Clockwise from top left: Lydia Thompson, Angelica Pozo, Beverly Whiteside, Cynthia Lockhart
The Ohio Craft Museum is pleased to present Milestones, a vibrant and soulful exhibition honoring the legendary jazz innovator Miles Davis on the occasion of what would be his 100th birthday. The show will be on view February 15–April 4, 2026, at the Ohio Craft Museum in Columbus, Ohio.
Taking inspiration from Davis’s groundbreaking 1958 album, Milestones, curator Larry Collins, a mixed-media artist and jazz musician, invited 19 Black artists to create works that reflect the spirit, rhythm and cultural legacy of jazz while celebrating the turning points that shape both art and life. Just as Miles Davis transformed modern jazz through fearless experimentation, the artists in this exhibition push the boundaries of fine craft.
Participating artists include William Agnew, Larry Allen, Don Coulter, Bing Davis, Lou Frederick, Kendall Glover, Renee Hearn, Wendy Kendrick, Cynthia Lockhart, Chief Baba Shango Obadina, Kelly and Kyle Phelps, Angelica Pozo, Bruce Robinson, Lydia Thompson, Marvin Whistler, Beverly Whiteside, Arthur Wright and Renee Wormack-Keels.
Programming will include an artists’ demonstration with Kelly and Kyle Phelps, artist/curator talks and additional workshops.
As I considered possible themes for this exhibition, I discovered that
2026 would be the 100th heavenly birthday for jazz artist Miles Davis.
Born May 26, 1926, in Alton, Illinois, Davis was a trumpeter, bandleader,
composer and considered to be one of the most influential figures in
jazz. While searching through my collection of albums, my eyes settled
on the masterpiece album titled Milestones, recorded by Davis in 1958,
by his first great quintet/sextet. The Milestones album is considered one
of the great examples of modern jazz. Davis was known for his creative
spirit and the use of different modes, scales and patterns in his
compositions. With that in mind, Milestones became the theme and title
to use for this exhibition.
As a theme for the exhibition, the term “milestone” lends itself to
multiple interpretations. For example, a milestone can be a memorable
moment in one’s life, certify a significant time or event. For an artist, a
milestone can mark the beginning of a new creative direction or the
discovery of a new material or technique.
Works in the exhibition represent traditional craft techniques, such as
ceramics, quilts and wood carvings, etc. Works that utilize “found
objects” and mixed mediums are included in the exhibition as well. My
hopes were to display a variety of styles and mediums that would create
an exciting visual dialogue. While many of the artists in the exhibition used
musical interpretations as an analogy for their creative expressions,
some drew upon their ancestral roots and childhood memories for
inspiration. We are deeply grateful for their willingness to lend their
works to the Ohio Craft Museum for this exhibition.Larry Collins, curator
Milestones is part of Handwork 2026, Craft in America’s nationwide semiquincentennial collaboration showcasing the importance of the handmade and celebrating the diversity of craft that defines America.
