In 2022, we produced the Norwell Street Park Activity Booklet to source ideas from the community and enhance participatory design of this new park in Boston (MA). Art x Love was able to produce the booklet in one week, including several rapid rounds of refinement to copy and design, optimizing opportunities for community collaboration and input.
Libation
In 2022, Mac was commissioned to paint a new mural for R. Shea Brewing’s location in Canal Place. He presented the owner with a range of stylistic options, and then developed the preferred concept as a black-and-white rendering with a range of color options for their preferred budget.
Mac worked on the mural during off-business hours to avoid disrupting customers, and completed the mural in 14 days over a span of 10 weeks. The final design is fully hand-painted, and extends from edge-to-edge across the three walls of the entrance, including around pipes and hardware.
“This kitchen is HAWT" was written by a customer on a note to staff, and saved by the owner. This served as the original point of inspiration for developing the mural. Mac painted a selection of menu items and ingredients for the kitchen’s wall, and used a combination of linear shapes to celebrate R. Shea’s irreverent spirit, pride, and unconventional excellence.
The main entrance wall was reserved for R. Shea’s logo, and was expanded to unify all three walls with rays of light that beam from the left and right. A series of icons were also painted over the top to highlight the brewer’s ingredients, food, beverages, and amenities.
The “Welcome” wall celebrates R. Shea’s brewing process, community, and creative culture. The woman depicted on the wall is inspired by Aleksandr Rodchenko’s untitled portrait of the writer and socialite Lilya Brik. Rodchenko used this photo as an element in the iconic graphic design of his advertisement for Lengiz, and Leningrad-based state publishing house. In that original graphic design, Brik’s profile is embedded in a Constructivist collage with her shout amplifying the slogan “BOOKS in all fields of knowledge.”
Mac chose to use the same profile and angular exclamation to celebrate the diversity of human expression, values, and beliefs that so commonly resonate around the bar and a good beer. The R. Shea logo is also prominently featured on this wall, and captured in an arrowhead-like shape to add energy and momentum to the powerful striped lines that flow and encourage people forward.
ARISE/ASPIRE
In 2022, LAND studio received grant funds from the Ohio Arts Council and Arts Midwest, and commissioned Mac for a new mural on the corner of E. 120th & Buckeye Road, in Cleveland’s Buckeye-Shaker neighborhood.
Mac worked with residents of all ages to create a mural that reflects the voice of the community. ARISE/ASPIRE is inspired by more than 2 years of collaborative work with residents and students in Buckeye-Shaker, and is informed by our Steps to Equity and Village Activity Book projects, as well as the work of Elevate the East and many others.
"Having walked every sidewalk in the neighborhood, interviewed hundreds of residents, designed and distributed more than 3,000 neighborhood activity books, and vetted community ideas and concepts for improvement, I can confidently say that we have created something that is not just unique to Buckeye-Shaker, but to any neighborhood in the world. As an outsider, I take the responsibility for these opportunities very seriously, and am highly cognizant (and hopefully) respectful of the historic challenges and legacy of trauma that these communities (and the artwork’s audience) carry. I believe the work we created recognizes that burden and will provide people with a sense of hope, empowerment, and visibility that has not been present in that immediate area for some time."
– Mac Love
Watch the News 5 Cleveland story about the mural on A Better Land.
Akron Stories Recognition
"The spirit of the nation is founded upon, and reflected in, its exciting and colorful past. Launched in 2019, this grassroots initiative (Akron Stories) has labored to collect, preserve, and celebrate the stories of local rubber workers and their descendants. Great care and considerable resources have been invested in this endeavor, and it is sure to become a source of pride for the whole community."
"All those associated with the Akron Stories project are to be commended for their tremendous efforts to guarantee that the past will not be forgotten, and the dedication of this new monument convincingly demonstrates how very much can be accomplished by a group of conscientious people with clear objectives and firm resolve. Indeed, they have distinguished themselves as concerned and responsible citizens and have, with admirable dedication, helped sustain the history of the area."
• Ohio House of Representatives •
Buckeye-Shaker GIS
Charting a course for systemic change.
Art x Love taught students and residents geospatial analysis (ArcGIS) and mapped every sidewalk and intersection in Cleveland’s Buckeye-Shaker neighborhood. We assessed the condition of roadways, sidewalks, structures, greenery, litter, visibility, perception of safety, and pinpointed ideas for improvement. This data has mobilized residents, guided new partnerships, and is informing transformational investments.
Steps to Equity was selected as the opening presentation on Equity & Social Justice at the 2022 Esri User Conference in San Diego, CA.
Northwest Akron Branch
Akron-Summit County Public Library engaged us to produce a collaborative mural for the Northwest Akron Branch Library’s 20th Anniversary Celebration. We LOVE libraries, and were thrilled to have this creative opportunity to work with our community and celebrate one of its most cherished and important resources.
