Hello Everyone,
Visitors to Akron who enjoy theater and art find the city very accommodating. They can visit a theater dating to 1929, see an art museum whose collection matches its architecture, and make their own glass objects at a shop where glass blowing occurs.
AKRON ART MUSEUM
The Akron Art Museum has been enriching its city’s citizens since it opened February 1, 1922 as the Akron Art Institute. At that time, it was located in the public library’s basement and offered classes in art appreciation. Volunteers comprised its entire staff until 1924 when they hired their first professional director.
With the Depression and World War II, the museum’s finances tightened, and again it relied entirely on volunteers. Exhibits were mostly by local artists with a collection that was small and composed entirely of gifts. Besides fine art, it contained archeological artifacts and decorative art. In 1937, it moved into its first public home, a private mansion which was destroyed by fire four years later with the loss of almost the whole collection.
After World War II, the museum restarted with a professional staff and focus on fine art and design. It held major loan exhibitions, including ones on contemporary design, that garnered national attention. It established a professional school that emphasized the design arts and in 1950, it returned to the former public library, occupying the entire building.
During the next 15 years, it changed from a school and art center into just a museum as the school closed in 1965. The focus, which remains, became collecting art from 1850 to the present. In 1980, the name changed to Akron Art Museum. The following year, the museum moved into the 1899 old post office building which it still occupies.
In 2007, the museum more than tripled in size, adding 63,000 square feet, when it opened the new John S. and James L. Knight Building adjoining the 1899 structure. The two buildings, as well as the art, symbolize the museum’s dual role as preserver of the past and herald of the future.
The 1899 brick building is an example of the Italian Renaissance revival style and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has deep red walls in a Flemish Bond pattern decorated with limestone trim. Pairs of carved eagle medallions and bronze lanterns adorn its Market Street facade. It has embedded in its lobby floor a mosaic of a Pony Express rider.
The Viennese architectural firm of Coop Himmelb(l)au designed the Knight building, which is a modern glass and steel structure. It was the company’s first project in the United States. They were awarded it after an international competition. It features cantilevered, suspended, and floating forms since the idea of the architect was to get rid of gravity. Although the two buildings are very different, the architect did a masterful job of joining them together.
THE ARTWORK
The artwork spans three centuries with works from internationally recognized artists. A large part of the collection is on artwork from western Pennsylvania to western Ohio as well as Kentucky and the Great Lakes. Works represent different cultures with a strong representation by women artists.
Overlooking the lobby, note the wall drawing by Sol LeWitt Wall Drawing #1240 Planes with Broken Bands of Color (Akron). It is a reference to the old, which are the bricks, and has angles representing the new.
1850-1950
The permanent collections are housed in the 1899 building’s five rooms on the first floor. In the C. Blake McDowell Jr. Galleries, visitors find three themes. Two rooms concentrate on turn-of-the-century realism and American impressionism. Two more explore modernism and regionalism in northeast Ohio from 1850-1950. The last one is dedicated to artist William Sommer’s works.
In a Romantic Mood: Turn of the Twentieth Century Painting. After the Civil War, artists painted in a “tonalist” style. This involved blurring forms and using a limited range of colors. It was common for their artwork to evoke the night’s dreamlike qualities or doing pictures of flowers that were past their prime. For example, you can see The Girl in White by William Merritt Chase. Many of these were donated by Edwin P. Shaw, an executive at B. F. Goodrich who brought electricity to the tire factory.
The Modernist Approach: Northeast Ohio’s Artists and Collectors. A lot of artists represented in this gallery were early 20th century Northeast Ohio artists, most of whom had attended Cleveland School of Art (now Cleveland Institute of Art.) While some worked in realism, others dealt with impressionism, cubism, and expressionism in their images of factories and city streets. They were active from the teens until the mid 1940's.
An example is an untitled scene of a factory in the Cleveland Flats by August F. Biehle. Another is The Artist and His Wife by Elmer Novotny, who opened the art department at Kent State University.
William Sommer, Master of Ohio’s Brandywine Valley (1867-1949): He believed in painting farmland, children, and animals in vivid colors and bold shapes. European modernism influenced him. Sommer co-founded in 1907 the Kokoon Klub, an avant-garde group that promoted modern art in Cleveland. He invited artists to work with him at his studio. An example of his work is Bordner Mural which he did with his son Edwin. Landscape with Yellow Clouds by William Sommer is also on display.
1950 to NOW
Visitors find art since 1950 in the museum’s 2007 Knight building’s Sandra L. and Dennis B. Haslinger Family Foundation Galleries. Media and methods vary greatly reflecting the eclectic style of the late 20th century art. These cover pop art, abstract, expressionist, and surrealist art as well as a strong emphasis on 21st century paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, photography, and new media such as videos. Some are realistic while others have a surrealist approach. When we were there, abstract expressionist pictures were hung on the walls.
Greeting visitors is Viola Frey’s large-scale ceramic sculpture, The World and the Woman. This work was donated by a family who had it outdoors in Florida. When it was sent to the museum, the artist had passed away, and it took three days for the gallery to put it together.
In another room is The Hall of Confident Women. Some artwork was done by men with others by women. It includes one painting of actress Rita Hayworth. You will also find Chuck Close’s Linda which looks like a photograph but is a painting. This is one of the museum’s icons.
The gallery of pop art contains Andy Warhol’s Elvis and Brillo Boxes. He is their most famous artist. For pointillism, check out 8 Smokestacks from China’s painter H. N. Han with its many smokestacks. A sculpture you may notice is George Segal’s Girl Sitting Against a Wall II.
