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

The University of Akron

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.