BOPA EXHIBITIONS
2024 Exhibitions
The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA) presents the 2024 exhibitions lineup for the Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower, School 33 Arts Center, and Top of the World’s Gallery in the Sky. These exhibitions are supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and the generosity of the Maryland State Arts Council.
BROMO SELTZER ARTS TOWER
BOPA’s 2024 exhibits begin with Emerge: Vol. 3, Spring Edition. Now in its third year, the Emerge Baltimore exhibition series serves as a platform for local rising artists to show their work in the historic galleries of the Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower. Emerge: Vol. 3, Spring Edition kicks off on Thursday, March 21, with a public opening reception from 6:00–8:00 p.m. to celebrate the solo shows of Xavier Hardison, BlissArmyKnife, and Jennifer McBrien.
Xavier Hardison works in stone, creating tablet paintings and gravity-defying sculptures from found boulders. His exhibition, “ORIGIN,” will be presented on the ground floor in the Lobby Gallery. The Mezzanine Gallery will host painter BlissArmyKnife’s show, “Let’s Play!” To Bliss, the canvas is an opportunity for novelty and world building — a place without gravity or limits, where anything can happen. The third floor Members Gallery will exhibit the work of Jennifer McBrien — an artist on a mission to transform fabrics into fine art. In “Unraveling Threads,” McBrien “paints” with thread, weaving in her love of birds, plants, and form, stitching history and nature throughout her pieces.
The Emerge: Vol. 3, Spring Edition will be on view from March 21–May 27, 2024. Gallery hours are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. by appointment and Saturdays during Bromo’s public hours from 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Curated by BOPA’s Public Art & Curation Manager, Kirk Shannon-Butts, Emerge: Vol. 3 will also feature Alexander D’Agostino, kolpeace (Christopher Johnson), and Ali Mirsky in the Summer Edition, and Sheila Crider, VILLAGER, and Antoinette Myers Perry in the Fall Edition. Themes for this year’s exhibition series include artists over 60, LGBTQ issues, the environment, immigrants, and the evolution of Baltimore City via the arts. “Emerge Baltimore reinforces the vibrancy and resiliency of the city. Baltimore houses so much talent and so many unique voices. There is a Baltimore Movement taking place in the art world and the nation is slowly taking notice of the tremendous artists who are based here,” says Shannon-Butts.
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GALLERY IN THE SKY
The Gallery in the Sky at Top of the World will unveil its new Peak Artists Series on Thursday, April 4, 2024, with a free, public reception from 6:00–8:00 p.m. to celebrate the opening of Korean American multidisciplinary artist Tae Hwang’s exhibition, “Buildings, Objects, and Systems.” Born in Korea and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Tae now calls Baltimore home. Her new body of work captures her views on American life, corner store iconography, and the architecture that surrounds and constructs communities.
On Thursday, June 20, from 6:00–8:00 p.m., Tae Hwang will be in conversation with photographer and author of “West Baltimore Ruins,” Shae McCoy, at Top of the World. This event will be free and open to the public. “Buildings, Objects, and Systems” will remain on view through Sunday, June 23, 2024.
“Exhibitions at Gallery in the Sky have proved to be extremely successful with solo shows from Ernest Shaw, Kei Ito, and Kim Rice, just to name a few,” says Shannon-Butts. “This year, we have named it the Peak Artists Series to highlight Baltimore-based artists whose work explores the duality of being born outside of the U.S. while now residing in it. This provides Baltimore’s creative ecosystem with another viable platform to showcase their work and an immersive cultural experience featuring the very best creative talent based in Baltimore.”
Gallery in the Sky’s Fall Peak Artist is Ainsley Burrows, who comes to Baltimore from Kingston, Jamaica by way of Brooklyn, New York and now lives in Harwood. Ainsley is a multidisciplinary artist — as well as a poet, musician, and performer — and he uses his experience and talents in these areas to add depth to his series-based paintings. The Fall Peak Artist Exhibition opens at Top of the World on September 10, 2024.
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SCHOOL 33 ART CENTER
BOPA will produce three exhibitions this year at School 33 Art Center in South Baltimore. Like Bromo, School 33 houses working artist studios in addition to its gallery spaces.
Beginning Thursday, June 6, 2024, there will be an exhibition of work from past winners of the Municipal Arts Society of Baltimore (MASB) Artist Travel Prize. This prize, awarded by BOPA in partnership with MASB, is intended to function as funding for travel essential to an artist’s studio practice that an artist may not otherwise be able to afford. Prize recipients have traveled to Japan, Brazil, England, Mexico, Czech Republic, Ukraine, and more. The Travel Prize Exhibition will be on view from June 6–July 21, 2024.
The School 33 Residents’ Exhibition will coincide with Open Studio Tour Weekend, October 5–6, 2024, during Free Fall Baltimore. Then, from September 26–November 3, BOPA will host the first exhibition in the Guest Curator Series, where a prominent, nationally-recognized gallerist will activate the galleries of School 33 with Baltimore-based artists.
By producing exhibitions year-round in these iconic spaces, BOPA is providing more paid opportunities for Baltimore-based artists to show and sell their work — a need that local creatives have identified. In addition to increased income opportunities for working artists, activating these galleries also gives Baltimoreans the opportunity to connect with art and the city all in one.
Questions?
For more information on our 2024 Art Exhibitions please contact Kirk Shannon-Butts, BOPA’s Public Art and Curation Manager, at ksbutts@promotionandarts.org.
Explore available resources for artists in Baltimore City, including grants, art prizes, mural projects, and more.
Explore available resources for artists in Baltimore City, including grants, art prizes, mural projects, and more.
Artist Resources