They also have several examples of minimalist art. Jackie Winsor’s #2 Copper consists of copper wound into balls. Consisting of three pieces, it weighs a ton. Composed of cedar and dusted granite is Ursula Von Rydingsvard’s Rześeki. Another iconic work is Nigerian artist El Anatsui’s Dzesi II composed of aluminum liquor bottle caps and copper wire. An interesting painting was Matthew Kolodziej’s Good Neighbors, an abstract of a town.
TEMPORARY
Temporary exhibits are found on the second floor of the Knight Building. They include traveling shows and ones the museum produces itself. Since these change, to see what they are offering, go to their site.
An interesting temporary exhibit that we saw when we visited was called Find a Face. The key was to find friendly faces in photographs, drawings, prints, and paintings from the collection. For example, the grin of a pumpkin or head in the clouds.
DETAILS
Besides art exhibits, the museum also hosts a wide variety of events. It holds concerts, filmfests, educational programs, art lectures, and children’s activities. Many are held in the multi purpose auditorium seating 187. A café and a gift shop are on the premises.
Concerts are held in the museum’s Bud & Susie Rogers Garden, a one-acre park which is accessible via ramps leading into the space off High Street and Broadway. During summer Thursday evenings, it’s the site for the Downtown@Dusk concerts with a variety of artists.
The Akron Museum of Art is located at One South High Street. Hours are Tuesday through Friday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except Thursdays 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The galleries are closed on Mondays. Their telephone number is (330) 376-9185. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students with valid ID, and free for children ages 17 and under as well as Blue Star Families. It is free for everyone on Thursdays. To find out more, check out their web site.
AKRON CIVIC THEATER
From the very beginning, the Akron Civic Theater has amazed people with its beauty and variety of events. It has faced some economic difficulties over the decades, but now, after a massive restoration, it has become THE place to come for theater and special events. The Civic is one of only five remaining "atmospheric" theaters in the country
Today it hosts a full schedule of local, national, and international events. Patrons can attend theater, concerts, lectures, and community events such as high school graduations. In 2017, they had close to 200 events including a Beach Boys concert.
Free tours of the building are scheduled for the third Tuesday of the month at noon. You will learn about the theater’s history as you view its many architectural features and works of art in the Grand Lobby, the promenade, the mezzanine, and the auditorium. You’ll also get to see the stage up close as well as their Mighty Wurlitzer organ. It’s wise to check the schedule at their web site to confirm tour dates. These hour long tours require reservations.
TRACING THE HISTORY
Marcus Loew, of Loew’s Theaters, owned more than 100 vaudeville and movie houses including six in Cleveland. He was fascinated by Akron. The city’s population had soared from 69,067 in 1910 to 208,435 in 1920. Its future history looked promising because of its rubber barons. He decided to purchase the long-abandoned, partially completed Hippodrome Arcade at 182 South Main Street for the theater’s entrance.
Loew hired Viennese architect John Eberson, who was famous for designing “atmospheric” theaters with extravagant designs. For the Akron theater, Eberson conceived the idea of a Moorish garden and castle featuring Mediterranean decor. The theater lobby extended over the Ohio and Erie canal. This portion of the canal, part of the Ohio and Erie Canal, was finally abandoned in 1913.
In June 28, the hippodrome was razed. Soon afterwards, crews started building the $2 million theater. Loew died before the work was finished, but Eberson was able to see it to completion. The grand opening occurred on April 20, 1929 when 10,000 patrons turned out and paid a nickel to see a “talking” movie “The Voice of the City.” Cab Calloway and Sally Rand with her Burlesque show were among the many shows that followed.
The finished Moorish castle was the real attraction. It had medieval carvings, authentic European antiques, and Italian alabaster sculptures. It was furnished with authentic medieval weapons and suits of armor, Italian marble statues, and hand carved furniture that Eberson had selected on a cruise to Europe. The mezzanine had carved wood furniture pieces, religious symbols, and stuffed doves throughout.
The Grand Lobby was built on cement stilts over the Ohio and Erie Canal. Drinking fountains were decorated with zodiac signs while solid walnut doors were trimmed in crimson and green.
Since Moroccan architecture emphasizes diamonds, the symbol was found on walls and moldings. It also had a Mighty Wurlitzer organ hydraulically hoisted from the orchestra pit. Patrons experienced a twinkling starlit sky and intermittent clouds moving across the horizon. It was the only place in Akron with air conditioning.
During the 1930's, besides the Hollywood movies the theater showed, a live parrot named Loretta proved to be one of the attractions. Loretta was colorful visually and verbally as the assistant manager, Fred Clover, had taught the parrot to repeat a wide array of profanity. She would fly over the grand staircase to the mezzanine and back to a lower-level perch, She was one of two parrots kept because they symbolized good luck.
One day, she bit a patron. The case was settled out of court with the parrot soon mysteriously passing away. She was stuffed and placed at the top of the Grand Staircase in the Grand Lobby. The theater continues to honor her as there are images of parrots throughout its interior.
After World War II, the theater started to lose its luster. Film and live offerings were not competing well against television. Some of the theater’s exotic fixtures were sold or just disappeared. Loew’s decided to sell it in 1964.
It wound up being owned by Karam Joseph, one of the theater’s ushers, who wanted to raze the building and convert the land into a parking lot. He leased it instead to the Kelly Operating Company of Cleveland whose parent company, Modern Theaters, owned more than two dozen movie houses. When the theater ran James Bond in Goldfinger, the house set records for attendance and profit.
