Staff report

Cuyahoga Falls is set to get a splash of color and creativity this summer as high school students team up with Akron-based artist Mac Love to launch a public art initiative aimed at beautifying Portage Trail — and making it safer for pedestrians.

The “Patchwork Pathways” project, approved by the city’s Public Art Board, will add sidewalk murals and utility box wraps at key intersections from Portage Crossing to the east side of Route 8. The work is being led by students in the Cuyahoga Falls City School District through a TeachArtsOhio grant from the Ohio Arts Council.

The student-designed art will be installed at three intersections and wrapped around seven utility boxes, with guidance from teachers Jennifer Schulman, Claire McCarter, Doug Smith, and Love’s public art firm Art x Love. The goal is to enhance the pedestrian experience along the corridor leading to the new 6–12 campus, set to open later this year.

“Many of our students live nearby or walk these streets daily,” said Schulman. “The opportunity to create something beautiful and lasting in their own community is incredibly meaningful.”

Inspired by similar projects across the country, Patchwork Pathways also aims to make the area safer. A 2022 Asphalt Art Safety Study found that sidewalk murals and other creative street treatments led to a 50% drop in crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists.

Love and the students are currently finalizing designs with input from neighbors and city officials, with installation expected to begin later this year. “When this is finished,” Love said, “I think people will naturally slow down — not just their cars, but their minds — and take in the creativity around them.”