Category Archives: Public Art

On Wednesday July 6th the youth artists of the mural artist apprenticeship program, Art @ Work: Upton, led a community design presentation where they presented their ideas for murals and mosaics, heard community feedback and shared how they came up with their designs.

This summer, eight teams comprised of a lead artist, an artist intern, and ten youth apprentices enrolled in Youth Works will create public art projects along the Pennsylvania Avenue cultural corridor.

For their design presentations, each team presented a team name, project location, and design inspiration and proposals.

Check out the teams and some of their wonderful mural and mosaic design ideas!

Team 1 – ARTFUL JUSTICE 

Youth Apprentices: Daisia Savage, Daria Young, Ishay Singletary, Qeyara Evans, Larnar Conway, Sam Fissell, Antoine James Maliyah Johnson, Asia Skinner

Master Artist: Gary Mullen

Artist Intern: McKinley Wallace III

Mural Site: 

• Location: 1500 Pennsylvania Ave, Baltimore MD
• Business type: community market, farmers market
• History: “It’s a big deal. This is a historic market, and the improvements are fantastic,” said the mayor. The Avenue Market was originally built in 1951.
• It’s the heart of the Upton, the different colors of the building brings joy to the community.

Design Proposal: 

     

Team 2 – ENVIRONMENTAL EAGLES 

Youth Apprentices: Najae Adams, Parrish Anderson, Martaja Baskerville, Tyrek Brown, Ariel Goldberg, Tykiera Lewis, Tykeria Owens, Malia Pinkney, Shydi Richardson-Griffin, Tailyn Robinson, Chad Taylor, Tionnebray Thompson

Master Artist: Iandry Randriamandroso

Artist Intern: Chauna Krauss

Murals Site: 

• Eutaw-Marshburn Elementary is located at 1624 Eutaw Place.
• Today our the site has 2 functions: an elementary school & a recreation center

Design Proposal:

Team 3 – NO LIMIT 

Youth Apprentices: Katelyn E, Shamarr E, Jaché H, Raquwon R, Cameron H, Marcellus H, Jazmine C, Kennedy T, Lance G

Master Artist: Julie Horton

Artist Intern: Amelia Carrol

Mural Site: Etting Park // 1200 WILSON STREET

Design Proposal:

 

Team 4 – PIECES OF A DREAM…

Youth Apprentices: Justin Price, Moenira Baker, Quincy Burton, Terence Purvis Jr., Noah Howard, Audacious Hopkins, Destinee Williams, Sonarda Glenn, Kierra Ledbetter, Sierra Barns, Danae Bell

Master Artist: Herb Massie

Mosaic Site: 

• 1900 block of Division St.
• Our inspiration as a team was to beautify the neighborhood one house at a time showing hope, peace and that anything can be renewed. We want to take pride in our work and our hope of making new life.

Design Proposal:

   

Team 5 – YOUNG, GIFTED, & BLACK

Youth Apprentices: Daryl Chatman Jr., Ruthvin Elbourne III, Jordan Miller Mack, Dejai Padgett, Sha-Shonna Rogers, Rodregues Ross, Cameron Wiley, Chyna Williams, Jariya Wimbley

Master Artist: Mike Thomas

Artist Intern: Alexis Dixon

Mural/ Mosaic Site: 

• Location: Upton Avenue Market
• Function: community market
• Business type: variety of shops and businesses including chicken places, Chinese food places, healthy smoothie shops, and check cashing places.

Design inspiration:

  

Team 6 – MELANIN 

Youth Apprentices: Asia C, Donna L, Kaliyah D, Rickeira R, Kaiylah P, Malachi P, Deshawn R, Mya D

Master Artist: Ernest Shaw

Artist Intern: Hee Jun Ahn

Mural Site:

• Crazy Mart – 1705 Pennsylvania Ave, Baltimore, MD 21217
• We propose to portray a number of historic African Americans in addition to patrons and residents along the Pennsylvania Avenue corridor.

Design Proposal:

Team 7 – UPTON 12

Youth Apprentices: Asantewa Augustus-El, Antonio Beads Jr, Travon Burton, Katia Crawford, Kayla Harvey, Akia Jones, Leah McCollum, Diamondnae’ Richardson, William Walker

Master Artist: Ignacio Marino Larrique

Artist Interns: Tariq Sabur , Simon Jackson-forsberg

Mural Site:

• Both sides of the storefronts on the 1800 Block of Pennsylvania.
• These stores include: Penn Mart, Cricket – Appliance R US – Mel’s Liquors – Lucky Shop  – Vacant storefronts – Urban Jewelers – Panda Carry Out – Sissy’s Seafood – Lafayette Market – Discount Store
• Design elements  are inspired by the businesses that line the block and by the block itself.

Design Proposal:

Team 8

Youth Apprentices: James Bagley Jr, Corzeck Carlton Jr, Roshay Gaskins, Autumn Huges, Kevin Johnson, Tracy Tafts Jr, Antione Williams , Avery Williams, Arjene Wilson, Kenneth Clemons

Master Artist: Megan Lewis

Mural Site:

• Shake & Bake Family Fun Center on 1601 Pennsylvania Ave, Baltimore, MD 21217
• Local activity venue offering a roller skating rink, 32-lane bowling alley & video game arcade. Plays a large role in the community.

