Collaborative Project: Recognizes an original project in the performing, visual or multi-disciplinary arts illustrating the power of collaboration to advance and support arts and culture in the community.
River in the City
In April 2021, the City of Cuyahoga Falls was awarded a $50,000 National Endowment for the Arts — Our Town grant, which was used to commission internationally renowned artists Peter B. Jones and Stacy Levy to create custom public art on Front Street. The project, titled River in the City, embraces Cuyahoga Falls’ deep and historic connection to the river and brings new cultural perspectives to Downtown Cuyahoga Falls. Project partners include ArtsNow, Collide: Cuyahoga Falls, Curated Storefront, Downtown Cuyahoga Falls Partnership, and the City of Cuyahoga Falls.
“Public art is an economic driver of tourism as it positively impacts the health of communities like ours by elevating and beautifying public spaces,” stated Mayor Don Walters on River in the City.
ArtsNow works to leverage the arts and culture sector in Summit County to support and strengthen the region’s economic and social vibrancy.
Collide: Cuyahoga Falls is a volunteer-run nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing awareness to the unique art and cultural scene of Cuyahoga Falls to, for, and with the community.
Curated Storefront nurtures a thriving cultural ecosystem in and around Akron by fueling artistic innovation, commissioning public art, expanding access to arts education, and stimulating economic growth.
Downtown Cuyahoga Falls Partnership is a community-based nonprofit dedicated to enhancing and promoting historic downtown Cuyahoga Falls and its riverfront as a vibrant destination for residents, visitors, and businesses.
Peter B. Jones and Stacy Levy both installed their works on Front Street in the fall of 2022. In 2001, Peter B. Jones created a bronze-cast sculpture of a Native man portaging a canoe, which is located at the intersection of Merriman Road and North Portage Path in Akron. For Cuyahoga Falls, he created a similar sculpture, titled River Trade, of a Native man navigating the treacherous waters of the Cuyahoga River in a canoe. Stacy Levy is an environmental artist. She created Topo Swales, a green interlude and buffer zone between the Weller Court parking lot and the Cuyahoga River that helps remove contaminants. The piece is a series of swales in the asphalt to make a filtering system that is functional and beautiful.
In addition to the aforementioned partners, River in the City was supported by the following groups and individuals:
Cuyahoga Falls Community Development Department
Cuyahoga Falls Parks and Recreation Department
Cuyahoga Falls Street Department
Grant Consultant Todd Bressi
Cuyahoga Falls City School Art Teacher, Jennifer Schulman and Students
Local Artists: Gum-Dip Theatre, Micah Kraus, Tommy Lehman, Alison Miltner Rich
Logan Marshall and Narrative Digital Media
City of Cuyahoga Falls Public Art Board
City of Cuyahoga Falls Council Members
