Curated Storefront

?? ARTIST SPOTLIGHT ?? Michael Marras is an Ohio based sculpture artist and has been working primarily in the metal medium since 2010. Michael’s body of sculptures can be described as figurative robotics and artifacts from various worlds and stories manifested by the artist himself. His latest public piece is part of the Ohio Percent for Art Program, a large-scale sculpture called “Octahedral Fields,” and is now on view outside Crouse Hall within The University of Akron’s campus. Check out his work @mythrobotic and stay tuned for his upcoming solo exhibition “THE BOTTOM OF REALITY” at Summit ArtSpace on April 11th, 2025! #artistspotlight

#ThrowBackThursday Anyone remember these spaces? We do! Curated Storefront fosters community and economic growth in and around Akron, Ohio by fueling artistic innovation, commissioning public art, expanding access to arts education, and nurturing a thriving cultural ecosystem. Since the start of Curated Storefront in 2016, we have facilitated commercial development and revitalization of 12 buildings in downtown Akron. Join us for our annual fundraiser Revelry for A Cause on Saturday, April 26th to support our vision to revitalize downtown Akron with artwork. Remember to pick up your gift bag at the end of the night, which will include a photo spread of our revitalization efforts through the years in Akron! ??Purchase Tickets on Eventbrite: https://buff.ly/3ZrmCNN

NEXT WEEK: March ArtWalk is Thursday, March 13! Don't miss Curated Storefront's new installation of vinyl prints featuring the art of avant-garde painter ?thelred Eldridge at the Polsky Building (225 S Main St). Eldridge, who passed away in 2018, was a professor at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio for more than 50 years. His art was often accompanied by text inspired by Old English and the writings of William Blake.

Saturday, April 26th, Roxxymoron is back downtown, this time headlining our 2025 Fundraiser: Revelry for A Cause! Get ready to time travel and rock out to multiple generations of pop and rock music for Akron's Voted “Best Local Band” by Akron Life Magazine! ?? Purchase Tickets on Eventbrite: https://buff.ly/3ZrmCNN

?? ARTIST SPOTLIGHT ?? To kick off our Artist Spotlight series, we have award-winning graphic designer Taylor Clapp! Taylor is the Exhibitions Manager and Graphic Designer for Curated Storefront as well as the Co-Founder of The Groundhog Show. Their personal artwork is a whimsical narration of the ups and downs of everyday life, with a focus on pets and the joys they bring when confronting mental health and chronic pain. Check out their work and follow @clappforart to keep up with their work and stay tuned for updates on the annual pop-up art exhibition, The Groundhog Show 2025! #artistspotlight

Get ready for a cocktail hour of jazz with one and only Tommy Lehman and his Akron based all-star quartet, featuring Tommy Lehman on Trumpet/Flugelhorn, SmokeFace on Bass, Andru Dennis on Piano/Synthesizer and Gabe Jones on Drums! Join us for the 2025 Curated Storefront Fundraiser, Revelry For A Cause, on Saturday, April 26th at the Akron Art Museum. Swing swing swing with past resident Tommy Lehman and the jazz quartet! Last Spring, Tommy Lehman was one of our Artist Residents, connecting and working with the music students of I Promise School. Curated Storefront is proud to have an Artist Residency program that creates a platform for the students and teachers of I Promise School to engage in unique and innovative collaborations with regional, national, and international artists. ?? Purchase Tickets on Eventbrite: https://buff.ly/3ZrmCNN

Curated Storefront is seeking proposals for exciting new installations in downtown Akron that will be on display in 2025 or 2026. Deadline for the next round: March 31, 2025. Swipe through to see answers for some commonly asked questions!

Congratulations to Curated team member Eva Polzer for being selected as a recipient of the Ohio Arts Council's Individual Excellence Awards. ?? Out of almost 600 applications across Ohio, only 75 artists were awarded for their outstanding artistic accomplishments. This award affirms their dedication, creativity, and impact on the arts community. Help us congratulate Eva for this wonderful recognition!

Ever wonder what technology goes on behind the scenes for one of our digital installations? Here's a behind the scenes look at the expansion of our digital installation, PixElation, at Polsky on Main St. in downtown Akron. #transformAkron

There's new art in the windows at the Polsky Building (225 S. Main St.)—a series of vinyl prints featuring the art of avant-garde painter Aethelred Eldrige. Check out these installation shots, and be sure to check out the view from the sidewalk next time you're downtown! Eldridge, who passed away in 2018, was a professor at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio for more than 50 years. His art was often accompanied by text inspired by Old English and the writings of William Blake. Read more about Eldridge: https://lnkd.in/g2AgE3Ng