Internationally acclaimed sculptor Chakaia Booker unveiled her 17-foot-tall sculpture, titled ‘Transit’, at Lock 3 park on October 29, 2026, turning recycled automotive material into a landmark in the heart of the city, according to local news outlet Signal Akron. Discarded racing tyres that once belonged to Goodyear have found a second life as a towering public artwork in Akron, Ohio, a city known for its long association with the rubber industry.
Booker revealed the sculpture’s name during a public dedication ceremony at Lock 3. Heather Meeker, executive director of Curated Storefront, told Spectrum News 1 that Booker’s use of recycled tyres made her an especially appropriate choice for the project. Dara Harper, a former member of the Lock 3 Art Task Force, said Booker’s established use of tyres was an important factor in the selection process. The sculpture arrives as Lock 3 continues to develop as a public gathering place. The park reopened in December 2024 after extensive renovations, a $17 million project that included a new performance pavilion, expanded green space and an accessible, winding path, Signal Akron reported. Akron Mayor Shammas Malik said the 17-foot installation would add to the experience of visiting a public space intended for everyone.
The work is also the city’s first major contemporary outdoor sculpture by a woman artist, Signal Akron reported. Addressing the crowd, which gave her a standing ovation, she announced: “The title is ‘Transit’ … and I’m so happy we made it.
During the 1990s, she said, her sculptural works grew into larger and more ambitious projects. Made primarily from donated Goodyear Eagle F1 racing tyres and stainless steel, the sculpture comprises two large, crescent-shaped structures covered with rectangular pieces of rubber arranged in an overlapping, shingle-like pattern. Positioned in a grassy area near South Main Street, the installation overlooks the Ohio & Erie Canal and forms part of Akron’s expanding public art landscape. The material, she explained, resonates with generations of Akron residents whose families have worked in the local rubber industry. For Booker, ‘Transit’ represents another chapter in a practice spanning more than four decades. The artist, who was born in New Jersey and lives in New York City, has repeatedly used discarded tyres to create sculptural forms that challenge conventional ideas about waste, texture and artistic materials. Speaking to Signal Akron, Booker traced her introduction to tyres to the 1980s, when she encountered burnt tyres and scraps left behind by car fires. She initially began incorporating the material into wearable art before moving towards sculpture. Harper also highlighted the significance of commissioning a large public work by a woman artist of colour. City officials hope Transit will give residents and visitors another reason to explore downtown. its significance extends beyond the material itself Although the sculpture is made largely from racing tyres. It brings together manufacturing history, the labour behind an industrial product and a contemporary artist’s long-running interest in transforming discarded objects into large-scale art.