The name “Curated Storefront” might be unfamiliar, but the organization’s art exhibits are all around Akron, from the revitalized storefronts in the heart of downtown to the shipping container art galleries in the Northside District.
Since its beginning in 2016, Curated Storefront has created 106 exhibits in and around Akron featuring the work of 150 artists.
Julian Curet, the group’s development and community engagement director, said Curated Storefront’s mission is to activate “a space that otherwise would be empty and filling it with interesting things and creating a go-to spot” that adds to the city’s cultural landscape.
In the past, Curated Storefront’s team used an internal process to find and select the artists to exhibit. Now, for the first time, the organization is hosting a call for local and regional artists or collectives to submit proposals for installations at Outside the Box.
Located at TrueNorth Akron, Outside the Box consists of two upcycled shipping containers that serve as art galleries and performance areas. The outdoor space is open year-round and features rotating exhibits from local, regional, national and international artists. Curated Storefront will select four artists/collectives to create installations inside one of the shipping containers at Outside the Box. Those chosen will be featured in two 10-week time slots next year, one in the summer and one in the fall.
Curated Storefront began installing work at Outside the Box a few years ago but never had a “formal way of doing that,” said Amber Anderson, collections and project consultant for the organization.
“It’s been kind of loosey goosey. We meet folks or they reach out to us,” she said. “If we want to activate this on a regular basis and also work with the ArtWalk to collaborate to have these spaces open, then we need to do something a bit more formal.”
Anderson continued, “We also wanted to make sure that folks who may not know about us, especially outside of Greater Akron, would learn about us and our organization and have an opportunity to show their work. There aren’t a ton of places in Northeast Ohio that specifically are focused on installation art, which is probably going to be the main focus of what we’ll be showing in these spaces.”
Creating an art installation in a shipping container presents some challenges. For one, there is no electricity in the container. Nothing can be permanently attached to the walls, and space is limited.
Anderson hopes these challenges will inspire applicants to, ahem, think outside the box.
“Folks are going to have to be really creative about understanding the space and how they use the space,” she said. “Sometimes constraints bring about the best creativity, which you think would be the opposite. But sometimes when you’re limited in what you can do, your brain really starts to come up with amazing ideas.”
The summer exhibition will run from June 22 to Aug. 24. The fall exhibition will run from Aug. 26 to Nov. 2. The artists will be responsible for opening, closing and staffing the shipping container. With pop-up markets held throughout the year at TrueNorth and with Northside Marketplace located nearby, Outside the Box is in a prime place for foot traffic.
“This is a great way to engage people while they’re there with these interactive exhibitions that will be there,” said Curet.
The application is open to artists who are at least 18 years old and live in Northeast Ohio. Applicants have until Jan. 31 to submit their proposals. Curated Storefront expects to make a decision by early March. The four artists/collectives selected will each receive a $1,000 stipend to cover any associated expenses.
