Michael Loderstedt (b.1958)
Lock 2 Portal: The Ship's Carpenter, 2022
Commissioned by Summa Health
Materials: Digitally transposed historical photograph woven on jacquard loom, 4 panels, each 60" x 60"
Location at Summa: Juve Family Behavioral Health Pavilion, second-floor lobby.
About the Art
Michael Loderstedt is an artist with a profound respect for both personal and collective histories. For his commission at Summa Health, Loderstedt sought to bridge the past with the present, exploring Akron’s rich history and its ongoing evolution.
The artwork, Lock 2 Portal: The Ship's Carpenter, is based on an archival photograph of an Ohio Canal depot in downtown Akron, taken around the late 19th century. The image captures a moment along the canal near Water Street, where the ship's carpenter yard once stood. Today, the site is marked by a fragment of the historic canal boat, while the former shipyard and surrounding neighborhood are now occupied by the Children's Hospital. The photograph depicts a solitary figure, presumed to be the ship's carpenter, who may have used the image as a form of advertisement for his trade, performing repairs on canal boats pulled from the water. Loderstedt, who has worked as a small boat builder, finds a personal connection to this figure, enhancing the resonance of the work.
The process of transposing this historic image into a large-scale woven piece required complex planning and collaboration. Loderstedt worked with Summa Health to determine the ideal scale for the space. The artwork’s four panels (each 5 feet square) were woven on a commercial jacquard loom in North Carolina, using digital files created by Loderstedt. The artist adjusted color saturation, composition, and visual impact to create a balance between historical accuracy and futuristic resonance, drawing inspiration from medical imaging techniques such as CAT scans and MRIs. This concept aims to align with the forward-thinking aspirations of Akron’s medical and research community.
In his work, Loderstedt also reflects on the contrast between the handmade and digital fabrication, inviting viewers to consider the relationship between these processes, much like the role of robotics in surgery or the precision of medical imaging. The visible warp and weft of the threads offers a tactile contrast to the digital image, enriching the historical scene with a modern twist.
While the original photograph is important to fully appreciate the artist’s intentions, Loderstedt’s digital weaving introduces a shimmering, almost ethereal quality to the scene. This ghostly effect evokes a sense of Akron’s history, long past yet ever-present in the city's identity.
This piece follows Loderstedt’s earlier work for Summa Health, Y-Bridge (Twilight) (2019), which also utilized a digital photograph translated into a woven tapestry, continuing his exploration of Akron’s historical and visual landscape.
Y-Bridge (Twilight), 2019
Commissioned by Summa Health
Materials: Digital tapestry in cotton, 42” x 60”
Location at Summa Health: Dr. Gary B. and Pamela S. Williams Tower on the Akron Campus (141 N. Forge St.), blue neighborhood, fourth floor, hallway outside patient rooms H4-131 and H4-132.
About the Art
In Y-Bridge (Twilight), Michael Loderstedt captures an iconic view of Akron from an elevated perspective. The image is based on a frame extracted from a video filmed by a camera mounted on the undercarriage of a medical rescue helicopter crossing the Cuyahoga River valley. The view, directed from Cuyahoga Falls toward the Akron skyline, reflects both the significance of the Y-Bridge and the region’s vital medical infrastructure. Loderstedt, renowned for his ability to blend photography with innovative techniques, selected the frame and enhanced it by adjusting the color to evoke the serene pale blues of early morning. His manipulation of the image emphasizes the curvature of the earth, presenting a sweeping aerial view that offers both reassurance and a sense of power.
The artist then sent the resulting digital image to a mill in Henderson, North Carolina, where advanced digital loom technology was used to weave the image, pixel by pixel, into cotton thread. This process transforms the original photograph into a tactile, intricate artwork that merges the digital with the physical. The weaving, while rooted in the tradition of pointillism; where small details, like trees and streams of headlights, emerge only from a distance, invites a deeper look into the layers and textures of the scene. Loderstedt’s intention was to present the photograph in a new way, encouraging viewers to engage with the image from fresh perspectives. At first glance, the work may appear simple, but upon closer inspection, its complexity and the innovative techniques behind its creation become apparent.
