And with an ever-expanding infusion of art, we think there’s something for everyone to appreciate. Why, we’ll even go as far as to say that Columbus may just be on its way to becoming something of a Midwestern art portal.

Here we invite you in for a masterpiece visit, starting with an exclusive art exhibit organized by the Columbus Museum of Art, followed by a sampling of some of the city’s best places for art-inspired recreation, restaurants and relaxation.

Columbus Museum of Art
Caravaggio: Behold the Man!

The thing that makes a work of art a masterpiece is its ability to elicit a profound reaction from any observer, whether casual, aficionado or connoisseur. Such is the work of revolutionary realist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio.

The egocentric artist lived what some would call a raucous life full of violent confrontations, dying tragically at the age of 38. With his untimely demise, Caravaggio’s body of work is, quite naturally, small especially when compared with other artists. Featuring only about 100 genuine works, Caravaggio’s art was underappreciated in his lifetime.

Fortunately for us, he was rediscovered in the 1950s and then rose in prominence again some 400 years after his death. His work, his life and his legacy will always be considered both scandalous and sensational. Perhaps that’s part its appeal. And now, as then, Caravaggio’s art gives us something that’s both true-to-life and yet highly accessible.

Visitors to the Columbus Museum of Art can get a peek into Caravaggio’s genius and psyche during an exclusive art exhibit on view Oct. 21, 2011 through Feb. 5, 2012.

The showpiece of the exhibit is, of course, a Caravaggio, specifically Ecce Homo (Behold the Man). Painted by the so-called “Bad Boy of Baroque” around 1605, the work is a distinctive and dramatically realistic portrait of Pontius Pilate displaying Christ to the crowd as told in the Gospel of John.

Organized to commemorate the Columbus Bicentennial through the celebration of the sister city relationship between Columbus and Genoa, Italy, the exhibit features 10 other works from the collections of major Ohio museums and one private collector.

“This is truly sexy art,” says Dominique H. Vasseur, director of curatorial administration and curator of European art at the Columbus Museum of Art, who masterminded this one-of-a-kind exhibit.

“Caravaggio was one of the great artists of all time,” he says. “He made his mark with a dramatic storytelling style that was still natural and completely believable. His works didn’t look like ‘high art.’ His subjects looked like earthy, like real people who had emotions and feelings. And viewers, as well as other painters, could immediately relate to them.”

480 E. Broad St., 614/221-4848. www.columbusmuseum.org

Recreation

Wexner Center for the Arts
Artful Pursuits

Though hardly a secret, the Wexner Center for the Arts is nonetheless a find. With an array of world-class exhibits, performances, lectures, films and programs, the Wexner Center appeals to nearly every artistic taste from funky to high-brow. Now through the end of the year, visitors can view three exhibits with one common theme: they take off, touch on or incorporate elements of the natural world.

1871 N. High St., 614/292-1807. www.wexarts.org

Hawk Galleries
Modern Masters

Sitting at the southeast edge of downtown Columbus is a 5,000-square-foot glass art heaven that rivals any of Seattle’s famed glass galleries. Impressive and dazzling, Hawk features a few of Seattle’s renowned glass artists, including Dale Chihuly and Nancy Callan, but also modern masters, such as Dan Dailey, Emily Brock and Columbus native, Christopher Ries. In October, visitors can see Kari Russell-Pool’s delicate, feminine, flameworked glass sculptures.

153 E. Main St., 614/225-9595. www.hawkgalleries.com

Topiary Park
Walk in the Park

It’s been called both a work of art and a work of nature. “It” is Columbus’ Topiary Park, featuring seven acres of lush landscape. It includes the only known topiary interpretation of a painting, George Seurat’s post-Impressionist work, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grand Jatte.” From sunrise to sunset daily, visitors can wander, wonder and wow over the scene, which includes 54 human figures, eight boats, three dogs, a monkey and a cat, each made of yew, with the tallest topiary towering at 12 feet. The scene also includes a man-made pond to represent the Seine with boat-shaped topiaries happily coexisting with living water lilies.

480 E. Town St., 614/645-0197. www.topiarygarden.org

Restaurants

The Cheesy Truck
The Jackie O

Who says fast can’t also mean indulgent, and grilled cheese can’t mean gourmet? Not Rick Wolfe and Bret Lewis of The Cheesy Truck. Their $100 Jackie O is an ooey-gooey gastronomic grilled cheese of artistic proportions. The sandwich features an ounce of Osetra caviar, a delectable dollop of crème fraiche, a bit of briny capers and, of course, cheese. Sottocenere cheese, to be exact, laced with black Piedmont truffles and rubbed with coarse vegetable ash. Hawking handcrafted grilled cheese and “sexy snacks,” The Cheesy Truck makes a lunchtime visit every Wednesday to Columbus Commons, a downtown park on High Street. Otherwise, the only way to check out the cheese is by following The Cheesy Truck on Twitter.

@thecheesytruck | www.thecheesytruck.com

Anthony’s Pizzeria
Caviar Pizza

Anthony’s Pizzeria owner Jim Douglas is, perhaps, a (non) starving artist in disguise. With dough as canvas and toppings as medium, his artistic expression is just a few sprinkles away. Take his caviar pizza, for example. Starting with from-scratch crust in the Italian tradition, it’s spread with a thin layer of house-made Roma tomato sauce, topped with mozzarella and baked to crisp perfection. Out of the oven, they top it with sour cream, diced raw onion, chopped hard-cooked egg, capers and caviar. At $800 it may not be the best-selling pizza on the menu, but it is the most benevolent: Anthony’s donates all caviar pizza proceeds to Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

602 Pleasant Ridge Ave., Bexley, 614/231-6628. www.anthonyspizzeria.org

Relaxation

Columbus Commons
Urban Garden

For a brief respite that’s still full of artistic inspiration, make an outdoor stop at Columbus Commons, the city’s new nine-acre urban park. Located on the site of the former shopping mall, Columbus City Center, the park features 12 grand gardens maintained by the Franklin Park Conservatory, as well as an outdoor reading room, free wi-fi, café, carousel and walking paths.

160 S. High St. www.columbuscommons.org

The Lofts
Boutique Hotel

Soak in a bit more artful ambience with an overnight stay at The Lofts. The historic building, grand accommodations and European-style amenities (including Frette fine Italian linens) offer a luxurious repose from a day of masterpiece meandering. For a great city view that’s been shared by VIPs such as Usher, Robin Williams and Bonnie Raitt, ask for an “O-one” room.

55 E. Nationwide Blvd., 800/73-LOFTS. www.55lofts.com