After months of dust, scaffolding and “pardon our mess” energy, Summit Artspace in downtown Akron is ready to flip the lights back on. The county-owned arts hub at 140 E. Market Street, home to roughly 30 resident artists and five public galleries, has been closed for construction since August 2025. Now, after about $1 million in accessibility and gallery upgrades, the building is slated to welcome visitors again in early March, with new restrooms, upgraded climate control and lighting, and a long-closed marble staircase brought back into circulation to make the galleries easier to navigate.
County and foundation dollars behind the facelift
Summit County picked up most of the construction tab. A council resolution confirms that the Board of Control awarded a contract to Summit Construction Company, LLC, in an amount not to exceed $892,000. Per the Summit County Council resolution 2025-167, the bulk of the work centers on HVAC and electrical upgrades along with new interior finishes, the kind of behind-the-walls improvements that keep the art safe and the visitors comfortable.
Additional capital and program support came from local philanthropies, including the Akron Community Foundation, which lists Summit Artspace among its capital grant recipients, according to the Akron Community Foundation.
What changed inside the landmark
Inside, the galleries have quietly gone through their own transformation. Contractors replaced ceiling tiles, painted gallery ceilings black and installed new overhead and track lighting on the first and second floors, while extending the building’s aging HVAC system to provide better climate control. As reported by Signal Akron, crews also reopened a previously sealed marble staircase and worked to widen circulation routes and sightlines between galleries, making it easier for visitors to move through the space without feeling like they missed a room.
The renovation also adds practical and accessible amenities: new restrooms, a third-floor art-cleanup room and a quiet sensory space equipped with assistive devices, according to reporting from Cleveland.com.
Exhibitions ready for reopening
When the doors unlock, visitors will not be walking into empty halls. Summit Artspace’s winter lineup is set to be waiting. The Betty and Howard Taylor Main Gallery is scheduled to host the 23rd Kaleidoscope juried exhibition, while other galleries will feature a mix of group and solo shows, including “Never Just a Quilt,” “It Is What It Is” by Linda McConaughy and “Confessions of a Comic Book Artist” by Amanda Branham. The full slate is listed by Summit Artspace, and the Cuyahoga Valley Art Center calendar shows Kaleidoscope slated for early March with an awards reception timed to Akron's ArtWalk.
What it means for artists and the public
Organizers expect the upgrades to boost both the working conditions for resident artists and the building’s pull as a neighborhood destination. The Downtown Akron Partnership noted that the space drew roughly 9,000 visitors in the 2025 fiscal year, and Downtown Akron Partnership has highlighted Executive Director Natalie Grieshammer Patrick’s emphasis on how the project benefits local creators.
Admission will remain free, and Summit Artspace plans to resume regular gallery hours on Fridays and Saturdays, with special evening openings lining up with Akron’s ArtWalk, giving downtown one more reason to stay out a little later.
