kulapat Yantrasast
Kulapat Yantrasast
DeeDee and Herb Glimcher Lecture
March 22, 2023

Known for stunning museums, private residences, and other projects that foreground his remarkable sense for human-centric design, the founder and creative director of Why Architects visits for this annual endowed lecture.

Photo of a person standing to the left but facing the right, holding their hands together in front of them; behind them is a long, hanging beam of red light against a black screen with purple words.
Lemi Ponifasio, Elisa Avendaño Curaqueo, and Natalia García-Huidobro
Lemi Ponifasio, Elisa Avendaño Curaqueo, and Natalia García-Huidobro
Love to Death
March 23–25, 2023

OHIO PREMIERE

Singer/composer Elisa Avendaño Curaqueo, flamenco dancer Natalia García-Huidobro (both from Chile), and Samoan artist Lemi Ponifasio focus on South America’s Indigenous Mapuche people and question identity and destiny in this interdisciplinary performance.

Black-and-white still of a group of young, white adults with short hair; they are all wearing white uniforms and sailor’s hats in front of a black background.
Pioneers of Queer Cinema
Pioneers of Queer Cinema
May–June 2023

Organized by the UCLA Film & Television Archive, IndieCollect, and Outfest, this landmark 17-film series spotlights pioneering LGBTQ+ filmmakers and films ranging from 1947 to 1996. See works by Kenneth Anger, Todd Haynes, Cheryl Dunye, and more.

Photo of an adult with brown skin; brown, highlighted, braided hair pulled back in buns; and a black t-shirt with the words “BLACK MIDWIVES IN DEFENSE OF BLACK LIVES” in green text and a red heart underneath. They have one hand on their hip and are smiling slightly, and they are surrounded by tall grass. Tree trunks are in the background.
Film/Video Studio Residencies
Film/Video Studio Residencies
Ongoing

The studio’s upcoming season includes the creative and technical support of in-process video installations and films by Hope Ginsburg, Aggie Ebrahimi Bazaz, and Jenny Lion as well as exciting new projects by Leslie Tai, April Martin, and Jonas Becker.

Art & Resilience at Sanctuary Night
Art & Resilience at Sanctuary Night
Art & Resilience at Sanctuary Night
Ongoing

The ongoing collaboration with Franklinton-based nonprofit Sanctuary Night supports vulnerable women through weekly, trauma-informed workshops led by Wex educators and community artists. Our lead teaching artist for 2022–23 is April Sunami.

Image captions: Federico Fellini, clockwise from top left: , courtesy of Janus Films; La dolce vita, courtesy of Paramount Pictures; The White Sheik (1952), Nights of Cabiria (1957), images courtesy of Rialto Pictures. Saeed Jones, photo: Rozette Rago. Carlos Motta, We The Enemy, installation view courtesy of the artist and Galeria Vermelho, photo: Edouard Fraipont. 32 Sounds, courtesy of ArKtype. Cane Fire, courtesy of the artist. On Pause, photo: Sylke Krell. Abby Z and the New Utility, photo: Effy Falck. Meditation Ocean: Turtlegrass Meadow, production still courtesy of the artist. Kulapat Yantrasast, photo: Jack Prichett. Lemi Ponifasio, Love to Death, courtesy of Fundación Teatro a Mil. Fireworks (Kenneth Anger, 1947), courtesy of UCLA Film & Television Archive. Creating Life in America (work in progress), photo: April Martin, courtesy of the artist. Sanctuary Night drop-in center, image courtesy of Sanctuary Night.