BmoreArt

This week’s news includes: Graham Projects gets a home in Station North, the inaugural Scout Art Fair at Artscape 2025, Baltimore Center Stage news, Asia North and AVAM’s Kinetic Sculpture Race return for 2025, Kennedy Center cancels Pride celebration, Tavish Forsyth’s bare backlash, Artscape Urban Oasis Mural Project, Carlos Raba closes Nana, and ‘zines at AVAM — with reporting from Baltimore Magazine, Baltimore Fishbowl, The Baltimore Banner, and other local and independent news sources.

Header Image: Trenton Art Garage

Graham Projects Expands with New Headquarters in Station North’s Revitalized Mixed-Use Space: Trenton Art Garage
Press Release :: April 29

Graham Projects, a leader in participatory public art and creative placemaking, is proud to announce the opening of its new headquarters at the Trenton Art Garage, a once-abandoned warehouse transformed into a dynamic hub of affordable artist workspace and workforce housing. The newly redeveloped site, located at 101 E Trenton Street, sits in the heart of the Station North Arts District and represents a model for community-driven adaptive reuse. A ribbon cutting ceremony is planned for April 29 at 11 a.m.

The Trenton Art Garage is a collaborative effort between Graham Projects, Central Baltimore Partnership (CBP), the Neighborhood Impact Investment Fund (NIIF), and developer/architect Tamir Ezzat of ddbWorkshop. Acquired in 2021 for $250,000, the historic three-story building that sat vacant for decades—formerly a horse stable and auto upholstery factory—has undergone nearly $1 million in renovations. The result: a mixed-use space with eight workforce housing units and a ground-floor commercial studio that will house Graham Projects’ new headquarters. The upper floors include a balanced mix of one-bedroom and studio apartments, all priced below 80% of the Area Median Income to support tenant diversity. Construction began August 1, 2024, and completion is expected by May 1, 2025.

As the anchor tenant and co-owner, Graham Coreil-Allen and his team at Graham Projects have wrapped the building with vibrant placemaking features, including a 100-foot mural and the transformation of the adjacent alley into a pedestrian-friendly public space. In collaboration with local residents, Graham Projects is also planning a large-scale traffic calming street mural, planters, a kiosk, bike parking, outdoor seating, and safety improvements—turning a once-neglected alley into an inviting, art-filled urban setting that is ripe for activating experiences that will bring people together all year long.

The project aligns with the Station North Arts District Public Space Plan, helping to reclaim public areas for community use while elevating public art, walkability, and neighborhood pride.

“The Trenton Art Garage opening is one step in the tangible implementation of the Station North Economic Development Roadmap authored by HR&A in partnership with CBP and the Johns Hopkins University in 2023,” said Jack Danna, Director of Commercial Revitalization for Central Baltimore Partnership. If fully realized the roadmap will constitute a total of $350 million in new investment in the Arts District. “Graham Projects is doubling down on Station North, not just by moving its headquarters here but by taking ownership in a once-forgotten structure and filling it with life, purpose, and possibilities. It’s what we love to see, and why we do what we do.”

“We knew we needed a home base to grow our work,” said Graham Coreil-Allen, founder of Graham Projects. “Thanks to the support of Central Baltimore Partnership and collaborator ddbWorkshop, this vision has become reality—creating not just a workspace for our team, but also much-needed housing and a place for public art to flourish.”

The development team worked closely with the Charles North community and the Greenmount West land use committee to secure zoning relief and community approval, ensuring transparency and neighborhood alignment from day one.

“This project came with no shortage of challenges—that’s a big part of why the building sat vacant for so long,” said Tamir Ezzat of ddbWorkshop. “Working with a historic structure like this meant navigating complex constraints, from preservation requirements to structural limitations. We had to think outside the box to not only make it work for Graham Projects’ headquarters, but to ensure the building could have a sustainable future for the next 100 years. It wasn’t easy, but I believe we’ve achieved something special. We’re incredibly grateful that Graham trusted us to bring his vision to life.”

“This project stands as a beacon of what is possible when artists, developers, and communities come together with a shared vision: to reimagine space for the public good,” added Danna.

The Trenton Art Garage redevelopment was made possible by generous grant support from Central Baltimore Partnership and lending from Neighborhood Impact Investment Fund. The project is approved for CHAP historic tax credits, as well as National Park Service Historic Preservation tax credits. It received support from the Charles North and Greenmount West Communities land use committees for the zoning relief it sought to approve the apartments and ground floor commercial office space.

