As part of a push to activate Baltimore’s Harborplace pavilions with arts-oriented attractions, MCB Real Estate has filled the space formerly occupied by the Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum with an exhibition called Creatively Black Baltimore (CBB).
It is also providing space for an immersive art installation by Detroit artist Tyree Guyton, the husband of Jenenne Whitfield, former director of the American Visionary Art Museum on Key Highway and now Harborplace’s Director of Art and Culture.
Creatively Black Baltimore will officially open to the public on Saturday, September 28, with a ribbon-cutting event from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the second floor of the Light Street Pavilion at 301 Light Street.
MCB Real Estate, the owner of the pavilions at Pratt and Light streets, announced plans last year to demolish the buildings and replace them with a $500 million mixed-use development, but it needs voter approval in November to move ahead with its project.
Earlier this month, a circuit court judge ruled that the ballot question about the project violates Maryland’s state constitution. The ruling came after 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 filling the pavilions with temporary tenants who can help activate the buildings and draw people to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor waterfront.
The company said in an announcement that the Creatively Black Baltimore exhibit was launched to highlight “the full spectrum of Baltimore’s creative community, from emerging young artists to well-established professionals.”
In addition to MCB Real Estate, the exhibit’s organizers include artist Larry “Poncho” Brown and Baltimore Times publishers Paris Brown and Joy Bramble. Joy Bramble is the mother of P. David Bramble, co-founder and managing partner of MCB Real Estate. Brown will serve as Curator.
“Arts and activation are extremely important to our vision for the future of the waterfront and reimagination of Harborplace,” said P. David Bramble, in a statement. “Art can evoke emotion and bring space to life in a way that connects residents and visitors to our City and our waterfront. I am thrilled to showcase the amazing artists that our City has to offer.”
According to its organizers, Creatively Black Baltimore is the largest pop-up exhibition in the region featuring exclusively Black artists, and it’s intended to draw visitors from Baltimore and beyond.
“Creatively Black Baltimore is more than an exhibition; it’s a movement that celebrates the richness and diversity of Baltimore’s Black artists,” said The Baltimore Times representatives. “We wanted to create a platform where these incredible talents could shine and inspire.”
“This exhibition is continuing to expand Baltimore’s national stage, and I applaud the boldness of Curator Larry Brown to change the game,” said Whitfield, who joined MCB Real Estate earlier this year. “Art in nontraditional spaces is a growing expression that helps us think, heal, and thrive. Artistic expression is having its say, and we are listening.”
“CBB is not to be compared to a museum or gallery show. This is something new and refreshing. We are embarking on a new way of celebrating our craft, our vision, and our contribution to the art world,” Brown added. “I am blown away by the response to this effort. It’s clear that we are on to something.”
A Baltimore native, Brown began his career as a signwriter at 17 and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art. His work, featured in national publications and television shows, has been recognized for its powerful representation of African American culture. He also leads philanthropic initiatives such as Raising the Arts, and he received the 2024 “Best Visual Artist” award from The Baltimore Times.
Guyton and Whitfield have gained international recognition for their efforts to create the Heidelberg Project, an outdoor art environment in Guyton’s childhood neighborhood in Detroit.
Guyton is a Neo-Expressionist artist who addresses urban decay, social injustice, and community empowerment, using found objects to create vibrant, large-scale public art. His work has been featured in museums and exhibitions around the world, earning him recognition as a pioneer in public and environmental art. Guyton has received numerous awards for his artistic contributions, including the Kresge Artist Fellowship; the National Artist Award from the Arts & Culture Alliance, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the City of Detroit.
Guyton’s Baltimore installation, in the lobby of Harborplace’s Pratt Street Pavilion at 201 East Pratt Street, will open to the public on September 28, with an event from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Public viewing hours after that are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
The installation is titled “Let the Record Show,” and it’s crafted from old vinyl LPs. Guyton worked on it in collaboration with three Baltimore-based emerging artists — Innocent Mwaipungu, Alexis Tyson and Maurice McCrimmon.
According to MCB Real Estate, “this complete immersion of the walls of the Pratt Street Lobby serves as a metaphor for the soundtrack of our lives, while the circular display takes us back to the nostalgia of analog sound.”
“I love partnering with other artists, especially those new to the game,” Guyton said in a statement. “Baltimore is a great city, and I am honored to be part of this exciting energy.”
