Release Date: January 15,2026
McKenzie Beynon Joins Leadership Team At Curated Storefront
AKRON, Ohio (January 15, 2026) — Curated Storefront, a leading public arts organization that transforms vacant storefronts into vibrant spaces throughout downtown Akron, today announced that McKenzie Beynon will serve as Director. The selection follows the appointment of Heather Meeker as Executive Director in June 2025.
“This new position will strengthen Curated Storefront’s ability to launch new placemaking projects that will contribute to Akron’s vibrancy and economic growth,” said Meeker. “We’re excited to have someone with McKenzie’s deep experience in exhibitions and programming who can work with artists and our community partners to grow the presence of public art in downtown.”
Beynon, who has consulted with the organization since 2024, has more than a decade of diverse experience in the arts, including directing galleries, curating and jurying exhibitions, and leading major fundraising initiatives. In 2019, she co-founded KINK Contemporary to support established and emerging artists in Northeast Ohio, and in 2024, she received Summit Artspace's Arts Alive IDEA Leader Award for the gallery's initiatives. Most recently, she served as Director of Special Projects at The Nightlight Cinema, helping to secure over $1 million in funding for a major capital expansion. She has also worked at the University of Akron's Emily Davis Gallery and the Akron Art Museum. Beynon holds a BFA in Photography from the University of Akron and is currently an MA candidate in Arts Administration at the University of Akron.
"My work has always been driven by my deep connection to Northeast Ohio and my commitment to supporting regional artists. Curated Storefront's mission to activate downtown Akron through accessible public art is exactly the kind of work that strengthens our entire regional arts ecosystem, and I am thrilled to be a part of it," said Beynon.
About Curated Storefront
Curated Storefront, which will celebrate its tenth anniversary in 2026, activates storefronts by transforming vacant and uninviting street edges into vibrant art displays in an effort to combat blight and create an engaging, safe, and attractive environment. The organization has presented engaging artwork in unused spaces, commissioned local, regional, and international artists, offered educational outreach programs to better engage the public, and stimulated commercial development. More information about
Curated Storefront and its exhibits on display throughout the city is available at www.curatedstorefront.org and on social media @curatedstorefront.