Baltimore: Open City

Baltimore: Open City is a project that lays somewhere in the intersection of art exhibition, community awareness program, and social and political statement.

As an art exhibition, it has a gallery open to the public and houses artworks both from local artists and artists from across the country. As a community awareness program, through art, events and gatherings, it seeks to draw the attention of local residents toward social and political aspects of Baltimore's history, present and future. As a social and political statement, it offers a thesis of what an ideal city should be and what cities are often, unfortunately, in practice.

The statement begins, “An open city is a place where everyone feels welcome, regardless of such things as wealth, race, age or religion. In every neighborhood of an open city, one feels like he or she belongs.”

It concludes, “However in Baltimore—as in most American metropolitan areas—issues like housing discrimination, bad public transportation, and the privatization of public space separate people and create an uneven distribution of health, wealth and education.”

This contrast between ideal and reality is what the works and events of Baltimore: Open City seek to highlight. The gallery itself, on North Avenue near Station North Arts district, has a wealth of artwork, both interesting as art objects in themselves and as material that educates; it performs a social function as well as pleases.

Additionally, there is a full calendar of events that occur at the gallery and elsewhere throughout the city. Events include a bus tour of Baltimore neighborhoods in the context of bigotry on April 23; another tour on April 30 will highlight local architecture; and numerous open houses will be held through the project's closing on March 15. The full schedule and calendar of events can be found on Open City's website.

The gallery hours are Wednesdays through Sundays, 2-8 p.m. The gallery is at 16 W. North Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21218.