On a mission to improve Baltimore?s communities, a local nonprofit organization has launched photo workshops in 10 neighborhoods to encourage artists and locals to use art as an expression of what they love about the city and what needs to be changed.
“We?re trying to set up a model for communities to empower themselves and get excited about change,” said Beth Barbush, community outreach program coordinator for Art on Purpose.
The project, Real City Dream City, will take place in four phases. The first phase involves artists hosting photography workshops through the end of June for children and adults in 10 neighborhoods.
During the workshops, residents take photographs to show their neighborhood?s positive and negative qualities. The artwork will then be narrowed down to 20 images for each neighborhood and displayed in a series of exhibits over the next three weeks.
Peter Bruun, artist director for Art on Purpose, said participants were encouraged to take pictures that represent their community and illustrate possible improvements.
At each of the upcoming exhibitions, attendees can view the photographs and vote for two of the best images to be made into postcards. Bruun said that in order to be chosen as a postcard, “the photograph has to be powerful, compelling and represent the neighborhood as it is or symbolize something they want changed.”
The first exhibit is tonight at The Marian House Courtyard and features the Waverly community. Janine D?Adamo, the artist who leads the photo workshop, said it features the work of Waverly residents and people can come to vote on issues the postcards should represent.
Bruun said Art on Purpose and its partners, the Neighborhood Design Center, TheSafe and Sound Campaign, Parks & People Foundation and the Baltimore Museum of Art, hope to have the postcards completed by the end of the summer to kick off Phase 3 of the project.
Real City Dream City Waverly Exhibit
Marian House Courtyard
949 Gorsuch Ave.
Today, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Free
410-366-2437
www.artonpurpose.org
