@PLAY Akron

In 2017, Art x Love was awarded a $240,000 Knight Cities grant for @PLAY Akron, an 18-month, 24-neighborhood, interactive art project designed to bring diverse people together and encourage deeper community connections. Our team walked and biked every street in the city, conducted thousands of street intercept interviews with residents and stakeholders, and produced more than 100 murals and 50 placemaking transformations across the city.

@PLAY Akron has inspired millions of dollars of new investment and systemic change across the City of Akron, and fundamentally changed the way local organizations and non-profits approach neighborhood research, community engagement, and creative collaboration.

Akron Stories Recognition

"The spirit of the nation is founded upon, and reflected in, its exciting and colorful past. Launched in 2019, this grassroots initiative (Akron Stories) has labored to collect, preserve, and celebrate the stories of local rubber workers and their descendants. Great care and considerable resources have been invested in this endeavor, and it is sure to become a source of pride for the whole community."

"All those associated with the Akron Stories project are to be commended for their tremendous efforts to guarantee that the past will not be forgotten, and the dedication of this new monument convincingly demonstrates how very much can be accomplished by a group of conscientious people with clear objectives and firm resolve. Indeed, they have distinguished themselves as concerned and responsible citizens and have, with admirable dedication, helped sustain the history of the area."

• Ohio House of Representatives •

Buckeye-Shaker GIS

Charting a course for systemic change.

Art x Love taught students and residents geospatial analysis (ArcGIS) and mapped every sidewalk and intersection in Cleveland’s Buckeye-Shaker neighborhood. We assessed the condition of roadways, sidewalks, structures, greenery, litter, visibility, perception of safety, and pinpointed ideas for improvement. This data has mobilized residents, guided new partnerships, and is informing transformational investments.

Steps to Equity was selected as the opening presentation on Equity & Social Justice at the 2022 Esri User Conference in San Diego, CA.

7 Years

We founded Art x Love in 2015 to make a meaningful and sustainable impact through art and design. We believed that creative best practices could help systemically shift cultural and environmental dynamics, inspire others, and change the perception of art to a necessity rather than a luxury. We hoped this would forge a path for more creative professionals to be paid fairly and respected for their artistic vision. As we celebrate our 7th anniversary, we extend our most heartfelt thanks to our clients, the hundreds of artists we’ve been able to work with, and the many thousands of community members who’ve embraced art as an important part of their lives. Thank you for believing in us, in artists, and in the power of art. We're ready for the next 7!

Akron on Deck II

Akron on Deck II is the sequel to Art x Love’s popular playing card set, featuring 54 Akron landmarks and icons, with cards by 54 local artists.

Akron on Deck was launched as a Kickstarter in 2020 to support local artists and businesses during the pandemic. 40% of the proceeds from card sales go to the featured artists as annual royalty payments for life. Since 2020 we have sold more than 10,000 decks and raised more than $75,000 for local artists, businesses, and non-profits through this initiative.

Superior Hill Park

In the summer of 2022, Art x Love was engaged by Warehouse District and Downtown Cleveland Alliance to create a transformative mural for the space they refer to as “Superior Hill Park,” located on W. Superior Ave. & W. 9th Street, in downtown Cleveland, Ohio.

We created a worksheet to collect ideas and aspirations from the community, and from the dozens of submissions received, identified themes of hope and historic reference for concept development. Mac Love power-washed and primed the area, painted the asphalt art and mural, and finished it with an anti-graffiti coating.

The Superior Hill Park mural depicts a child blowing a kiss that is travels through time and space along the Cuyahoga River by historic modes of transportation. “Hold fast to dreams” is a line from Langston Hughes’ poem, Dreams, and was included as call for hope.

The Village Activity Book

Educating, informing, and inspiring a community.

In 2020, The Muldoon Center for Entrepreneurship at John Carroll University received a $50,000 Verizon grant to support “new programs and projects that empower children and residents to build a stronger, more connected community.” Art x Love was engaged to produce two projects in collaboration with neighborhood residents and John Carroll University students. First we completed the Steps to Equity GIS walkability assessment of Buckeye-Shaker, and then we leveraged those insights to create The Village Activity Book.

3,000 copies of The Village Activity Book were distributed across the neighborhoods of Buckeye-Shaker and Woodland Hills. Hundreds of submissions were received, scanned, analyzed, and are now inspiring and informing new community initiatives and neighborhood investment.

A Dedication to Remember

On October 9, 2021, Art x Love hosted the Rubber Worker Statue & Stories dedication ceremony in downtown Akron. Hundreds of people gathered to honor family members, friends, and loved ones. We created this video to honor the occasion and help others understand the remarkable spirit and legacy of the rubber workers.

Since 2019, Art x Love has led and managed the Rubber Worker Statue & Stories Project in collaboration with the City of Akron, Summit County Historical Society, Akron-Summit County Public Library, and the University of Akron. We created Akron Stories as a grassroots initiative to advocate for the rubber worker statue and collect the stories of Akron’s rubber workers and their descendants. This project culminated in 2021 with the unveiling of Alan Cottrill’s rubber worker statue and the installation of the Akron Stories kiosk.

Visit AkronStories.com to learn more.

