(Donut) Mission Accomplished

Who says Happy Hour has to be after work? One morning each month, we meet at Mission Coffee and The Fort owner Justin McAllister picks up the tab. Which includes old school Buckeye Donuts.

We met last Friday and got buzzed on drinks from Ross.

Ross, Drink Slinger

Todd and Elizabeth get drinks from the spinning tray, built by Mission Coffee owner, Matt.

Gaze upon that glaze, fresh from Buckeye—still warm. Chewy, gooey perfection. If you look into Zach’s eyes as he takes that first bite, you might see a billion sparkling stars (all made of sugar).

This is Allegra, property manager at The Fort. And the person behind good great ideas like coffee and donuts, and our happy hour on Thursday nights. And a lot more.

Jamiya made the mug she’s holding. It’s part of a show that’s happening at Mission Coffee, where Jamiya and other Kiln Room artists made functional, creative mugs for Mission customers to admire and purchase.

Mission Coffee Co is located at 2060 South High Street. Look for signs for The Fort, and you’ll see Mission at the back of our campus.

Fort owner Justin McALLISTER, with Allegra and Chris.

Sitting Pretty: Artistic Ottomans at The Fort

If you missed the Sitting Pretty exhibit, you can see all of the ottomans below. And you can still purchase one of these hand made creations until December 11th! See the caption for available ottomans. Big thanks to Midsole Marketing for the photos. More info on the exhibit is available below.

What if Ohio artists take a Fortner crafted ottoman and get creative?

Sitting Pretty is the brainchild of Fort tenant, @miss.birdy and Fort building manager, @rargella. Hosted by @fortnercolumbus, the creative showcase mixes custom furniture and fine art. The results: delightful and fun creations by twelve Ohio artists.

Pieces are available for purchase. If you’re a designer, architect, or homeowner looking for something unique, scroll down!

SOLD / Artist: Mandi Caskey

FOR SALE / Artist: Sarah Dennis

FOR SALE / ARTIST: ALaina Cherup

SOLD / Artist: Dylan Menges

FOR SALE / ARTIST: KAT THURAU

FOR SALE / ARTIST: GABRIELA TORRES

FOR SALE / ARTIST: Chris BLAIN

FOR SALE / ARTIST: ADAM HERNANDEZ

SOLD / ARTIST: KATIE KISELA

FOR SALE / ARTIST: Paul Giovis

FOR SALE / ARTIST: Allison Backovski

FOR SALE / ARTISTS: Paul Giovis (LEFT), Allison Backovski (RIGHT)

FOR SALE / ARTIST: Hakim Callwood

Meet the Snail Who Loves Letterpress

Did you know that lumaca means snail in Italian? It’s a fitting name for the business founded by designer Alaina Cherup. A snail is the perfect creature to embody Alaina’s love of snail mail (and the planet).

As she says, “a living reminder to slow down and live in intention.”

That’s a brave move in 2023.

Over a decade later, Alaina continues to conceptualize and create beautiful stationery for clients. This past year she’s been at The Fort, using the letterpress at Columbus Printed Arts Center. We took a few photos and caught up:

What’s your deeper connection to being a maker?

Since childhood, the natural world has always captivated me. I really wasn’t any different than most kids my age. I wanted to be a veterinarian when I grew up (shocking, I know).

And how did paper become part of your path?

The natural world STILL captivates me, and I find myself not only drawn to nature-focused artistic expression, but also to protecting the natural beauty that I treasure. Lumaca Paper was formed out of the profound connection between these two practices, and the tangible expression of ideas in the form of printed matter has always had a piece of my heart.

Alaina at Columbus Printed Arts Center, 2000 South High

How did you learn the craft of letterpress?

Completely self taught. Solo trial and error after buying my first press from an OSU professor on Craigslist in 2011.

Over ten years later, your work doesn’t fit into a single style. Why?

I love the convergence of things: thoughtful design, sustainable materials, old fashioned printing methods, a touch of fine art. All that makes the work engaging and unique for my clients.

Custom wedding invitations letterpressed at The Fort

What makes the work rewarding?

When a client fully trusts my creative process and our ideas tangibly come to life. To have them see an idea take on physical space, to be seen and touched. And to know there’s thought behind it all. Most importantly, to create work that induces emotion!

That last part—emotion—is so worth it. And after seeing your work, it makes sense! Thanks for catching up, Alaina. Where can folks learn more?

Lumaca Paper

Fort Family: The Brand Loft

Adrienne AVA (right) with Fort neighbor Jehan Daughtery (LEFT)

Hi friends. We caught up with Adrienne Ava, owner of the Brand Loft at 2050 South High Street. Adrienne, tell us what the Brand Loft is all about.

The Brand Loft is a Creative Content & Branding Studio. This is your one-stop studio for all of your content & brand needs. Whether you’re planning a photoshoot for your business or building your personal brand, or in need of a unique set to record your podcast. Our sets are versatile, and customizable and will accommodate your various creative needs!

