Signature, Design
Mac Love
Akron on Deck
Akron on Deck
Strategy, Design, Signature
Mac Love
Steps to Equity
Steps to Equity
Design, Signature
Mac Love
Akron Stories
Akron Stories
Strategy, Design, Art, Signature, @PLAY Akron
Mac Love
@PLAY Akron
@PLAY Akron
Art, Signature
Mac Love
Dragonfly Fountain
Dragonfly Fountain

Art

History in Chalk

In the summer of 2019, Art x Love created the "Who is Levi Johnson?" chalk mural for Cleveland’s Take a Hike program in the Historic Warehouse District. Our work included cleaning and repainting the vandalized walls, and working with the Historic Warehouse District Development Corporation to create an iconic mural to support tourism and local events. The mural was designed to last for several weeks, was embraced by the community, and remained unspoiled for 2 years.

Levi Johnson came to Cleveland in 1809 and was famous for building ships and homes for early settlers. In 1812, he built the first courthouse and jailhouse in Cuyahoga County, on the northwest corner of Public Square. In 1830 he built Cleveland's first lighthouse, and is remembered as an outstanding ship builder who contributed to the growing trade business throughout the Great Lakes. By the time of his death in 1871, he had continuously lived in Cleveland longer than any other person. He is buried in Woodland Cemetery.

“We’ve got such a positive response. It draws awareness and pride to historic aspects of the neighborhood”

– Eileen Cassidy, Historic Warehouse District Development Corporation

Following the success of the “Who is Levi Johnson?” chalk mural, Art x Love was engaged again to create a "Rockefeller Snow Scene" mural for the Historic Warehouse District’s winter programs.

John D. Rockefeller, the famous industrialist and philanthropist, came in Cleveland in 1853 and was an assistant bookkeeper who rose to become one the wealthiest men in the history of the United States. Rockefeller organized and directed Standard Oil Co., and was involved in numerous local business ventures including the Cleveland Arcade Co. and the construction of the Rockefeller Building in 1905 (pictured in the mural). His charitable donations were extensive and include more than $865,000 worth of land donated to the City of Cleveland for use as parks. The mural depicts Rockefeller with his grandson, Fowler McCormick, walking through the streets on a snowy night.

“You feel good when you walk by it.”

– Eileen Cassidy, Historic Warehouse District Development Corporation

Dawn Revisited

The University of Akron's Art Bomb Brigade and ArtsLIFT programs selected Mac Love as team leader for their Freedom Trail mural project for Summit Metro Parks. With nine months to prepare, we surveyed Akron's 2-mile stretch of trail and identified 24 areas for mural development. Recognizing the opportunity to create a unique experience in Akron's recreational corridor, we proposed a strategic plan that would include designs for all walls. We aligned on a literary mural concept that would celebrate and feature the work of Rita Dove – an Akron native, Pulitzer Prize Winning Poet, and Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress.

Art x Love reached out to Rita Dove, who graciously offered a selection of poems specifically for the Freedom Trail. The Art Bomb Brigade selected "Dawn Revisited," which was then developed for several locations to accommodate construction. The final design was hand illustrated directly on the wall for the final location on southeast side of the Mill Street Bridge and underpass, in downtown Akron. Mac Love led the team of 25 college and high-school students in the production of the mural, working in collaboration with Elisa Gargarella and Dan Coffield, to paint everything in two weeks.

Dawn Revisited has since been prominently featured in local news, tourism, marketing, and social channels as a reflection of Akron's emerging identity as a national leader. We greatly look forward to the opening of the Freedom Trail so that visitors can safely and easily explore all that Akron and Northeast Ohio has to offer. 

Heart Walk

The American Heart Association and Westfield Bank engaged Art x Love to create two collaborative murals for participants of the Heart Walk, in downtown Akron. The designs feature a combination of each company’s logo with distinct heart graphics. Hundreds of attendees of all ages made their mark on the murals, which were then brought back to our studio and completed by Mac Love.

The finished paintings reside in the local headquarters of the American Heart Association and Westfield Bank, serving as a creative reminder of people’s capacity for health and compassion toward others.

Fun Flows Here

In 2020, Art x Love was selected as a muralist for Downtown Cuyahoga Falls’ Chalk It Up weekly public art event. People were encouraged to explore downtown and discover local artists at work on chalk murals each week. The Fun Flows Here mural was inspired by the Cuyahoga River, and the community’s resilient spirit during the pandemic.

“The brick wall we were given was porous, rough, and uneven. I wanted to make the mural as vibrant and impactful as possible, so I used spray chalk for the foundation and created additional details and shading with chalk sticks. Many weeks after it was completed, I heard it was still there and looked great, despite all of the rain. It’s always bonus when something temporary can leave a lasting positive impact.”

– Mac Love

Aspire! 2020

I was honored to be selected as the featured artist for the Boys & Girls Club’s ASPIRE creative collaboration and fundraiser. In February and March of 2020, I worked with groups of pre-K, elementary, and teen kids to create four holographic paintings measuring 18” x 24”.

The foundation of the ASPIRE! paintings was created by the youngest kids. They applied the holographic paper and used permanent markers to draw, color, and write inspiring messages. We had a blast!

As the older kids continued to develop each painting, themes started to emerge:

Aspire! to Love
Featuring swirling hearts, pictures of home, family, and friends.

Aspire! to Explore
Featuring a rocket with energizing messages of love and curiosity.

Aspire! Together
Featuring a green city with vibrant symbols of love and nature.

