About The Exchange House
The Exchange House has long been a place for connection, culture, and belonging in the heart of North Hill.
In partnership with the International Institute of Akron, North Hill CDC originally opened the Exchange House as a welcoming space for newly arrived refugees and their families as they transitioned into life in Akron. More than 15 families called the Exchange House home, while its location next to People’s Park placed residents in the heart of one of Akron’s most diverse neighborhoods.
Over the years, the Exchange House has grown into more than a residence. It became a gathering place and cultural hub in the heart of Temple Square. The blue house has become a beacon, a space where neighbors meet, share traditions, celebrate their cultures and build connections across North Hill’s many communities.
Today, the Exchange House is entering a new chapter.
Building on the history of exchange and belonging, the space is evolving into a creative hub for North Hill, dedicated to highlighting the real stories, experiences and expressions of the people who shape our neighborhood. Through a new artist residency program, the Exchange House will create opportunities for local creatives to highlight their work and invite the community into the process.
The purpose at the heart of the Exchange House remains the same: creating a space where North Hill’s many cultures, stories and people can come together.
One Community, Many Cultures.
Help support our North Hill community in Akron.
Meet Our First Artist-in-Residence: Anika Luna Wild
Anika Luna Wild is an artist, herbalist and storyteller who weaves earth, memory and spirit into her creative practice. Working in clay, fiber, collage, botanical art, metal and wood, she explores the intersections of ancestry, ecology and personal mythology.
Guided by a deep relationship with plants and place, Anika creates spaces through workshops, speaking engagements and community-centered art experiences where people can reconnect with creativity as a source of growth and healing.
During her residency, Anika will explore memory, hidden histories and the roots of the North Hill community, inviting residents to help tell the neighborhood's story through quilting, recipes, gardening, scrapbooking, shared meals and visual documentation.
Artist-in-Residence Event Schedule
- Oct. 26, 2026 — ANCESTORS: Listening Room, family photos and stories, Memory Quilt, personal/family altars and memory objects.
- Nov. 29, 2026 — HARVEST: Community meal and recipe gathering, garden reflection, family food traditions and documentary interviews.
- Dec. 7, 2026 — LIGHT: Winter memories and traditions, Table of Objects, object stories and documentary interviews.
- Jan. 25, 2027 — REPAIR: Community mending, Memory Quilt, memory scrapbooking and conversations about repair and resilience.
- Feb. 22, 2027 — LOVE: Stories of love, friendship, family and chosen family, neighborhood appreciation and documentary interviews.
- March 22, 2027 — LEGACY: Complete the Memory Quilt and scrapbooks, finish interviews, organize the archive and prepare the final exhibition.
- April 26, 2027 — GATHERING: Culminating celebration featuring the Listening Room, Table of Objects, Memory Quilt and scrapbooks.
The community is invited to join the above events to be part of the final documentary project. All events take place from 5-7 p.m. at the Exchange House, 760 Elma St. in Akron.
More to Explore in North Hill
NoHi Food Truck Park
People’s Park
