Akron Soul Train

AKRON SOUL TRAIN (AST) AIMS TO BE A NATIONALLY RENOWNED MULTIDISCIPLINARY ART PROGRAM, ATTRACTING DIVERSE ARTISTS AND FOSTERING ARTISTIC EXPRESSION. AS A CATALYST FOR THE ARTS IN NORTHEAST OHIO, WE ARE COMMITTED TO INSPIRING THE MINDS AND LIVES OF ARTISTS AND ENGAGING THE GREATER AKRON COMMUNITY IN THE ARTISTIC JOURNEY. THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATION, WE AIM TO CREATE A THRIVING ARTS ECOSYSTEM THAT ENRICHES THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE OF OUR REGION. IN 2019, AKRON SOUL TRAIN ESTABLISHED A PERMANENT GALLERY SPACE ON SOUTH MAIN STREET IN THE HEART OF AKRON'S DOWNTOWN ARTS DISTRICT. THIS LOCATION PROVIDES THE COMMUNITY WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO VIEW AND PARTICIPATE IN VISUAL ART EXHIBITIONS, PERFORMANCES, AND WORKSHOPS WITH OUR RESIDENT ARTISTS. IT IS ALSO NEAR OTHER AKRON ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON, WHICH IS CONVENIENT FOR COLLABORATIONS. IN 2020, AFTER THE PANDEMIC SHUT DOWN, AKRON SOUL TRAIN OPENED AN INNER GALLERY SPACE, CALLED THE CAPSOUL GALLERY, DEDICATED TO SHOW

AKRON SOUL TRAIN HAS AWARDED 74 ARTISTS WITH PAID RESIDENCIES SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2016 AND HAS SUPPORTED AN ADDITIONAL 16 ARTISTS THROUGH PROJECTS DESIGNED FOR OUR CAPSOUL GALLERY. TO AUGMENT THE VOICE OF THE ARTIST AND TO ENGAGE WITH OUR NON-ARTS COMMUNITY MEMBERS WE ACTIVELY LOOK FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAM OPPORTUNITIES IN ADDITION TO THE 12 ARTIST- LED PROGRAMS WE HOST EACH YEAR FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AST ALSO ACTIVELY PURSUES COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS THAT ALIGN WITH OUR MISSION AND VISION TO CREATE A DESTINATION FOR GREATER AKRON RESIDENTS TO ENGAGE WITH ARTISTS AND PARTICIPATE IN THE ARTISTIC PROCESS. IN 2022 WE BEGAN A PARTNERSHIP WITH AKRON PUBLIC SCHOOLS, COLLEGE, AND CAREER ACADEMIES AS PART OF THEIR NON-PROFIT DISCOVERY EXPERIENCE. THE PURPOSE IS TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT A NONPROFIT'S MISSION, TO BECOME AWARE OF THE NEEDS AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN THEIR COMMUNITY, AND TO EXPLORE THE CAREERS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION THAT SUPPORT THE SUCCESS OF THAT NONPROFITS WORK. ON NOVEMBER 15, 2022, WE WELCOMED A SMALL CLASS OF SIXTH-GRADE MILLER SOUTH STUDENTS AS PART OF THIS COLLABORATION. THE STUDENTS TOURED OUR FACILITIES, INTERACTED WITH THE ART OF EMERGING ARTIST DANIEL TRZCINSKI, AND HAD A ONE-ON-ONE DISCUSSION WITH OUR ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE, DREW IPOLLITI. FROM A DATA CONTEXT HERE ARE SOME NUMBERS THAT WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT. AST HAS SEEN A 33% INCREASE IN ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE APPLICATIONS SINCE WE LAUNCHED OUR 2018 ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS. THE ORGANIZATION HAS SEEN A 30% INCREASE IN TOTAL IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE SINCE 2021, AND WEVE INCREASED THE NUMBER OF BIPOC ATTENDEES BY 9% IN 2022. ADDITIONALLY, WE SEND THE AST ARTISTS POST-RESIDENCY FEEDBACK SURVEYS AT BOTH THE CONCLUSION OF THE RESIDENCY AND 2 YEARS POST-RESIDENCY. THESE ARE ANONYMOUS AND INTEND TO EVALUATE HOW WELL WE HAVE SERVED ARTISTS IN SHORT AND LONG TERMS AND ARE USED AS GUIDEPOSTS FOR ANY CHANGES THAT MAY BE NECESSARY TO MEET ARTIST NEEDS. TESTIMONIALS FROM THESE ANONYMOUS SURVEYS INDICATE THAT OUR PROGRAM IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE. I HAVE RECEIVED MORE EXHIBITION OFFERS IN THE AREA, CONTACT WITH PEOPLE WHO VIEWED THE PRESS REVIEW, THE SALE OF A PIECE IN THE SHOW, NEW INTERACTIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY, AND AN ADDITION TO MY RESUME THAT WILL HELP ME PARTICIPATE IN FUTURE RESIDENCY PROGRAMS NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY. MOST IMPORTANTLY THOUGH, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AND RESOURCES TO TAKE TIME TO CREATE A NEW SERIES OF WORK THAT I FEEL DEFINES MY ARTISTIC EXPRESSION, AND WILL INFORM MUCH OF MY FUTURE WORK. I WAS ABLE TO SHOW A GALLERIST MY WORK WHICH HELPED ME GET A SOLO SHOW. BEFORE AND DURING THE EXHIBITION THERE WAS AMPLE PRESS COVERAGE AS WELL AS OPPORTUNITIES TO SPEAK WITH THE PUBLIC. LONG TERM THESE ARTIFACTS AND EXPERIENCES WILL SERVE ME WELL AS I PURSUE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.