Before it closed several years ago, a Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum was the largest single tenant at Harborplace, occupying 12,000 square feet of space on the second level of the Light Street Pavilion at 301 Light St.
As of Sept. 28, that distinction belongs to “Creatively Black Baltimore,” a temporary art exhibition that has taken over the Ripley’s footprint, including its “Odditorium” and multiple galleries.
More than 150 people, including dozens of artists, gathered last Saturday for the grand opening of the space, which will be open to public view at least until the end of the year and possibly longer.
What they found was an art installation that organizers describe as “the largest regional exhibition of Black art.”
The exhibit features more than 400 works of art by 80 different artists, ranging in age from 17 to 80. Participants were recruited over the last five months. Admission is free, and all of the work on view is for sale, at prices ranging from $200 to $17,000. The entire collection is valued at close to $1 million.
The exhibit was organized by Baltimore Times publishers Paris Brown and Joy Bramble, with Larry “Poncho” Brown as the curator. The space is provided by MCB Real Estate, which owns the Harborplace pavilions at Pratt and Light streets. Joy Bramble is the mother of P. David Bramble, co-founder and managing partner of MCB Real Estate.
The idea, the organizers say, was to present a diverse cross-section of talent from emerging, mid-career and established creators.
“The only requirement for participation was that artists reside in or have worked in Baltimore; all other limitations were removed,” states a sign in the exhibit. “Emphasizing participation and engagement, the exhibition eliminated the jury process, allowing artists to submit their work regardless of experience level. The exhibition does not adhere to the traditional rules of museums or galleries but allows for full expression of the artists. Some participants are professionals while others are exploring their artistic paths. Our goal is to provide a venue where all can be seen together in a pop-up environment.”
The goal was to show the wide range of artistic talent in Baltimore, the organizers say.
“Our mission here is to nurture and uplift Baltimore’s African American art scene,” their exhibition statement notes. “Visitors are often surprised to discover the abundance of African American talent in the city. We hope you are as amazed as we were when assembling this unprecedented exhibition.”
Temporary tenants
MCB Real Estate announced plans last year to demolish the pavilions and replace them with a $500 million mixed-use development, but it needs voter approval in November to move ahead with its project.
Last month, an Anne Arundel County-based judge ruled that a city ballot question that would enable the project to move forward violates Maryland’s Constitution. The ruling came after the ballots were already printed, but whether those results will be nullified depends on an appeal to the Maryland Supreme Court.
In the meantime, MCB Real Estate has been leasing space in the pavilions to temporary tenants who can help activate them and draw people to the waterfront. It recently hired Jenenne Whitfield, former director of the American Visionary Art Museum on Key Highway, to be Harborplace’s Director of Art and Culture and help introduce arts-related programming and tenants. Creatively Black Baltimore is the largest arts-related tenant so far.
During the ribbon-cutting ceremony last week, the organizers asked any artist who has one or more works in the exhibit to gather behind the ribbon. More than 30 did so.
The exhibition will be open Friday to Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and by appointment.
Valuable exposure
Brown, the curator, said many art organizations and galleries employ a jury process that tends to restrict which artists can be considered for an exhibition, but the organizers of Creatively Black Baltimore didn’t want to put up barriers.
“There were no guidelines,” he said. “If you were an emerging artist, an aspiring artist, a mid-career artist or an established artist, you were invited. Right now, because of the vigorous jury processes in Baltimore, many artists have given up on submitting [their work]. Now there are at least three generations of artists in Baltimore that are looking for opportunities. So with this, we tried to make sure we bridged the divide between those three generations.”
“Isn’t this fantastic?” Whitfield asked the crowd at the opening. “I think Baltimore is really on to something with this exhibition.”
Local artists at the opening said it’s an impressive collection and they hope people come to see it and buy art.
“We sometimes don’t realize the talent and creativity that we have here,” said Alma Roberts, an artist who serves on Baltimore’s Public Art Commission and has two works in the exhibit. “To bring all of these works together is quite an undertaking. It gives me so much hope. Schools should be coming here by the busload, because art is a unifying force. It brings us together.”
Schroeder Cherry, a 2024 Baker Artist Award finalist who has three works in the exhibit, said its layout, a holdover from Ripley’s tenancy, reminds him of an amusement park. “It’s like a labyrinth,” he said. “It keeps unfolding.”
Cherry said the exhibit provides valuable exposure for local artists, and he predicts it will be a popular place to take selfies.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for artists in this community,” he said. “There aren’t many places where you are going to see this range of work. It makes a great statement.”
