Opens March 1 at Summit Artspace on East Market

A new photography show, which opens March 1 at Summit Artspace on East Market, captures Summit County through the eyes of those who live here, from hobbyists to professionals.
The show, “419 Square Miles of Summit County–Photos of People and Places,” kicks off with a free artist reception on Friday, March 1, from 5 to 8 p.m., in the main gallery at Summit Artspace on East Market, 140 E. Market St., Akron. The exhibit runs until March 30 and is free and open to the public.
The winners of the juried show will be announced at 7 p.m. More than 100 photographs were submitted. The juror for the show is Gary Harwood, a veteran photographer and photography teacher from Kent.
The focus of the exhibit is to highlight life throughout Summit County using portraits, landscapes, interior spaces, nature and street photography submitted by local and regional photographers, both professional and hobby.
Harwood will lead a panel discussion with the photographers on Thursday, March 28, from 7 to 8 p.m. in the main gallery surrounded by the photos. The event is free. Reserve your seat here: https://bit.ly/2TEpOSX
Summit County covers 419 square miles in Northeast Ohio, representing many facets of geography, business, rural and urban venues and diverse people.
The expanse of Summit County will be reflected in photographs that convey emotions, speaking to the people, history and significance of life in the county. At a time when urban and rural areas are sometimes divided, the common, visual narrative found in photography provides an avenue for conversation and mutual appreciation.
Juror Gary Harwood of Kent has worked as a photographer and teacher for more than 30 years. He teaches Visual Storytelling and other photography courses at Kent State University and is also an Artist in Residence with the Ohio Arts Council. He is the co-author of “Tiger Legacy: Stories of Massillon Football” and “Growing Season: The Life of a Migrant Community.”
His work has appeared in the “Communication Arts Photo Annual,” “Graphis Photo Annual,” “The Sun Magazine” and “Double Take/Points of Entry.” He has twice won the James R. Gordon Ohio Understanding Award from the Ohio News Photographers Association’s Pictures of the Year competition. “Tiger Legacy” was selected as one of the ten best photography books for the summer of 2016 by “American Photo Magazine.’’ “Growing Season” won the Carter G. Woodson Honor Award from the National Council for the Social Studies and the Ohioana Book Award from the Ohioana Library Association.
The show image illustrates the people and places of Summit County with the center photograph of the Manchester Dance Ensemble by Harwood and the outdoor photographs of Virginia Kendall Park by Taylor Clapp.
Summit Artspace’s main gallery is open Thursdays and Fridays, noon to 7 p.m., and Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. Additional hours include the March 2 Artwalk, 5 to 9 p.m., and during 3rd Thursday, March 21, 4 to 7 p.m.
Summit Artspace is a non-profit community art center organization that provides studio, exhibit and programming spaces in Summit County and the surrounding area for local artists and arts organizations; and is a center for art education open to all residents. For info, call (330) 376-8480 or visit www.summitartspace.org.