Downtown Akron Self-Guided Public Art Tour | Part 1
Categories Family Fun Budget-Friendly Arts & Entertainment
This guide is built to give you everything you need to enjoy a self-guided walking tour of public art in downtown Akron. This is Part 1, which features works of art located south of Mill Street. Lace up your shoes, grab a snack or drink—perhaps even a DORA beverage—from one of downtown’s 50+ dining establishments, and get exploring!
1. #LoveTheWall
Artist: Nathan Mayfield
Location: On both sides of Broadway between American Medical Response and The Depot, 505 S Broadway St, Akron, OH 44308.
#LoveTheWall was a project created in 2015 to bring bright colors to one of Akron’s main entrance ways. The colorful geometric design came from local artist Nathan Mayfield and was inspired by the work of Ghanaian artist El Anatsui. The goal of the artwork is to bring some color and joy into your life as you enter into our vibrant downtown.
2. The Roots of Rubber
Artist: Boa Mistura Art Collective
Location: National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM Plaza, 221 S Broadway St, Akron, OH 44308
In 2018 and 2019, Boa Mistura, an art collective from Madrid, worked with NIHF STEM Middle School learners to conceptualize and create the Roots of Rubber installation on the plaza that connects to their school. The installation features bold geometric colors and three-dimensional elements that show a line from a poem by former U.S. Poet Laureate and Akron native Rita Dove. The line of poetry reads “If you don’t look back, the future never happens.” The installation also commemorated the middle school’s 10-year anniversary. Boa Mistura returned in 2023 to once again work with learners to refresh the plaza.
3. Clayton Bailey's World of Wonders Pop-Up Museum
Artist: Clayton Bailey
Location: Polsky Building, 225 S Main St, Akron, OH 44308
The work of Clayton Bailey is available to view through the windows of this Polsky Building storefront year round (or on private tours for community and professional organizations), but during the spring, summer, and fall, the storefront is open to the public as a pop-up museum that anyone can explore. The two exhibitions on display are Mechanical Molecules and The Weird Science Laboratory.
Mechanical Molecules features robots built from discarded home appliances, cookware, bicycles, and automobile parts. Bailey said that the past lives of the “mechanical molecules” of his robots give them their soul. A mixture of humanoid and non-humanoid robots is on display.
The Weird Science Laboratory features an entire laboratory full of different pieces from operating tables to ceramic homunculus creatures, alien tentacles, and much more in the field of weird science.
4. Iris, Aster, Lotus, and Ragwort
Artist: Ouizi
Location: On the side of the Akron Civic Theatre, visible from Lock 3, 200 S Main St, Akron, OH 44308
This mural was one of two murals commissioned by the Akron Civic Theatre during their $8.5 million renovation completed in 2021. Detroit based artist Ouizi chose to paint the mural featuring visually striking flowers that related to the Ohio & Erie Canal that runs underneath the mural, as well as two butterflies. The flowers featured are Irises, water lotuses, ragwort, and Heather Asters.
5. Geometric Metal Sculpture
Artist: Don Drumm
Location: On Cascade Plaza, 1 Cascade Plaza, Akron, OH 44308
Don Drumm is a bit of a local legend in Akron. Drumm was born in Warren, Ohio, in 1935. In 1960 he opened his own studio in Akron and became a full-time practicing sculptor. His distinctive style can be seen across Akron. This particular sculpture was constructed between 1965 and 1968 and used to be a part of a fountain.
6. Untitled Mural
Artist: Axel Void
Location: On the south-facing side of the Gothic Building, visible from Main Street as you pass Cascade Plaza (looking toward John S. Knight Center). 52 E Mill St, Akron, OH 44308
In June of 2022, an anonymous post was made to the Neighbors app near where this mural was created. The post showed footage from a Ring doorbell camera that had captured an “unknown visitor,” and the post was searching for answers as to who the visitor might be. The comments sparked debate as to the nature of the visit and fear began to spread. This mural takes that footage and uses it to create a statement on irrational fear sparked by the wave of constant surveillance that has taken over our world.
7. Rubber Worker Statue
Artist: Alan Cottrill
Location: The center of the roundabout at the intersection of Main St and Mill St 22 E Mill St, Akron, OH 44308
This 12-foot tall, fully bronze statue was installed by the City of Akron on May 11, 2021. The city hired Alan Cottrill to create the statue to pay homage to Akron’s history as the Rubber Capital of the World. The statue is based off the cover of David Giffels and Steve Love’s book, “Wheels of Fortune.”
8. Untitled Mural
Artist: Jessica Lofthus
Location: On the Cascade Parking Deck, visible from Quaker St, 150 Quaker St, Akron, OH 44308
At the start of 2016, the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition began searching for local artists to create a mural for Cascade parking deck’s outer wall. Artist Jessica Lofthus was selected based on her and her husband’s submission. The mural spans an immense 400 ft across the entryway to the parking deck. The mural from left to right is meant to emulate grass blades blowing on the towpath, a bright blue sky into a midday sun, sunset hues in an urban cityscape, and a peaceful slow-moving depiction of the canal waters.
9. Axis Mundi
Artists: El Mac & Aiseborn
Location: On the side of the Akron Civic Theatre, visible from Lock 4, 200 S Main St, Akron, OH 44308
The second of the two murals commissioned by the Akron Civic Theatre is on the opposite side of the building as Ouizi’s flower mural. The artists commissioned for this mural were two Los Angeles-based graffiti artists known as El Mac and Aiseborn. The pair said they wanted to paint what they saw in the city—something uplifting, relatable, and accessible. The final design featured two toddlers playing. One of the toddlers is based off El Mac’s son, Max. The other is based on a young girl they met at The Gorge Metro Park in Cuyahoga Falls.
10. Lock 4 Jazz Mural
Artist: Michael Ayers
Location: Directly to the right of the Axis Mundi mural in Lock 4, 200 S Main St, Akron, OH 44308
Do you like Jazz? Great! Regardless of your thoughts on jazz you can enjoy this lovely mural featuring musicians channeling their inner soul through jazz music.
Click here to learn more about jazz in Akron.
Want to see more art? Stay tuned for part two of this self-guided public art tour, and check out this additional self-guided tour to Curated Storefront’s downtown Akron art installations.
See our updated traffic advisories and parking information to navigate and park downtown with ease.
Mentioned in this Post
Lock 3
200 S Main St
Cascade Plaza
1 Cascade Plaza
Polsky Building (University of Akron)
225 S Main St
Lock 4
200 S Main St
STEM Plaza
199 S Broadway St