Editor’s note: Artscape was scheduled to take place Sept. 22-24, but organizers have cancelled all Artscape events on Saturday, Sept. 23, due to Tropical Storm Ophelia. Organizers have not yet announced a decision regarding events on Sunday, Sept. 24. Events for Friday, Sept. 22, are scheduled to go on as planned.
One of the goals of Artscape 2023 is to make improvements in the Station North and Midtown areas that will last long after the festival is over.
An early sign of the effort was a series of murals and art installations that have brightened the Charles Street corridor, including “Portals and Passageways,” a multi-plane mural that local artist Jaz Erenberg and her crew created on the K & J Auto Service property at the southeast corner of Charles and 20th streets, and Ukrainian-American artist Maya Hayuk’s restoration of her mural at 1714 N. Charles St.
A different sort of long-term improvement is the reuse of a large historic building that occupies a key location in the Artscape 2023 footprint: the North Avenue Market on the north side of North Avenue, between Charles Street and Maryland Avenue.
For the festival, the market has been transformed into a temporary home for a diverse mix of artists and arts organizations that wanted a presence at Artscape, including Mobtown Ballroom; StillPointe Theatre; Currency Studio; and Blue Light Junction.
The North Avenue Market opened in 1928 and at one point contained more than 200 vendors and a 22-lane bowling alley. Within the past 15 years, tenants of the 40,000-square-foot building have included Liam Flynn’s Ale House; the Windup Space; Red Emma’s; and a Made in Baltimore outlet. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, however, most of its storefronts have been vacant, and current owners Mike Shecter and Carolyn Frenkil have been seeking a buyer.
The market is currently under contract to a group that includes Timshel Development principal John Renner, who has been working to renovate other buildings in and around the Station North Arts and Entertainment District. Renner’s goal is to make the market a cultural hub for Station North, filling it with artists and arts-related tenants who would be a good fit for the area.
The sale wasn’t finalized in time for this weekend’s festival. But in keeping with Artscape’s theme of making lasting improvements, Shecter and Frenkil worked with the Central Baltimore Partnership to make the building available as a temporary home for local groups that wanted to be part of the event.
Central Baltimore Partnership selected the exhibitors and raised $100,000 to help get the building ready for them. According to Jack Danna, the Central Baltimore Partnership’s director of commercial revitalization, the idea was to activate a block of North Avenue that would otherwise be dormant during Artscape and show the public how the historic market building can be brought back to life and contribute to the arts district. Together, the tenants are being promoted as “the local side of Artscape.”
Danna said the tenants won’t necessarily stay in the market after Artscape is over because many of them already have permanent homes, but there is a chance that at least one of them will lease space there after the building changes hands and help set the tone for others.
According to the Central Baltimore Partnership, here is a list of the “pop-up” artists and organizations that can be visited for free this weekend inside the North Avenue Market.
Nerve Center by TLaloC
Exhibitor: Nerve Center from Elgreen Project, Ficciones Series, by TLaloC.
Entrance: 1915 Maryland Avenue (the former StillPointe Theatre/Korean Senior Center space.)
Times: Friday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Description: Nerve Centeris an immersive multi-sensorial art installation that serves as a portal for architectural landscapes by the artist TLaloC, part of his ongoing initiative called the “Elgreen Project — Ficciones Series.” The exhibition space is a dark gallery full of unidentifiable glowing elements; it’s engulfed in a peculiar sweet scent that aims to transport the viewer to another time and place. More information: https://www.elgreenproject.com/.
Mobtown Ballroom at Artscape
Exhibitor: Mobtown Ballroom at Artscape.
Entrance: 30 W. North Avenue (the former Red Emma’s/North Avenue Market corner space)
Times: Friday 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday noon to 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Description: The Mobtown Ballroom, known for social dancing and other activities, will host The Baltimore Square Dance on Friday night; two performances of Mobtown Rising, a Burlesque and Drag Show, on Saturday night; and a jazz band from New Orleans, Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns, on Sunday. During the day, the pop-up will be open for food, beverages, and free arts activities for the whole family, including vendors with the North Avenue Artist Marketplace.
