Art Commission Approves Mayor’s Order To Remove Columbus Statue

(ONN) – The days are numbered for the statue of Christopher Columbus that has stood outside Columbus City Hall since 1955.

The Columbus Art Commission voted to approve its removal and it will be taken down in the next few days and placed in a city warehouse.

As for what will go in its place, the art commission says there will be public input on what replaces it and which art or artists are selected.

Mayor Andrew Ginther said removing the statue “demonstrates our enduring fight to end racism and celebrate the themes of diversity and inclusion.”

The statue was a gift from the people of Genoa, Italy in 1955.

Columbus State Community College recently removed its statue of Columbus, and there is debate about the future of another one outside of the Ohio Statehouse.