Sophisticated Living Columbus

05/26/2022

Long Live Summer and the Columbus Arts Festival! Coming back to the riverfront June 10–12th, the arts festival is one of the most highly acclaimed festivals in the nation. This free event will feature over 200 visual artists, three performance stages and dozens of food vendors.

For more information on the festival, including a map of the riverfront & how you can get involved by volunteering, visit www.columbusartsfestival.org.

Photo courtesy of Columbus Arts Festival.

05/25/2022

A crowd-sourced weekend in Columbus: This week, Experience Columbus used a quiz to determine the elements of a prefect weekend in the capital city. With suggestions for everything from dining to exploring, get excited for summer and bookmark this list of great ideas. Featuring Lindey's in German Village, local staple Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, a trip to the North Market farmer's market, One Line Coffee-Short North, outdoor kayaking with Windrose Outdoor, and more!

Check out their latest blog post here: https://tinyurl.com/2yajb52r

Photos courtesy of Experience Columbus.

05/17/2022

May is a huge month for new book releases! Check out what Gramercy Books Bexley recommends.

Gramercy Books is a locally-owned, independently-minded neighborhood bookstore located in the heart of Bexley, Ohio. Gramercy is committed to bringing information & new experiences to their community, and frequently hosts special events and visits by authors, poets and songwriters that provoke conversation. On June 3rd, they'll be hosting an evening with "Michael Jordan: Life Lessons from His Airness" author David H. Lewis! For tickets to this & other upcoming events, or to browse their catalog online, visit their website at gramercybooksbexley.com.

Featuring new releases from Achea Redd, Shelby Van Pelt, Walter Isaacson, Kathryn Miles, Emily Henry, and David H. Lewis.

05/14/2022

From May 25th to June 1st, 2022, RM Sotheby's will be holding their Summer Sand Lots Online Auction! RM Sotheby's has specialized in the sale of rare & vintage cars since 1976, and their beach-ready catalog of summer cruisers in this auction is certain to have something for everyone to enjoy driving in the warm weather.

Pictured here are just a few of the dozens of vehicles included in the auction: a 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 Convertible, a 1954 Fiat 500 C Belvedere, a 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 'White Pearl', a 1968 Ford Mustang GT Convertible, and a rare 1964 Porsche 356C 1600 Coupe.

Consignments for the auction are still open at tinyurl.com/ybcurdvd; to view the entire catalog, or for more information on the online bidding process, visit tinyurl.com/mr2879az.

05/13/2022

On July 8, 2022, Recreation Unlimited will be hosting their annual Star Light, Star Night fundraising dinner at the Scioto Country Club! All proceeds from this exclusive dinner will go towards supporting Recreation Unlimited's work bringing fun & exciting camping opportunities for approximately 3,200 individuals with disabilities and health concerns in central Ohio.

Presented by The Ginni Ragan, John, Kevin and Arin McNamara Families, and Featuring Janie Brooks Heuck, Managing Director of Brooks Winery, Willamette Valley, Oregon, this is an evening you won't want to miss. Forms to purchase tickets are on sale now at recreationunlimited.org. In lieu of attending the event, you can also support Recreation Unlimited's important work directly at tinyurl.com/ypm6fak4.

05/11/2022

Columbus Aesthetic & Plastic Surgery has everything you need to protect your skin as the summer approaches! This month, CAPS is working to spread awareness of the importance of skin protection with the - to enter, simply follow CAPS on Facebook & Instagram & earn one entry for every post you make featuring your skincare brushes & tagging them with . At the end of each week of the challenge, one lucky person will receive a Daily Essentials Kit with a Color Balm! Winners will be chosen May 6th, 13th, 20th, & 31st.

Of course, even if you don't participate in the challenge, CAPS is still offering a wide variety of discounts on their high-end skincare products - for more information, visit their website at https://www.columbusplasticsurgery.com/news-and-events/specials/.

Photos courtesy of Columbus Aesthetic & Plastic Surgery.

05/10/2022

Since 2008, Local Matters has been a leading voice in efforts to increase access to healthy foods and provide hands-on food education. Working in partnership with other nonprofits, businesses, schools, and healthcare systems to deliver programming at over 100 sites across Ohio, Local Matters helps people access healthy food through programs like Veggie Van, a mobile grocer bringing affordable, healthy food to communities without grocery stores. Local Matters oversees more than 15 community gardens that support this work and grow fresh food, year-round.