:: See Also ::

Graham Projects anchors the Trenton Art Garage, a model for community-driven adaptive reuse in Station North
by Ed Gunts
Published April 25 in The Baltimore Banner

Scout, Artscape’s Inaugural Art Fair, Makes Collectible Art Accessible for Festival-Goers
Press Release :: April 28

The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA), in partnership with the City of Baltimore and Mayor Brandon M. Scott’s Downtown RISE Initiative, is proud to announce details of the inaugural Scout Art Fair, taking place May 23–25 during the 2025 Artscape festival. Scout Art Fair is a bold new addition to the 2025 Artscape Festival, conceptualized and curated by celebrated contemporary artist and proud Baltimore native, Derrick Adams, and assistant curator Teri Henderson.

“Artscape continues to be a beacon of creativity and culture in Baltimore — and this year, we’re proud to introduce Scout, a bold new platform celebrating the next generation of artists. With visionary leadership from Derrick Adams, Scout is poised to rival emerging art fairs across the country and further cement Baltimore’s place on the national arts scene.” – Mayor Brandon M. Scott

Housed in the historic War Memorial Building, Scout Art Fair showcases Baltimore’s thriving creative spirit and serves as a platform for artistic excellence. “Scout is a powerful statement about who we are as a city,” says Tonya Miller Hall, Mayor Scott’s Senior Advisory of Arts & Culture. “Curated by the visionary Derrick Adams, Scout elevates Baltimore’s extraordinary visual artists and places them on a national stage. By integrating this fair into Artscape, we’re not only enriching the cultural fabric of the festival — we’re driving tourism, sparking commerce, and creating real economic opportunity for our creative community. Scout is poised to become a premier destination for collectors, curators, and art lovers alike, and we’re proud to launch its inaugural year right here in the heart of Baltimore.”

With artwork priced from $150 to $5,000, the fair welcomes both seasoned collectors and first-time buyers to purchase compelling new work. “The Scout Art Fair allows us to highlight the caliber of our creative community in a whole new way,” says Robyn Murphy, Interim CEO of BOPA. “This groundbreaking initiative will inspire casual art buyers and serious collectors alike to invest in Baltimore artists, drawing attention to their innovative work and reinforcing the city’s reputation as a creative incubator.”

Featuring over 40 renowned and emerging artists from the DMV and beyond, Scout delivers a vibrant mix of original art, live artist talks, curated presentations, and immersive activations — all designed to spark conversation, connection, and cultural innovation. “Baltimore’s creative energy is unmatched, and Scout Art Fair aims to amplify that,” says Adams. “This event is more than an exhibition — it’s a celebration of the city’s dynamic culture and the incredible talent that calls it home.” […]

:: See Also ::

More than 40 artists and galleries will be part of Scout Art Fair at Artscape 2025
by Ed Gunts
Published April 29 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Months after Trump administration’s anti-DEI orders, Baltimore Center Stage continues to reject federal funding
by Marcus Dieterle
Published April 29 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Excerpt: The day of his second inauguration, President Donald Trump handed down an executive order requiring agencies to end federal funding of so-called “gender ideology.”

Following the president’s edict, the National Endowment for the Arts delivered an ultimatum to arts organizations: cease programs promoting “diversity, equity, and inclusion” and “gender ideology,” or else lose eligibility for federal funding.

At Baltimore Center Stage, leaders and staff saw the order as asking their theater to betray their core values. In a message to its patrons, the theater gave their response to the Trump administration’s question: “no, thank you.”

‘Now we tell our stories.’ Baltimore Center Stage launches Trans History Project
by Aliza Worthington
Published April 28 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Excerpt: Bo Frazier wants people to know that transgender and gender nonconforming people didn’t appear suddenly with the advent of social media.

To dramatize that point, literally and figuratively, they are launching the Trans History Project at Baltimore Center Stage to commission 10 plays written by and about trans and gender nonconforming people.

Frazier began working in the marketing department at BCS when they lived in Chicago, working remotely. Their Center Stage colleagues knew they were also a director and producer, and when Frazier pitched the idea of a trans history project to artistic director Stevie Walker-Webb, he was immediately supportive. Frazier became BCS’s artist-in-residence a year ago to facilitate building the project and applying for grants, all in addition to their role as associate director of marketing and communications.

7th Annual Asia North Exhibition and Festival Showcases Creativity, Diversity, and Talent of Baltimore’s APIMEDA Community
Press Release :: April 25

The Central Baltimore Partnership (CBP) and the Asian Arts & Culture Center (AA&CC) at Towson University are proud to announce the 7^th Annual Asia North Exhibition and Festival, which will offer an array of programming throughout locations in Baltimore’s Station North Arts District, May 2-31. The festival honors the rich history of the Charles North neighborhood, once home to a thriving Koreatown, and celebrates the continued diversity and cultural richness of the area.

