The Ohio Craft Museum's new exhibition is designed to give visitors food for thought.

"Food Justice: Growing a Healthier Community Through Art" features works by 15 artists exploring issues related to food security and access to food, museum executive director Kim Nagorski said.

"A lot of people wonder how in a nation that is so wealthy and provides food to so many people in other countries we have so many of our own citizens who are facing food insecurity," said Mike Hogan, an extension educator and associate professor at Ohio State University.

Hogan is among the presenters who will lead programs in conjunction with the exhibition and participate in the opening reception, which is set for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. July 28 at the museum, 1665 W. Fifth Ave.

The exhibition runs July 25-Sept. 24.

"There are a lot of different factors that impact food insecurity for people, and poverty is a root cause," Hogan said.

The lack of adequate access also is a common issue, he said.

"There are a lot of people who live in what is known as a 'food desert,'" Hogan said. "They don't have access to a full-service grocery store. That's a real problem in a lot of rural areas and poor neighborhoods. 

"If people don't have the economic means to travel widely to where there is a grocery store, they may be forced to buy their food at a convenience store or gas station where the supply of healthy foods is scarce and often overpriced."

The exhibition was organized by Contemporary Craft, a Pittsburgh gallery. The exhibition, which opened this past September at Contemporary Craft, now is a traveling exhibition and was presented earlier this year at the Southern Ohio Museum in Portsmouth.

"There's a variety of works, both large installations and smaller pieces, including ceramic dinnerware," Nagorski said. "They are all designed to capture your imagination and get you thinking about food security and food access issues in our community."

"Transaction Denied," an installation created by Xena Ni in collaboration with Mollie Ruskin, uses the receipts from clients who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Washington, D.C., Nagorski said.

"There was some sort of computer glitch and these people would show up to get their food, but were denied due to the glitch," Nagoski said. "The receipts all have the message 'transaction denied' that were stamped on them."

Ruskin made curtains out of the receipts. At the end of the installation, they can listen to recordings of voicemail messages and phone conversations between SNAP representatives and the clients who were denied service.

Hogan said his Lunch and Learn program, which will be offered at noon Aug. 11 at the museum, will touch on some of the factors that impact food security and access in central Ohio.

Hogan helps run Waterman Farm, the 261-acre farm operated by OSU Extension on the west side of campus along Lane Avenue.

At the farm and at numerous gardens operated by volunteer participants in OSU's Master Gardener program, more than 31,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables were grown last season, Hogan said. 

The produce was distributed to 31 food pantries in central Ohio, he said.

Hogan plans to offer a tour of Waterman Farm from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 30 in conjunction with the exhibition.

Other educational workshops will be offered throughout the exhibition's run, Nagorski said.

Representatives from several community organizations, including Highland Youth Gardens, Yellowbird Food Shed and Food Rescue US, are scheduled to talk about their work at the opening reception, she said.

The Tabouli Cafe food truck also is scheduled to serve Mediterranean dishes during the reception.

The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.

Admission and parking are free.

More information is available at ohiocraft.org.