Central Ohio is a prosperous area with a wealth of resources, but the community still faces significant challenges. Ohio was ranked 10 in the nation in 2020 for food insecurity, impacting more than two-million Ohioans. This is particularly relevant as Columbus grapples with COVID-19 and the disproportionate effect it has on BIPOC and poor communities. High-quality nutrition education and access is essential for increasing food security, preventing diet-related disease, and empowering people to take control of their health and well-being.

For more information on Local Matters' mission, upcoming events, and how you can get involved and support them directly, visit their page in our Charity Register here!

https://www.sophisticatedlivingcolumbus.com/post/localmatters-1

05/06/2022

MIDNIGHT deadline!

One of our favorite professional organizations, Association of Fundraising Professionals - Central Ohio Chapter is still accepting nominations (through midnight tonight!) for their National Philanthropy Day 2022 awards!

Consider nominating someone in one of the following categories:

▪ The Columbus Foundation Outstanding Philanthropist
▪ Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser
▪ Outstanding Volunteer Fundraising Group
▪ Outstanding Foundation
▪ Outstanding Large Corporation
▪ Outstanding Small Business
▪ Big Lots Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy
▪ Outstanding Fundraising Professional
▪ Leave a Legacy

Click below for the nominations packet!

Since 1992, members and the Board of the Central Ohio Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) have publicly recognized local philanthropic leaders and celebrated their impact in our community through National Philanthropy Day® (NPD).

05/06/2022

This past month, the world's largest blue diamond ever to come to auction was sold at Sotheby's in Hong Kong, for 450,925,000 HKD, or $57.5 million. Named "The De Beers Cullinan Blue," it is the biggest vivid blue diamond to be put up for auction, according to a press release from Sotheby's. The rare diamond was found in the Cullinan mine, South Africa, in 2021, and has attained the highest rankings, according to the standards that colored diamonds are judged by.

Describing the diamond as "exceptionally rare," the Sotheby's statement added that only five gems over 10 carats have ever appeared at auction. None have ever been over 15 carats, "making the appearance of this flawless gem a landmark event in itself."
With a final price of $57,471,960, The De Beers Cullinan Blue just narrowly missed setting the record for the most expensive blue diamond ever to sell at auction. That title is still held by the 14.62-carat "Oppenheimer Blue," which sold in 2016 with a final price of $57,541,779, a difference of just under $70,000.

For more information on the sale of this once-in-a-lifetime gem, read CNN's article at https://www.cnn.com/style/article/blue-diamond-auction-results/index.html.

Photos courtesy of Sotheby's/De Beers/Diacore.

05/05/2022

Interested in curating a collection? Spark your imagination with our latest article covering travel based on art & highly sought after museum destinations. On a recent sojourn, I focused my time in two major cities with an impressive return on my investment - Madrid & Barcelona, Spain, which among others took me to the Musea del Prado, which has been offering incredible painting and sculpture exhibitions in the capital city of Madrid since 1819. We also visited the brand new Modern Contemporary (MOCO) Barcelona, a repeat effort to the independent museum’s highly successful Amsterdam location. Echoing the institution’s commitment to exhibiting iconic works by celebrated modern and contemporary artists as well as rising stars, the maze of rooms at MOCO Barcelona include innovative examples by Damien Hirst, classic works by Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and Salvador Dali, and edgy conversation-starters like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Banksy. While it was the smallest of the museums we visited, it may have been our favorite. For more information, check read our latest article or visit their website here:

https://www.sophisticatedlivingcolumbus.com/post/curatingacollectionojoparaelarte
https://mocomuseum.com/moco-museum-barcelona-en/

05/04/2022

The real estate market remains so hot that this unique property, featured in our most recent issue, came on the market and sold before we shared it on social with you! Read our article for a detailed exploration of this beautiful home.

https://www.sophisticatedlivingcolumbus.com/post/acovetablegranvillecharmer

05/03/2022

Located in the heart of the California desert, Slab City is a strikingly unique collective living space of outcasts, artists, and squatters alike. While such a place seems an incredibly unlikely feature for a publication, I was absolutely amazed by the art & culture I witnessed while I was there & wanted the opportunity to share it. Here are some of my favorite sights from our trip across the desert. If you'd like to learn more about this unique community, visit the link below:

https://roadtrippers.com/magazine/slab-city-california-desert/