In addition to art exhibitions, creative performances and gatherings, walking tours, and food tastings, this year’s festival will feature EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS, a boundary-pushing exhibition guest-curated by Baltimore-based Taiwanese American artist Phaan Howng with Nerissa Paglinauan. The exhibition will highlight the work of 25 APIMEDA (Asian Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and Desi-American) artists for the year 2025. Howng’s exhibition will be Asia North’s most ambitious yet, taking over more than 15,000 square feet of space in the Historic North Avenue Market and Motor House and aiming to challenge preconceptions of AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) art during AAPI Heritage Month. It offers a dynamic exploration of Asian identity through humor, visual appeal, and unconventional artworks.

“I’ve always wanted to challenge the typical, identity-heavy and stereotypical artwork often seen at AAPI Heritage Month exhibitions,” said Phaan Howng. “When invited to be the guest curator for this year’s Asia North exhibition, I was excited to showcase talented Baltimore and DMV artists whose works are fun, visually engaging, and cleverly humorous, pushing against both Western orientalist views and cultural preconceptions within our own communities. I also wanted to highlight Baltimore’s impressive APIMEDA artists and their contributions to the local art scene, which many may not be aware of.”

New this year, the Asia North exhibition footprint will expand to include the activation of two vacant spaces, new multimedia and video artworks, and an ambitious wayfinding program to bring Asia North to the public realm along North Avenue.

ABOUT

Asia North 2025 is co-produced by the Central Baltimore Partnership and the Asian Arts & Culture Center at Towson University.

Asia North 2025 partners and sponsors include Motor House, Currency Studio, The Club Car, Mobtown Ballroom & Café, Baltimore Youth Arts, Maryland State Arts Council, William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, Citizens of Baltimore County, Orange Barrel Media, Johns Hopkins University, Korean Cultural Center Washington DC, TU-BTU Presidential Priority, Community Housing Partners, Barkada Breads, Baltimore Changwon-Sister City Committee, Korean American Foundation – Greater Washington, Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee, Mike Shecter, Neighborhood Housing Services, Neighborhood Design Center, NAAAP Baltimore, OTS Productions, Johns Hopkins Medicine Asian & Pacific Islander Employee Resource Group & Allies, Baltimore Improv Group, and Blue Light Junction.

American Visionary Art Museum Presents Baltimore’s 25th Annual Kinetic Sculpture Race
Press Release :: April 28

On Saturday, May 3, 2025, the American Visionary Art Museum’s fun and frenzied Kinetic Sculpture Race, Powered by PNC, celebrates its 25th year in Baltimore. The festivities will commence, rain or shine!

As of this date, there are a staggering 29 registered teams, with participants ranging from teenagers to octogenarians, echoing the race theme of “Play!” in their design and theme songs as they prepare to travel through 15 miles of downtown Baltimore streets, mud and sand pits at Patterson Park, and the Inner Harbor, vying for honors such as ACE, Best Pit Crew, People’s Choice, Sock Creature of the Universe, and Spirit of the Glorious Founder. The highest honor in the Kinetic Sculpture Race is the Grand Mediocre Champion, awarded to the team that finishes exactly in the middle of the pack.

Sculptor David Hess has entered his vehicle, PLATYPUS (Personal Long-range All-Terrain Yacht Proven UnSafe), in every one of the 25 years of the race. PLATYPUS is a 9-person, 26-foot long, 4000-lb amphibious sculpture constructed from truck, bike, and pontoon boat parts. For Hess the race has become an annual family rite of passage, as both his son Eli, who started at age 4 and is now 30, and his 88-year-old father George have been part of the team in most years. In a recent interview with Simone Ellin of JMore Living, Hess reflects, “It’s kind of a strange realization how long I’ve been doing it, and how my family has gotten involved and stayed involved. Twenty-five years is such a long time, but it’s gone by so quickly. It’s such a huge part of so many people’s lives. We jokingly say it’s the best day of the year.” Read the full interview here.

Four of the 8 Baltimore-area school teams confirmed for this year’s race hail from Jemicy School, which offers its students an official course designed to prepare them for the annual race, led by instructor August DiMucci. The program, called Kinetic Sculpture Race Industrial Design, focuses on developing universally applicable skills through the lens of this unique tradition. Jemicy’s vehicle “Street” and its lone pilot earned 2024’s Golden Flipper Award—usually reserved for “dramatic failure” upon water entry, but was adapted to acknowledge this pilot’s perseverance and maintaining the vehicle’s ACE status despite technical difficulties, according to the Baltimore Kinetic website. The other participating Baltimore-area schools are St. Paul’s School for Boys, The Park School, Friends School of Baltimore and Mount Saint Joseph High School. Back for another year, Duke University will be participating in the race, represented by students from its mechanical engineering department in a vehicle named “Rainbow Road Rage.”

