Downtown Wadsworth is going to get one more set of wings, to wrap up its entire series.
Main Street Wadsworth will unveil the 18th and final mural in its Wing Mural Series later this month. The new piece, titled “Sparking Change,” was created by Akron artists Mac and Allyse Love of Art x Love and pays tribute to Wadsworth’s deep roots with the Ohio Match Company and the iconic Blue Tip Match.
The matchstick-inspired wings will be unveiled Friday, Feb. 20 from 11 a.m. to noon at the Downtown Wadsworth Pocket Park (150 Main Street, on the side of Palitto Consulting Services). Everyone is invited to stop by and celebrate.
This mural truly was built match by match. The artists painted it freehand in their downtown Akron studio, carefully layering each blue-tipped match to create the shape of the wings. Mac Love says he lost count somewhere after 100, estimating there could be between 1,000 and 2,500 matches in the finished piece.
It’s a bold nod to the spark that helped build Wadsworth, and a fitting finale to a mural program that’s transformed downtown into a walkable, photo-worthy art destination since launching in 2019.
The project was made possible through generous community support, including mural donors Max and Diane Miller, Premier Sponsor Clampco Products, Inc., and the City of Wadsworth.