We love all the energy and versatility you brought to this space. Why did you choose The Fort?

I choose the Fort for a couple reasons. As a creative The Fort immediately spoke to me, from the urban architecture, the raw loft space with the exposed brick and the high ceilings. It’s the perfect vibe for my business. I also enjoy being housed with sooo many creatives!

Welcome, Adrienne!
For more information, check out The Brand Loft.

Made at The Fort: Common Species

If you haven’t seen the creations of Common Species, you’re in for a treat. Owner Sergei Parfenov is, in a word, meticulous. Gaze upon these lovely creations, and see Common Species for more information. Made at The Fort!

Last photo courtesy of Addison Jones Photography.

Meet the Team

Ever wonder who’s behind the scenes at The Fort and Steelton Village? Photographed by Whitney Danielle Photography at 2000 South High. From left to right: Happy baby Azalea, Allegra, Dylan, Josh, Mandi, Justin, Kyle, Laura, John, Kaleb and Vincent. And great news: Justin and Kyle are in the Power 100 roster from Columbus Business First.

Congratulations, guys. And thanks for the photo, Whitney.

Fort Family: Whitney Danielle Photography

Photographers love The Fort. As tenants, they have studio spaces with industrial character. AND they can use our vintage factory for photoshoots. Meet our newest photographer, Whitney Danielle Photography, with a studio at 2000 South High. Gorgeous portraits happen there and outside her studio—if you’ve seen the swoontastic pink wall you know what we mean (scroll down for more).

Why did you fall in love with photography? And do you remember the first photograph you took?

I started photography as a means of emotional expression. When I first began, I had no studio, or paying clients, and I used myself as the subject through self-portraiture. I’ve always found the female body to be a form of art in and of itself, and most of my early work was portraits of myself and other women with some level of undress. It was never about the nudity or the lack of clothes, but the soul underneath, and the courage it takes to show yourself not only physically, but emotionally. 

This was the first self-portrait I ever took in San Diego, CA—my previous home. 

“I started photography as a means of emotional expression. ”

— Whitney

Do you have any rituals for photoshoots?

At WDP, we’re all about the shoot vibe! If the setting and the feel isn’t right, the shoot won’t be either. We burn candles, we listen to our clients favorite playlist, and we create a safe space where people can come, let their hair down, express themselves, laugh—cry—whatever they need to do, and just be themselves. And after that, we create portrait magic!

What makes shoots with you and your crew something special?

Our mission is what makes these shoots so special. And that mission came to me early on in life. As a little girl I would sit for hours flipping through my moms old photo albums; images of family and friends, past and present. The images that always stood out to me the most were the portraits; images of emotion, real, raw truth, and beauty. I felt a connection to each of those photographs as if I had taken them myself, especially the images of my mother, grandmother, and other powerful women in my life. They inevitably set the tone for the type of photography I would one day create, long before I ever understood those roots. They were emotive portraits of beauty, true self, and strength, and that type of photography still inspires me. It’s the type of photography we offer at our studio, and to me, it’s the most powerful form of art in our industry.

If you asked me what my mission is today, it would just that; to create powerful legacy portraits of every person who walks through our studio doors so that one day when their time on this earth is over, those portraits will live on through the eyes of the next generation. Our clients go through a transformative journey during these sessions; they leave with a newfound courage that may not have had before. The most special part of my process is watching them view their images for the first time, and be truly proud of themselves, and the legacy they’ll one day leave behind.

You ran a successful studio in Dayton. Why the move to Columbus?

I’m a Columbus girl at heart, and always will be. Not only did I partially grow up in Columbus, but I went to college here and spent the first decade of my adult life living and working here. Those were the most formative years of my life and solidified Columbus as my home. What better place to now house the most special piece of my life, my art and my business. I believe Columbus is truly the best place in Ohio for an artist to be. I adore our creative community, and I have never felt as taken care of and welcomed as I do here in the 614. 

What attracted you to The Fort?

We love what The Fort is doing in, and for, the Southside of Columbus! This is such a diverse ecosystem of businesses and creative entrepreneurs. Everyone here is focused on a joint mission, and it’s something we are beyond proud to be a part of. 

That swoontastic pink wall frames a gorgeous shot

If you could have anyone in the world in front of your camera, who would it be?

My Mom. When I tell you that legacy portraits are what I value most in this life, I truly mean that. My mom is/was one of the strongest people I’ve ever known, and truly one of the most beautiful. When I see myself as strong, beautiful, and courageous, it’s always on the days I look in the mirror and see her looking back. Something we didn’t have the time to do was get her in front of my camera for a legacy portrait before it was too late to do so. I encourage women every day to put aside the flaws they see in themselves, and their fear, and take images of themselves with their babies, and for them as well. One day when the only thing left of the person you love most is the memories, those photographs will be the most invaluable things you’ll ever own. 

