The National Museum of Psychology is just one of several really cool cultural institutions on the University of Akron campus. Our cultural partners on campus include the Hower House Museum, UA Archival Services, the Dr. Shirla R. McClain Gallery of Akron Black History and Culture, the Emily Davis Gallery at the Myers School of Art, and EJ Thomas Performing Arts Hall .
With UA’s Weeks of Welcome program coming up for new and returning students we wanted to let UA students know about all the awesome cultural opportunities right here on campus. So we sent out two of our students – Rose Stull (an undergraduate student completing the CCHP Museums & Archives Certificate program and majoring in History) and Tori Demming (a graduate student in the Counseling program) on an adventure around campus to check out some #UACulture.
This arrow points to cool things!
The NATIONAL Museum of Psychology is right here in Akron! The NMP is part of the Cummings Center for the History of Psychology which has been on campus since 1965.
And just down the street is the very cool Hower House Museum. It is a historic home that was built in 1871 by John Henry Hower, a leading Akron industrialist. The floor plan of this beautiful Second Empire Italianate style home is unique and based on the “Akron Plan.” What’s the Akron Plan? Go to Hower House and find out!
The University of Akron’s Archival Services Department is located in the Polsky Building. Enter at High Street and take the elevator down to the lower level for a some Akron-based history. Archival Services collects, preserves, and provides access to primary and secondary source materials that document the history of The University of Akron and the region. They have so much amazing stuff in their collection including an awesome collection of over 20,000 photographs from the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company!
The Dr. Shirla R. McClain Gallery of Akron Black History is named after Akron educator and historian Dr. Shirla R. McClain whose dissertation, “The Contributions of Blacks in Akron: 1825-1975” is available in full-text through the Akron Summit County Public Library. The work of the Gallery remains a collaboration between the community and the University and is located in the Buckingham Building.
If you really want to be inspired head over the the Myers School of Art and check out the Emily Davis Gallery. Their collection includes artworks by alumni, students, faculty and artists who have been on residencies at Myers and exhibitions rotate. It is a beautiful space and worth the walk to Folk Hall.
Live music? Drama? Dance? If you want culture E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall has got it. In spades! The Hall hosts Broadway in Akron and also serves as home to The Akron Symphony Orchestra, Tuesday Musical Association, Children’s Concert Society and Akron Youth Symphony
Visiting all of these incredible cultural institutions on our campus is prize enough but we’re going to sweeten the deal.
- Visit any of these spots between August 26 and September 7.
- Take a selfie and post it to social media tagging the institution and including the hashtag #UACulture.
- Fill out a raffle ticket.
- Visit another spot and do the same thing. And another. And another.
- Wait patiently to see if you won the raffle! The more #UACulture spots you visit the more chances you have to win. The raffle winner will be announced September 10.
Now go out there and get cultured!