Cleveland artist Jason Toth has opened an innovative new studio and gallery space at 78th Street Studios, featuring a unique listening room dubbed "Surrender & Smile" that combines high-end audio with immersive hyper-colored photography installations.

“It's an art lover's and audiophile's dream,” Toth says. “Something happens when you're immersed in sound and color like this, everything external disappears and suddenly you're in a totally relaxed state."

The immersive Surrender & Smile listening roomThe 1,800-square-foot space includes a gallery hall, main exhibition area, and a specially designed 12.5-foot-by-15.5-foot listening room featuring acoustic treatments from Cleveland-based company Audimute. The listening room incorporates Toth's artwork on special made acoustic panels including a three-dimensional feature-wall of “Emerald Eye,” portraying the Tiffany-style stained glass dome of the downtown Heinen's measuring more than 12 feet by 6.5 feet.

“It's more than a gallery for my artwork," Toth explains. "I want it to be a space for community and creative exploration, not just for me, but for the incredibly talented people that call Cleveland home, and I look forward to showcasing that talent in this space."

The studio's opening night on March 21 drew more than 200 visitors who experienced an immersive audio-visual installation in the listening room. "We created a six-minute video using AI-animated versions of my artwork projected onto “Emerald Eye” in such a way that it looked like it was coming through the glass," Toth says. "It was magical."

Looking ahead, Toth plans to make the listening room available for private meditation and music listening sessions. "For me, it's a place of healing," he says. "I think it's as beneficial as yoga or meditation."

This summer he plans to introduce a live-stream concert series from “Surrender & Smile” called, “The Surrender Sessions.” Modeled after NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts, the series will feature local musicians in acoustic sets and live streamed via Toth’s website.

Toth’s new gallery space came together through collaborations with several local businesses. Audimute invested in the listening room's acoustic treatments, while Spaces Consignment in Beachwood provided furniture for the gallery.

"It's magic how all of this came together," Toth says. "It became a real community effort with the help of Audimute, Spaces Consignment, and the countless other businesses, organizations and people that played a role in making all of this possible.”

He adds that he was overwhelmed by the community’s help. “It's extraordinarily validating to receive this level of support and encouragement,” he says. “I thought people were just going to buy my art—not invest in me and my vision like this. I feel a responsibility to make this pursuit something truly special that can be shared."

A centerpiece of the gallery is Toth's four-panel work “THE LAND, of Hope and Dreams,” which incorporates dozens of Cleveland landmarks and architectural elements into a complex collage measuring 80 inches-by-40 inches and printed on sheets of aluminum.

The piece includes photographs in Toth's recognizable hyper-color style taken from unique vantage points, including shots from the roof of the abandoned Rockefeller Building.

"I created this with the idea that the viewer discovers something new every time they look at it," Toth explains.

The studio will be open during 78th Street Studios' Third Fridays events, although Toth says he plans to limit capacity to maintain an intimate atmosphere. He says he also envisions hosting curated events with live acoustic ensembles, chef-prepared meals, and conversations about meaningful topics—noting he welcomes collaborations of all sorts.

"Let's create the reasons to be excited about our futures," he says, explaining that the art community needs to support and uplift each other to thrive.

"I've met so many talented creatives over the past two years, far more talented than I, who don't know how to turn their craft into a living," he explains. "It crushes me when I see that kind of talent not being shared with everybody. That's one of the reasons this space exists—to help showcase these artists as well."

The studio represents a remarkable transformation for Toth, who began his full-time career as an artist just two and a half years ago after an epiphany pulled him from a dark place and showed him that photography was what he was meant to do.

"To think that in the very recent past I was sitting in my backyard, talking to a friend on the phone saying, 'I don't think I'm supposed to be here,'” he recalls. “I was in a bad place, going through a very challenging and unrelenting health crisis, unsure of what was happening to my body, my mind, or my future, I felt lost and painfully alone.”

Renewal of My SpiritIt was a giant willow tree he spotted while standing on the Lake Erie shore at Edgewater Park when and decided to take a photo of it. That photo—today titled “Renewal of My Spirit”—that brought Toth out of that dark place.

"Now, it's like I'm sending out a signal, and the people who respond to that signal are my people,” he says. “I haven't found anybody—they're finding me, and great things are happening as a result.”

The hyper-color style of Toth’s photography also describes his transformation into who he is today as an artist and a vibrant human being.

“There was no light at the end of the tunnel that I could see, I had no idea where my path would lead, and I had no idea life could get so colorful,” he recalls. “I want to say that because someone reading this may really need the reminder. It comes from within, cultivating gratitude."

Jason A. Toth - Studio & Gallery is located at 78th Street Studios, 1300 W. 78th Street, Suite 104A. Visiting hours are during the Third Fridays art walks and private tours available by appointment. You can schedule a visit and purchase Toth's art from his website. 

Keep up with Toth's work and gallery events on his Instagram page.