PNC Bank has made a major commitment to Baltimore, and their name as well as proof of their financial investments in Baltimore Arts, has been popping up everywhere. As a major player in Station North’s ongoing Open Walls Baltimore, they helped fund the nearly $100,000 project which will around 20 murals throughout the Station North Arts & Entertainment District.
On March 23rd, PNC representatives were on hand along with their collaborators on the project, the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake assisted in the announcement of the winners of three $20,000 cash grants, known as the PNC Transformative Art Project.
Mockup of Frankllin Square Transformative Art Project
The project supports communities in their efforts to improve their surroundings with long-term and lasting projects. This program requires neighborhoods to collaborate with arts organizations and/or artists to permanently reinvent community spaces using art. The Transformative Art Project focuses on bringing the arts community and community development together to create dramatic visual impact that will attract visitors to your neighborhood.
The winners of the three grants are the neighborhoods of Greater Mondawmin, Franklin Square and Hamilton-Lauraville Main Street. Each selected neighborhood associations will receive the grant to produce a work of transformative art in their community. The grant program is designed to help neighborhoods permanently reinvent community spaces using art and focuses on bringing the arts and development communities together to create visually unique and appealing artwork that attracts visitors to Baltimore City neighborhoods.
Mockup of Hamilton-Lauraville Transformative Art Project
“The collaboration of artists and Baltimore City neighborhood groups on revitalization projects is wonderful way to enliven residents and showcase our communities. As we grow our city over the next ten years, programs such as the PNC Transformative Art Project bring neighbors together and highlight the many positive activities taking place in Baltimore City every day,” said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.
The winning neighborhood groups have partnered with area artists and arts organizations to assist with reinventing community spaces:
Greater Mondawmin has partnered with ARTblocks and artists Barbara Thompson and John Darby to install a procession of life-sized elephant sculptures made of recycled materials.
Franklin Square is working with Civic Works, Can Collective, Living Classrooms and artists Emily CD, Jessie Unterhalter and Katey Truhn to create a multi-media sculptural installation that celebrates the power of people and plants.
Hamilton-Lauraville is collaborating with artists Jeanne Marie Burdette and Susan Holmes to incorporate the neighborhood’s theme of urban agriculture in the development of a large installation of fruit and vegetable sculptures on an area building and on the street.
Stay tuned for our continuing coverage as the projects unfold in the coming months.
For more information, please visit the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts
Mockup of Greater Mondawmin Transformative Art Project