Rockefeller Park Field Guide

In 2020, Art x Love was engaged by University Circle to create The Rockefeller Park Field Guide, an 8-page activity book that focuses on Cleveland’s Cultural Gardens. The book includes a mix of educational content, maps of the park, and participatory design exercises for residents and visitors alike.

To create the activity book, our team toured the park by foot, bike, and car. We also interviewed residents and local stakeholders to understand key equities and opportunities for learning.

The Rockefeller Park Field Guide has been a key part of local community collaborative events with University Circle and Recess Cleveland, encouraging playful exploration of The Cultural Gardens while inspiring new ideas for future park improvements.

Visit University Circle to learn more and download your own copy of The Rockefeller Park Field Guide.

Leading Fitness

In 2022, Art x Love was engaged by the Akron Area YMCA to create a mural for their new Octagon Fitness Area, which used to be a racquetball court. Mac developed several concepts that were strategically designed to maximize the impact of the mural while complementing the space that the equipment would occupy. Most importantly, the mural had to be consistent with YMCA brand standards, and pass an upcoming audit by the YMCA’s national facilities and design team.

Mac completed the mural in one week, and developed all aspects of mural production to minimize disruption while staff and members used the nearby fitness areas. The new Octagon Fitness Area has opened to rave reviews, and the mural passed YMCA’s audit with flying colors.

@PLAY Silent Discos

Liven up your event with Silent Disco! Art x Love has 200 silent disco headsets and 3 transmitters that are available to rent for parties, events, fundraisers, and interactive experiences in northeast Ohio. We’ve used these headsets to produce interactive neighborhood cleanups, birthday parties, guided meditation, yoga, history tours, and more.

Email contact@artxlove.com or call 330.238.8588 to learn more about pricing and availability for your next event.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How much does it cost?

It’s $5.00 per headset per day, and $20 per transmitter per day.

Shipping, delivery, and pickup

We do not ship our headsets. Pickup is available from Art x Love Studios, Monday-Friday from 10am-4pm or by appointment. Our address is 1969 N Cleveland Massillon Rd., Akron, OH 44333

We can deliver and pick-up the equipment for additional fee.

Do you provide DJ’s?

Yes, we can help you book DJ’s for an additional fee (typically $50/hr per DJ).

How do the headsets work?

Each cordless headset has a power switch, volume control, and three audio channels with LED lights that glow blue, red, or green depending on which channel you listen to. Each channel is specially tuned to the unique frequency of a transmitter.

How do the transmitters work?

Each transmitter has a power cable, power switch, antenna, channel control (1-3), left/right audio ports, and comes with an audio cable that can be plugged into computers, phones, microphones, and can be configured to work with all audio sources. Once plugged in and connected to an audio device, the transmitter sends that audio to whichever channel of the headset you’d like. We recommend using 2-3 transmitters for all Silent Disco events.

Still don’t get it?

Participants get to choose which channel of audio they want to listen to. If you rent 3 transmitters you can have Channel #1 connected to a DJ, Channel #2 connected to an iPod, and Channel #3 connected to a phone. This allows users three different and unique audio experiences to choose from.

What is the equipment’s range?

50-100 yards depending on the number of obstructions (floors, walls, buildings, etc.).

What happens if they get wet or break?

This equipment is NOT weatherproof. Any loss, damage, or breakage will result in a replacement fee of $40.00 per headset, $250.00 per transmitter, and $20.00 per audio cable.

What are the product specs & features?

Our @PLAY Silent Disco headsets are an open wireless RF stereo headphone system. Each headset has a folding design for easy storage, and vibrant LED lights on both sides. The headsets and transmitters use detailed analytical sound reproduction with strong bass response. Soft ear pads offer superior comfort and noise cancellation. The wireless headsets offer a range of freedom and movement with reception through walls and ceilings.

Can you give me the technical data?

System: UHF/RF 
Modulation: FM 
Mode: stereo 
Channel option: 3 channels 
LED lights: Blue, Red, Green 
Signal-to-noise ratio: >75dB 
THD: <1% 
Speaker: 40mm mylar 
Frequency response: 30~20000Hz 
Channel separation: >35dB 
Operation time: 10 hours 
Charging time: 3 hours 
Power supply: Rechargeable Lithium-Polymer battery (500mAh)

Stewart's Caring Place

Stewart’s Caring Place provides free cancer support services for individuals and families. Art x Love was engaged to develop the Art Plan for Stewart’s new Cancer Wellness Center in Fairlawn, Ohio. We developed a menu of local artists for consideration, then commissioned and oversaw development and installation of the select artist’s work.

Stewart’s Caring Place radiates with a healthy spirit of creativity, compassion, and community. Art x Love commissioned and purchased artwork by Kimmy Henderson and Leah Rzepka, and produced signature holographic paintings throughout the space, including the custom-designed donor wall.

We are delighted to support Stewart’s Caring Place, and look forward to developing more opportunities to encourage and inspire healing and communication through the arts. That work continues today with our management and curation of the Stewart’s Healing Arts Gallery, showcasing local artist’s work with 100% of the proceeds from art sales going to the artists. Email us at contact@artxlove.com to learn more.