AKRON, OH.- The Akron Art Museum will reopen its historic 1899 Building to the public on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, following a $12.5 million transformation that dramatically expands the building’s public space and creates new opportunities for visitors to experience art, learn, create, and gather.
The renovated historic building will be formally named the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Building, recognizing the Foundation’s longstanding investment in the Museum and its future.
Construction began in July 2025 and represents one of the most significant transformations of the Museum’s downtown campus since its 2007 expansion. The project creates 2,152 square feet of gallery space and a 957-square-foot dedicated classroom, along with new space designed for video, digital and time-based art, expanded visitor amenities, new restrooms and a family care room. The transformation also includes the new J.M. Smucker Co. Idea Machine, designed to encourage visitors of all ages to make, experiment and engage with art.
“This transformation allows us to honor an extraordinary piece of Akron’s history while completely rethinking what can happen inside it,” said Jon A. Fiume, John S. Knight Director and CEO of the Akron Art Museum. “We are creating more space for art, more opportunities for learning and creativity, and more ways for people to connect with the Museum. It is an investment not only in this historic building, but in our community and the Museum’s future.”
Originally constructed as Akron’s main post office and opened in 1899, the historic building became home to the Akron Art Museum in 1981. In 2007, the Museum expanded with the opening of the John S. and James L. Knight Building, designed by Viennese architectural firm Coop Himmelb(l)au. The current project reimagines previously underused areas of the 1899 Building while preserving the character of a structure that has been part of downtown Akron for more than 125 years.
The transformation was made possible through the Museum’s Create the Future campaign, with major support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, significant capital funding from the State of Ohio, and generous contributions from foundations, corporations, and individual donors throughout the community.
The project team included Perspectus Architecture, architect; Process Creative Studios, design consultant; Summit Construction, construction manager; and Wade Trim, owner’s representative.
“We are incredibly grateful to the donors, partners, architects, contractors, artists, staff, and community members who helped make this transformation possible,” Fiume said. “This project reflects what can happen when people come together around a shared belief in the importance of art, creativity, and a strong cultural community in Akron.”
New Exhibitions and Experiences
The reopening of the 1899 Building will introduce visitors to several new exhibitions and experiences throughout the transformed spaces.
Idea Machine by CHIAOZZA
The first installation in the J.M. Smucker Co. Idea Machine is created by CHIAOZZA, the collaborative studio of artists Adam Frezza and Terri Chiao. Designed as a space where making and thinking happen simultaneously, Idea Machineinvites visitors to participate, create, and experiment in an environment that evolves through their interaction.
The Surrealist Impulse
Presented in the Tony and Susie Paparella Galleries, The Surrealist Impulse brings together works associated with two influential artistic movements of the early 20th century, Dada and Surrealism, alongside closely related works by Art Brut, or “raw art,” creators working during the same period. Featured artists include Salvador Dal, Joan Mir, Ren Magritte, Paul Delvaux, and Victor Brauner.
Shana Moulton: Meta/Physical Therapy
Presented in the McDowell Family Galleries, Shana Moulton: Meta/Physical Therapy features eight synchronized video projections spanning walls, floors, and shaped theatrical flats. The immersive installation centers on Cynthia, Moulton’s semi-autobiographical alter ego, and explores wellness culture, anxiety, consumerism, and the search for transcendence.
