A sprawling, free, outdoor art festival, one of America’s largest, Artscape has existed since 1982. It was originally envisioned by artists for artists to highlight the growing local community because Baltimore’s museums were singularly focused on globally known artists.
Over the years, Artscape has grown into a driving force for community collaboration, economic support, and city-wide investment into the Mount Vernon, Bolton Hill, Charles North, and Station North Arts District, providing lasting memories for Baltimore audiences and opportunities to collect art by regional artists.
The event is a program of the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA) and this year’s Artscape, August 2-4, was the 40th edition, featuring “a vibrant lineup of artists, live concerts, visual arts experiences, performances, fashion showcases, family-friendly activities, films, experimental tunes, improv, comedy, literary delights, and tasty treats.”
Even though thunderstorms and flooding forced the cancellation of Friday’s Chaka Khan and Saturday’s Sheila E. concerts, on Sunday, The Original Wailers broke the “Artscape curse” and performed to adoring crowds.
After the event, BOPA offered “A huge shoutout to everyone who played a part in making Artscape a reality, from the dedicated volunteers to the Baltimore City services. Your commitment is essential to the success of Artscape.”
We hope you enjoy photos by Mollye Miller of the Artscape outdoor festival, as well as indoor exhibitions hosted by MICA of the 2024 Sondheim Semi-Finalists and the B24 Exhibit curated by BOPA’s Kirk Shannon-Butts. Additional photography of The Original Wailers concert is by E. Brady Robinson, who also photographed the weekend’s Project Artscape fashion shows.
