High-quality prints of Akron landmarks, cityscapes, nature scenes and more. The Akron Art Museum is front and center at two events this week -- one in the local spotlight, and the other with a state and perhaps even national focus.
On Friday, the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus holds a daylong symposium on ``Le Corbusier and Oubrerie's Firminy Project'' as an introduction to its new show, Architecture Interruptus, which opens today.
One of the speakers at that symposium, being held at the center on the Ohio State University campus, is Wolf D. Prix, principal at Coop Himmelb(l)au in Vienna, Austria, professor of architecture at the University of Applied Arts, Vienna, and the architect of the AAM's new building.
Prix will participate with fellow panelists Barry Bergdoll, chair of the department of art history and archaeology at Columbia University; Stanislaus von Moos, a professor in the department of art history at the University of Zurich; and moderator Aron Vinegar, an assistant professor in the OSU department of history of art and the Knowlton School of Architecture.
Prix will discuss the completion of the Firminy church more than 45 years after its commission, and someone will mention his involvement with the Akron Art Museum. He might even show slides of the new building.
But even if the museum slides don't materialize in Columbus, images of the museum will most certainly be available at Progress Through Preservation's January meeting, which begins at 6 p.
m. Monday at the Martin University Center, 105 Fir Hill, on the campus of the University of Akron.
AAM director Mitchell Kahan will give an overview of the expansion project that will triple the size of the museum when it reopens July 15.
Kahan has been AAM director since 1986; he is a past president of the Akron Roundtable, the Akron Area Arts Alliance and Ohio's Intermuseum Conservation Association. He is the co-author of a book on the collection of the Akron Art Museum and was honored with the Ohio Museums Association's Distinguished Museum Professional Award for 2003.
In 1981, the Akron Art Museum moved into the renovated 1899 Post Office, an Italian Renaissance Revival building redesigned for its new function by the Cleveland architectural firm of Dalton, Van Dijk, Johnson Partners.
One of the most important aspects of that move, thanks in large part to then-AAM board President John Frank, was the acquisition of extra land around the new museum, a farsighted move that took into account the museum's likely future need for expansion.
Coop Himmelb(l)au was chosen in September 2001 in part because of its reputation as one of the pre-eminent architectural firms in the world and as the winner of the German Architecture Prize in 1999. Kahan also had in mind the firm's reputation as a leader in adaptive reuse of historic buildings.
Kahan has said the new building ``reaches over and embraces the existing building.'' It could be seen that way, or it could be seen, as some suggest, as a Klingon bird of prey uncloaking as it lands in the center of Akron.
Either way, the new building is bound to be a topic of discussion for some time to come.
So all who want to hear what Kahan has to say, then ask him questions about the new building, here's your chance.
The evening includes a cash bar, which opens at 6 p.m.
Dinner is at 6:30, and a brief business meeting is at 7:30 p.m., followed by Kahan's presentation.
Cost of the meal is $35 ($30 for PTP members) and will be collected at the reception table.
Information: Rosemary Reymann at 330-867-8621, Ramona Smith at 330-762-1411, e-mail or go to .
Making cards -- Maryann Mosyjowski of ``MoJo'' Creative Cards, teaches a workshop from 9 a.
m. to 3:30 p.m.
today at the Cuyahoga Valley Art Center, 2131 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls. Cost is $55 ($50 CVAC members).
CVAC is also offering several classes in pastel, watercolor, oil, acrylic, pottery, drawing, painting techniques, portrait and/or figure drawing and children's classes ages 3 to 18. All levels from beginning to advanced are welcome. 330-928-8092.
New poetry mag -- Gallery 324 in the Galleria in downtown Cleveland at East Ninth Street and St. Clair Avenue holds a party to benefit MoonLit Poetry Magazine at 7 tonight. Gallery 324 is showing The Best of NOIS II (Northern Ohio Illustrators Society) curated by George Kocar; and curated by Marcus Bales, Taken by Storm: The Art of Storm Thorgerson, the guy who designed album covers for Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, the Cranberries, Scorpion, Muse, Peter Gabriel, 10cc, etc.
There will be music, light refreshment and a silent auction. 216-252-0519.
McKinley Day -- The William McKinley Presidential Library Museum on McKinley Monument Drive in Canton holds its annual McKinley Day celebration from 9 a.
m. to 5 p.m.
today. Speakers include U.S.
