Akron dedicates 17-foot sculpture made with recycled Goodyear tires at Lock 3

AkronInternationally acclaimed artist Chakaia Booker introduces her sculpture, “Transit” at Lock 3 in downtown Akron. The sculpture was commissioned by Curated Storefront.Megan Becka, special to cleveland.comBy Megan Becka, special to cleveland.comAKRON, Ohio – Community leaders and elected officials gathered Thursday at Lock 3 in downtown Akron to dedicate a 17-foot contemporary sculpture by internationally acclaimed artist Chakaia Booker.The sculpture, titled “Transit,” is made of stainless steel and recycled Goodyear Racing Eagle tires donated by The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.“Transit” is the 17-foot sculpture created by Guggenheim Fellow Chakaia Booker. The sculpture is made of stainless steel and recycled Goodyear Racing Eagle tires donated by The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.Megan Becka, special to cleveland.comThe sculpture is believed to be Akron’s first major contemporary outdoor sculpture created by a woman artist.“To our knowledge, Akron has not previously awarded a major contemporary outdoor sculpture commission to a woman artist at this level ($550,000),” Curated Storefront’s Marketing and Development Director Janet Renner told cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. Akron’s public art works and cultural items have been cataloged in the Akron Public Art Inventory. The online database was created by Art X Love in 2024-25. The Akron Public Art Commission manages the online inventory, which features more than 700 records. Located near the Main Street entrance to Lock 3, “Transit” features two large petals framing a walkway through the Cynthia and Landon Knight Hemlock Walk. The sculpture celebrates Akron’s longstanding ties to the tire industry and its legacy of polymer innovation, Booker said at the event.“Art in public spaces contributes to a downtown that’s active, welcoming, engaging and vibrant,” Mayor Shammas Malik said. “Permanent works of art like this enrich our downtown experience, and they complement all of the city’s infrastructure, our businesses and our public amenities. The addition of this work by an internationally acclaimed artist adds another reason to come downtown to explore the park.”The Lock 3 Art Task Force selected Booker for the project, and the sculpture’s concept was approved by the City of Akron Public Art Commission.For more than four decades, Booker has transformed discarded tires into sculptural works. A 2005 Guggenheim Fellow, she has earned international recognition for her work, which is held in more than 40 major collections, including those of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the National Gallery of Art and the Library of Congress, according to an event news release.The sculpture was commissioned by Curated Storefront, an organization that transforms vacant and underutilized street-level spaces into art displays. Additional project support was provided by The Rick and Alita Rogers Family Foundation, VIA Art Fund, Maja Kristin through the Women Moving Millions Art Catalyst Fund and individual donors. The city of Akron and the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition provided funding and staff resources for the foundation and installation. Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.com’s Rubber City Update, an email newsletter delivered at 5:30 a.m. Wednesdays.Megan Becka is a freelance reporter covering Akron and Summit County news for cleveland.com. Her work covers a wide range of topics that impact county residents including: government, education, healthcare and...