Aspire! to Grow
Featuring a sunflower with positive symbols of love and encouragement.

The paintings were completed and sold at the Boys & Girls Club’s 2021 ASPIRE fundraiser, raising more than $800 to support future programming and community initiatives.We had a fantastic time working with the kids, and are greatly encouraged by a future in their capable hands!

Triangle Park

Goodyear Heights is a historic American neighborhood that was designed by the famous urban planner, Warren H. Manning. It is distinguished with classic architecture from Akron’s rubber era, plentiful parks, and recreation spaces. Art x Love was engaged by the R.I.G.H.T Committee (Residents Improving Goodyear Heights Together) to create a paintscape for Triangle Park (aka Gazebo Park) and reinvigorate this once flourishing community gathering place on Goodyear Boulevard.

The Triangle Park project was conceived before the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, and evolved as a safe and responsible community initiative. Local artists Mac Love and Lindsey Jo Scott organized two days of socially distant collaborative painting with residents. Creative production of the murals was aided by neighborhood students from the Miller South School for the Visual & Performing Arts.

The Triangle Park paintscape features seven sidewalk murals that celebrate key points of neighborhood distinction:

Warren H. Manning
One of America’s most famous urban planners.

Neighborhood Streets
Named after Goodyear’s famous engineers, rubber plants, dirigibles, and innovators.

Parks
Beautifully integrated throughout the neighborhood

Steps
Providing quick access throughout the residential and recreation corridors.

Roses
Honoring the famous rose garden that was signature of Triangle Park in its heyday.

Water & Fruit
Celebrating the neighborhood’s natural springs and many private fruit trees.

Knowledge
An open book between Akron’s past and future.

To see more examples of Art x Love’s paintscape projects, click here.

P.S. I Love You

In 2019, Art x Love was engaged by the Kohl Family YMCA to create an interactive mural for the P.S. I Love You 5K Walk/Run. Mac Love came up with the idea of a mural created with the footprints of participants.

An 8 ft. x 8 ft. foundation was laid out with eight colored platforms for people to step on and paint with. Hundreds of participants, including kids and pets, left their mark on the P.S. I Love You mural. It is currently installed on the East Market Street side of the Kohl Family YMCA in Akron, Ohio.

Signal Tree

To kick off our @PLAY project in 2017, we developed a massive 8 ft. x 20 ft. collaborative mural for the Signal Tree Festival. More than 300 people made their mark on the AKRON mural, which was later finished by Mac Love and Alan Lunda.

The following year, we returned to Signal Tree with the first Destination Akron sculpture and the a public performance of Rebranding the City: A Humanizing Tour of Akron, both of which were produced for our @PLAY project.

In 2019 the AKRON mural was installed in the atrium of Canton Akron Airport (CAK), where it has welcomed travelers ever since.

MusicALLY

A holographic painting commissioned for Stark State College’s new campus in Akron, Ohio. ArtsNOW and the Ohio Arts Council were seeking local artist’s work to display in the student’s common areas. MusicALLY was submitted and selected by the Ohio Percent for Art Committee.

MusicALLY was inspired by live audio recordings and frequencies in nature. The concept for the painting was developed for a residential commission, but had to be sidelined to accommodate a new interior design and color scheme. My submission to the Ohio Percent for Art Committee was of the underpainting. MusicALLY had to be recreated from scratch, since the original work was later painted. This piece is the first and only holographic “underpainting” Mac Love has exhibited.

DriveIT

In 2018, Mac Love was commissioned by Ian Schwarber to paint a signature work of art for DriveIT’s new headquarters in Akron, which would serve as a tech-centric adult learning center. With one week to produce a piece for the primary reception area, Mac created a holographic painting on chalkboard, combining DriveIT’s logo with themes of learning, growth, discovery, and a bird taking flight.

In 2019, Ian Patrick Schwarber moved on to the next life. The Ian Patrick Schwarber Foundation is a 501c3 that was created to honor and continue his legacy of “Making a better tomorrow by empowering those who want to make change today.”

MusicALLY (Song 2)

In 2017, Mac Love was commissioned to create a residential painting for a client’s living room. Their house was being renovated, and as he worked on the piece the color scheme for the interior changed. The original painting had to be sidelined, and we went back to the drawing board to create a new piece for a different wall in the space.

Each stage of this commission included a review of colors, patterns, and development of preliminary concepts for exploration. This allowed us to create an original work that aligned with the client’s aesthetic and vision, while also optimizing design for the space.

The final painting uses colors from the interior, and was painted entirely with household objects (no brushes) to create an abstract expression of flowing music and inspiration.

Northside Jazz

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In the mid-20th century, Howard Street was the center of black culture in the bustling Rubber Capital of the World. It was home to many of Akron’s black-owned business and entertainment establishments. In 1920, George Mathews opened his barbershop in Howard Street, and in 1925 opened the Hotel Matthews next door. The hotel became an anchor for the neighborhood, and an iconic destination for the era’s most famous black entertainers, who came to town to perform at many of the “whites only” clubs and hotels, but could not stay there. In the 1960’s, the Howard Street District began to decline and was eventually razed for “urban renewal” in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

Art x Love was engaged to create a mural honoring Akron’s jazz heritage in the old Howard Street District of the city. The mural faces the former site of Hotel Matthews, and depicts Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, nightclub dancers, Cab Calloway, and Louis Armstrong playing together. The vision for the mural remains incomplete, but it still serves as a strong reminder of Akron’s past.