Design Proposal

The projects will be completed by the programs end on Friday July 29th, and the final products can be seen and celebrated by trolley tour that night at Shake & Bake from 6-9pm!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Art @ Work  launched its pilot program in the summer of 2015 by the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The arts in partnership with Jubilee Arts in the neighborhood of Sandtown. It’s a five week program that brings together Baltimore City youth who are enrolled in the YouthWorks program and master teaching artists, to create 8 murals and mosaics throughout a selected neighborhood in Baltimore City. Art @ Work 2016 is taking place in the neighborhood of Upton, running from June 27th-July 29th.

The program not only offers the youth of Baltimore career opportunities and an introduction to employment in the arts, but it also gives participants an opportunity to express themselves through art in a positive environment, while at the same time working to beautify and enhance their community.

Youth participants will work in 8 groups of 10 alongside one professional artists and one intern, to canvas the neighborhood, develop designs, present their design proposals to the public, and bring their design ideas to fruition. The youth apprentices also receive soft skills in workforce development and financial literacy training, as well as leadership development in areas like public speaking, community activism, interview preparation, and resume writing. Thus Art @ Work also aims to help prepare and train participants to enter and flourish in the workforce.

In its inaugural year, Art @ Work employed 80 of Baltimore youths, ages 14-21, and created 9 spectacular murals and mosaics in the neighborhood of Sandtown, under the apprenticeship of the master teaching artists. This year, 8 professional artists have been selected for the Upton program, many of whom are returnees from last summer, as well as some new faces, each Master with their own distinct and exciting artistic style.

Ernest Shaw, one of the Master Teachers from the summer 2015 program in Sandtown, is excited and enthusiastic to come back this summer, and to have the opportunity to participate in such a successful and rewarding program once again.

Shaw’s artwork is a creative endeavor to accurately reflect his upbringing and education in a visual way, and to grapple with the portrayal of African Americans in our society. Much of his art specifically works combat negative images and stereotypes of African people throughout the diaspora. “My mission and purpose is to illustrate the beauty of being an African in America while maintaining truthfulness and authenticity in the process.” A native to West Baltimore, Shaw is an experienced painter and muralist, who’s impressive, expressive, and vibrant works can be seen throughout his home city.

       

Gary Mullen, Mullen, another returning master teacher is an award winning artist who studied graphic design at Morgan State, Mullen refers to his unique panting style as Synthetic Cubism, which he developed through the study of genius artists like Pablo Picasso. Mullen has painted several public murals throughout Baltimore City, which have been praised in The Baltimore Sun and other publications over the years.

Last summer, Mullen greatly enjoyed being able to help the youth of Baltimore grow a deeper appreciation for art, as well as helping them improve their painting skills.

   

Herb Massie another returning Master Teacher and lifelong resident of Baltimore City, is a self-taught community based mosaic artist and sculptor. As director of community engagement for Baltimore Clayworks, and recipient of this years Sue Hess Maryland Arts Advocate of the Year Award, Massie has coordinated, led, and participated in several community art projects in and around the city including, Discovering Community: The History of East Baltimore and The Parkway Community mural, among others.

Best known for his mosiacs and claywork, he is also a seasoned and celebrated teacher in art-making all around Baltimore.

   

Iandry Randriamandroso, a Baltimore resident originally from Madagascar, is a muralist and community artist, specializing in graphic and mixed media art-making which focuses on subjects pertaining to the environment and social issues.

He has worked with Baltimore office of Promotion of the Arts before, both as a Master artist in last years Art @ Work program, and as the selected artist for the Bmore Birds Project, for which he created several large scale public murals depicting the local birds of Maryland.

Randriamandroso works to use art as an educational tool to facilitate inclusive and hands on presentation, and creates works that are accessible to everyone and engage the community.

  

Ignacio Mariño Larrique is Uruguayan a Miami based artist who specializes in murals and symbolism. He engages the community in his art by creating customized holistic art works.

Mariño Larrique has also worked as a painting teacher and a volunteer artist, working to improve cities and public buildings by creating vibrant and intricate murals on their facades.

  

Julie Anne Horton is a visual artist, teacher, and social justice advocate currently living and working in Baltimore. She came to Baltimore to study painting at the Hoffberger School Painting at the Maryland Institute College of Art, where she received her Master of Fine arts Degree

    

Megan Lewis, a professional illustrator, utilizes a variety of mediums in her array of dynamic and colorful artwork. She works to create images that focuses on stories reflecting a critical view of social, historical, and cultural issues. Currently she is living in her hometown of Baltimore and works as a freelance artist.

Another returning Master artist, in the past year Lewis has gained experience teaching and painting murals and learning how to effectively teach art to youth to ensure each participant gets the most benefit possible from the Art @ Work program.

  

Mike Thomas, an artist and teacher Baltimore obtained his BFA and MFA  in art Education at The Maryland Institute College of Art. He has participated in many art exhibits and won several awards over the years

He is a returning Master Teacher for Art @ Work and looks forward to an equally successful and enriching experience with the youth of Baltimore as he experienced last year.

  

This summer, each of the eight teams teams will create public murals and mosaics along the Pennsylvania Avenue cultural corridor at sites including: Shake & Bake Family Fun Center, The Avenue Market, Sissy’s Seafood, Lafayette Market, Crazy Beauty Mart, Etting & Wilson Park, Eutaw Marshburn Elementary School and the 1900 block of Division Street.

On Wednesday July 6th from 6-9pm the youth artists led a community design presentation to present their project ideas at the Shake & Bake Family Fun Center.

We are all eager and excited to see the designs the masters and apprentices come up, and how these projects will materialize over the next several weeks, until the program is completed. On July 29th, the the completion of the program will be celebrated and viewed with trolley tours at Shake & Bake from 6-9pm.