When Loew’s former organist, Ken Alexander, suggested in a letter to the Akron Beacon using the theater as a civic auditorium, the idea quickly caught on. The Jaycees bought the theater from Karam Joseph, incorporated a nonprofit foundation to manage it, and changed the building’s name to Akron Civic Theater. A successful fund drive of $150,000 was held to pay off the theater including the $60,000 owed Joseph.
Although top notch entertainment continued - Louis Armstrong, Guy Lombardo’s orchestra, and even Helen Hayes in the staging of Somerset Maugham’s The Circle, the theater wasn’t always busy. The lone person often in it at night was its building engineer Paul Steeg.
Part of the attendance problem was competition from Blossom Music Center, an outdoor amphitheater attracting thousands, that opened in 1968. That theater, located between Akron and Cleveland, still draws crowds to its many events and is currently the summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra.
In 1969, paranormal activity was sensed at the Civic by psychic Carrie Konyha of Kent in three areas. She sensed it at the top of the grand staircase, in the projection booth, and in a dressing room underneath the stage. Since that time, three ghosts have been spotted.
Fred, a former janitor who died during one of his shifts, travels throughout the theater. He attacks or chases people who disrespect his theater particularly the restrooms. A well-dressed man, who was either a patron or an actor, has been viewed in the balcony. The suicide girl, sometimes heard crying, walks along the canal before disappearing into the drain tunnel running under the theater.
These phantoms make the Akron Civic Theater one of the most haunted theaters in the Midwest. According to Val Renner, the Civic’s media person, “Ghosts show up in photos quite often.”
On October 9, 1973, E. J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall, a seven-story structure, opened on the University of Akron’s campus. The $14 million dollar building quickly became the region’s flagship for performing arts, drawing attention from all over the country. Newsweek praised it as “one of the most innovative U.S. cultural centers.” This led to some of Akron Civic Theater’s tenants, including the Akron Symphony Orchestra, moving to the new hall.
Facing serious debts, the Akron Civic Theater took on new management in 1977. Their job was to restore the Civic to a presentable level. Combining federal funds, private support, and loans, the theater started a series of capital improvements. These included the installation of new air conditioning, heating, and emergency lighting. That was vital since its previous systems usually failed. Seats were replaced with wider ones. The task was completed in time for the Civic’s golden anniversary in 1979.
By 1980, the future looked brighter as expenses were met. A volunteer staff had grown from 70 to 300 and there were now four full-time employees. A new manager, Randy Hemming, was willing to try anything. This included a return to “Bank Nights” of the Great Depression where lucky audience members received cash and other prizes. Scheduled events included weddings, political rallies, and a reincarnation of Elvis by impersonator Ronny McDowell. Estelle Ruth, the Wurlitzer’s organist, returned.
The parade of managers continued with a third director in three years. With Linda Steffancin at the helm, she booked Pete Seeger, James Brown, and Jay Leno. A pie-throwing contest on Main Street made the Guinness Book of Records. It was held to hype a Three Stooges Film Festival. The pies costing $1 and filled with whipped cream were flung across tables that stretched the length of Main Street. The sister of Curly Howard, one of the Stooges, threw the first pie. Another event was the "World’s Largest Chorus Line" on Main Street with more than 1,000 high kickers.
Despite these events, the theater was $650,000 in debt by the mid 1980's. Community leaders stepped forward including the CEO of the M. O’Neil Company (department store chain). In 1986, John Kenley, who had a national reputation as a showman and producer, took over the theater. His shows featured such headliners as Carol Lawrence, Roberta Peters, and Billy Crystal.
Under Kenley’s direction, Akron Civic Theater recovered financially, but the theater had become obsolete. The stage was too small. Parking was a problem. For anyone trying to manipulate large props, the Civic’s layout was burdensome. Worse yet, the only women’s restroom was on the mezzanine level with only eight stalls.
In 1995, the coffers were again empty, and staff was drastically reduced. For a period of time, there was talk of moving the theater. The board decided it would rely on rental income instead of producing shows. To solve the problems, a chain of events led to a union between E. J. Thomas Hall and the theater with Dan Dahl, the Hall’s executive director since 1991, managing both.
In 2001, construction began on a $22 million restoration and expansion project. It is expected to be completed by 2020. Much of the theater has been stripped of its paint and returned to its true colors. An elevator, a new projection system, and new restrooms have been installed. A bar was added to the concession stand. Recessed lighting has been put in and wall sconces redone. More than 150 fiberoptics replaced the light bulbs in the sky. Handicapped seating was added.
DETAILS
Akron Civic Theater is located at 182 South Main Street in Akron. Its telephone number is (330) 253-2488. To check the times and ticket prices for events, go to the Civic’s web page on upcoming events. Note that all ticket sales are final and the opportunity to do photography varies from event to event. Parking on the street is free after 6:00 p.m. and on weekends.
AKRON GLASS WORKS
Close to downtown Akron, in the former 1930's United Presbyterian Church’s basement social hall, you’ll find Akron Glass Works. You’ll have opportunities to watch glass blowing and fusing, register for a workshop in either of those processes, or buy beautiful handmade glassware.
The business was formed by Jack Baker in 2006 and moved into this facility in August 2016 after a series of renovations. Jack attended a major Dale Chihuly exhibit at the Akron Art Museum during the late 1990's. Shortly thereafter, he and a group of other Art Museum members went on a tour to Seattle to see a number of different glassblowers in that city.
