Here are videos of the 11 finalists

Through the power of thousands of text votes, there are 11 finalists competing for the Akron Art Prize, the first contest of its kind in Akron.

The competition, sponsored by the Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation, kicked off Sept. 1 at the Downtown Akron Artwalk and more than 135 artists entered. The second and final round of voting will end Oct. 6 with all finalists’ works on display at Summit Artspace (140 E. Market St. corner Market/Summit).

Click through to the story for videos about the final pieces.

Ohio native Ann Hamilton, one of contemporary art’s most influential voices, will talk about and show her work Sept. 27, at 7:30 p.m. at the Stage Door of E.J. Thomas Hall, 198 Hill St., on the campus of The University of Akron.

Free and open to the public, the event is presented by UA’s Mary Schiller Myers Lecture Series. While in Akron, Hamilton will also work closely with students in UA's Myers School of Art and visit the Akron Art Museum. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are not required, but open seating is on a first-come basis. For more information, call the Thomas Hall Ticket Office at (330) 972-7570.

Hamilton is recognized internationally for the sensory surrounds of her large-scale multi-media installations. Using time as process and material, her methods of making serve as an invocation of place, of collective voice, of communities past and of labor present.

Help is urgently needed to sustain a food pantry and a soup kitchen. Christ is the Ministries and East South Street Neighborhood Watch at 379 E South Street Akron is in dire need of assistance. Anything can and will help, whether it is a donation of food, services or just a monetary donation. The food pantry is a joint program sponsored by both and it is run by Kathy Wilkins. To aid the food pantry, you can reach Kathy at 330-375-1623 or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

The Akron Civic will mark the “5th Anniversary of the Akron Hip-hop Showcase” Sept. 2, featuring De La Soul, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Jeru tha Damaja, Special Ed, DJ Mick Boogie, and the 2012 “Akron Hip-hop On-line Talent Search” winner: Ashtabula Ohio’s own Ali tha Prince.

Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show begins promptly at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 and $20. The official Showcase after-party will take place upstairs in the Civic immediately after the concert. After-party tickets must be purchased along with your concert tickets.

This year’s Showcase will feature two of the most cutting-edge and influential Hip-hop groups of all time – De La Soul and Pete Rock & CL Smooth. Ismail Al-Amin, executive director of Keepers of the Art, said, “We are very proud to present De La Soul and Pete Rock & CL Smooth to the city. Neither group has ever played Akron before, but many, many people here have been and continue to be influenced by their music.”

The giant talking snowman that was once a staple of holidays at Chapel Hill Mall will make a triumphant return this winter, this time to Lock 3, thanks to the city of Akron, which will host thousands of ice skaters, sled riders, gift seekers and families this winter at the 9th annual Holidayfest at Lock 3.

“There has been such an outpouring of support for Archie through Facebook that we wanted to reward the enthusiasm of so many moms and dads who want to share him with their own children,” said Dave Lieberth, Akron’s deputy mayor who created the first Holidayfest in 2004. “Archie the Snowman will return as a symbol of winter fun and make new memories for a new generation.”

Archie the Snowman, a familiar sight to those residents who grew up after Chapel Hill Mall opened in 1967, will be re-introduced to Akron Nov. 23 during the city’s annual Holiday Lighting Ceremony, featuring a pyrotechnic and fireworks display in Lock 3 on the day after Thanksgiving.

Looking at the petite, 100-pound, Asian “Black Widow,” one would never assume she could do so much damage when it comes to eating. But don’t judge this book by her cover.

At just 5-foot, 5 inches, Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas has taken the world by storm with her unassuming ability to devour food, landing her as the fourth ranked eater and No. 1 female eater in the world.

She and other top-ranked, major league eaters will be in Akron at Lock 3, Aug. 18 and 19 for the National Hamburger-Eating Championship at the Seventh Annual National Hamburger Festival in Akron.

Akron Film+Pixel announces a full schedule of contests, film screenings and events for late summer and early fall, including animation and science, music scores for a classic horror film and an evening of short films and videogames.

Click through for details about the upcoming events and screenings.

The United Way of Summit County shared its recent successes and fundraising goals at the annual Knight Breakfast earlier in the week.

At the Quaker Station in downtown Akron, Mayor Don Plusquellic introduced the Campaign Report Speaker, Nicholas V. Browning, chair for the 2012 United Way/Red Cross campaign. Browing is the President and CEO of FirstMerit Bank, Akron's region.

Browing said, "last year's campaign raised $11.4 million and this year's goal is $11.61 million, which supports 114 programs."

The WGC Bridgestone Invitational offers a residual benefit to residents: flowers and foliage.

A plant sale will take place tomorrow, from noon to 6 p.m. at Architectural Greenery, 106 N. Main St. Hundreds of plants from the Invitational at Firestone Country Club will be available for residents.