12 and ¼ Degrees, supported by the SOM Foundation, was a performance event that took place in and around the Wexner Center for the Arts on June 9, 1988, one year before it was completed. The purpose was to introduce the project, designed by architects Peter Eisenman and Richard Trott and landscape architect Laurie Olin, to the Columbus community.
June 9, 1988
Wexner Center for the Arts
1871 N. High St., Columbus, Ohio 43210
Wexner Center for the Arts Columbus, Ohio. © Tony Giovannetti.
The Wexner Center for the Arts complex is the result of a competition held by The Ohio State University in 1982–1983. The project was designed by architects Peter Eisenman of New York in association with Richard Trott of Columbus, Ohio, along with landscape architect Laurie Olin from Philadelphia. Its geometry is based on the measurement 12 and ¼ degrees, the precise angle of intersection between the university grid and the grid of the city of Columbus.
In March 1988, Elise Bernhardt, artistic director of Dancing in the Streets, was invited to Columbus to view the still-under-construction Wexner Center and to produce a performance that would introduce the community to this unconventional structure. After a five-day rehearsal, the performance took place on June 9, 1988 at 9:03 p.m., precisely at sunset. Along with local performers, iron workers working on the building during the day became part of the event, emphasizing the idea of a construction site as theater. Audience members could experience performances taking place across the building and the roof, sometimes suspended from the steel beams.
12 and ¼ Degrees: Primary Access welcomed the community, an audience of 2,000 people, to experience the significant and radical Wexner Center for the Arts during its construction. The Wexner Center officially opened a year later, in 1989.
12 and ¼ Degrees: Primary Access poster. Courtesy of Stephan Klopowitz.
12 and ¼ Degrees: Primary Access poster. Courtesy of Stephan Klopowitz.
"Phantom Fenestrations," 12 and ¼ Degrees: Primary Access, Wexner Center for the Arts Columbus, Ohio. © Tony Giovannetti.
1988 xerox of flyer made by steel workers performing in "Phantom Fenestrations," Wexner Center for the Arts Columbus, Ohio. Courtesy of Stephan Koplowitz.
Produced and directed by
Elise Bernhardt, Artistic Director, Dancing in the Streets
Presented by
University Gallery of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University
Presented in cooperation with
The OhioDance Festival, the 1988 Columbus Arts Festival, and the 304th Commencement of The Ohio State University
Supported by
The SOM Foundation
Choreography
Ellen Cornfield, "12 minute Solo with Chair"
John Giffen, "Reception"
Susan Hadley, "Near Miss"
Stephan Koplowitz, "Fanfare for New Building" and "Phantom Fenestrations"
Elizabeth Treb, "Airlines" and "Airwaves"
Chery Wallace
Performers
Lisa Benson
Maria Campo
Jim Cappaletti
Jacqueline Collins
Kate Cushman
Loretta DiBianco
Lori Katz
Dana Levy
Becca Ley
Veronica Maxwell
Mary Middeler
Jennifer Mizenko
Helen Myers
Romy Noltimier
Heather Sultz
Mary Tinsley
Sharon Uhrau
Music
History of Unheard Music
Guy Klucevsek
William Larkin
Bradley Sowash
Igor Stravinsky
Thomas H. Wells
Lighting and Sound
Stage Tech, Inc.
