Akron Art Museum reopens historic 1899 building: three new galleries and CHIAOZZA studio’s interactive art

AKRON, Ohio — The Akron Art Museum reopens this month its historic 1899 building, once the city’s post office, after a $12.5 million renovation project that has added over 2,100 square feet (about 195 square meters) of new gallery space to the museum.

The gala preview will be held on September 23 with the “Art Blooms 2026: Color Abounds” event, while on September 24 the doors will open to all with a free community celebration.

At the center of attention is the new “J.M. Smucker Co. Idea Machine” gallery — an immersive two-story-ceiling space where visitors, unlike traditional museum rules, are encouraged to touch and experiment with art. The first installation, “Idea Machine: CHIAOZZA,” comes from Brooklyn studio CHIAOZZA — the husband-and-wife duo Adam Frezza and Terri Chiao — and includes playful colorful sculptures and paintings, among them “Ecstatic Rain Cloud” and giant flowers made of recycled paper. The installation will remain open for nearly two years.

The second new gallery, “MacDowell Gallery,” is a black-box space dedicated to video, digital and time-based art, while the “Tony and Susie Paparella” galleries on the second floor will show more from the museum’s permanent collection. The museum has also opened its first dedicated classroom — a space of 957 square feet (about 89 square meters) for educational programs.

Museum director Jon Fiume stressed that the renovation’s focus has been improving the visitor experience for all ages, making contemporary art more tangible and closer to the public.

Source: Akron Beacon Journal