News & Press

AKRON, OH (Feb. 22, 2023) – ArtsNow, a nonprofit organization that supports and strengthens arts and culture in Summit County, is excited to announce the grant recipients of the 2022 Summit County Creative Investment Program.  The inaugural year of this program is made possible through the support of the Ian Patrick Schwarber Foundation and is […] Read Article

AKRON, OH (Oct. 20, 2022) – Tickets are on sale for the second annual State of the Arts, hosted by ArtsNow, which will be held on Dec. 15, 2022, from 5:00-7:00 PM at the Akron Civic Theatre. Presented by the County of Summit, State of the Arts will feature a strolling cocktail hour with various artists and […] Read Article

AKRON, OH (September 21, 2022) – ArtsNow, in collaboration with and support from the Ian Patrick Schwarber Foundation, is proud to announce the Summit County Creative Investment Program. This program will serve as a direct investment in the professional learning of artists and creatives residing in Summit County. These small grants will be available to professional […] Read Article

AKRON, OH (August 16, 2022) – On Monday, August 15, 2022, at the Summit County Council Chambers, Executive Shapiro and Summit County Council presented the DEIA Advisory Board for Arts and Culture a commendation thanking them for their work. Following the County Council meeting, leadership from the County of Summit as well as the County Council […] Read Article

The John S. and James L Knight Foundation has committed more than $11 million to build the arts in Akron through support of three local arts organizations and two local artist initiatives. Receiving the largest arts grant is the Akron Art Museum, which received $7 million from the Knight Foundation to upgrade its technical infrastructure and create a […] Read Article

AKRON, Ohio – The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation announced it will invest more than $31 million to rename and transform the University of Akron’s Polsky Building and support local arts initiatives. The University of Akron will receive $20 million to renovate the Polsky Building, which will be renamed after the Knight brothers […] Read Article

Jennifer Conn, Spectrum News 1, Published May 23, 2022 AKRON, Ohio — A local woman produced a play after something upsetting happened to a friend at a rally following George Floyd’s death. Francine Parr is artistic director of the Akron Civic Theatre’s Millennial Theatre Project, which she founded, designing it to be grounded in inclusivity, she said. […] Read Article

Dan Shingler, Crain’s Cleveland Business A new calendar at ArtsNow Akron’s arts advocacy nonprofit ArtsNow, which already keeps folks up to date on performances and artistic events around town with its SummitLive365 website, unveiled a new calendar it said is “designed to enable more art in more places for more people.” The group’s main website now […] Read Article

Eric Marotta, Akron Beacon Journal What makes your neighborhood special? How do you know? Several Akron artists will be bringing their visions to life in three neighborhoods over the next two months in projects sponsored by the Akron Black Artist Guild, with funding from the Ohio Arts Council. Artists incorporate: Black artists in Akron invited to launch of […] Read Article

Listen to the full State of the Arts address on Soundcloud Kerry Clawson Akron Beacon Journal A lot has happened since Akron’s first cultural plan was launched in 2019 — namely a worldwide pandemic. Before the pandemic, the arts and culture sector generated more than $1.4 billion in economic activity in the Akron area, Nicole Mullet, […] Read Article