Akron Public Art Inventory
The Akron Public Art Inventory is a searchable and sortable database that features more than 700 public art and cultural items from across the city. Each record includes up-to-date photos, the title, artist(s), type of art, materials, location, dimensions, a condition assessment, year installed, budget, funder/partner, ward, owner, and more. This is a first-of-its-kind resource that was designed to inspire civic pride, drive tourism, facilitate maintenance needs, inform new investment, and support Akron’s cultural legacy through the next 100 years.
Before the project began, the City of Akron’s public art inventory consisted of a PDF with approximately 40 items. Our goal was to make this new Public Art Inventory a comprehensive and interactive database rich with information that could be easily filtered, targeted, searched, and updated. We organized our search by Ward and prioritized all public art that was owned, funded, or on City of Akron property.
Data collection began in March of 2024, and we quickly learned there was significantly more public art that the city was responsible for than the 200-or-so items that had initially been estimated. By the time the inventory was completed in March of 2025, we had recorded more than 700 items and created new categories to account for hundreds more. Upon completion, we then began development of the web application to allow users to explore the inventory. This included creation a public-facing version of the application for easy access, and a commissioner version of the application with powerful filters and search features across more than 40 million datapoints.
To complement the release of this inventory, we provided the Akron Public Art Commission with the following:
Public Art Inventory 2025 Report – summarizing the project, our method of approach, key findings, data and insights for each Ward.
Public Art Commission Maintenance Report (12/25) – featuring all items that are “Damaged” and key items in “Poor condition” that require maintenance. The report includes maintenance recommendations for every item, and highlights “Priority” items and “Opportunity” items for consideration.
2025 APAC Inventory spreadsheet – a comprehensive Excel spreadsheet for quick reference with tabs organized by Ward.
Refreshed APAC website – with new imagery, simplified navigation, embedded inventory with simplified filters for public access and a password-protected commissioner database with comprehensive filters for more granular exploration.
As we look to the future, we envision a collaborative dynamic between the Akron Public Art Commission and city leaders that provides key resources to support ongoing maintenance and new investment across Akron’s arts and culture landscape. The Akron Public Art Inventory uniquely positions the City of Akron and APAC to apply for and secure funds to manage and address outstanding maintenance priorities and opportunities across the city. This database will help beautify and celebrate Akron, instilling civic pride, improving the quality of life for its residents while driving tourism and a windfall cultural and economic impact.
It is easy to look at the number of items in the Akron Public Art Inventory and feel overwhelmed. As we went through this process, most people had no idea there was this much public art in the city. The Akron Public Art Inventory is a foundation and catalyst for Akron’s cultural revitalization. As Berthold Brecht noted, “Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it.” The true measure of a society is not just how it treats its weakest members, but also how it cares for its cultural legacy. The Akron Public Art Inventory helps us celebrate Akron’s past, care for the present, and build for the future.
