BmoreArt

Many Baltimoreans are probably aware of Art with a Heart through its Community Art and Service projects. The results are located all around the city, as you can see on this interactive map. Cultivating the power of art to unite people, this branch works with volunteers, organizations, and community members to create murals and mosaics, both of which allow numerous people to work simultaneously on a piece of art, creating a sense of unity and in many cases healing. 

Art with a Heart’s first large scale community mosaic was a memorial for a student at Windsor Mills Elementary Middle school who died after being hit by a car on his bicycle. According to Gatto, “The mosaic was installed on the outside of the school beside a memorial garden the students were creating in his honor. The entire school, administration, and staff worked on the project along with Art with a Heart staff and volunteers.” 

Since that installation in 2010, the organization has created over 300 public art pieces. The process for creating community art begins with a workshop for the employees, who then are involved in the creation of the mosaic. Right now, Gatto says, “Art with a Heart is in the process of creating several large-scale community art projects that are record size for the organization.” One of these is a 13-by-17-foot mosaic which will hang at T. Rowe Price’s headquarters in Harbor Point. This one will include salvaged porcelain along with the other ceramic pieces. 

Another current project is a sculpture for a senior development in Park Heights. Depicting the first Black jockey to win Preakness, George “Spider” Anderson, the installation will honor the 150th running of the Preakness. Due to the large size of the piece, employees and volunteers have been working on the life-size horse and rider in a tented space in the parking garage beneath the Falls Road office. 

The scene inside the make-shift studio is jovial, bright with neon shards and clip lights and banter among the artists as they cement swirls of porcelain onto the sculpture. Gatto and Pupkin marvel at the progress that has been made on the sculpture since their last visit, taking time to chat with the regulars and say hello to new volunteers. Everyone seems buoyed by a spirit of camaraderie and pride in creating something beautiful and enduring. This spirit pervades the entire office and befits an organization whose purpose is to bring people together through artistic expression. 

Community art is not the only offering from Art with a Heart. Another growing part of the organization is HeARTworks, a workforce development program which, according to the website, “provides a collaborative space for youth, ages 14 to 24, to experience a structured work environment while building job readiness and life skills.” In November, 2024 the organization opened a second location in Hampden, which is the home of HeARTworks and its retail store, HeARTwares. The inventory is all created by the program’s participants. 

Like the Community Art and Service branch and HeARTworks, Art of Leadership has the values of creativity, collaboration, and community at its core. Art of Leadership brings together 10th and 11th grade students from both public and independent schools to discuss contemporary issues, cultivate leadership skills, and collaborate on a capstone public art project. According to Gatto, “the cohort of students collectively selects a community partner and then works with stakeholders of the partner organization to co-create a piece of community art.” 

Before Art with a Heart grew into the multi-faceted organization it is today, the model was simple: to provide art lessons to the Baltimore community. Lessons continue to be at the core of Art with a Heart. Many of these are what Gatto calls ‘On the Go’ art classes. Gatto explains, “For our out-of-school time programs, this looks like a tote bag packed with a lesson plan, an example of the project, and an abundance of art materials prepared for the specific project. Each lesson incorporates an educational concept, ranging from art technique and art history to literacy, math, or science.” 

The OST or out-of-school lessons are generally not different from the in-school lessons, but, Gatto continues, “OST programs usually have an hour or an hour and a half of dedicated art time, while in-school programs allow for lessons to be taught over a longer duration. . . In-school programs follow a sequential curriculum whereas OST programs have more flexibility.” For all classes, teachers give a lesson to the group, but they then work with students one-on-one to help make sure they grasp the concepts. 

Since those first four classes Pupkin designed 25 years ago, the program has developed over 600 lesson plans—and, in just the past year, the organization provided 14,000 classes to Baltimore residents in schools, community centers, hospitals, shelters, veteran’s facilities, nursing homes, and more. A great deal has changed for Pupkin, too. Although she continues to support special workshops and events, her role has evolved into more administration and management. In June, she will be passing the role of Executive Director to Megan Gatto. 

It is true that the world we live in today differs in significant ways from the world of twenty-five years ago, but the human need for both art and connection remains constant. The ways in which that need is met have, however, evolved, and one of the reasons Art with a Heart has been so successful is because of its adaptability. “Randi is nimble and adaptable,” Gatto says. 

Pupkin adds, “The core remains the same, but we will always respond to what the community is asking for and what they need.” 

Of course, the tremendous growth of Art with a Heart brings some challenges, most of which are simply figuring out ways to meet the growing demand for their services. Gatto says, “Art with a Heart is lucky to have the challenge of BUSY!…  As the organization’s programs and its impact continue to grow, the team is constantly juggling efforts to work as efficiently and as effectively as possible. We are fortunate to have a dedicated network of volunteers, board members, and college and high school interns who provide the organization with invaluable support in the classroom, completing large-scale projects, and preparing materials for workshops and classes.” 

Indeed, the space inside the Clipper Mill location is abuzz with dozens of the 4000 volunteers, along with interns and employees. Many are adding ceramic pieces to the last part of the mosaic for T. Rowe Price. Another group is cheerfully bantering in an enclosed space in the parking garage where the horse statue is set up, being too large to take inside. 

“Art is a powerful tool to help us process our internal world and both the beauty and challenges that happen externally,” Gatto says.

According to Pupkin, “We live in a ridiculously hopeful zip code. Over the twenty-five years we’ve existed, there has been an ebb and flow.”  She cites the economic crisis of 2008, the pandemic, and the current climate of uncertainty. “You have to have grit to be a good business owner, and we have grit here. We all come with resilience, and we will make sure the community has access to art.”

Art with a Heart celebrates its 25th anniversary on Saturday, March 29th with a night of immersive art experiences, live music, dinner, and dancing at M&T Bank Exchange: 6:30pm to 10:30pm. Tickets are available HERE, and are discounted for seniors.