You’re stranded on an island and you can only have three items. What are they?

That’s easy: a good book (because I can’t go a day without reading), my camera and best landscape lens, and my emotional support water bottle. That said, I’m going to die well read, hydrated, and with one beautiful landscape portfolio. I’m an in-door studio type of girl—let’s hope I’m never stranded on an island for too long! 

Thanks, Whitney! Where can we learn more?

whitneydaniellephotography.com

Love (+ Photos) from Steelton Junction #1

The heat was real, but it didn’t stop 296 lovely people from joining Steelton Junction #1. And many held on through the rain. We’re grateful for all of you, raising money for Reeb Center. And we’re grateful for the musicians, vendors and artists who brought their talents to the courtyard. Photos below—and we hope you join us again soon…

All photos by Josh Miller.

Something Unexpected

The buzz here is about the future. But our past—a rich visual history throughout our spaces—is always a story worth sharing. You can walk around The Fort dozens of times and find something unexpected each visit: vintage lettering, heavy hardware or light glowing just right on vintage wood floors (it’s why photographers love booking here). With that, enjoy a few photos from today’s stroll around 2000 South High:

Color, light and texture—the factory vibe at 2000 South High.

Genuine patina. And no surprise: our brand colors are black and white.

We call this old mural, “Drummer Jesus.” RIGHT: giant SEAGRAVE letters that once faced High St.

Vintage lettering in metallic ink, hand lettered on the backside of 2000’s massive fire door.

2000’s fire door wearing (very) heavy metal. Right: Third floor still life with chairs.

Left: parts bay still life. Right: Parts bay label and pulley wheel.

Our Future is Bigger Than Us

Above: Developer Kyle Katz and Fort owner Justin McAllister; mural by Mandi Caskey & Dylan Menges

There’s a big buzz about where The Fort is headed. A $350 million dollar buzz, full of development plans for the future. But that future is bigger than us, reaching beyond our commercial campus. In addition to our own vision for the The Fort’s properties, we’re not the only ones seeing potential on Columbus’ South Side. The city is fully aware of the buzz, and partnering with us and others. For example, the Rapid 5 plan that connects us to our neighbors with expanded trails, waterways and parks. And the Metro Parks’ bike path proposal that connects us to Scioto Audubon Park.

For more info, see this story at Business First. And we’ve shared all these stories in a new site about our Steelton Village neighborhood, steeltonvillage.com. Take a look to learn how we got this far, meet our neighbors, and read updates about the neighborhood’s development.

And to all of you who believed that an old fire truck factory might have new life, even expand into a neighborhood anchor, thank you. We’re grateful for your enthusiasm and encouragement. And we’re committed to being wise stewards of our neighborhood’s history and future.

Fortified—Install Day

Hand made things are better when made locally, by someone you trust. Khyle Ford checks all those boxes for us. Earlier this year, he fired up his welder for a special Fort project. His challenge: make a massive, custom gate to secure our courtyard entrance. And like many things, the project was complicated. Khyle had to engineer the gate’s attachment points into existing iron beams, and design an integrated human-sized door into the gate’s structure.

Hand made things are better when made locally, by someone you trust.

Today, Khyle and his crew installed the main gate sections. The project will wrap up next week, with final details and our Fort logomark welded onto the gate. But until then, we’re excited to share the progress—check out the 1-minute video below:

Navigating The Fort

Some signs are more important than others! Scroll down to see all of the new entry wall…

One big reason why it’s hard to find your way at The Fort: our buildings were erected as needed, creating a maze of sorts. The first building—now known as the back half of 2050, and 2060 South High—was built in 1895. Building #2 was built the same year, but it would be 15 years until the next building happened. You know that one as 2000 South High, which was used by Seagrave for ‘final decorating,’ engineering and administration. See the image below for more info about our historical evolution.

Our present reality: it’s hard to move easily between buildings. But we’re working on that…

First, we appreciate your patience as we plan renovations. We’ve partnered with architects and other experts to expand The Fort, yet retain the historical legacy of our site. Plans have been drawn, and the City of Columbus has given us the green light to proceed. It’s a big project, to say the least. And it will take time. Critical to the project is helping you navigate our campus, from the parking lot to the quiet ‘back alley’ that leads to our courtyard. Below is one immediate, small step to help, just finished for the entry at 2000 South Wall. The wall (shown below) was—like many projects here—a team effort of Fort tenants:

Brand design, layout and hand lettering: Dylan Menges, Menges Design
Industrial design, hardware specification and production: Courtland Hendershot, Fortner
Name plates custom cut and drilled by Roof Die Tool & Machine
Vinyl production: Matchbox LTD
Production and painting: Vincent Dowdell
Plants by STUMP

Additional production by Redi Quik

Stay tuned for more updates about our renovation!

The entry wall at 2000 South High