With 13 years under its belt, Kaleidoscope has become a trusted source of inspiration for artists and art collectors, many of whom puzzle over the process of creation. Ten Kaleidoscope artists will answer the call with a series of free demonstrations that begin on Saturday, Dec. 5, mere hours after Friday’s festive opening. 

Kaleidoscope opens this Friday (Dec. 4) with two festive “first” nights in a row, the traditional Meet-the-Artists Reception and Awards from 5-8 p.m., followed by the Akron Art Walk on Saturday evening from 5-9:30.  

The show will close during yet another huge celebration, Akron’s First Night on Dec. 31, where the People’s Choice winner will be announced at 8:30 p.m. on the third floor amid live music and open galleries and studios. Be sure to bring your noisemakers!

The art exhibition was founded by Akron Visual Arts, an umbrella group of four area arts organizations — Artists of Rubber City, Akron Society of Artists, the Women’s Art League and Cuyahoga Valley Art Center — in 2003. Active members are eligible to compete in Kaleidoscope. 

The show has become a prominent and frequently reviewed source of inspiration for Northeast Ohio art aficionados. It is housed in the first-floor gallery of Summit Artspace, 140 E. Market St., which is next door to the Akron Art Museum in the Akron arts district.