Rep. Ralph Regula (R-Navarre) and Canton Mayor Janet Creighton. The museum will kick off the ``Let's Do It Again'' Penny Campaign with a special ceremony at 10:30 a.
m., recalling the ``pennies of schoolchildren'' collected across the nation in 1901 to build the library and monument. The museum hopes to repeat this successful campaign to raise money for its endowment fund.
McKinley Day will include Civil War re-enactors, special shows in Discover World, an open-hearth cooking demonstration in the Street of Shops (with free samples available), and the opening of the new exhibit I Thee Wed: A History of Bridal Fashion Traditions, with wedding gowns of the past 150 years on display, including a section on William and Ida McKinley's wedding, as well as the McClymonds' wedding they attended at Five Oaks in Massillon and the marriage of Ida's niece to Luther Day. The exhibit will highlight White House weddings.
Wedding cake will be served at 1 p.
m. Admission is half-price for this special celebration of McKinley's birthday. Information: 330-455-7043.
New Words -- The Akron Art Museum holds a free, public afternoon of poetry when it presents its ``New Words 2007'' poetry reading from 2 to 4 p.m. today at the O'Neil House, 1290 W.
Exchange St., Akron. William Greenway, author of nine books of poems and professor of English at Youngstown State University, is this year's featured poet.
Greenway will read selections from his book Ascending Order, named Best Book of Poetry by the Ohioana Library Association in 2004. Greenway has also won the Helen and Laura Krout Memorial Poetry Award, the Larry Levis Editors' Prize from Missouri Review, and an Ohio Arts Council Grant. His poems have appeared in Poetry, American Poetry Review and Southern Review.
His reading will be followed by readings by the finalists in the AAM's ``New Words 2007'' contest. A reception follows with a book signing by Greenway.
``New Words 2007'' is made possible by support from Dr.
John and Libby Jacobs and Mary Adams Fazio. Promotional support is provided by Angle Magazine. 330-376-9185, Ext.
241, or .
Friday -- To submit your nomination to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list. (The Highland Square Theater, anyone?
) Issued annually to raise awareness of historic sites at risk from neglect, deterioration, lack of maintenance, insufficient funds, inappropriate development, demolition and/or insensitive public policy, the list marks its 20th anniversary in 2007.
Since its founding, the endangered list has been one of the nation's most successful tools in the fight to save America's irreplaceable architectural, cultural and natural heritage. The list has brought national focus to 179 significant buildings, sites and landscapes.
At times, the list has generated enough public support to quickly rescue a treasured landmark, or has started a long battle to save an important piece of our history. The ``America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places'' list has been so successful in educating the public about the importance of preserving our nation's history that more than 20 states now publish their own lists of endangered historic places.
Three primary criteria determine the 11 finalists: significance, urgency and potential solutions.
For details, see or call 202-588-6141.
Feb. 2 -- To enter Planned Parenthood of Summit, Portage and Medina Counties' ``Undercover Competition,'' a unique art event in which local graphic designers, agencies and artists compete to design a unique condom package.
This year's theme is ``Get Lucky at the 7th'' and Las Vegas in honor of Undercover's seventh anniversary. The winning condom cover design will win $500; second place wins $250.
Planned Parenthood reproduces the winning artwork on condom packages and other promotional materials for distribution in the three-county area.
The work should appeal to adults ages 18 to 34 and promote a safe-sex message that's consistent with Planned Parenthood's mission of promoting responsible sexual behavior. Two entries per artist. No entry fee.
Artwork should be submitted to Planned Parenthood, 444 W. Exchange St., Akron by 4:30 p.
m. Feb. 2.
For design criteria, go to .
Entries that meet all criteria will be displayed and auctioned at the Undercover Competition party at Posh Nite Club, 1 W. Exchange St.
, Akron, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Feb.
9. Admission: $15 at the door, which includes an appetizer buffet, door prizes, viewing the artwork and voting for the People's Choice Award. Proceeds fund Planned Parenthood's programs and services.
330-535-2674, Ext. 129.
Feb.
23 -- To register for National Arts Advocacy Day, the 2007 National Arts Action Summit, held March 12 and 13 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. To register, go to .
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