Press passes are required and will be distributed on site at AVAM at the registration table, the day of the race. Please contact our marketing team via [email protected] to register for press credentials.

Kinetic Sculpture Race Approximate Schedule:

8:00 AM • Safety Check & Brake Test
9:30 AM • Opening Ceremonies at AVAM
10:00 AM • LeMans Start of Race on Covington Street
11:15-1:00 PM • Water Entry at Canton Waterfront
1:15-3:30 PM • Sand & Mud Obstacles in Patterson Park
4:00 PM • Finish Line at AVAM
6:00-7:00 PM • Awards Ceremony at AVAM

Kennedy Center events scheduled for LGBTQ+ pride celebration have been canceled, organizers say
by Ashraf Khalil, Associated Press
Published April 24 in The Baltimore Banner

WASHINGTON — Organizers and the Kennedy Center have canceled a week’s worth of events celebrating LGBTQ+ rights for this summer’s World Pride festival in Washington, D.C., amid a shift in priorities and the ousting of leadership at one of the nation’s premier cultural institutions.

Multiple artists and producers involved in the center’s Tapestry of Pride schedule, which had been planned for June 5 to 8, told The Associated Press that their events had been quietly canceled or moved to other venues. And in the wake of the cancellations, Washington’s Capital Pride Alliance has disassociated itself from the Kennedy Center.

“We are a resilient community, and we have found other avenues to celebrate,” said June Crenshaw, deputy director of the alliance. “We are finding another path to the celebration … but the fact that we have to maneuver in this way is disappointing.”

The Kennedy Center’s website still lists Tapestry of Pride on its website with a general description and a link to the World Pride site. There are no other details.

The Kennedy Center did not respond to a request from the AP for comment.

The move comes on the heels of massive changes at the Kennedy Center, with President Donald Trump firing both the president and chairman in early February. Trump replaced most of the board with loyalists, who then elected him the new Kennedy Center chairman.

The World Pride event, held every two years, starts in just under a month — running from May 17 through June 8 with performances and celebrations planned across the capital city. But Trump administration policies on transgender rights and comments about Kennedy Center drag performances have sparked concern about what kind of reception attendees will receive.

“I know that D.C. as a community will be very excited to be hosting World Pride, but I know the community is a little bit different than the government,” said Michael Roest, founder and director of the International Pride Orchestra, which had its June 5 performance at the Kennedy Center abruptly canceled within days of Trump’s takeover.

Roest told the AP he was in the final stages of planning the Kennedy Center performance after months of emails and Zoom calls. He was waiting on a final contract when Trump posted on social media Feb. 7 of the leadership changes and his intention to transform the Kennedy Center’s programming.

Immediately the Kennedy Center became nonresponsive, Roest said. On Feb. 12, he said, he received a one-sentence email from a Kennedy Center staffer stating, “We are no longer able to advance your contract at this time.”

“They went from very eager to host to nothing,” he said. “We have not since heard a word from anybody at the Kennedy Center, but that’s not going to stop us.”

In the wake of the cancellation, Roest said he managed to move the International Pride Orchestra performance to the Strathmore theater in nearby Bethesda, Maryland.

Crenshaw said some other events, including a drag story time and a display of parts of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, would be moved to the World Pride welcome center in Chinatown.

Monica Alford, a veteran event planner with a long history of working with the Kennedy Center, was scheduled to organize an event June 8 as part of Tapestry of Pride, but said she also saw communication abruptly end within days of Trump’s takeover.

Alford organized the first ever drag brunch on the Kennedy Center rooftop in 2024, and said she regarded the institution — and its recent expansion known as The Reach — as “my home base” and “a safe space for the queer community”

She said she was still finalizing the details of her event, which she described as “meant to be family-friendly, just like the drag brunch was family-friendly and classy and sophisticated.”

She said she mourns the loss of the partnership she nurtured with the Kennedy Center.

“We’re doing our community a disservice — not just the queer community but the entire community,” she said.

Roest said he never received an explanation as to why the performance was canceled so late in the planning stages. He said his orchestra would no longer consider performing at the Kennedy Center, and he believes most queer artists would make the same choice.

“There would need to be a very, very public statement of inclusivity from the administration, from that board, for us to consider that,” he said. “Otherwise it is a hostile performance space.”

This story was republished with permission from The Baltimore Banner. Visit www.thebaltimorebanner.com for more.

