"I know the value of having a mentor," said the program’s founder Mayor Don Plusquellic. "Coaches were important to me as a young athlete. I wanted a program where young artists benefit from the same kind of relationships."

Plusquellic started the Lock 3 Summer Arts Experience in 2003, and since that time nearly 300 young people have created performance or visual art during their summers. The program provides employment for professional artists, a summer job for apprentices during which they are paid for their time and creativity, and gives the community works of public art in return.

The Lock 3 Summer Arts Experience provides 80-100 hours of intensive work readiness and arts education for which the selected students, ages 14-17, receive a stipend of $400. More than 200 students applied for the 2008 program, and because of the inclusion of the neighborhood outreach program, nearly half were able to be employed this summer. Each apprentice selected two to three components that grabbed their interest, and were then interviewed by the respective lead artists. Apprentices for the 2008 season represent all of Akron’s public and parochial high schools.

Arts apprentices are selected based on talent, their potential contribution of skills, enthusiasm, and what benefit the program has to offer them.

This summer, the Summer Arts Experience will complete a total of 10 projects. 6 projects are headquartered at Lock 3 Park in downtown Akron, while the remaining 4 are found throughout community centers across Akron. The 6 components and their lead artists at Lock 3 for 2008 are:

• Chemstress Mural: This abstract mural, incorporating the influence of lead artist Kelly Urquhart, will cover the wall of the Chemstress Courtyard on Main Street. This component is researching and designing upon the concept of sustainability and its impact on our lives and community.  The content and color scheme will accent the currently empty green space, drawing attention to the beautiful green spaces tucked throughout downtown Akron.
• State Street Mural: This mural is located on the wall adjacent to the sloped driveway that leads under State Street into Lock 3. Cornelius Butler and his apprentices share the vision to enhance the already oasis-like plant life of the alley with paintings of natural elements. The mural will provide a relevant homage to the greener side of Akron.
• Bike Rack Sculpture: Using the Akron-based Plastic Lumber Company’s bike rack (seen throughout downtown Akron) as a base, Don Parsisson will lead his apprentices to create sculptural attributes to the racks to make them both eye catching and functional, blending contemporary facets of our city-scapes with practicality.
• Ceramic Installation: Bob Yost will lead his apprentices in designing, creating and installing a series of ceramic mosaic pieces on the wall of the O’Neil’s Building facing Lock 3 Park, each capturing a part of Akron’s architecture in vivid and bright colors and from unusual perspectives.
• Filmmaking: Mike Pritt, of M.P. Productions, returns for his sixth year as Summer Arts lead artist, this year focusing his apprentices on growth and development in Akron. The group will follow the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, creating video footage promoting their programs that will be added to the not for profit railroad web page.
• Percussion: These students will create cadences and learn how to facilitate drum circles under the leadership of Edie Hardin-Steiner, music therapist for the Akron Public Schools. Apprentices will lead drum circles throughout the community, conducting percussion workshops in over 15 locations, working with children with disabilities, children living with cancer, the public library, art festivals, and more.

The Neighborhood Canvas Summer Arts Experience projects are unique in that apprentices and their lead artists have only three days to complete their assignment to beautify their locations, as opposed to the 5 weeks in the Lock 3 portion of the program. These apprentices earn $25 in addition to their experience with a professional artist.

Suzie Graham, Coordinator of Arts and Children’s Programs for the City is particularly pleased with the addition of the Neighborhood Canvas initiative. "Not only do we have the opportunity to reach out to more artists and students, but we can engage individual communities as well.  The Neighborhood projects are an artistic blitz of sorts.  They are intensive and ambitious and are a wonderful way to impact a community in a vibrant, creative way.  We keep growing, we get bigger, better and more ambitious with every passing year."

 The 4 lead artists and projects for 2008 are:

• Painted Mural: Matt Miller lead his apprentices in the painting of a large mural on the side of Summit Lake Community center. The urban-styled mural reflects on transitions and choice, depicting literal and figurative allusions to toxicity, pollutants of the environment and body, and the empowerment of choice.
• Fabric Arts: Cynthia Fahey helped apprentices stitch history and one of Kenmore Community Center’s favorite pastimes together in the creation of a 9ft x 7ft quilt on display in the center. The quilt’s creation was guided by the Kenmore historical society, and includes historic pictures from the area.
• Painted Mural: Aaron Graham will lead a group of apprentices in the transformation of the Reservoir park playground in Goodyear Heights.  Using paint and imagination, the apprentices will renovate the playground surfaces and surrounding concrete walls with painted designs and mural work.
• 3D Sculpture: Carol Adams’ team of apprentices will research the history of Perkins Woods, Simon Perkins and John Brown, translating facts and stories into three dimensional art pieces that will be displayed at the Perkins Mansion.

In years past, Akron’s Summer Arts apprentices have produced oversized floral pots, murals, ceramic benches and a photomural displayed at Lock 3; ceramic sculptures that hang in two municipal buildings; large murals at the Zoo and the Main Library; sculptures displayed at Lock 3 and at First Merit Tower; giant puppets and luminaria that are featured at Holidayfest and First Night; and textile hangings in the downtown skywalks.  Most recently the program completed an installation that heralds people to Akron’s Northside district, a mosaic mural under Wolf Ledges Bridge, a historically mixed-media piece located in the Commerce Park courtyard, and 9 billboards throughout Akron displaying positive messages for young people.

Economic development studies now show that the non-profit arts industry not only improves quality of life, but also stimulates the economy and helps businesses thrive. We are continually committed to the expansion of our program (e.g. Neighborhood Canvas Summer Arts Experience) throughout the city to encourage and include all of Akron’s young aspiring artists.

 For a you tube video created by Summer Arts Apprentices about the program, go to: http://youtube.com/user/Lock3SummerArts

Contact:
Suzie Graham - Coordinator of Arts and Children’s Programs, Office of the Mayor 330-375-2977 or: grahasu@ci.akron.oh.us