At Chihuly’s working residence, he watched four or five people working as a team on their parts of the same project. All team members did their own parts with the gaffer directing the effort. In 30 minutes to an hour, a piece was finished. He became deeply emotionally affected with what he was viewing. When Jack returned home to Akron, he attended the Steinert Glass School in Kent for beginning and intermediate glass blowing lessons.
He started in the Northside area of Akron offering workshops for five people but soon outgrew the space. He has now worked at his craft for almost 16 years
The present shop displays for sale the beautiful glassware that he and his staff make. You will also see a wide array of glass blown objects at this terrific shop including from other local artists practicing this craft.
Sandy Holata, the shop’s marketing director, concentrates on glass fusion. She has worked with Jack for many years and built up a clientele that does fusing. Sebastian Shepherd, Mary Nemeth, and Nate Avery are artists and instructors. All have their own glass blowing specialties. Sandy teaches the fusion experiences while Mary, Sebastian, and Nate teach the beginning glass blowing workshops.
FUSION AND GLASSBLOWING
Sandy showed Earl and me how she makes fused glass artifacts. She works with two types of colored glass. Frit is small pieces of broken glass. Cullet is bits of broken, recycled glass. If a clear glass object breaks during its manufacture, the glass cannot be thrown into the furnace. However, colored glass is used as scrap.
For her projects, Sandy starts with cold, clear, flat glass sheets for cutting and assembling. Colored glass is added by sprinkling. To make a bowl or dish, glass is then put over a negative ceramic mold and heated to 1400 degrees for 20 minutes in the oven. The glass then slumps down into the bowl. The piece is then placed in an annealer. Each glass artifact takes 18 hours to make since the temperature must be brought back slowly. Sandy showed us the ovens through the windows as it was too hot to go inside where they were located.
She uses wire type hangers in her work to create jewelry and wind chimes. Since the wires expand and contract at different rates it’s essential for her to know their various elements.
For glass blowing, Akron Glass Works has a furnace full of clear glass maintained at 2100 degrees Fahrenheit. The company buys art glass in sheets from Spruce Pine Glass, North Carolina. It has to stay on 24 hours a day within a set temperature range. Different glass types expand and contract at different rates so an artist needs to know what type of glass she is using when she is fusing or blowing. Glass nuggets are preheated then put in the kiln for a certain amount of time.
With glass blowing, the general process is similar no matter what you make. A long metal pipe called a blowpipe is placed inside the 2,100 degree oven. The end of the blowpipe is turned in the clear molten glass to gather some on its end. The pipe is then taken to a marver (a steel table) and the glass rolled on the tabletop to start shaping it into an even smooth cylinder. By blowing into the pipe with a steady stream of air, the glass becomes a bubble. The piece is placed again in the 2,100 degree oven in order to melt the glass into a semi liquid state. At the marver, the piece is rolled in frit.
On a video I watched of the procedure, Jack said, “It’s like rolling sprinkles on cupcakes.”
The blowpipe returns to the oven several times until the clear and colored glass meld together. The glass is removed from the oven for only 20 to 30 seconds at a time. After reheating, a piece is blown in for more air and then plunged into a mold. Shaping varies, depending upon the item. Using jacks (tong-like scissors), a groove is created at the end to the pipe where the piece would be broken off from the pipe. The bottom of the piece is smoothed. A tap on the blowpipe breaks the piece off cleanly. The piece is put in an annealer at 940 degrees to keep it from cooling too quickly. The annealer drops about a hundred degrees an hour and is computer controlled.
WORKSHOPS
A focus of this shop is the workshops, called experiences, they offer in glass blowing and fusing from September to May. These two hour sessions on weekends are very popular and fill up quickly. Many, for the rest of this year, are already full.
No experience is needed to take a beginning one. However, one must be at least 15 years of age. An adult must accompany those age 15-17. Only 5 to 10 people are allowed per session. Reservation and payment are required in advance. Cost is $65-$75 per person per class. Fees are non refundable.
Between September and November, the project is making pumpkins. From Thanksgiving through December, they make glass blown ornaments. Other projects are cups, heart paperweights, marble shaped swirl paperweights, birds, friendship balls, and flowers. Wind chimes and slumped plates are the two beginning fusion courses.
Those who have taken at least one glass fusing workshop can sign up for the jewelry one to make a pendant and earring set. Other advance experiences make the Tree of Life and Footed Bowls in three hour sessions on Wednesdays. To take these, it is required to have successfully completed two beginning glassblowing ones.
DETAILS
Akron Glass Works is located at 421 Spicer Street. Their telephone number is (330) .253-5888. Retail hours are Tuesday through Friday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. On Saturdays, they are open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. To learn more about this establishment, check out the video on their web site.
Visitors to Akron who enjoy theater and art find the city very accommodating. They can visit a theater dating to 1929, see an art museum whose collection matches its architecture, and make their own glass objects at a shop where glass blowing occurs.
AKRON ART MUSEUM
The Akron Art Museum has been enriching its city’s citizens since it opened February 1, 1922 as the Akron Art Institute. At that time, it was located in the public library’s basement and offered classes in art appreciation. Volunteers comprised its entire staff until 1924 when they hired their first professional director.
With the Depression and World War II, the museum’s finances tightened, and again it relied entirely on volunteers. Exhibits were mostly by local artists with a collection that was small and composed entirely of gifts. Besides fine art, it contained archeological artifacts and decorative art. In 1937, it moved into its first public home, a private mansion which was destroyed by fire four years later with the loss of almost the whole collection.
