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Release Date: July 9,2020

City of Akron Establishes Public Art Program

City currently seeking engaged residents to serve on the Public Art Commission

AKRON, Ohio, July 8, 2020 — With unanimous support, Akron City Council adopted a new policy for public art that includes a governance structure, guidelines for equitable artist selection processes, and a public art funding mechanism at Council’s July 6, 2020 meeting. The Public Art Program will be led by the Public Art Commission, a citizen committee appointed by Mayor Dan Horrigan and approved by Akron City Council.

“I want to thank Akron City Council for their unanimous approval of the Public Art Program and the new Public Art Commission,” said Mayor Daniel Horrigan. “This Program is the culmination of two years of working together with the community to determine how to best advance cultural diversity, increase opportunities to create art and culture, and provide vibrant experiences for all Akron residents. I can’t wait to see what we are able to accomplish together through this program.”

During Akron’s first cultural planning process, public art rose to the top of community members’ list of ideas to improve and sustain arts and culture in the City. According to Nicole Mullet, executive director of ArtsNow and a leader in the cultural planning process, residents across Akron’s 24 neighborhoods specifically discussed the need for public art that was open, equitable, and neighborhood-centric.

The new policies adopted by the Akron City Council include:

  • The creation of a new nine-person Public Art Commission reflective of the Akron community,
  • The framework for an equitable process for selecting artists for public art projects,
  • Details about maintenance and deaccession of public art, and
  • Provisions for public art funding through a Percent for Art TIF Share which requires all new ORC 5709.41 incentives to dedicate 1% of the City’s net TIF revenue to public art, which is not a new tax to residents.

The City is currently accepting expressions of interest from residents who would like to serve on the new Public Art Commission. To avoid conflicts of interest, individuals who serve on the Commission will be ineligible to seek or receive any public art contract from the City. Members must be residents of the City of Akron. If interested, please fill out the form here which includes a statement on why you would like to serve.  

For more information on the Plan, please visit www.akronpublicart.com.

ArtsNow works to leverage the arts and culture in Summit County to support and strengthen the region’s economic and social vibrancy. Learn more at www.artsnow.org.