Fri 11/5 @ 11AM-7PM
Akron Soul Train, which grants “residencies” to local creators in various disciplines to create a new projects, is opening two new shows in its galleries this month.
One of them is described as a “collaborative community project” called Reshaping the Narrative, developed in partnership with the Black Artists Guild. The exhibit combines photographs, objects (family heirlooms) and a 30-minute film to tell positive stories about African-Americans “to promote equity, empathy and empowerment for all.” They’ll track Akron’s African-American community from its southern roots through the Great Migration and the benefits that putting down roots in the north offered. Contributing artists include filmmaker Fred Barrett, photographer Talia Hodge and curator Dara Harper.
The other exhibit is called We should be home, by artist-in-residence Arron Foster, and also involves a narrative of migration revealed in his cyanotype prints.
“As an Appalachian transplant to Northeast Ohio, I am keenly interested in the deep connections between the two regions,” he says in his artist’s statement. “Research and history have shown that throughout the 20th century, Akron was an epicenter of Appalachian migration as large groups of both skilled and unskilled laborers poured into the region to work for the tire and rubber industries. Migration has been an important part of the Appalachian experience and reflects the conditions of a changing world.”
Both shows open to viewers on Wednesday November 3 and remain on view through Saturday December 18. An official opening reception takes place on Friday November 5, and is still following COVID safety guidelines by lasting all day from 11am-7pm to avoid gallery crowding. The gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday @ 11am-4pm.