Today we’d like to introduce you to Mac Love.
Hi Mac, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
My backstory is kind of crazy. I was born in New York City and raised a diehard Cleveland sports fan, I grew up in Brussels, Belgium, studied in Edinburgh, Scotland, and met the girl of my dreams, a native Akronite, while working together in the Empire State Building. We move to Ohio in 2013, bought our house in Akron, and started our business, Art x Love (pronounced “art-by-love”) in 2015.
I have a younger sister and brother, and we grew up in a creative and multicultural environment. For as long as I can remember, I’ve believed in the health of art and the power of creative courage. Professionally, I’ve had the privilege of working on projects for Proctor & Gamble, Marvel, Disney, Bayer, Nike, Pepsi, Nestle, Campari, and more. The responsibility, teamwork, and expertise required to manage multi-million dollar global creative projects inspires and informs the work we do today.
At Art x Love, we develop and lead creative projects that change the way people think, feel, and operate in select environments. Our work has championed and inspired systemic shifts in the way people and communities evaluate, appreciate, and invest in the arts. Our @PLAY project was recently hailed as “one of the best examples of creative community collaboration [people] have ever seen.” And our Akron Stories project was recently recognized by the Ohio House of Representatives for “convincingly demonstrating how very much can be accomplished by a group of conscientious people with clear objectives and firm resolve, [and] with admirable dedication, help[ing] sustain the history of the area.”
I am living my dream in Ohio as a family man and full-time working artist. My wife Allyse and I have two children, Oliver (5) and Gemma (2). We love having convenient access to the parks, and find an abundance of treasure exploring Ohio.
Of all of the places I have lived, worked, and played – none makes me happier than Akron, Ohio. I feel it in the earth, water, air, and history of this place. And every day, I appreciate everything that is brought to life and made brighter and curiouser by the people who live here.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Wow – good question! I’ve always found the challenges I’ve faced to be blessings in disguise. When I was three years old, I contracted epiglottitis and would have died were it not for an emergency tracheotomy. Growing up moving from place to place made it hard to keep friends, but also taught me how to make the most of the time I had with people. And then for various reasons, I’ve had to deal with bullies, liars, racists, the privileged, and the powerful.
I’ve been employed since I was 11 years old. As a kid, I did portraits and illustrations. I’ve been a dishwasher, deli boy, busboy, sous-chef, bartender, waiter, librarian, tech assistant, firefighter, teacher, revolutionary, artist, illustrator, muralist, copywriter, salesman, strategist, entrepreneur, and business owner. Every job presented its own unique set of challenges, and they all made me stronger as a person and professional.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Allyse and I founded Art x Love as a for-profit creative agency that specializes in public art and creative community projects. Since 2017 we’ve produced hundreds of murals and placemaking transformations, hiring more than 300 local artists to work in collaboration with thousands of residents on public art projects across Northeast Ohio. We’re nationally recognized our equity-driven approach to creative community building.
As for what sets us apart – We do not do art for art’s sake. Art x Love strategically produces creative projects that are designed to endure and achieve meaningful impact. We are faster, more experienced, and more self-sufficient than many of our non-profit creative counterparts. Our background handling multinational, multi-million-dollar branding initiatives also provides us with a level of interdisciplinary expertise and management skills that are uncommon among projects like those we lead and handle. We pride ourselves on providing our clients with outstanding returns on their investment.
Our @PLAY Akron project is one of the best examples of what sets us apart, because it dramatically changed the way that Akron invests in parks, recreation spaces, neighborhoods, and the arts. Since completing the project in 2018, Akron has pumped tens of millions of dollars into these areas. @PLAY inspired other cities and organizations to change the way they work, and many still reach out to us to see how they can copy our efforts.
We’re also very proud to be leading the Rubber Worker Statue & Akron Stories project. Honoring and celebrating the people who made Akron the Rubber Capital of the World has been one of the highlights of my career. We’ve interviewed hundreds of rubber workers, captured thousands of stories, and are producing mini-documentary films with family photos and archival film that bring each story to life. It’s an awesome learning experience and priceless resource for future generations.
Lastly, I have to give a shout out to our Akron on Deck playing card project. We came up with the idea at the start of the pandemic as a way to support local artists and businesses. The deck features 54 Akron landmarks with art by 54 local artists. To date, we’ve sold more than 7,000 decks and raised more than $50,000 for local artists and business. Later this year, we’ll be releasing Akron on Deck II. It’s another project we frequently get calls about, because people all over the country want to copy it.
To sum it all up, Art x Love is demonstrating the value, importance, and impact of art as an essential and strategic tool for community building, cultural innovation, and systemic change. We make art work.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
- Frustration is toxic – it can be a great motivator, but you need to be mindful that it does not pollute your actions.
- Imperfection animates life – embrace the shortfalls and failures as opportunities to improve and grow.
- Make it fun – it’s important to document and advertise what you do, but if you’re not really connecting with people, what’s the point?
Pricing:
- Akron on Deck Playing Cards: $15
- Akron Stories Commemorative Brick: $100
- Posters: $35-$100
- Akron Stories Shirts: $35
- Creative Services: $100-$300/hour with reduced rates available as agency of record (annual contracts).
Contact Info:
- Email: contact@artxlove.com
- Website: artxlove.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artxlovellc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ARTxLOVELLC/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/artxlovellc
- Other: akronstories.com, atplayakron.com
Image Credits
Austin Mariasy
