(Student drawing with charcoal and studying masks at a Community Art Program in Providence, RI.)

As I began brainstorming what I wanted to feature during my week as guest blogger on Design*Sponge, I went through a litany of ideas, in the end settling on what I know (isn’t that the timeless advice?): Community Art and my Art Community in Baltimore. When I was an undergrad I was knee deep in art historical theory and my own art making. After college I wanted something drastically different, That desire landed me in a rural Cameroonian village teaching English for the Peace Corps. During the two years I spent there, I realized that my next step needed to include art (English grammar wasn’t doing it for me). When I returned to the States; I found a Community Art program at the Rhode Island School of Design through their Art & Design Education Department. That is where I learned about the diversity of what “community art” even means and also how critical this piece is to the well being of individuals and communities. I now spend my days as the Education Coordinator for the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM). Daily responsibilities may include sewing a sock monkey, making vegetable instruments or planning a pet parade AVAM is where I began to fall for Baltimore and also where I get to start and create my own community programming.

This week I am going to share a small piece of my community with you. Each Baltimore artist I spoke with repeated a version of the same sentiment: Baltimore has an extremely supportive art community that I can always turn to for inspiration and/or collaboration. Baltimore is sometimes hard to explain–John Waters meets the Wire? The quirky sort of black sheep cousin to DC and Philly. We have a festival devoted to Hons , a Race where the winner is bestowed the Grand Mediocre Award and a Night of 100 Elvises. This week you can look forward to interviews, a studio tour, new projects and beautiful work from incredibly beautiful people, each working hard and reminding me why Baltimore feels like home.

Before we get started with Baltimore, we have to go back a little further in my history and head north to Providence where I really began to think about this idea of Community Art. I wanted to feature one Community Art Center that is encouraging students, impacting a community and making really interesting art. Check back later for that.

It is an honor to be here, and have this opportunity to share with you a place I love, people I love and some work that I love!