Y-Bridge (Twilight) is located in a hallway with a view of the Y-Bridge, adding context and richness to the piece. The work enhances the Summa Health Collection’s representation of Akron, complementing the contributions of other local artists. Through this work, Loderstedt not only pays homage to the Y-Bridge but also invites reflection on the historical significance of the Cuyahoga River and the human ingenuity that allowed Akron to thrive. The bridge itself, built in 1981-82, replaced the North Hill Viaduct, an important structure immortalized in the poem “Under the Viaduct, 1932” by Akron-born poet Rita Dove. Loderstedt’s piece calls attention to both the geographical landmark and its symbolic presence in the poetry and literature that have shaped Akron’s cultural identity.
Lake Ice: Canyon, 2022
Medium: Digital tapestry (cotton), aluminum hanging hardware
Location: Williams Tower, Ground Floor, Registration
Dimensions: 60 inches wide by 40 inches high by 1.5 inches deep
Michael Loderstedt’s Lake Ice: Canyon invites viewers into a quiet, contemplative moment drawn from the natural world. Presented as a large-scale digital tapestry printed on cotton and suspended with aluminum hardware, the work captures the intricate patterns formed across the frozen surface of a lake. Inspired by seasonal transitions, the piece reflects the artist’s interest in how nature records time and change in subtle yet profound ways.
The color palette is stark, composed primarily of black, white, and varying shades of gray. Yet from the center of the image, warmer gray tones begin to emerge, offering a gentle glow that radiates outward. This creates a natural vignette effect, as if the image itself is slowly opening or warming from within. The visual contrast between the outer edges and the softly illuminated center evokes a sense of stillness giving way to movement and coldness slowly yielding to warmth.
In a healthcare environment, Lake Ice: Canyon serves as a quiet reflection on resilience, transition, and renewal. The work encourages a moment of pause, a visual breath, offering comfort through its balanced composition and subtle depth. Loderstedt’s ability to distill complexity into serenity makes this piece a fitting addition to the Summa Health Healing Arts Collection.
About the Artist
Michael Loderstedt is a multifaceted artist whose creative practice spans printmaking, photography, sculpture, artist books, and performance. His work is deeply rooted in community engagement, environmental awareness, and collaboration, reflecting his identity as an artist, activist, urban farmer, sailor, and educator.
Loderstedt has played a significant role in shaping Northeast Ohio’s art scene through his contributions to local and international projects. He has exhibited widely across the U.S. and Europe, participating in residencies in Belgium and Germany, and collaborating with artists and organizations to expand the reach of contemporary printmaking and photography. He has been an integral part of the Print Club of Cleveland, the Cleveland Print Center, and from 2018 to 2022, he operated Photo-Centric, the only Cleveland gallery dedicated to photographic works. His passion for mentorship was evident in his long tenure at Kent State University, where he taught printmaking and photography, led study-abroad programs, and was honored with the Distinguished Scholar Award (2012). In recognition of his contributions, a studio in Kent State’s Center for the Visual Arts was dedicated in his name in 2016.
Originally from the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Loderstedt holds a B.F.A. from East Carolina University and an M.F.A. from Kent State University. His work often explores themes of nature, migration, and human connection, weaving together personal history and broader social narratives.
Where You Can See His Work
Loderstedt’s artwork is included in the permanent collections of the Cleveland Clinic, Progressive Insurance, the Akron Art Museum, and the Cleveland Museum of Art, among others. His self-published artist books document his evolving projects, making his work accessible to a wider audience. Notable recent projects include Apollo (ascendant), created for the Cleveland Print Club’s 100th anniversary, and Bridges that Unite Us, commissioned by the Jewish Family Services of Cleveland.
Loderstedt lives in Cleveland’s North Collinwood neighborhood with his wife, artist Lori Kella, and their son Ethan. His work and insights can be explored further on Instagram at @m_loderstedt.
The Healing Arts at Summa Health