Patchwork Pathways II

In September 2025, we completed the last phase of the Patchwork Pathways project, a year-long interdisciplinary teaching-artist program at Cuyahoga Falls High School (CFHS) funded with support from the Ohio Arts Council and GAR Foundation. In Phase 1, Mac worked with CFHS students to collaboratively research, explore, develop, and successfully advocate for this placemaking project to transform student pathways into welcoming, safe, and thought-provoking spaces in preparation for the school’s transition to the new 6-12 Campus.

Production and implementation of the Patchwork Pathways project began in the summer of 2025. CFHS Drawing and Public Art & Design students developed and painted sidewalk murals at Portage Trail & N Haven Blvd and Portage Trail & 6th Street. Meanwhile, CFHS Design II students developed and refined digital art files for the Portage Trail signal boxes from State Road to Munroe Falls Ave. The final Patchwork Pathway project footprint stretches 1.84 miles, connecting downtown Cuyahoga Falls to Portage Crossing with 8 sidewalk murals and 11 signal box wraps that feature art by more than 150 Cuyahoga Falls elementary, middle-school, and high-school students.

Once the school year came to a close, Mac finalized all of the student’s design files for production, including optimizing imagery for high-resolution production, adding credit for the featured artists’ work, creating the Patchwork Pathways logo and signage to support discovery and further learning about the project, and cleaned all of the boxes in preparation for wrapping. Our team also realized we had some leftover funds for materials, so we secured permission to wrap 4 additional boxes. Mac used Cuyahoga Falls School District student art from the Home is where the heART is project to optimize student’s designs and create the (A) Inside-out Dollhouse, (C) Roar CFHS Class Tigers, (I) Wonder Cosmetology Collage, and (J) Mosaic Collage utility box wrap.

There are many aspects of the Patchwork Pathways project that stand out from similar projects across the country:

1. Community research: This year-long initiative leveraged research from more than 2,500 Cuyahoga Falls residents and students to understand what “home” means to them, and what they would like to see more of across the community.

2. Interdisciplinary: Mac worked with Drawing, Public Art & Design, and Design II students to develop all aspects of this project.

3. Advocacy: CFHS students presented this project to the Public At Board for the City of Cuyahoga Falls and secured permission to paint asphalt art and proceed with utility box wraps.

4. Community engagement: The team shared progress on social media and at the Cuyahoga Falls All-City Artwalk, engaging thousands of attendees and prompting hundreds of enthusiastic responses from community members.

5. Quality: Patchwork Pathways is a remarkably high-quality creative production. From the power-washed sidewalks and premium concrete stain that was used to the high-resolution digital files that were developed for the signal box wraps, Patchwork Pathways stands as a vibrant example of how well-considered public art can engage and inspire a wider audience.

6. 360º Design: Patchwork Pathways signal boxes were custom-designed for each site with specific consideration given to traffic and pedestrian vantage points. The result is a pedestrian experience that is not just beautified, but interactive and intimately rewarding.

Patchwork Pathways is an outstanding example of interdisciplinary creative collaboration between students, teachers, artists, and civic leaders. This project beautified a busy corridor, reduced speeding, and enhanced pedestrian safety while cultivating a strong sense of community and a positive school culture. We are deeply grateful to the Ohio Arts Council and GAR Foundation for sponsoring this project, and to the many community partners who helped us bring it to life.

You can learn more about the Patchwork Pathways project, explore the student-created project website here.