STEM Plaza

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199 S Broadway St
Akron, OH 44308

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The Roots of Rubber installation by Spanish arts collective Boa Mistura beautified the plaza of the National Inventors Hall of Fame School for STEM Learning. The installation combines a large-scale painting on the surface of the plaza with a series of three-dimensional forms featuring an inspirational excerpt of poetry by Akron native, Rita Dove.

The phrase, "If you don't look back / the future never happens" comes from Dove's poem, "Dawn Revisited" which you can read in its entirety here.

The project was a partnership between DAP,  Akron Public Schools, STEM learners, the city of Akron and the public to enliven this public space with art featuring Rita Dove’s poetry with support from the John S. and James L Knight Foundation. Dove is United States Poet Laureate, Pulitzer Prize winner for poetry, and the only poet with both the National Humanities Medal and the National Medal of Arts to her credit.

Boa Mistura’s work in Akron is supported by Knight Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, Akron Community Foundation, GAR Foundation, the City of Akron, Akron Public Schools, and NIHF STEM Middle School.