Mac created the design, which features the three buildings that have been home to the library over the years. He then transferred the design to holographic paper collage on two 4 ft. x 8 ft. panels for kids, community members, and staff to paint and color in. We also created a series of marketing graphics to raise awareness of the event and get people excited.
After the celebration, we brought the mural back to our studio, where Mac added more layers of paint while preserving the community’s marks, and then finished the piece with a high-grade polyurethane. The mural was then delivered and installed at the Northwest Akron Branch Library, where it proudly hangs above the entrance to the children’s books section.
Holographic paintings are a signature of Mac’s work, and have colors and shapes that shift with changes in light and perspective. Mac intentionally developed this technique to create art that is both great to photograph, but also best experienced in person.
This painting holds a special place in our hearts, not just because our kids contributed to it and see it every time we visit the library – but because we know that libraries are vital resources that inspire, empower, and serve all people.
7 Years
We founded Art x Love in 2015 to make a meaningful and sustainable impact through art and design. We believed that creative best practices could help systemically shift cultural and environmental dynamics, inspire others, and change the perception of art to a necessity rather than a luxury. We hoped this would forge a path for more creative professionals to be paid fairly and respected for their artistic vision. As we celebrate our 7th anniversary, we extend our most heartfelt thanks to our clients, the hundreds of artists we’ve been able to work with, and the many thousands of community members who’ve embraced art as an important part of their lives. Thank you for believing in us, in artists, and in the power of art. We're ready for the next 7!
Akron on Deck II
Akron on Deck II is the sequel to Art x Love’s popular playing card set, featuring 54 Akron landmarks and icons, with cards by 54 local artists.
Akron on Deck was launched as a Kickstarter in 2020 to support local artists and businesses during the pandemic. 40% of the proceeds from card sales go to the featured artists as annual royalty payments for life. Since 2020 we have sold more than 10,000 decks and raised more than $75,000 for local artists, businesses, and non-profits through this initiative.
Superior Hill Park
In the summer of 2022, Art x Love was engaged by Warehouse District and Downtown Cleveland Alliance to create a transformative mural for the space they refer to as “Superior Hill Park,” located on W. Superior Ave. & W. 9th Street, in downtown Cleveland, Ohio.
We created a worksheet to collect ideas and aspirations from the community, and from the dozens of submissions received, identified themes of hope and historic reference for concept development. Mac Love power-washed and primed the area, painted the asphalt art and mural, and finished it with an anti-graffiti coating.
The Superior Hill Park mural depicts a child blowing a kiss that is travels through time and space along the Cuyahoga River by historic modes of transportation. “Hold fast to dreams” is a line from Langston Hughes’ poem, Dreams, and was included as call for hope.
The Village Activity Book
Educating, informing, and inspiring a community.
In 2020, The Muldoon Center for Entrepreneurship at John Carroll University received a $50,000 Verizon grant to support “new programs and projects that empower children and residents to build a stronger, more connected community.” Art x Love was engaged to produce two projects in collaboration with neighborhood residents and John Carroll University students. First we completed the Steps to Equity GIS walkability assessment of Buckeye-Shaker, and then we leveraged those insights to create The Village Activity Book.
3,000 copies of The Village Activity Book were distributed across the neighborhoods of Buckeye-Shaker and Woodland Hills. Hundreds of submissions were received, scanned, analyzed, and are now inspiring and informing new community initiatives and neighborhood investment.
A Dedication to Remember
On October 9, 2021, Art x Love hosted the Rubber Worker Statue & Stories dedication ceremony in downtown Akron. Hundreds of people gathered to honor family members, friends, and loved ones. We created this video to honor the occasion and help others understand the remarkable spirit and legacy of the rubber workers.
Since 2019, Art x Love has led and managed the Rubber Worker Statue & Stories Project in collaboration with the City of Akron, Summit County Historical Society, Akron-Summit County Public Library, and the University of Akron. We created Akron Stories as a grassroots initiative to advocate for the rubber worker statue and collect the stories of Akron’s rubber workers and their descendants. This project culminated in 2021 with the unveiling of Alan Cottrill’s rubber worker statue and the installation of the Akron Stories kiosk.
Visit AkronStories.com to learn more.
Rockefeller Park Field Guide
In 2020, Art x Love was engaged by University Circle to create The Rockefeller Park Field Guide, an 8-page activity book that focuses on Cleveland’s Cultural Gardens. The book includes a mix of educational content, maps of the park, and participatory design exercises for residents and visitors alike.
To create the activity book, our team toured the park by foot, bike, and car. We also interviewed residents and local stakeholders to understand key equities and opportunities for learning.
The Rockefeller Park Field Guide has been a key part of local community collaborative events with University Circle and Recess Cleveland, encouraging playful exploration of The Cultural Gardens while inspiring new ideas for future park improvements.
Visit University Circle to learn more and download your own copy of The Rockefeller Park Field Guide.
