AKRON, Ohio – The city of Akron never seems to run out of works of art on display, often in surprising locations.
Until December 8, visitors walking the corridors of the Summit County Courthouse will be on display at “Faces and Feelings,” an appropriate exhibit during a pandemic where people need to see each other from afar, Estate Court community outreach specialist Lisa Mansfield said in a statement.
“Whether it was the isolation or the masks, we hadn’t really seen each other for a very long time,†she said. “These artists capture the joy of our feelings when they see faces.”
The exhibition is hosted by Organized courthouse, a collaboration between Summit County Probate Court and Organized showcase, a non-profit organization that has activated some of the darkest corners of downtown Akron since 2016.
“Faces and Feelings†features photographs by Laura Ruth Bidwell and paintings by Max Markwald and Care Hanson.
Bidwell is a photographer, bookmaker and collage artist who graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from Akron University. Markwald, a graduate of the Akron Meyers University School of Art, focuses on large format oil paintings. With a Masters of Fine Arts from Bowling Green State University, Hanson’s work includes acrylic on canvas, mixed media on recycled cardboard and natural mandalas.
Art opens doors for communication and connects people, Hanson said.
“During the months of COVID-19 and quarantine, these doors asserted life,†she said.
Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer was already exhibiting local art in the courthouse in 2019, showcasing the work of clients from the Summit County Developmental Disabilities Board, Summit Metro Parks and Community Support Services.
That same year, his Curated Courthouse project received $ 50,000 in the The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Art Challenge, to continue to introduce art to the public.
This award launched the courthouse’s partnership with Organized showcase, which was launched in 2016, also through a Knight Foundation Art Challenge.
The objective of the Knight challenges is to connect people to places and to each other in 26 Knight Cities, where the The Knight family has previously published newspapers. In the Art Challenge, offered every few years, Knight asks the Akron community a single question, which must be answered in 150 words or less: What is your best idea for the arts in Akron?
Those who submit ideas are given a chance to compete for a share of the $ 1 million to fund their projects.
Since Curated Storefront named winner of the Knight Arts Challenge, the initiative, under the leadership of Executive Director Rick Rogers, featured multimedia displays held in 86 Akron storefronts in 25 mostly neglected or underused buildings, lighting up windows and doors and lighting up building roofs. . The windows are dressed in tableau-style shows, and multimedia art has been installed on the ceilings and outside of the buildings.
The initiative has attracted more than 100,000 visitors to downtown Akron, the organization reported. Of the empty buildings that Curated Storefront has activated, 11 have been redeveloped commercially.
Current store window displays include “Out of the frameâ€, Which transforms shipping containers into mobile art galleries and performance spaces in the northern district of Akron.
“World of wondersâ€Is a temporary museum showcasing the work of ceramic artist Clayton Bailey. The museum runs through October 30 in downtown Akron at 156 S. Main St.
The Knight Arts Challenge returned to Akron this year, asking the Akronites for their best ideas throughout July. The winners are should be announced soon.
