East Side Leaders

Art x Love produced these four murals of prominent black leaders from Akron’s east side as part of our Amplify Akron “interactive art district” in 2017. These murals are among more than a dozen which were created in response to community research and in collaboration with more than 300 local children and families. These four murals recognize the leadership and legacy of Akron residents, and were strategically designed to inspire, inform, and encourage future Akron leaders.

The murals can be found at 725 E Exchange St., Akron, OH 44306

Amplify Akron was one of 93 unique initiatives Art x Love produced across Akron’s 24 neighborhoods from 2017-2018, and was part of our @PLAY project, which was funded by a $240k Knight Cities grant. Download our 2019 Summary Report to learn more.

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.