PJ Hargraves

Exhibition: Community Garden

November 12 - December 6, 2025

For their residency at Akron Soul Train, PJ Hargraves presents Community Garden, an evolving exhibition focused on community engagement. This dynamic exhibit mirrors the cycles of a garden—growing, disappearing, and reappearing. The interactive centerpiece is the "Akron Ice Cream Sundae," a large clay sculpture that visitors can add to by crafting toppings from clay, fostering collaboration and conversation. This section of the exhibition aims to create a joyful, communal gathering space.

In another section, attendees can take home free small items or purchase affordable pottery and sculptures, which will evolve and change throughout the exhibition as pieces are taken and replaced. A few stand-alone sculptures will serve as stable “trees” in the garden, offering permanence amidst the ongoing changes. Hargraves’ hope is to create a lively, transformative space where the community can actively participate and experience the gallery as a living, ever-changing environment.

PJ Hargraves is a Philadelphia native and the 3D Technician at the Myers School of Art at the University of Akron. With an MFA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, PJ has exhibited nationally and internationally. His work has been featured at the NCECA conference and he was a visiting artist at the Archie Bray Foundation. PJ is passionate about teaching, studio work, and supporting artists in their practice.