Mobtown Baltimore recently left its longtime space at 861 Washington Boulevard in Pigtown and has been looking for a new home. The North Avenue Market is one of the locations it is considering, and the events during Artscape will be a good chance to see how the corner location works, said operators Sarah Sullivan and Michael Seguin.
Times on Friday for the Baltimore Square Dance: At 5 p.m., the bar and kitchen open. The dance is from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. $10 tickets here.
Times on Saturday: The bar and kitchen will be open from noon to 3:30 p.m. and from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.. From noon to 3 p.m., there will be free Art Activities for All Ages: Paint with Latoya Peoples and Make Your Own Tie Dye Tote Bag with Artist & Craftsman Supply. Mobtown Rising, the Burlesque and Drag Show, will have showings at 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. $10 tickets here.
Times on Sunday: The bar and kitchen will be open from noon to 3:30 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to close. From noon to 3 p.m., there will be Art Activities for All Ages with Aurora Clothing. Starting at 7 p.m. is the sold-out concert by Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns from New Orleans.
The North Avenue Artist Marketplace
The Mobtown Ballroom space will also be the location for the North Avenue Artist Marketplace, which was originally going to be set up outside the market but is being moved indoors due to the chance of rain.
Entrance: 30 W. North Avenue.
Times: Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Description: The market is a venue for Station North Arts District-based artists and makers selling one-of-a-kind handmade items such as sculptural jewelry from the Baltimore Jewelry Center and hand-sewn pieces from The Heart of Hiroh Arts Label.
The Junction Outpost
Exhibitor: The Junction Outpost.
Entrance: 20 W. North Avenue (the former Liam Flynn’s/Made in Baltimore space).
Times: Friday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Description: Blue Light Junction, La Loupe Design andDear Globehave organized The Junction Outpost, which includes a coffee/refreshment bar, gallery and retail space. The Junction Outpost will offer workshops, a photobooth and a community-engaged collective dyeing and quilting lab.
0520 Cargo
Exhibitor: 0520 Cargo by Currency Studio and Michael Haskins.
Entrance: 18 W. North Avenue (the former Baltimore Print Studios space).
Times: Friday 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Description: Currency Studio presents O520 Cargo, an exhibit of work by multiple artists, curated by Michael Haskins. Artworks will be accompanied by a collection of vinyl records selected by each exhibiting artist, representing “the personal soundtrack that sets the tone for their creative self.” Featured artists are: Adewali Alli, BlissArmyKnife, Erica Lee Page, Gaia, Kid Balloon, Malcolm Majer, Maurice Scarlett, and Noah Emanuel.
Bmore Queer-Scape at Artscape
Exhibitor: Bmore Queer-Scape at Artscape.
Entrance: 12 W. North Avenue (the former Windup Space).
Times: Friday 5 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Description: Queer-Scape at Artscape: Bigger, Longer, Queer-er, Stronger! Founded in May, 2023 byDarius K. McKeiver (Stealya-Manz Blue), Ryan Michael HaaseandAmanda J. Rife, Bmore Queer-Scape is a multidisciplinary, annual, arts festival held in Baltimore City every June in commemoration of LGBTQIA+ Pride month. Bmore Queer-Scape pop-ups such as this one at Artscape provide queer and trans+ Baltimore artists with the opportunity to sell their artwork, craft, and artisan-made pieces and include drag, dance and burlesque performances.
Times on Friday: 5 p. m. to 7 p.m.: Opening Reception; 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.: DJ set by Joe Pipkin: 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.: StillPointe Theatre presents: Get Bent!A gender bent cabaret; 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.: Queer-Scape presents: UNDRESSED, a drag and burlesque show, and 10:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.: DJ Kotic Couture.
Times on Saturday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Queer-MakersMarket (QMM) is an arts fair featuring 20+ majority queer and trans+ visual and performing artists, created for everybody and every body. The Queer Makers Market is a safe space for queer, trans, nonbinary, genderqueer, gender-nonconforming, and intersex folks to share their crafts and build community, a place to mingle with makers and shakers. Family-friendly activities will include face painting, a drag queen story hour, and karaoke. From 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Sunrize with a Z: One Night Only; 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.: StillPointe Theatre presents: Get Bent! A gender-bent cabaret; 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.: Queer-Scape presents UNDRESSED. A Drag King focused drag and burlesque performance, and 10:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.: DJ Joe Pipkin.
