By Jessie Raynor, Director of the Akron Area Arts Alliance

A generous grant from the Knight Foundation is making it possible for the Akron Area Arts Alliance to take an important next-step in converting a historic building into a headquarters for our arts and culture community.  The 55,000 square-foot building, which is owned by Summit County government, was originally built by Charles L. and John S. Knight in 1927 to house the Akron Beacon Journal newspaper.  At the time it was the most expensive building ever built in Akron at a cost of over a million dollars.

In 2002 county leaders allowed AAAA to open a gallery dedicated to displaying the talents of our local artists in a downtown building that was then vacant, neglected and in a neighborhood primarily frequented by the homeless.  Now called Summit Artspace, the growing art center also houses the AAAA offices, classrooms, a second gallery called The Box and several artists’ studios.  The Knight Foundation has provided funding to renovate the second floor to provide economical, shared office space for arts organizations plus incubator and performance/rehearsal opportunities.   The handsomely paneled offices of the two Knights will be refurbished as a conference area.  Decorating will reflect the newspaper history. AAAA is an arts advocacy organization that promotes the value of a strong, diverse and dynamic arts and culture community to Greater Akron. Its membership totals 49 organizations, including museums, visual and performing arts groups, theatres, foundations and university arts departments, plus 70 artists and art supporters.