Sylvia Sykes: The Book of 3:30 and Footprints Fundraiser Opening

Support Akron Soul Train and acquire a unique artwork from “Footprints”

Akron Soul Train invites you to “Footprints,” an exhibition and fundraiser. Enjoy art prints that can be purchased to support the mission of Akron Soul Train: to provide local artists with funds, resources, and visibility in the Akron community. All printed artworks are 12” x 12” or a “foot” by a “foot.” This event showcases several styles of print including silkscreen, lithography, etching, photography, and more. Popular participating regional artists include Lisa Schonberg, Care Hanson, Liz Maugans, Jeanetta Ho, Meryl Engler, Ape Bleakney, Rubber City Prints resident artist Melih Meric, and many more.

All works will be sold off the wall for the show run at $100 for non-members and $80 for members. Artists retain 50% of all sales and the other 50% benefits programming at Akron Soul Train.

Visit the Akron Soul Train Gallery between September 20 - October 28, enjoy the show, find a print that fits your style, and walk off with a “Footprint” that contributes to Akron’s art community and the decor of your home! An opening celebration will be held on Friday, September 22, 2023, from 5:00 - 7:30 pm and will feature DJ Benny Lava from Akron Recording Company.

Painter Sylvia Sykes Presents Her Collection “The Book of Akron 3:30”

Sylvia Sykes is a portrait and figurative painter whose work focuses on themes of identity and shifting focus from technology and devices back to people. As a biracial artist, she explores the centralities of belonging by concentrating on women and minority subjects. This is intended to not only strengthen her own connection to these groups but to heal previous feelings of isolation from them. Sykes’ residency work, The Book of Akron 3:30, reframes Biblical stories and presents them through a contemporary lens. Her reinterpretations present modern-day characters in recognizable Akron settings which creates more relatability and explores how an overall message can still be relevant today.

“My mission with this body of work is to encourage viewers to find value in religious storytelling and myths still. While religion has been historically used as a weapon, I think our society has lost something essential by moving so far away from it. I myself do not identify as a devout follower of any major religion, but I think there is vital truth to be found in the Bible as well as other holy texts.” - Sylvia Sykes

An opening reception for Sylvia Sykes’ The Book of Akron 3:30 will be held at Akron Soul Train Gallery on Friday, September 22, from 5:00 - 7:30 pm. The exhibit is free and open to the public, from September 20 - October 28, 2023.

About the artist Sylvia Sykes:

Sylvia Sykes is a portrait artist from Akron, OH. Sylvia works in acrylic, oil and digital mediums and tends to focus on the African-American community, and women subjects in both caricature and realistic styles. She attended performing arts school for five years and then obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Sociology from the University of Akron. These studies continue to influence and inspire the interpersonal, social, and community themes in her work. Sykes believes in the therapeutic use of color and tends to use bright hues and bold outlines in her pieces.