Release Date: March 2,2026
Akron Soul Train Launches Anniversary Season with Together, Here, an Alumni and Members Exhibition, and Solo Installation by 2026 Emerging Series Artist Maddie McSweeney
Akron, Ohio — Akron Soul Train (AST) announces Together, Here, a group exhibition featuring alumni artists and past members, opening March 11 as part of the organization’s anniversary season. Presented concurrently is a solo installation by 2026 Emerging Series Artist Maddie McSweeney.
Together, Here brings together artists across disciplines and career stages, reflecting the creative ecosystem Akron Soul Train has cultivated over the past decade — one rooted in shared space, experimentation, and sustained connection. Through painting, sculpture, photography, installation, interdisciplinary work, and performance, the exhibition highlights the breadth of voices within AST’s community.
Featured artists include:
Abby Cipar, Alex Younger, Amanda Margaretha, Andrea Schepis, Anna Young, April Bleakney, Beau Shaniuk, Bill Barron, Brittney Esther, Buckey, Care Hanson, Caroline Perkison, Christa Ebert (Uno Lady), Davon Brantley, Diane Britt, Donna Coleman, Drew Ippoliti, Elly Dallas, Gregory Hatch, Gwen Waight, Hank Bamberger, Isabella Troutman, Jennifer Vincik, Jennifer Whitten, Jenniffer Omaitz, John Elias, John Sokol, Jonah Jacobs, Jordi Rowe, Joyce Morrow Jones, Julia Betts, Justin Sorensen, Kristen Tetzmann, Laura D’Alessandro, Lizzie Joy Lukens, Maria Uhase, Matthew Dettmer, M.D., Max Markwald, Melih Meriç, Meryl Engler, Michelle Duke, Natalie Petrosky, Oliver Chapman, Pita Brooks, PJ Hargraves, Rachel Roberts, Raja Freeman, Renee Clippinger, Renney Renée, Ryan Craycraft, Saloni Parekh, Scott Kraynak, Sharelle Thompson, Stephen Tomasko, Sujatha Srinivasan, and Theressa Yondo.
By placing alumni residents and members in dialogue within a single exhibition, the show centers collective presence — artists choosing to remain engaged, invested, and here.
“Anniversaries are not just about looking back — they’re about recognizing what has grown,” said Colleen Suich, Executive Director. “Together, Here honors the artists who have shaped Akron Soul Train while affirming our continued commitment to creative risk and connection.”
Opening alongside the group exhibition, McSweeney’s solo installation, Untitled (Jam) pt. 2, expands the artist’s ongoing investigation into spectatorship, intimacy, and participation.
McSweeney, a multidisciplinary artist based in Northeast Ohio, earned dual B.A. degrees in Studio Art and Media Studies from the University of Akron (2024) and currently serves as an artist-in-residence at Summit Artspace. Their practice examines collective intimacy and inner transformation, shaped in part by their undergraduate experience during COVID-19.
Their recent three-hour durational performance at the Akron Art Museum, Untitled (Jam), exemplified this inquiry. Enclosed within a wooden structure lined with plastic sheeting, McSweeney consumed jam while observing the audience observing them — creating a charged and vulnerable exchange.
At Akron Soul Train, Untitled (Jam) pt. 2 reverses that dynamic. Visitors are invited to step inside the constructed space and consume jam themselves, shifting their activity from external observer to internal participant. This role switch encourages the audience to reconsider the boundaries between individual and collective experience.
“I enjoy activating simple forms, and I believe it is key to universal empathy,” says McSweeney. “If I can bring people to a more observant and present state, I can cross their emotional boundaries. Then, a connection may be formed.”
Together, the dual exhibitions set the tone for Akron Soul Train’s anniversary season — celebrating growth, experimentation, and the enduring power of the artistic community.
An opening reception on Friday, March 13 from 5:00 – 7:30 PM will invite the public to engage with participating artists and experience firsthand the collective energy shaping Akron’s contemporary arts landscape.
About Akron Soul Train
Akron Soul Train is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and promoting the arts in Akron, Ohio. Through artist residencies, exhibitions, and community engagement initiatives, the organization provides resources and opportunities for artists to explore their creativity and contribute to the cultural vitality of the region.
For more information about the exhibition, visit www.akronsoultrain.org or contact info@akronsoultrain.org.