After World War II, the museum restarted with a professional staff and focus on fine art and design. It held major loan exhibitions, including ones on contemporary design, that garnered national attention. It established a professional school that emphasized the design arts and in 1950, it returned to the former public library, occupying the entire building.
During the next 15 years, it changed from a school and art center into just a museum as the school closed in 1965. The focus, which remains, became collecting art from 1850 to the present. In 1980, the name changed to Akron Art Museum. The following year, the museum moved into the 1899 old post office building which it still occupies.
In 2007, the museum more than tripled in size, adding 63,000 square feet, when it opened the new John S. and James L. Knight Building adjoining the 1899 structure. The two buildings, as well as the art, symbolize the museum’s dual role as preserver of the past and herald of the future.
The 1899 brick building is an example of the Italian Renaissance revival style and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has deep red walls in a Flemish Bond pattern decorated with limestone trim. Pairs of carved eagle medallions and bronze lanterns adorn its Market Street facade. It has embedded in its lobby floor a mosaic of a Pony Express rider.
The Viennese architectural firm of Coop Himmelb(l)au designed the Knight building, which is a modern glass and steel structure. It was the company’s first project in the United States. They were awarded it after an international competition. It features cantilevered, suspended, and floating forms since the idea of the architect was to get rid of gravity. Although the two buildings are very different, the architect did a masterful job of joining them together.
THE ARTWORK
The artwork spans three centuries with works from internationally recognized artists. A large part of the collection is on artwork from western Pennsylvania to western Ohio as well as Kentucky and the Great Lakes. Works represent different cultures with a strong representation by women artists.
Overlooking the lobby, note the wall drawing by Sol LeWitt Wall Drawing #1240 Planes with Broken Bands of Color (Akron). It is a reference to the old, which are the bricks, and has angles representing the new.
1850-1950
The permanent collections are housed in the 1899 building’s five rooms on the first floor. In the C. Blake McDowell Jr. Galleries, visitors find three themes. Two rooms concentrate on turn-of-the-century realism and American impressionism. Two more explore modernism and regionalism in northeast Ohio from 1850-1950. The last one is dedicated to artist William Sommer’s works.
In a Romantic Mood: Turn of the Twentieth Century Painting. After the Civil War, artists painted in a “tonalist” style. This involved blurring forms and using a limited range of colors. It was common for their artwork to evoke the night’s dreamlike qualities or doing pictures of flowers that were past their prime. For example, you can see The Girl in White by William Merritt Chase. Many of these were donated by Edwin P. Shaw, an executive at B. F. Goodrich who brought electricity to the tire factory.
The Modernist Approach: Northeast Ohio’s Artists and Collectors. A lot of artists represented in this gallery were early 20th century Northeast Ohio artists, most of whom had attended Cleveland School of Art (now Cleveland Institute of Art.) While some worked in realism, others dealt with impressionism, cubism, and expressionism in their images of factories and city streets. They were active from the teens until the mid 1940's.
An example is an untitled scene of a factory in the Cleveland Flats by August F. Biehle. Another is The Artist and His Wife by Elmer Novotny, who opened the art department at Kent State University.
William Sommer, Master of Ohio’s Brandywine Valley (1867-1949): He believed in painting farmland, children, and animals in vivid colors and bold shapes. European modernism influenced him. Sommer co-founded in 1907 the Kokoon Klub, an avant-garde group that promoted modern art in Cleveland. He invited artists to work with him at his studio. An example of his work is Bordner Mural which he did with his son Edwin. Landscape with Yellow Clouds by William Sommer is also on display.
1950 to NOW
Visitors find art since 1950 in the museum’s 2007 Knight building’s Sandra L. and Dennis B. Haslinger Family Foundation Galleries. Media and methods vary greatly reflecting the eclectic style of the late 20th century art. These cover pop art, abstract, expressionist, and surrealist art as well as a strong emphasis on 21st century paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, photography, and new media such as videos. Some are realistic while others have a surrealist approach. When we were there, abstract expressionist pictures were hung on the walls.
Greeting visitors is Viola Frey’s large-scale ceramic sculpture, The World and the Woman. This work was donated by a family who had it outdoors in Florida. When it was sent to the museum, the artist had passed away, and it took three days for the gallery to put it together.
In another room is The Hall of Confident Women. Some artwork was done by men with others by women. It includes one painting of actress Rita Hayworth. You will also find Chuck Close’s Linda which looks like a photograph but is a painting. This is one of the museum’s icons.
The gallery of pop art contains Andy Warhol’s Elvis and Brillo Boxes. He is their most famous artist. For pointillism, check out 8 Smokestacks from China’s painter H. N. Han with its many smokestacks. A sculpture you may notice is George Segal’s Girl Sitting Against a Wall II.
They also have several examples of minimalist art. Jackie Winsor’s #2 Copper consists of copper wound into balls. Consisting of three pieces, it weighs a ton. Composed of cedar and dusted granite is Ursula Von Rydingsvard’s Rześeki. Another iconic work is Nigerian artist El Anatsui’s Dzesi II composed of aluminum liquor bottle caps and copper wire. An interesting painting was Matthew Kolodziej’s Good Neighbors, an abstract of a town.
TEMPORARY
Temporary exhibits are found on the second floor of the Knight Building. They include traveling shows and ones the museum produces itself. Since these change, to see what they are offering, go to their site.
An interesting temporary exhibit that we saw when we visited was called Find a Face. The key was to find friendly faces in photographs, drawings, prints, and paintings from the collection. For example, the grin of a pumpkin or head in the clouds.
