Press Release
Richard Rogers
Turning Adversity Into Artistic Expression: ...

The reimagined masks in Curated Storefront’s online exhibit, MASK-R-AID, can now be seen in person in the storefronts of the Polsky Building, at 12 University Avenue in downtown Akron through September 25, 2020. The skillfully transformed masks demonstrate the ingenuity and persistence of these artists, even in the face of a pandemic and economic shutdown.

Turning Adversity Into Artistic Expression: Curated Storefront’s Exhibit, MASK-R-AID, on view in downtown Akron

Downtown Akron Partnership

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Illuminating Akron: Curated Storefront

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Illuminating Akron: Curated Storefront

For a city to be considered alive, a certain number of lights must be shining at night. I am sure there is an equation that factors in the size and population and spits out the number of watts necessary to achieve the appropriate lumens required for an “Alive” rating.

Two years ago, Downtown Akron began shifting into that category when recently retired businessman Rick Rogers and his mighty crew founded the project known as Curated Storefront. With the help of designer Courtney Cable and installers Casey Vogt and Steve Levey, Rogers is adding life to Akron’s Downtown.

Curated Storefront works to attract investment to downtown Akron through public art displays

Curated Storefront works to attract investment to downtown Akron through public art displays

Curated Storefront is a 2016 $100,000 Knight Arts Challenge winner that aims to showcase buildings that are abandoned, with a few under renovation, through ongoing, curated exhibitions. The current multimedia work ranges from brilliantly lit LED displays to digitally printed, cut and folded paper houses.

The idea is to draw people into downtown and activate the properties, some of which sat empty for years but sold or were rented within months of being highlighted through the project, said Executive Director Rick Rogers.

Spoils of Akron Podcast: Episode 116 Highlights Curated Storefronts and a Unique Vantage Point of Akron's Landscape

Spoils of Akron Podcast: Episode 116 Highlights Curated Storefronts and a Unique Vantage Point of Akron's Landscape

This week, we welcome the multi-talented Courtney Cable, Creative Director of the Curated Storefront program, which manages multimedia public art installations in some of downtown Akron's vacant buildings, helping to beautify these spaces as they await development.