Artists Making Progress

05/29/2026

What a night. 🎶💗

So proud of our AMP students, instructors, and families for an incredible recital at the beautiful Chestnut Ridge Park Amphitheater. From soloists to band performances, everyone shined.

These moments are why we do what we do✨

05/28/2026

Can’t get over how proud we are of our young student 👏

05/28/2026

05/28/2026

Folks, we can’t wait to host our second show at Chestnut Ridge Park for two incredible bands after one incredible day of events happening on Kenmore Blvd. See you June 6th from 12-4p beside Buzzbin, then up the road from 5-7p at 1926 19th St SW❤️🎸

05/26/2026

We are exhausted 😴

Not only are we SO ready for our first 2026 recital tomorrow, but it honestly felt so good to spend our Memorial Day organizing this new space, carving out room for new relationships, and dreaming up new opportunities within this very different building.

There’s something really special about being handed a blank canvas - and we can already feel the heart starting to fill these walls🎨🫟

We can’t wait to welcome you all here soon 💛

05/18/2026

AMP Spring & Summer Student Recital Schedule is HERE!

Artists Making Progress hosts seasonal recitals to give our students the opportunity to perform, grow their confidence, and showcase everything they’ve been working so hard on all season long.

Our first recital will take place:
📍 Tuesday, May 26th from 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Outdoors at the Chestnut Ridge Park Amphitheater!

We’re incredibly excited to partner with the Akron Parks Collaborative to bring music back to this beautiful historic amphitheater space right here in Kenmore. Parking is limited, so carpooling is encouraged whenever possible.

Our second recital performance will be:
📍 Saturday, June 6th from approximately 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Outside of Buzzbin during The BLVD BLOCK PARTY hosted by Better Kenmore

We can’t wait to celebrate our students with you all this season 💗

05/17/2026

🚨 We still need a few good humans for The BLVD Block Party on Saturday June 6th 🚨

We’re looking for volunteers to help with:

🎈 Inflatables at the Kids Zone – helping keep the line moving and making sure kids take turns without turning bounce time into total chaos.
📚 Quiet Zone @ the Library – supervising a calm activity space for families who need a little break from the excitement.

Volunteer perks include:
🍔 Free food
👕 Free event t-shirt
🏷️ Free stickers (arguably the most important perk!)

Help us keep the fun fun, the lines orderly-ish, and the quiet zone actually quiet(ish).

Sign up today at betterkenmore.org/events.

05/16/2026

🎤 CALLING ALL YOUTH PERFORMERS 🎤

AMP is proud to host the Youth Stage at The BLVD Block Party in Kenmore on June 6 from 12–5 PM, sponsored by Akron Children’s Hospital! 🎶

Do you sing, rap, dance, DJ, play an instrument, perform spoken word, or have another talent?

We’re looking for performers & groups ages 18 and under of ALL experience levels.

Let’s showcase the next generation of Akron talent. 🔥

05/05/2026

An opportunity for those culinary artists in summit county 🧑‍🍳🍅👨‍🍳

Sell your fresh, locally grown produce directly to the community during the Kenmore First Friday on August 7th from 6pm-9pm. To sign up, send an email to [email protected]. $20 per booth.

As a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening neighborhoods, we’re proud to create spaces where local businesses can thrive and residents can connect.

Fresh food, local flavor, and community connection 🌽🍅

For more details about all of our Kenmore First Fridays, kicking off with The BLVD Block Party, visit betterkenmore.org/events.

11/21/2025

We wanted to share this clip captured by Jim Ballard & company at the Concert for Peace. For those of you who missed our featured artist, Angie Haze's TEDxAkron talk at the Akron Civic Theatre - here's what it sounded like
our featured artist position is a year-long residency that benefits artists already well on their way to realizing a project. AMP fosters them on their journey offering all kinds of support along the way. We've been honored and blessed to have Angie share her project The Story of the Time Thief with us, and allow us to promote her message of Reclamation. I encourage you to give this a moment of your time.

Angie Haze shares her TED Talk on Radical Kindness at the Concert For Peace, an Indivisible Akron event, Sept. 21, 2025 featuring poets, songwriters and spea...