• About Us
  • Bylaws
  • Black-Owned Business Directory
  • COVID-19
  • Keep Akron Local
    • The Co-op
      • About the Co-op
      • Our Board of Directors
      • Member Spotlights
      • Our Vested Co-Owners
      • Bylaws and Definitions
    • Arts

      Arts

      See All

      Millennial Theatre Project brings “Rocky Horror” back with a glam rock edge

      Review: Folk Songs of the American Wood Elf offers something completely different

      Independent Urban Horror returns to Akron

      • Books
      • Movies
      • Theatre
    • Community

      Community

      See All

      Akron’s Very Own | Making sense of Akron’s Black history

      Arthur Treacher’s: A life’s work kept alive

      Tenants at two East Akron housing complexes form unions to fight poor living conditions

      • Housing
      • Local Economy
        • Small Businesses
      • Public Health
        • COVID-19
        • Recovery
      • Equity & Inclusion
    • Culture

      Culture

      See All

      Akron’s Very Own | Making sense of Akron’s Black history

      Arthur Treacher’s: A life’s work kept alive

      Tenants at two East Akron housing complexes form unions to fight poor living conditions

      • Civic Engagement
      • Food
      • Local history
      • People
    • Music

      Music

      See All

      Review: Folk Songs of the American Wood Elf offers something completely different

      The Buffalo Ryders are back with a new album

      Hell Van: The Motion Picture Soundtrack review: local artists bring back horror soundtrack

    • Columns

      Columns

      See All

      Akron’s Very Own | Making sense of Akron’s Black history

      Day Trip | Firestone Metro Park

      Grown-up Trick or Treat: Wine and candy pairings

    Home
    Arts
    ArtsCivic EngagementCommunityEducation

    “A Cycle of Love and Care:” Theaster Gates on art and placemaking in Akron

    November 16, 2016
    2 mins read
    0shares

    Millennial Theatre Project brings “Rocky Horror” back with a glam rock edge

    Read More

    by M. Sophie Franchi

    Akron Roundtable welcomed Theaster Gates, Chicago-based artist and Founder & Artistic Director at Rebuild Foundation for its September event. Gates is also a Professor in the Department of Visual Art and Director of Arts and Public Life at the University of Chicago. For more information about Gates, his studio art and his development projects, visit theastergates.com.

    M. Sophie Franchi: Do you see art as a part of placemaking? Or is placemaking a form of art?

    Theaster Gates: I see arts and culture as the foundation of the transformative, place-based work we do. Arts and culture creates platforms, which bring people, which in turn brings investment, which brings even more people and so on. This becomes a cycle of love and care that keeps the community around a place thriving—and art is the spark, the catalyst. So I see art as part of platform creation. These platforms are where new possibilities can be imagined and realized. They create new economic opportunities, places for people to gather and commune, increase access, expand relationships, compound ideas, and propel work forward. I don’t see myself as a place-maker. A place only becomes a place because of people, and my work is about bringing people into a space with the hopes that the community, over time and with love, will flourish. Arts and culture can bring people together to meet one another, exchange ideas, and work together in new ways that build and transform communities.  

     

    MSF: When you were in Akron, what opportunities did you see for placemaking?

    TG: We heard in our discussions that land-use regulations, zoning, and other municipal and professional codes were significant barriers for Akron, and prevented work from moving forward. These types of barriers are not uncommon in cities across the country. Listening and talking to people doing work, I felt like there was a real opportunity for project leaders, creators, artists, developers to collaborate with the city, with policy makers and planners, on finding ways to scale place-based work so that both small and larger developers can make an impact. Folks doing projects in Akron have demonstrated desire, a capacity to act—they just need room to get things done.

     

    MSF: What do you see in Akron’s future? Could you see yourself working on a future project in Akron?

    TG: Akron is full of projects that come from the countless creative people living there who possess the vision and passion to get work done. From the conversations we have had, the sense is that leadership in Akron’s government is ready to try new things. With initiatives like Reimagining the Civic Commons, you can see there’s interest and momentum, and that there is a moment happening in Akron with the potential for significant change to occur. It is not my or my team’s place to ‘do a project’ in Akron. Our role is to elevate the fantastic work Akron is doing for itself. The existing projects, people, and coalitions in Akron that are moving work forward in their own city.

    artart and communityplacemakingtheaster gates

    Previous ArticleWord Travels: Wick Poetry Center has poetic plans for Akron
    Next ArticleRandom Cushing, Hip Hop Cartoonist
    Chris Horne
    Founder of The Devil Strip

    A native of Macon, Georgia who's made a home here in Akron, Chris Horne is the founder and president of The Devil Strip, and the co-creator, with his wife Heather, of Madeline, a real fascinating little human.

    Related Posts

    Oh Snap Photo Lab founder wants to offer a safe, creative outlet for youth Downtown

    Abbey Marshall·
    ArtsBlack BusinessesCommunityEntertainmentfeaturedSmall Businesses
    ·September 22, 2021·413 views

    Artist gets a new job from the LeBron James Family Foundation after mural was vandalized

    Abbey Marshall·
    ArtsCommunityfeaturedPeople
    ·September 14, 2021·4840 views

    Marigold Sol: Revitalization through sustainability, function, and art

    Sonia Potter·
    CommunityCulturefeaturedSmall Businesses
    ·August 4, 2021·213 views

    “Band” LED installation at Akron City Center Hotel spurs wonderment Downtown

    Abbey Marshall·
    Artseconomic developmentfeatured
    ·March 17, 2021·1380 views

    Top Posts & Pages

    Why do we call fried potatoes 'jojos?' An investigation
    Akron’s Very Own | Making sense of Akron’s Black history
    The Brooklands Bar: former Goodyear Heights’ speakeasy still draws a crowd
    Urine Luck | Blossom Music Center
    T-Shirts of Akron
    An important message to our members

    More stories

    An important message to our members

    Millennial Theatre Project brings “Rocky Horror” back with a glam rock edge

    Akron’s Very Own | Making sense of Akron’s Black history

    Day Trip | Firestone Metro Park

    Arthur Treacher’s: A life’s work kept alive

    2021 The Devil Strip
    • About Us
      • Meet Our Team
      • Our donors
      • Our policies
    • The Co-op
      • About the Co-op
      • Our Board of Directors
      • Bylaws and Definitions
      • Member Spotlights
    • Arts
      • Books
      • Movies
      • Theatre
    • Community News
      • Housing
      • economic development
        • Small Businesses
      • Public Health
        • COVID-19
      • Equity & Inclusion
    • Culture
      • Civic Engagement
      • Food
      • Local history
      • People
    • Music
    • Columns
    • Black-Owned Businesses
    • Local events
    Type to search or hit ESC to close
    See all results
    Username
    Password
    Remember Me
    Enter username or email
    Cancel