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.

Akron On Deck

Akron On Deck is a unique playing card set featuring 54 Akron businesses and landmarks, with cards designed by 54 local artists. We created Akron on Deck in 2020 as a Kickstarter project to support local creatives and businesses through the pandemic. 40% of the proceeds from card sales go directly to the artists as royalty payments for life.

Since 2020, Art x Love has sold 10,000 decks and raised more than $75,000 for local artists, businesses, and non-profits.

You can purchase Akron on Deck from our online store or the following local retailers.

In Bloom

On May 13th, Stewart’s Caring Place hosted the opening reception for “In Bloom” in their brand new Healing Arts Gallery. The exhibit features the fiber art of Katie Mongoven, with 100% of art sales going directly to support the local featured artist.

Art x Love developed the art plan for Stewart’s new facility, installed the gallery system, and serves as curator for the bi-annual Healing Arts Gallery showcases.

R. Shea Brewing

R. Shea Brewing is one of Akron’s finest local breweries, and has long been a favorite watering hole ever since it opened in Merriman Valley. When Ron Shea reached out to us for help painting the exterior signage, we jumped at the chance.

The R. Shea Brewing mural was hand-painted by Mac Love, with all lettering measured precisely to scale. Mac operated the telescopic boom lift and completed painting of the logo and lettering in two sessions.

Swing by R. Shea Brewing in Canal Place to savor inspired beers, delicious food, and more impactful art. Cheers!

Silent Disco Dustup

In 2017-2018, our @PLAY Akron project explored every street in Akron’s 24 neigborhoods and interviewed more than 2,000 residents. Our research revealed many different neighborhood priorities, but cleaner streets, neighborhood festivals, and stronger neighborhood identity were commonly sited interests. We asked ourselves, can we do all three?

The Silent Disco Dustup was conceived of as "the most fun neighborhood cleanup imaginable.” Participants received silent disco headsets, pedometers, cleaning gear, and were accompanied by two DJs and a supply vehicle for refreshments and additional tools.

We designed 1-mile routes through neighborhood corridors that have a high degree of litter but are not frequently targeted for cleanup. Each route featured signs with historic anecdotes and little-known-facts about the neighborhood. Participants were encouraged to dance and clean their way through the corridor(s), and those who racked up the most steps received prizes, including hand-made gifts and coupons to local businesses.

Some people travelled 50+ miles to participate for these unique silent disco experiences. Everyone had a great time, made new friends, and learned a lot about the community.

Rubber Worker Statue

The Akron Stories Project is a grassroots initiative to collect, preserve, and celebrate the stories of Akron’s rubber workers and their descendants. Art x Love created the website, marketing materials, managed the sale of commemorative bricks, developed the interactive kiosk, led the oral history project, and handled all communications (digital, print, phone, mail). Our team interviewed hundreds of people, collected thousands of stories, and mined extensive public and private archives to bring their stories to life. To explore the stories, learn more about the project, and support the initiative, please visit AkronStories.com

P.S. I Love You Mosaic

In 2020, Art x Love was re-engaged by the Akron Area YMCA to create an interactive mural for the P.S. I Love You 5K Walk/Run. In the face of the pandemic, race organizers opted for a virtual event. Participants were given shirts with colors that corresponded to the P.S. I Love You logo. After completing their socially distant 5k, participants submitted pictures of themselves wearing their shirts. These images were combined with 2019 P.S. I Love You event photos, images of iconic Middlebury neighborhood buildings, and sponsor logos to create the P.S. I Love You mosaic. A video montage of the mosaic was generated for the “Art of Y” exhibition at Summit Artspace, celebrating the Akron Area YMCA’s 150 years of service to the community.

WoodRaven

Art x Love created the new brand identity for WoodRaven, an advisor to startups that implements digital strategies, optimizes workflows, and prepares organizations for growth. The new logo suite, marketing collateral, and brand guidelines reflect WoodRaven’s impactful leadership and charismatic approach to tackle business challenges with creative solutions that lay a foundation for future growth and stability.

Voices for Change

In the summer of 2020, Mac was contacted by Spectrum News for a feature they were doing about responsible and equitable leadership in Ohio. Click the image above to watch the video, and please explore the many others from this series to learn more about the experiences, opportunities, and ideas that are driving change across our state.

Black Lives Matter

Video produced by Studio ONe23

Art x Love was engaged by Akron City Councilwoman Tara Samples to coordinate production of Akron’s Black Lives Matter mural in response to the murder of George Floyd. Art x Love organized a team of local artists to lead mural creation and guide volunteers. Nichole Epps, April Couch, Alexandria Couch, and Gyasi Jones worked together with Councilwoman Samples to develop the creative vision for the mural. Art x Love served as the liaison between the artists and organizers, secured all materials, staged a COVID-safe collaborative production, and advocated for responsible and equitable practices across all phases of implementation.

Akron’s Black Lives Matter Mural was the first to be painted in Ohio, and is one of many that express the public outrage, cry for justice, and call for systemic change to combat racism. This important and highly sensitive project holds a deep meaning for our community and the nation as a whole.

The artists, organizers, and volunteers created the mural in solidarity and in memory of those whose lives have been taken by the public health crisis of racism. Days before the mural site was selected by the City of Akron, Na’Kia Crawford was shot and killed at the nearby intersection of North Howard and E. North Street, in Akron’s Cascade Valley neighborhood. Our faith and thoughts were with those whose lives have been, are, and will continue to be effected by the scourge of racism. We will continue to speak out against injustice, embrace diversity, and equitably invest in our communities to overcome society’s past and systemic failures.

Art x Love donated its time and services to support and complete this project. We are deeply grateful to all of the volunteers and community members who came out to peacefully protest and creatively express themselves at this pivotal time for our country and culture. Thank you!

AxoSim

AxoSim is a premier provider of neuroscience discovery platforms that mimic the structure and function of the human nervous system. Art x Love was engaged to create AxoSim’s new pitch deck and a range of marketing assets to support business development and key communications. Work included pitch deck template design, brand color and typography refinement, infographics, and a suite of marketing assets.

Wind, Water, & Sails

Art x Love produced a collaborative mural that was painted by hundreds of attendees over 2 days at Cleveland's Tall Ships Festival. Participants were invited to pick a color, pick a brush, and paint whatever the wind, water, and sails inspired. The mural was finished as a creative performance on day 2. Our team of local artists featured Nichole Epps, Dray Evans, Lindsey Jo Scott, Amy Day, Brett Drummond, and Mac Love. Attendees made the most of the opportunity to create, inspire, and capture memories as the mural evolved with the elements.