DETAILS
Besides art exhibits, the museum also hosts a wide variety of events. It holds concerts, filmfests, educational programs, art lectures, and children’s activities. Many are held in the multi purpose auditorium seating 187. A café and a gift shop are on the premises.
Concerts are held in the museum’s Bud & Susie Rogers Garden, a one-acre park which is accessible via ramps leading into the space off High Street and Broadway. During summer Thursday evenings, it’s the site for the Downtown@Dusk concerts with a variety of artists.
The Akron Museum of Art is located at One South High Street. Hours are Tuesday through Friday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except Thursdays 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The galleries are closed on Mondays. Their telephone number is (330) 376-9185. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students with valid ID, and free for children ages 17 and under as well as Blue Star Families. It is free for everyone on Thursdays. To find out more, check out their web site.
AKRON CIVIC THEATER
From the very beginning, the Akron Civic Theater has amazed people with its beauty and variety of events. It has faced some economic difficulties over the decades, but now, after a massive restoration, it has become THE place to come for theater and special events. The Civic is one of only five remaining "atmospheric" theaters in the country
Today it hosts a full schedule of local, national, and international events. Patrons can attend theater, concerts, lectures, and community events such as high school graduations. In 2017, they had close to 200 events including a Beach Boys concert.
Free tours of the building are scheduled for the third Tuesday of the month at noon. You will learn about the theater’s history as you view its many architectural features and works of art in the Grand Lobby, the promenade, the mezzanine, and the auditorium. You’ll also get to see the stage up close as well as their Mighty Wurlitzer organ. It’s wise to check the schedule at their web site to confirm tour dates. These hour long tours require reservations.
TRACING THE HISTORY
Marcus Loew, of Loew’s Theaters, owned more than 100 vaudeville and movie houses including six in Cleveland. He was fascinated by Akron. The city’s population had soared from 69,067 in 1910 to 208,435 in 1920. Its future history looked promising because of its rubber barons. He decided to purchase the long-abandoned, partially completed Hippodrome Arcade at 182 South Main Street for the theater’s entrance.
Loew hired Viennese architect John Eberson, who was famous for designing “atmospheric” theaters with extravagant designs. For the Akron theater, Eberson conceived the idea of a Moorish garden and castle featuring Mediterranean decor. The theater lobby extended over the Ohio and Erie canal. This portion of the canal, part of the Ohio and Erie Canal, was finally abandoned in 1913.
In June 28, the hippodrome was razed. Soon afterwards, crews started building the $2 million theater. Loew died before the work was finished, but Eberson was able to see it to completion. The grand opening occurred on April 20, 1929 when 10,000 patrons turned out and paid a nickel to see a “talking” movie “The Voice of the City.” Cab Calloway and Sally Rand with her Burlesque show were among the many shows that followed.
The finished Moorish castle was the real attraction. It had medieval carvings, authentic European antiques, and Italian alabaster sculptures. It was furnished with authentic medieval weapons and suits of armor, Italian marble statues, and hand carved furniture that Eberson had selected on a cruise to Europe. The mezzanine had carved wood furniture pieces, religious symbols, and stuffed doves throughout.
The Grand Lobby was built on cement stilts over the Ohio and Erie Canal. Drinking fountains were decorated with zodiac signs while solid walnut doors were trimmed in crimson and green.
Since Moroccan architecture emphasizes diamonds, the symbol was found on walls and moldings. It also had a Mighty Wurlitzer organ hydraulically hoisted from the orchestra pit. Patrons experienced a twinkling starlit sky and intermittent clouds moving across the horizon. It was the only place in Akron with air conditioning.
During the 1930's, besides the Hollywood movies the theater showed, a live parrot named Loretta proved to be one of the attractions. Loretta was colorful visually and verbally as the assistant manager, Fred Clover, had taught the parrot to repeat a wide array of profanity. She would fly over the grand staircase to the mezzanine and back to a lower-level perch, She was one of two parrots kept because they symbolized good luck.
One day, she bit a patron. The case was settled out of court with the parrot soon mysteriously passing away. She was stuffed and placed at the top of the Grand Staircase in the Grand Lobby. The theater continues to honor her as there are images of parrots throughout its interior.
After World War II, the theater started to lose its luster. Film and live offerings were not competing well against television. Some of the theater’s exotic fixtures were sold or just disappeared. Loew’s decided to sell it in 1964.
It wound up being owned by Karam Joseph, one of the theater’s ushers, who wanted to raze the building and convert the land into a parking lot. He leased it instead to the Kelly Operating Company of Cleveland whose parent company, Modern Theaters, owned more than two dozen movie houses. When the theater ran James Bond in Goldfinger, the house set records for attendance and profit.
When Loew’s former organist, Ken Alexander, suggested in a letter to the Akron Beacon using the theater as a civic auditorium, the idea quickly caught on. The Jaycees bought the theater from Karam Joseph, incorporated a nonprofit foundation to manage it, and changed the building’s name to Akron Civic Theater. A successful fund drive of $150,000 was held to pay off the theater including the $60,000 owed Joseph.
Although top notch entertainment continued - Louis Armstrong, Guy Lombardo’s orchestra, and even Helen Hayes in the staging of Somerset Maugham’s The Circle, the theater wasn’t always busy. The lone person often in it at night was its building engineer Paul Steeg.
Part of the attendance problem was competition from Blossom Music Center, an outdoor amphitheater attracting thousands, that opened in 1968. That theater, located between Akron and Cleveland, still draws crowds to its many events and is currently the summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra.
