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. 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.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 work is also the city’s first major contemporary outdoor sculpture by a woman artist, Signal Akron reported. Booker revealed the sculpture’s name during a public dedication ceremony at Lock 3. Addressing the crowd, which gave her a standing ovation, she announced: “The title is ‘Transit’ … and I’m so happy we made it.”The unveiling marked the culmination of a project that began taking shape in 2023, when the Lock 3 Art Task Force selected Booker to create a major work for the park. The concept was subsequently approved by the City of Akron Public Art Commission. Curated Storefront, an organisation that brings contemporary art into public spaces, commissioned the sculpture with support from the city, the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition, VIA Art Fund and individual donors, according to Spectrum News 1.
Why discarded tyres became the centrepiece
Booker’s choice of material has a particular significance in Akron, often called the Rubber Capital of the World. Goodyear was established in the city in the late 19th century, and the tyre industry played a major role in shaping its industrial identity. Using the company’s donated racing tyres for a permanent public artwork connects the city’s manufacturing past with its contemporary cultural ambitions.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. The material, she explained, resonates with generations of Akron residents whose families have worked in the local rubber industry.The sculpture is not simply a collection of tyres stacked together. Its two curved forms and carefully arranged rubber pieces give it a distinctive architectural appearance, while the stainless-steel framework provides structural support. Some pieces of rubber also retain small yellow labels bearing the names of the people who made the tyres, offering visitors a subtle reminder of the workers behind the industrial material.Meeker told Signal Akron that the sculpture contained details that people could continue discovering over time. She expressed hope that generations of Akron residents would enjoy the artwork in the years ahead. The overall project was estimated to cost $550,000, Spectrum News 1 reported.
From wearable art to monumental sculptures
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. During the 1990s, she said, her sculptural works grew into larger and more ambitious projects.That evolution is reflected in ‘Transit’, where material associated with vehicles and industrial production becomes a fixed feature of a public park. Rather than being discarded after its original use, the rubber has been incorporated into an artwork intended to remain accessible to visitors.Booker’s work is held in collections at major institutions, including the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her relationship with Northeast Ohio also predates the Akron commission by more than two decades. She held a solo exhibition at the Akron Art Museum in 2000 and exhibited at the Cleveland Institute of Art in 2015, according to Signal Akron.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. Harper also highlighted the significance of commissioning a large public work by a woman artist of colour.
A new landmark for downtown Akron
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. City officials hope Transit will give residents and visitors another reason to explore downtown. Akron Mayor Shammas Malik said the 17-foot installation would add to the experience of visiting a public space intended for everyone.The sculpture’s placement near the canal also links it to the city’s broader efforts to make public art part of its downtown identity. Its scale makes it visible as a landmark, while its recycled materials provide a direct connection to Akron’s industrial heritage.Although the sculpture is made largely from racing tyres, its significance extends beyond the material itself. 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.