In 2022, Summit Artspace received an Arts Resilience Initiative grant from the Ohio Arts Council to restore, document, and expand the Kings and Queens mural, created by Kirk Mangus (1952-2013), in the parking lot. The mural was restored by Mangus’ widow, internationally-acclaimed ceramicist Eva Kwong, and a new initiative led by Alexandria Couch titled Faces of Akron commissioned local artists to create portraits of Akron community members, mirroring the intent behind the original mural.
Mar 15, 2022 Artist Eva Kwong discusses the “Kings and Queens” mural, painted by her late husband Kirk Mangus (1952-2013) and 25 Summit County teens in 2006.
Mar 17, 2022 Artist Alexandria Couch introducing the Faces of Akron Project (all calls for participants have been closed)
Mural History
Virtual
Exhibition
A new community-based mural initiative led by local artist Alexandria Couch, Faces of Akron, pays homage to the 2006 mural by Kirk Mangus titled Kings & Queens, pictured above, located in the Summit Artspace parking lot. Couch selected five artists to create portraits of Akron community members in their own artistic styles. The portraits will be turned into a digital mural.
Mural Restored
