Chakaia Booker at Lock 3: Sculpture Naming and Dedication
About this Event
Thursday, October 29, 2026, 1:00 PM
Lock 3 | 200 South Main Street, Akron, Ohio
Join Chakaia Booker in downtown Akron for the naming and dedication of her monumental new sculpture at Lock 3.
The celebration is free and open to everyone. Advance registration is encouraged to help us plan for attendance; walk-ups are welcome.
About the Event
Curated Storefront, the City of Akron, and the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition invite the community to celebrate the arrival of a major new work of public art by Chakaia Booker.
Rising 17 feet near the Main Street entrance of Lock 3, twin petals crafted from stainless steel and recycled Goodyear Racing Eagle tires will frame the pathway through the Cynthia and Landon Knight Hemlock Walk. Positioned in Lock 3 overlooking the Ohio & Erie Canal, the sculpture connects Akron’s past as a manufacturing hub with its present and future as a center for innovation.
The commission marks Akron's first major contemporary outdoor sculpture by a woman artist.
Booker's dedication will also launch a broader celebration of public art in downtown Akron, with Curated Storefront exhibitions highlighting regional artists working in Akron today. Visitors are encouraged to experience the new sculpture, explore art throughout downtown's historic spaces, and learn more about the artists — past and present — who have helped shape Akron's cultural life.
Additional Event:
Artist Talk with Chakaia Booker
Wednesday, October 28 | 6:00 PM
Akron Art Museum | 1 South High Street, Akron
Free and open to the public. Register to attend .
Join Curated Storefront and the Akron Art Museum for an evening with internationally acclaimed artist Chakaia Booker on the eve of the dedication of her new monumental sculpture at Lock 3. Visitors can also experience a work by Booker, courtesy of Curated Storefront, currently on view at the Akron Art Museum.
About Chakaia Booker
For more than four decades, Chakaia Booker has transformed discarded tires and other industrial materials into powerful sculptural forms. Her work is held in more than 40 major collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, National Gallery of Art, and Library of Congress.
Booker also has a longstanding connection to Northeast Ohio, including exhibitions at the Akron Art Museum, Cleveland Institute of Art, and FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art.
About the Commission
The Lock 3 Art Task Force selected Chakaia Booker for the Lock 3 commission, and the City of Akron Public Art Commission approved the proposed sculpture concept.
The work was commissioned by Curated Storefront with support from individual donors and VIA Art Fund, including generous partial support from Maja Kristin through the Women Moving Millions Art Catalyst Fund.
The City of Akron and Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition are providing resources for the sculpture's foundation and installation. Racing tires used to create the sculpture were donated by The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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