BALTIMORE, Md. — North Avenue rarely gets such a facelift, but with Artscape approaching at week’s end, you will find artists hard at work throughout the area.
“It’s such a huge event both for people in Baltimore, but also for people coming in the city,” said Caroline Lampinen, a local muralist, “and seeing the great parts of the city and everything that’s happening right now I think is an example of how great it is too like North Ave right now is just covered in so much art.”
Re-imagining the streetscape in the Station North Arts District isn’t just a mission of love, it’s represents real paid work for local artists.
Of well over a million dollars in public and private grant money being devoted to dressing up the area, the Central Baltimore Partnership has funneled its share to the area of North Avenue and Charles Street.
“These artists, these folks, these residents have a place to come to Artscape that really is kind of barrier-free,” said Jack Danna, the partnership’s commercial revitalization director, “There’s no charge to these artists. All the artists that have remade these spaces with Tonya Miller of the Mayor’s Office of Arts & Culture are locally-based.”
And along with the national headliners providing entertainment and the fleet of vendors serving up Baltimore’s best food, it is a celebration that highlights some of the charm that’s been missing from Charm City.
“It exposes Baltimore in a positive light. It’s putting Baltimore back on the maps, because we have been absent for four years,” said BOPA Events Director Carlos-deShawn Brown, “If you’re not into fine arts, there’s performing arts. There’s a fashion show. There’s good food here. There’s something for any kind of art lover that you are is here at Artscape.”