In 1969, paranormal activity was sensed at the Civic by psychic Carrie Konyha of Kent in three areas. She sensed it at the top of the grand staircase, in the projection booth, and in a dressing room underneath the stage. Since that time, three ghosts have been spotted.
Fred, a former janitor who died during one of his shifts, travels throughout the theater. He attacks or chases people who disrespect his theater particularly the restrooms. A well-dressed man, who was either a patron or an actor, has been viewed in the balcony. The suicide girl, sometimes heard crying, walks along the canal before disappearing into the drain tunnel running under the theater.
These phantoms make the Akron Civic Theater one of the most haunted theaters in the Midwest. According to Val Renner, the Civic’s media person, “Ghosts show up in photos quite often.”
On October 9, 1973, E. J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall, a seven-story structure, opened on the University of Akron’s campus. The $14 million dollar building quickly became the region’s flagship for performing arts, drawing attention from all over the country. Newsweek praised it as “one of the most innovative U.S. cultural centers.” This led to some of Akron Civic Theater’s tenants, including the Akron Symphony Orchestra, moving to the new hall.
Facing serious debts, the Akron Civic Theater took on new management in 1977. Their job was to restore the Civic to a presentable level. Combining federal funds, private support, and loans, the theater started a series of capital improvements. These included the installation of new air conditioning, heating, and emergency lighting. That was vital since its previous systems usually failed. Seats were replaced with wider ones. The task was completed in time for the Civic’s golden anniversary in 1979.
By 1980, the future looked brighter as expenses were met. A volunteer staff had grown from 70 to 300 and there were now four full-time employees. A new manager, Randy Hemming, was willing to try anything. This included a return to “Bank Nights” of the Great Depression where lucky audience members received cash and other prizes. Scheduled events included weddings, political rallies, and a reincarnation of Elvis by impersonator Ronny McDowell. Estelle Ruth, the Wurlitzer’s organist, returned.
The parade of managers continued with a third director in three years. With Linda Steffancin at the helm, she booked Pete Seeger, James Brown, and Jay Leno. A pie-throwing contest on Main Street made the Guinness Book of Records. It was held to hype a Three Stooges Film Festival. The pies costing $1 and filled with whipped cream were flung across tables that stretched the length of Main Street. The sister of Curly Howard, one of the Stooges, threw the first pie. Another event was the "World’s Largest Chorus Line" on Main Street with more than 1,000 high kickers.
Despite these events, the theater was $650,000 in debt by the mid 1980's. Community leaders stepped forward including the CEO of the M. O’Neil Company (department store chain). In 1986, John Kenley, who had a national reputation as a showman and producer, took over the theater. His shows featured such headliners as Carol Lawrence, Roberta Peters, and Billy Crystal.
Under Kenley’s direction, Akron Civic Theater recovered financially, but the theater had become obsolete. The stage was too small. Parking was a problem. For anyone trying to manipulate large props, the Civic’s layout was burdensome. Worse yet, the only women’s restroom was on the mezzanine level with only eight stalls.
In 1995, the coffers were again empty, and staff was drastically reduced. For a period of time, there was talk of moving the theater. The board decided it would rely on rental income instead of producing shows. To solve the problems, a chain of events led to a union between E. J. Thomas Hall and the theater with Dan Dahl, the Hall’s executive director since 1991, managing both.
In 2001, construction began on a $22 million restoration and expansion project. It is expected to be completed by 2020. Much of the theater has been stripped of its paint and returned to its true colors. An elevator, a new projection system, and new restrooms have been installed. A bar was added to the concession stand. Recessed lighting has been put in and wall sconces redone. More than 150 fiberoptics replaced the light bulbs in the sky. Handicapped seating was added.
DETAILS
Akron Civic Theater is located at 182 South Main Street in Akron. Its telephone number is (330) 253-2488. To check the times and ticket prices for events, go to the Civic’s web page on upcoming events. Note that all ticket sales are final and the opportunity to do photography varies from event to event. Parking on the street is free after 6:00 p.m. and on weekends.
AKRON GLASS WORKS
Close to downtown Akron, in the former 1930's United Presbyterian Church’s basement social hall, you’ll find Akron Glass Works. You’ll have opportunities to watch glass blowing and fusing, register for a workshop in either of those processes, or buy beautiful handmade glassware.
The business was formed by Jack Baker in 2006 and moved into this facility in August 2016 after a series of renovations. Jack attended a major Dale Chihuly exhibit at the Akron Art Museum during the late 1990's. Shortly thereafter, he and a group of other Art Museum members went on a tour to Seattle to see a number of different glassblowers in that city.
At Chihuly’s working residence, he watched four or five people working as a team on their parts of the same project. All team members did their own parts with the gaffer directing the effort. In 30 minutes to an hour, a piece was finished. He became deeply emotionally affected with what he was viewing. When Jack returned home to Akron, he attended the Steinert Glass School in Kent for beginning and intermediate glass blowing lessons.
He started in the Northside area of Akron offering workshops for five people but soon outgrew the space. He has now worked at his craft for almost 16 years
The present shop displays for sale the beautiful glassware that he and his staff make. You will also see a wide array of glass blown objects at this terrific shop including from other local artists practicing this craft.
Sandy Holata, the shop’s marketing director, concentrates on glass fusion. She has worked with Jack for many years and built up a clientele that does fusing. Sebastian Shepherd, Mary Nemeth, and Nate Avery are artists and instructors. All have their own glass blowing specialties. Sandy teaches the fusion experiences while Mary, Sebastian, and Nate teach the beginning glass blowing workshops.