A queer artist’s nude protest of Trump went viral. It turned their life upside-down.
by Wesley Case
Published April 25 in The Baltimore Banner

Excerpt: Tavish Forsyth had come to a conclusion: They could not work for President Donald Trump.

So the 32-year-old Baltimore resident stripped down, turned on their camera and lit their career on fire.

“F—— Donald Trump and f—— the Kennedy Center,” a naked Forsyth, an associate artistic lead at the Washington National Opera’s Opera Institute, which is run by the Kennedy Center, said in a video that went viral. The board of the nation’s leading cultural institution had elected Trump just weeks prior as its chairman after he gutted the board of members appointed by his predecessor, President Joe Biden.

… this story continues. Read the rest at The Baltimore Banner: A queer artist’s nude protest of Trump went viral. It turned their life upside-down.

Muralists Transform Cityscape into Urban Oasis
Press Release :: April 25

The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA), in partnership with the City of Baltimore and Mayor Brandon M. Scott’s Downtown RISE Initiative, announces the muralists who are transforming the viaduct at Holliday and Saratoga Streets into an urban oasis. The Urban Oasis Mural Project will revitalize the area beneath the underpasses through a blend of large-scale nature-inspired murals and vibrant lighting installations, creating a visually stunning and immersive experience. The murals weave together botanical elements, organic textures, and the city environment, offering people a space of beauty, reflection, and inspiration.

“The Urban Oasis Mural Project is more than just public art—it’s a driver of long-term transformation. By harnessing the festival model, we’re proving that cultural investment can drive sustainability, economic opportunity, and community pride. These murals and light installations are just the beginning — we’re laying the groundwork for deeper, more intentional investment in this district,” said Tonya Miller Hall, Senior Advisor of Arts & Culture for the City of Baltimore.

Over 30 artists and artist teams were selected through a competitive application process to design and paint murals on 43 of the pillars holding up the Jones Falls Expressway (JFX). The murals are scheduled to be completed ahead of Artscape, May 24–25, but will remain well after the festival is over, adding a much-needed dose of color and vitality to the urban environment. In total, 44 of the concrete columns will have murals when the artists are finished with their work. Many of the columns are being repainted, while some are being painted for the first time. One column will retain its original mural, painted by the late Baltimore muralist Pontella Mason. That mural, “Bebop: Charlie Parker and Bettie Carter,” is being preserved as is.

This initiative, titled the Urban Oasis Mural Project, introduced by the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Culture and Entertainment, leverages the festival model not only to beautify the space but to activate it as a platform for sustainable, community-centered impact. The goal is to spark long-term investment and renewed interest in the district by demonstrating the transformative power of arts-driven placemaking. In addition to the murals, artistic vinyl light installations will illuminate the underpass pathway, enhancing safety and further elevating the corridor as a vibrant cultural destination. […]

:: See Also ::

In preparation for Artscape 2025 one month away, local muralists are creating an ‘Urban Oasis’ under the JFX
by Ed Gunts
Published April 25 in Baltimore Fishbowl

One of Baltimore’s top chefs has closed his Towson restaurant
by Christina Tkacik
Published April 25 in The Baltimore Banner

Excerpt: Opening a new restaurant, Carlos Raba says, is like “raising a baby.”

Raba talked about his York Road taqueria for years, dreamed about it. He wanted to honor his great-grandmother, a strong Mexican woman who hustled in the kitchen to keep the family fed. After years of setbacks, Nana finally became a reality in early 2024. He nurtured it like a child, watching it grow, watching other people enjoy the restaurant, too.

This week, he shut Nana down after just over one year in business. “I’m burying my kid,” he said.

Raba, who also co-owns Clavel in Remington, said sales had been strong but that he couldn’t keep up with a mountain of debt incurred during an extended three-year-long construction period, including a $90,000 bill in back rent owed to the building’s owner, Jeremy Landsman.

… this story continues. Read the rest at The Baltimore Banner: One of Baltimore’s top chefs has closed his Towson restaurant

:: See Also ::

After 16 months in business, Nana taqueria closes its doors permanently
by Ed Gunts
Published April 25 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Art Space: Sideshow Builds Community with a New Collection of Free Zines
by Lydia Woolever
Published April 29 in Baltimore Magazine

Excerpt: There’s no shortage of souvenirs in the Sideshow gift shop of the American Visionary Art Museum. Pins, puzzles postcards. Whoopie cushions, wind-up teeth, and saint candles, featuring a celestial likeness of museum founder Rebecca Hoffberger. And now, in fitting fashion for a venue celebrating outsider art, there is also a growing collection of zines.