Julian Stanczak's "Dual Glare" (1970) complements the orange branding of a Dunkin' Donuts on East Market Street in Akron.
The Akron Art Museum is once again putting iconic works of art where you’d least expect them. WKSU’s Phil de Oliveira reports the museum’s Inside|Out public art event is coming to 40 locations around Akron.
The artwork is meant to highlight its surroundings. For example, a work by outdoor painter William Sommer will be on display at a community park. And a bright orange painting by Julian Stanczak will complement the color scheme of a Dunkin' Donuts. Stanczak lived in Seven Hills and died earlier this year. He was a key figure in the optical art movement of the ‘60s.
Inside|Out coordinator Courtney Cable says the project brings high-quality reproductions to people who wouldn’t normally make a trip to see the originals.
“We realize that not everyone has the opportunity to go to an art museum,” Cable says. “And maybe that’s something they did when they were younger, but we wanted to make sure we were represented out in the community.”
There’s also a high-tech component. At each location, visitors can use a mobile app to access multimedia content about the art.
“You can read more about the artist, and you can read more about the art piece. If you’re looking for the other locations and you don’t have a map, then you can see where the other locations are and go from there,” Cable says.
The artwork will be up from June through October in Ellet, Middlebury, West Akron and Copley Township. This is the third year for the museum’s Inside Out installations.