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New Society App Produced by Artist in Residence, Jeremy Jenkins
Artist in Residence Curates Exhibit Downtown and New Mobile App for Society
AKRON – Jeremy Jenkins, Society Artist in Residence, has a new historic art display featured at the Akron METRO's Robert K. Pfaff Transit Center focusing on transportation in Summit County. Using Society collection photographs and maps, Jenkins, an object maker and image whisperer, merged pieces to produce new art. The exhibit will be on display through the end of this month.
Since late 2020, Jenkins has been working with the Society to produce a new mobile app to assist guests on the property to learn more about the structures, Society artifacts and programs. This work has become even more important during the pandemic. Funded in part through grants from the Charles E. & Mabel M. Ritchie Memorial Foundation and Summit County CARES distributed through the Akron Community Foundation, the app is available as a free download through the App Store or Google Play for IPhones or Android devices.
In recognition of Native American Heritage Month, the new app splash page features the Portage Path terminus statue by artist Peter Jones overlaid with the historic map of the trail. Mr. Jones, a potter and sculptor (Seneca/Onondaga), was in Akron in October for North American First People’s Day programs hosted by the Portage Path Collaborative.
Currently, Jenkins is working on a 2022 calendar to emphasize Summit County communities with an online tour and he is open to feedback and suggestions on communities to feature via. Email - art@summithistory.org.
Besides maps of the Society properties and highlights of the Perkins Stone Mansion and John Brown House, mobile tours are available of Ohio Historical Markers in Summit County select historic cemeteries. Updates to historical locations and places of interest will be added to the app in the future.
Jenkins’ work for the Society has been featured by ArtsNow and the Akron Cultural Plan (see AkronCulturalPlan.com) along with artwork on the grounds of the Perkins Stone Mansion where his panels on local African American firsts were featured for Juneteenth programming this year.