Times on Sunday, a day of family friendly events: From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Queer-Makers Market; 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.: The Library is Open: 45 minutes of drag storytelling, designed for children ages 3-8. A drag artist will read two to four children’s books and lead children in craft activities such as making crowns and/or face painting. Through a “fun and fabulous” literary experience, The Library is Open celebrates learning and play, encouraging kids to celebrate gender diversity and all kinds of difference, while building confidence in expressing themselves. From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Sunday Funday Karaoke (for all ages)
B 23: Celebrating Baltimore’s Best Artists of 2023
Exhibit: B 23: Celebrating Baltimore’s Best Artists of 2023
Entrance: 16 W. North Avenue (the former ICA Gallery space).
Times: Friday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday noon to 7 p.m.; Sunday noon to 5 p.m.
Description: This year, Artscape introduces a new indoor exhibition, B23, showcasing the work of 25 talented artists from Baltimore City and the surrounding region. The B23 Exhibition features a diverse range of mediums, including painting, textiles, mixed media, photography, film, video, and animation. The featured artists are in various stages of their careers, reflecting the rich and dynamic artistic landscape of the area.
Opening Reception: Friday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Closing Mixer: Hosted by Mixed Mediums on Sunday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Other examples of efforts to reuse otherwise dormant spaces include:
Garden Party by No Land Beyond
Event: Garden Party by No Land Beyond.
Location: 4 W. North Avenue (the former Y-Not Lot).
Times: Friday 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Description: Garden Party is an outdoor beer and mead garden curated by Baltimore’s First Board Game Bar, No Land Beyond. This shaded outdoor space will serve local craft beer and mead from Charm City Meadworks and Peabody Heights Brewery — including a limited-release Artscape collaboration not available anywhere else. Visitors can grab a pint from the Peabody beer truck, then head over to the outdoor game garden, with bocce, badminton, giant classic games like Jenga and Connect Four, lawn pong, and more. There will also be a food tent featuring local favorites Our Time Kitchen, Glizzy’s Wagyu Dogs, and Soul Smoked.
The Blinkatorium and Color Wheels
Another reuse of existing space is in the 1700 block of North Charles Street, where the Charles Street Garage at 1714 North Charles Street has been transformed to an exhibit area called Scott Pennington’s Blinkatorium and a venue for Color Wheels, a series of roller skate performances by Fluid Movement.
Entrance: 1714 North Charles Street.
Description: Curated by Catherine Borg, The Blinkatorium draws upon Pennington’s background as a furniture and cabinet maker and incorporates programmed lighting technology to create colorfully animated works of art. In Color Wheels, members of Fluid Movement don roller skates for seven-minute interpretive performances that evoke themes of love, family and friendship.
Times for The Blinkatorium: Friday: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Times for Fluid Movement performances: Friday: 6:00, 6:30, 7:00 and 7:30 p.m.; Saturday: noon, 12:30, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30 and 3:00 p.m.; and Sunday: 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30 and 3:00 p.m.
Parkway Theatre
Finally, the Parkway Theater at 5 West North Avenue, shuttered for most of this year, will be open during Artscape to show films. The non-profit group that owns and operates the Parkway, the Maryland Film Festival, paused operations in January while it comes up with a sustainable operating model for a post-COVID era. It is aiming to reopen the theater full time in the spring of 2024, a period that coincides with the film festival’s 25th anniversary.
Artscape 2023 is produced by the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts and the Mayor’s Office for Arts and Culture.
The Central Baltimore Partnership’s initiatives received support from: the William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, creator of the Baker Artist Awards; Beatty Development and Penn Station Partners; Bloomberg Philanthropies; Robert W. Deutsch Foundation; State Senator Antonio L. Hayes; Johns Hopkins University; Maryland Citizens for the Arts, the Maryland Department for Housing and Community Development Community Safety Works; the Maryland State Arts Council; MCB Real Estate; Midtown Community Benefits District; PNC Bank; Mike Shecter, and Baltimore City Councilman Robert Stokes, Sr.
