SCOUT Art Fair, Artscape's Newest Addition

I think we can all agree that Baltimore is a City of Artists. Not only do artists create beautiful objects that speak to our hearts and minds – they are brilliant problem solvers.

Right now we are living through a time of national cruelty and chaos, but I have hope for the future. We have done it before, but never quite like this. In this moment of disruption and upheaval, the arts are under attack. However, tearing apart arts institutions, libraries, universities, and arts funding is not a vision that the majority of Americans share. Our federal government is actively destroying all of the infrastructure and institutional safeguards that have taken 100 years to build, but it’s worth noting that historically, great upheaval can lead to unprecedented opportunities.

Baltimore has always been a scrappy fighter – nimble, flexible, resourceful – uneven and under-resourced, but consistently managing to exceed expectations when it comes to art and culture. Right now is the perfect time to envision the future we want to build, and to become even more self-sufficient as a city and poised to meet this moment in ways that many other cities won’t be.

What does Baltimore investing intentionally in itself look like? This weekend’s Artscape Festival and SCOUT Art Fair are examples of our city discarding the old model and looking towards something new – something more equitable, more inclusive, more supportive of local artists and businesses, and more sustainable!

On Thursday, May 22, BmoreArt co-hosted the first ever Vernissage VIP Preview Event with SCOUT Art Fair in Baltimore. A new addition to Artscape in 2025, SCOUT was the brain child of Tonya Miller Hall, Senior Advisor for Art and Culture for Mayor Brandon Scott, and curated by Derrick Adams with assistant curator Teri Henderson.

The fair featured 40 Baltimore professional fine artists with a few galleries and nonprofit cultural organizations, each selling art priced between $500 and $5000. On opening night, the fair was filled with an enthusiastic mix of artists, collectors, patrons, and museum professionals. The energy was buzzy and upbeat and we saw a number of people leaving the site with artwork in hand.

With design and construction by locally based Raunjiba Design, the fair encapsulates the idea of Baltimore supporting Baltimore, with our city and State Arts Council, individual artists and collectors, as well as nonprofit cultural organizations all showing up and enouraging one another.

As we continue to move forward into unprecedented times, where federal support disappears and becomes actively hostile, the SCOUT Art Fair is a great example of community collaboration around the goal of supporting and sustaining our regional arts ecosystem.

We need to transition from a scarcity mindset to one of possibility, where our relationships are the most valuable commodity. When we work together and eschew extractive models, when we focus on building a network of accountability that fosters healthy relationships between people and the resources we depend on, we will build even more resilient and thriving communities.

If artists can dream it and build it – it can be done! If SCOUT is any indication of forward momentum and a high bar for excellence, Baltimore may end up in a better place culturally than it has been in the past. After an intense weekend, I am exhausted but also exhilarated and I look forward to what comes next.