Transformation Continues In Park East Neighborhood Through Local Partnerships
Lizzi Aronhalt announced as Artist in Residence for Phase Two of the project
ArtsNow, Akron Civic Commons, and the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition (OECC) have partnered to transform the Park East tennis courts with a grant from Mural Arts Institute. The partnership is designed to help leverage the arts in energizing neighborhoods. The team is thrilled to announce the Artist in Residence for Phase Two of the project, Lizzi Aronhalt.
Aronhalt will be continuing the work of Phase One in partnering with residents of Park East to design and install a mural. With a goal to support and engage residents, Phase One of the project informed and empowered local artists to create engaging and authentic work with the help of the community. Aronhalt, Artist in Residence for Phase Two, will continue to work with Park East residents in the design and installation of a mural, with work on the project extending into July of 2019.
“I grew up in Akron and to be able to do a project in my hometown is an honor,” states Aronhalt. “I have lived in four of Akron’s many neighborhoods in my lifetime and have enjoyed each one, so I am really looking forward to getting to know and work with the residents of Park East through the process of the collaborative mural.”
Akron was one of only three cities, along with Memphis and Detroit, to be selected by Mural Arts Philadelphia (the largest public art nonprofit in the nation) to receive a grant from the Mural Arts Institute.
“As a leader in socially engaged public art, it is important for us to support and expand the field of practitioners across the country, and ArtsNow has been an incredible partner in Akron, Ohio,” says Jane Golden, Mural Arts Philadelphia Executive Director. “We look forward to working with the next artist in Park East, to meeting more Akron artists and community leaders, and to providing another artists workshop in the summer!”
As the team continues to work in the Park East neighborhood, artists are encouraged to attend the free mural installation workshop with Mural Arts Philadelphia this spring. Details to come.