“In My City” - with Alexis Tyson
A Conversation with Artists and Audiences across Baltimore.
Can Do, Despite Of…
The single thread that runs through our stories today is the air of reclamation. Each of our artist has built their practice around what it means to show up as themselves and for their community. Whether it be reclaiming our image of self, family history, the city or our collective humanity - there is a focus across disciplines to deepen our understanding of the world around us.
Baltimore has a spirit of individuality and ruggedness that’s only fully appreciated when you experience it for yourself. The culture of reflection by young creatives is building support for intimate connections across the city. I am continuously inspired by the Artists and Curators in Baltimore working to create safe spaces for all. It heals each other when we can be vulnerable and honest beside one another.
An Analysis of my interview with
Faith The Healer - A Baltimore-based Artist.
The Black Wall Event, a monthly showcase sponsored by the Baltimore Scene every fourth Saturday, is located in the heart of Baltimore's cultural tapestry. This recurring community arts space not only improves individual experiences but also acts as an outlet for forging interpersonal connections. The Black Wall Event provides a comforting atmosphere that reflects a sense of unity and shared purpose by actively promoting local vendors, welcoming youth and budding artists, and recognizing the accomplishments of black businesses.
The event has been critical in strengthening Baltimore's social fabric, building networks, and cultivating a well-connected society of local creatives. Its popularity stems from its ability to provide an intergenerational experience that smoothly blends the knowledge of the past with the dynamism of the present.
The Black Wall Event highlights the importance of creative spaces in cultivating a sense of belonging and communal identity.
Weirdo Wednesday, on the other hand, is a new chapter in Baltimore's event environment. This avant-garde gathering, which was introduced just this month, mixes a dance party, film showing, and libations, creating an open and welcoming environment in which guests can immerse themselves without feeling pressured to comply. The event, which has been carefully produced, aims to de-stigmatize ideals of odd and freedom, particularly within the queer community.
Bringing to light a city that understands the revolutionary impact of art in community building. Artists within the city's commitment to providing venues for creative minds to thrive is powered by these curated spaces. The ongoing story of Baltimore's cultural resurgence is painted with brushstrokes of diversity, originality, and a communal spirit that recognizes the unique contributions of every creator inside its embrace.
Baltimore Artist Profiles
Where Are You From?
“I’m From Baltimore.”
When viewing Adewale’s Art you may be struck with a profound sense of other-worldlyness. His paintings depict Space; the vast expanse of nothing and everything. He’s interested in exploring the connection between our physical world, our natural humanity, and the forming of Self
“From the perspective of the Universe” are words he uses to describe his art. At STUDIOHOUSE’s end-of-the-season campfire, I was able to view his paintings in person with a pair of 3D-like glasses that made each element jump off the canvas and into our visual world. It was an experience I can’t give words but it felt similar to what I assume it feels like to see the Sun out in Space unobstructed in person.
Combining the love of discovery in self-identity with one’s artistry by looking deeply into his style. The development we see through his paintings of a single being with his deep-set red eyes - constantly transforming and reappearing across mediums, remains recognizable.
There has been a tradition across industries but especially in Art to quickly find and capitalize on the business of being a practicing Artist. Adewale prides himself on having fun and focusing on the journey of self within his art. As a self-taught Artist, he feels no boundaries in what goes in his practice. Did I mention he uses a blowtorch throughout his paintings that he wields with a specialized mask that encapsulates his own self-image? He does, it’s even more cool than it sounds in person.
He creates art that transcends our current understanding of place within the Universe.
Adewale Alli
Why Photography?
“It’s Honest”
Why Do You Do It?
“Because it is me.”
NACIR, The Younger
Walking into his show “TOWIC”, currently on display at Eutaw Place Gallery - you are disarmed immediately by the grunginess of the space. The walls are filled with paintings, collages, and a sea of porn. At the very front of the gallery is a pseudo-cross with a crucified mannequin that wears a crown of nails staked into its head.
As a Black Artist, he wants to create outside of the sensationalism of Black trauma across the art world. At the same time, he’s aware of his Black audience that recognizes deeper themes and tones of restriction in his work that aren’t always universally understood. This restriction and normalization of Black trauma are a well of pessimistic confirmations over and over again. Although his art has a rawness to it - he tries not to let those truths rule his entire life. We have the ability to create art and realities that celebrate Black happiness - he finds moments of truth in that are small but still powerful. He acknowledges that we are trapped in capitalism and the idea that we have to be extraordinary. For NACIR this truth shouldn’t deter us from recentering ourselves and our community to find paths of happiness and sustainability. As creative he wants to bring his viewers into this awareness. He quotes Nina Simone when describing the importance of this role, “ As an artist, it is your duty to display the times.”
He’s inspired the Baroque period and has a love of dramatics for it. In his eyes, dark palettes are a necessity in recreating a sense of reality because their contrast brings a natural feeling of difference. He plays into the psychology of colors; using light colors to invoke a childlike sense that’s contrasted by the depth and reality of life. NACIR’s paintings are questions that aren’t being answered. He hopes the viewer will find their individual understanding to be the final piece.
While viewing his art these a feeling of comprehension that happens on a deep level - speaking to an awareness we’ve all disconnected from in our advancements into Intellect. His paintings depict a tragic hero in animalistic and primal interpretations. He’s painting humans into the molds of our existence. Allowing the viewer to imagine themselves to shape anything they want to do.
What Have You Found?
“It is as bad as it seems”
Reem Davis
Demystifying the Black experience by showcasing expressions of identity that are associated with our humanity. There is an oversimplification of the Black identity within America and Reem is ….
When asked about the disinvestment, environmental racism, and gentrification across the city he draws a connection to scenes he sees in D.C. - The displacement and disregard for Black neighborhoods is not unlike our own city’s use of eminent domain.
During his years at Morgan State University, he was exposed to a diverse student body with a large range of Black cultural identities, which broadened his awareness of Black History as a whole and understanding of Baltimore's own History. Knowing who you are and where you come from brings a great sense of pride. Reem believes that by getting involved in the community, walking through neighborhoods, and talking with individuals, he can continue to develop a memory of Baltimore that will help strengthen a culture of preservation through oral histories.
“I’m from Baltimore” is not only a declaration of origin but also a full embracement of all that builds Baltimore's own identity as a city. The charm, history of resilience, racism, and Urban life are all influences in the depictions of reality and choices of the people within his paintings.
Anna Divinagracia
Nostalgia is a power thing. Lingering and present at the same time - it’s a time machine that activates on its own will, triggered by smells, places, and people that lead us back through our memories.
Anna spent her youth running away from parts of her identity that she’d grown to crave. The battle of navigating between her American and Philipino identity has led her to further explore her own understanding of her own values and expressions that have become pillars for her. Moving here where she was 12 and growing up being pressured to “be like everyone else”. Often, even if unspoken - there’s an idea that immigrants must embody the American identity, usually by assimilating fully into whiteness.
When we ask why she chooses to use photography she answers - “It’s a very honest tool that builds whatever reality we create in front of it”. She’s currently in the process of thinking of ways to further her photography by creating scenes that embrace all parts of her identity. Research and planning are huge parts of her creative process.
She sees Culture as a sense of belonging built by shared experiences; it can show up in any way, amongst all kinds of people with a collective understanding of each other’s lives. Living in Baltimore she’s built a large web of connections across the city and her home country. There’s a shared sense of reality - being not too far from the edge of complete despair. Yet, the warmth and love offered easily are never missing. She values the connection between generations, especially in understanding the past and the obstacles we often face as we come into adulthood.
