Ascension in Dublin, Greater Columbus, Ohio
Walk the path at Coffman Park and you’ll spot it before you’re on top of it, a slim column that seems to gather the daylight and send it skyward. Circle it and the look changes with every few steps, the glass catching sun one moment and reading cool and pale the next.
Ascension is a permanent public sculpture by Brian Russell, created in cast glass with forged aluminum. Installed in 2007 as part of the Titration series, it stands at an intimate scale for a park setting, roughly nine and a half feet tall, so you engage it eye to eye rather than from a distance. It’s a quiet stop that rewards a slow lap and a pause to watch the color and shadows play across the base.
This piece sits within Dublin’s long-running Art in Public Places collection, which scatters contemporary artworks across the northwest corner of the metro. That context suits Ascension. You come upon it in the middle of regular life in the park, not in a gallery, and that everyday backdrop makes the upward pull of the form feel a little more pronounced. Late afternoon tends to be the sweetest time, when the angle of the light lights up the glass and throws soft tints onto the path.
Practical note if you’re planning a stop on a weekend circuit: Coffman Park follows typical city-park hours from dawn to dusk, and portions of the grounds are usually off-limits for several weeks in midsummer during Dublin Irish Festival preparation and cleanup. The sculpture is outdoors and viewable from the park paths without reservations.
- Location: Coffman Park, Dublin (Greater Columbus)
- Artist: Brian Russell
- Installed: 2007
- Medium: cast glass and forged aluminum
- Access: outdoors in a public park, typically open dawn to dusk
- Known for: part of Dublin’s Art in Public Places and the Titration series
If you like public art you can experience in the middle of a regular park walk, Ascension is an easy add to a Greater Columbus afternoon.
Published: September 9, 2026 · Reviewed by the Whats Up Columbus editorial team