Fairfield County is a great place to visit to check out local art installations and architecture while safely enjoying the outdoors
By Andy Temmel
People looking to take in some art and architecture while still avoiding crowds and indoor venues can find an entire day’s worth of pieces and buildings to observe, all in one place.
Lancaster, Ohio, is located in Fairfield County, just southeast of Columbus as you head into the Hocking Hills region of Ohio.
The city and county have dozens of art installations and murals on display in what is dubbed the Lancaster Open-Air Art Trail, which happens to be part of the more expansive Fairfield County Public Art Trail.
“We have murals, we have sculptures, we have really cool architecture, and it’s all stuff that you can see for free!” says Fran Tiburzio, the marketing director of the Fairfield County Visitors and Convention Bureau. “It’s all public art.”
A timeless feature of the art trail, aside from the art installations, is the architecture of the buildings in the town of Lancaster that give visitors a glimpse back in time. “We are kind of well-known for our beautiful, historic architecture,” says Tiburzio. “We have something called Square 13 Historic District, and a lot of other places outside of that one historic district. We just have beautiful, beautiful architecture that’s amazingly well-preserved.”
A majority of the art that is found on the trail comes from artists within the Lancaster and Fairfield County communities.
“One of the things that is really awesome is that you know it is a really popular place for makers to live. We are a maker community,” says Tiburzio. “It’s really a cool community.”
