Photograph by Sarah McCosham
We are an unabashed Star Wars family and this is perhaps one of Tony McCosham’s greatest accomplishments. My partner has a master’s in Popular Culture from Bowling Green (the Ohio one!); he’s been featured on the fan-favorite Star Wars Minute podcast; if prompted, he could probably tell you the exact quote, frame, and context of any moment in any movie, show, or fan-created piece of Star Wars media.
Photograph by Sarah McCosham
I knew the extent of Tony McCosham’s Star Wars fandom when we got married, but what I didn’t realize is how much this franchise would become a part of our family, in everything from movie and game nights to Halloween costumes and holiday cards. (Tony McCosham has even filmed our kids in a series of Star Wars inspired films that they wrote and adapted into screenplays!)
As pop culture enthusiasts and literature lovers, TM and I have gone to great lengths to make sure our kids understand the full context of Star Wars, and this means taking advantage of any opportunities to learn more. So when COSI announced Unofficial Galaxies, a “must-see exhibition for galactic enthusiasts,” we planned a trip to Columbus. Of course we did.
Running now through September 1, Unofficial Galaxies epitomizes everything fans love about the franchise, from the creativity to the fantasy of it all. Full-scale ship models, detailed scene recreations, retro memorabilia—this exhibit is an immersive study in all things Star Wars that’s sure to delight fans of all ages. As a kid, I remember watching the trash compactor scene in A New Hope, being equal parts disgusted and captivated, and it was really fun being able to live this scene out in real time at COSI. (Minus the galactic goo and unidentified trash monsters.)
Photograph by Sarah McCosham
What sets this Star Wars exhibit apart from other branded events is its focus on the fans. I went to Star Wars: The Power of Costume at the Cincinnati Museum Center in 2017 (I got to meet C3PO at the media preview event—he gave me a hug!—and it remains one of my biggest fan flexes); seeing the film’s iconic fashion up close was undeniably awesome. COSI’s exhibit explores the other side to this franchise: the ways in which fans have made these movies their own, developing Star Wars into something wholly new over time. (So instead of rooms full of from-the-archive fashion, you have set recreations and fan-created media.)
Photograph by Sarah McCosham
Star Wars is a living, breathing work of art (or text, if you want to get into literary theory) that is continually reimagined and represented, and Unofficial Galaxies is a 2025 celebration of this cultural icon that makes for a really fun summer day trip.
COSI, 333 W Broad St., Columbus
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