AKRON, Ohio — Akron will formally dedicate a 17-foot sculpture made from stainless steel and recycled Goodyear racing tires at Lock 3 on Thursday, Oct. 29, when internationally acclaimed artist Chakaia Booker reveals the work’s name at a free public ceremony at 1 p.m. at 200 South Main Street.
The twin, petal-shaped forms frame the pathway through the Cynthia and Landon Knight Hemlock Walk near the Main Street entrance to Lock 3, overlooking the Ohio & Erie Canal. According to the announcement from the City of Akron, Curated Storefront and the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition, published by Downtown Akron Partnership, the commission is Akron’s first major contemporary outdoor sculpture by a woman artist, connecting the city’s past as a manufacturing hub with its present and future as a center for innovation.
The sculpture is already on public view. The Akron Beacon Journal reported that crews installed the twin sculptures on Oct. 26 in about four hours, using a crane to lift each piece onto footers along the path. The Beacon Journal reported the pair weigh a combined 10,000 pounds, that Thomarios Construction of Akron completed the installation, and that fabricator Alston Van Putten, who processed the recycled tires, told the Akron Beacon Journal on installation day, “It’s been a climb.”
Booker, a Guggenheim Fellow, has transformed discarded tires into sculptural forms for more than four decades, and her work is held in more than 40 major collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the National Gallery of Art, according to the Downtown Akron Partnership announcement. That announcement also said Goodyear donated the racing tires and that the total project cost is estimated at $550,000, with support from Curated Storefront donors, VIA Art Fund, the city and the coalition.
“Booker’s striking installation transforms one of Akron’s signature materials into a symbol of the city’s industrial and creative evolution,” Heather Meeker, executive director of Curated Storefront, said in the Downtown Akron Partnership announcement. Mayor Shammas Malik said in the same announcement, “This investment reinforces downtown Akron as a destination for culture and creativity,” and Catherine Timko of the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition said in the announcement that the work will bring new visitors to Lock 3 and the Towpath Trail.
Booker also gave a free artist talk on Wednesday evening, Oct. 28, at the Akron Art Museum, 1 South High Street, ahead of Thursday’s dedication. Advance registration was encouraged for the dedication, with walk-ups welcome, according to the event listing for the ceremony.
Organizers say the dedication will also launch a broader celebration of public art downtown, with Curated Storefront exhibitions highlighting regional artists working in Akron today. Lock 3 reopened in November 2024 and has since welcomed visitors from across the region, according to the announcement, and the sculpture is a permanent, highly visible addition for people on the Hemlock Walk or passing through downtown.