Summit Artspace’s art deco building, commissioned by John S. and James L. Knight in 1927 to house the Akron Beacon Journal, has abundant space to showcase art and engage the public with local artists. The historic edifice boasts five galleries and over 25 resident artist studios within its 55,000 square feet. Summit Artspace’s professional leadership recently created a strategic vision […]
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To the casual observer, it might seem as though artists spend their days locked in a studio, absorbed in creating their latest masterpiece. Peer closer and one discovers a hidden truth about successful professional artists: that in addition to artmaking, they engage in a high-level combination of managing finances, marketing their work, and networking with peers and the community. Summit […]
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Dr. Lady J—credentialed with a PhD in musicology, and a dissertation on how drag went mainstream—is a co-host of the FRONT Triennial podcast APodofDustandRainbows. She collaborates with textile artist Loraine Lynn on an installation/performance opening at the Cleveland Institute of Art on September 30. Dr. Lady J (she/they) is the world’s first drag queen with a PhD dissertation on drag […]
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For over a decade, Summit Artspace’s visitors have been welcomed to the building by Kings and Queens, a 225-feet-wide by 9-feet-high mural depicting faces representing diverse ethnic groups living in Akron. Internationally-renowned artist and Kent State University (KSU) faculty member Kirk Mangus (1952–2013) and 25 Summit County teens painted the mural in 2006, with funding from Summit County, the National […]
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Interdisciplinary artist Michael Loderstedt welcomes moments of introspection through his autobiographical exhibition, Why We Fished, at Akron Soul Train. Sculpture, photography, and poetry meet as Loderstedt tells the story of his childhood home being overtaken by development, overfishing, and climate change. The artist contemplates the delicacy of intricate ecosystems by recontextualizing fragments of wildlife. Why We Fished strikes a chord […]
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This year marks the tenth annual National Juried Exhibition at The Morgan Conservatory, which celebrates the paper arts. This year’s show was juried by Sienna Brown, curator at the Cleveland Clinic, and Jared Ledesma, senior curator at the Akron Art Museum. Through the theme of Introspection/Retrospection, several works draw inspiration from the periods of isolation imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. […]
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In March 2020, Gallery Director Arnold Tunstall was eager to bring an exhibition titled Passion & Joy to the Emily Davis Gallery at the University of Akron Myers School of Art. Then the pandemic swept in, bringing the exhibition to a screeching halt, and robbed many of both passion and joy in the process. Two years later, the show has […]
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Late last year, the Cleveland Foundation contacted Deba Gray and Serena Harrigan of Gray’s Auctioneers. The Foundation was whittling down its art collection in preparation for its upcoming move to MidTown and identified some works that they did not have a place for. They decided to generate income by putting these works up for auction at Gray’s, with the proceeds […]
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The spirit of collaboration is part of what makes Akron extraordinary. Recently, three county-supported organizations partnered to help invigorate the lives of community members through the arts, specifically advocating for artists with disabilities. ART FOR ALL ABILITIES Summit Artspace—headquartered in a historic building owned by Summit County—is an arts organization dedicated to connecting artists with the resources they need […]
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Abby Cipar’s art has a way of calling to you from afar. It was a cold, dark evening in Akron and I was driving home from class. As I prepared to turn left from Broadway onto Market Street, I looked over my shoulder at the ornate façade of Summit Artspace. It’s a habit—I work there, after all. Cipar’s wonderfully […]
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