Darren Grundey is a man with a plan.
For the past three years, Grundey has been researching and developing a plan that will answer the question, “What does Columbus need?”
His answer is the New Eden Project – a cultural megaplex which would include the nation’s largest outdoor nature preserve, bird sanctuary and a sculpture park based on the design of the Ohio flag.
The “Mall of Humanities,” as Grundey has termed it, would be located on the Whittier Peninsula. This location is ideal because the city already owns much of the land, which is virtually unused.
The project calls for the heads of all of the major Columbus charitable, cultural and arts organizations to relocate and consolidate into this centralized Downtown location.
The Mall of Humanities is based on the idea of breaking socioeconomic and sociocultural barriers, Grundey said. “All this is about merging, integration, communication and cooperation – as opposed to the way things operate now,” he said.
Grundey has created a 75-page outline of the project, which includes detailed sketches, plans for funding and answers to nearly every question that could be raised.
Grundey, a Columbus native, attended the Rhode Island School of Design and later received a master’s degree from Ohio State. He said the idea for the New Eden Project manifested itself soon after he completed graduate school.
Following graduation, the opportunity presented itself to vent frustrations about such things as the economic difficulty of being an artist.
“There was also the frustration of recognizing that Columbus has all this potential that never seems to go anywhere – a lack of direction in the cultural respect,” Grundey said.
Grundey said specific, common characteristics existed before each cultural renaissance throughout history. He believes these characteristics are present in Columbus.
The characteristics are: 1) the concentration of an educational muscle – OSU and the many other universities located throughout central Ohio can provide that; 2) a research hub – Batelle and Chemical Abstracts fill that requirement; and 3) the large number of famous artists, actors and humanitarians that are from the state of Ohio.
Since the Wexner Center opened, an increased awareness of the arts began the “Columbus Renaissance,” Grundey said.
“The project is a chance to give Columbus a solid identity – to use the arts as a way of creating a unique identity for Columbus,” he said.
“There are many motivated, artistically-inclined people who aren’t getting any support from a civic entity. The New Eden Project is a way to say thanks for all your hard work – let’s kick it into high gear.”
Although Grundey is extremely organized, intelligent and ambitious, he realizes that it will be a miracle if The New Eden Project is successful. He said it is difficult to approach influential people in the city because he is not representing any type of organization.
Grundey hopes experts will be willing to look at his material and give critical feedback.
“The possibility of this happening someday keeps me motivated,” Grundey said.
An exhibit including Grundey’s New Eden Project, paintings and other mixed media is on display through Jan. 3 at 2 Co’s Cabaret in the Short North.
