The BOX Gallery in downtown Akron is hosting a special Members Show in celebration of the Artists of Rubber City’s (AoRC) 40th Anniversary. The exhibit, “40 Years of Artists of Rubber City,” opens May 24 and celebrates the anniversary of the membership-based organization, along with past and present members.
The Members Show is an annual exhibit that displays recent artwork from AoRC members working in a wide range of media.
A meet-the-artists opening reception will take place Friday, May 25, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the BOX Gallery (third floor of Summit Artspace, 140 E. Market St.). A retrospective of AoRC photographs and memorabilia will be on display, and the group will unveil its new logo. The exhibit will be on view through June 30.
The BOX Gallery is open to the public during exhibitions on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m. Admission and parking are free. In addition to its regular hours, the gallery will be open on Saturday, June 2, 5 to 9 p.m., for Akron Artwalk and Thursday, June 21, 4 to 7 p.m. for Third Thursday. AoRC will host a gallery talk from the exhibition’s artists at the Third Thursday event at 6 pm.
In 1978, Artists of Rubber City was founded by a group of University of Akron art students looking for places to display their work and as a way to stay connected. AoRC is a member-based visual art nonprofit with the mission to advocate for contemporary artists and Ohio art. The BOX Gallery is an artist-run gallery owned by the Artists of Rubber City, which opened in October 2009. Gallery exhibition proposals are open to the public and can be acquired at the gallery or at ArtistsofRubberCity.org.