FUSION AND GLASSBLOWING
Sandy showed Earl and me how she makes fused glass artifacts. She works with two types of colored glass. Frit is small pieces of broken glass. Cullet is bits of broken, recycled glass. If a clear glass object breaks during its manufacture, the glass cannot be thrown into the furnace. However, colored glass is used as scrap.
For her projects, Sandy starts with cold, clear, flat glass sheets for cutting and assembling. Colored glass is added by sprinkling. To make a bowl or dish, glass is then put over a negative ceramic mold and heated to 1400 degrees for 20 minutes in the oven. The glass then slumps down into the bowl. The piece is then placed in an annealer. Each glass artifact takes 18 hours to make since the temperature must be brought back slowly. Sandy showed us the ovens through the windows as it was too hot to go inside where they were located.
She uses wire type hangers in her work to create jewelry and wind chimes. Since the wires expand and contract at different rates it’s essential for her to know their various elements.
For glass blowing, Akron Glass Works has a furnace full of clear glass maintained at 2100 degrees Fahrenheit. The company buys art glass in sheets from Spruce Pine Glass, North Carolina. It has to stay on 24 hours a day within a set temperature range. Different glass types expand and contract at different rates so an artist needs to know what type of glass she is using when she is fusing or blowing. Glass nuggets are preheated then put in the kiln for a certain amount of time.
With glass blowing, the general process is similar no matter what you make. A long metal pipe called a blowpipe is placed inside the 2,100 degree oven. The end of the blowpipe is turned in the clear molten glass to gather some on its end. The pipe is then taken to a marver (a steel table) and the glass rolled on the tabletop to start shaping it into an even smooth cylinder. By blowing into the pipe with a steady stream of air, the glass becomes a bubble. The piece is placed again in the 2,100 degree oven in order to melt the glass into a semi liquid state. At the marver, the piece is rolled in frit.
On a video I watched of the procedure, Jack said, “It’s like rolling sprinkles on cupcakes.”
The blowpipe returns to the oven several times until the clear and colored glass meld together. The glass is removed from the oven for only 20 to 30 seconds at a time. After reheating, a piece is blown in for more air and then plunged into a mold. Shaping varies, depending upon the item. Using jacks (tong-like scissors), a groove is created at the end to the pipe where the piece would be broken off from the pipe. The bottom of the piece is smoothed. A tap on the blowpipe breaks the piece off cleanly. The piece is put in an annealer at 940 degrees to keep it from cooling too quickly. The annealer drops about a hundred degrees an hour and is computer controlled.
WORKSHOPS
A focus of this shop is the workshops, called experiences, they offer in glass blowing and fusing from September to May. These two hour sessions on weekends are very popular and fill up quickly. Many, for the rest of this year, are already full.
No experience is needed to take a beginning one. However, one must be at least 15 years of age. An adult must accompany those age 15-17. Only 5 to 10 people are allowed per session. Reservation and payment are required in advance. Cost is $65-$75 per person per class. Fees are non refundable.
Between September and November, the project is making pumpkins. From Thanksgiving through December, they make glass blown ornaments. Other projects are cups, heart paperweights, marble shaped swirl paperweights, birds, friendship balls, and flowers. Wind chimes and slumped plates are the two beginning fusion courses.
Those who have taken at least one glass fusing workshop can sign up for the jewelry one to make a pendant and earring set. Other advance experiences make the Tree of Life and Footed Bowls in three hour sessions on Wednesdays. To take these, it is required to have successfully completed two beginning glassblowing ones.
DETAILS
Akron Glass Works is located at 421 Spicer Street. Their telephone number is (330) .253-5888. Retail hours are Tuesday through Friday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. On Saturdays, they are open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. To learn more about this establishment, check out the video on their web site.
Akron Art Museum
Akron Art Museum Lobby
Wall Drawing #1240 Planes with Broken Bands of Color (Akron) by Sol LeWitt
The Girl in White by William Merritt Chase
Untitled by August F. Biehle
The Artist and His Wife by Elmer Novotny
Bordner Mural by William and Edwin Sommer
Landscape with Yellow Clouds by William Sommer
The World and the Woman by Viola Frey
Linda by Chuck Close
8 Smokestacks by H. N. Han
Elvis by Andy Warhol
Girl Sitting Against a Wall II by George Segal
#2 Copper by Jackie Winsor
Rześeki by Ursula Von Rydingsvard
Dzesi II by El Anatsui
Looking up close at Dzesi II
Good Neighbors by Matthew Kolodziej
Entrance to Akron Civic Theater, Auditorium is in the Back. Raised Area is Where the Canal Once Flowed
Another View of the Front Looking North
Akron Civic Theater's Arcade Looking Toward the Street
Showing the Current Restoration
Staircase in the Grand Hall Leading to the Theater
Grand Hall Looking Towards the Street
Akron Civic Theater's Stage
Looking Towards the Back of the Theater
Close View of the Theater's Right Side
Closer View of the Alabaster Statues
Sandy Holata Working on Arranging Glass for Fusing
Arranging Glass to Fuse a Heart
Sandy at the Furnace
The Furnace Area
The Tree of Life and Other Beautiful Glass Objects for Purchase at Akron Glass Works
Close View of the Glass Blown Balls
A Workshop is Held to Make Flowers
Make Pumpkins at a Beginning Workshop Between September and November