MICA and AlternateROOTS, an arts activism organization based in Atlanta, present “Facing Change: Portraits and Narratives of the Shifting Cultural Landscape in East Baltimore,” a special pop-up exhibition by MFA Community Arts student Ben Hamburger.
Sponsored by the college’s Office of Community Engagement and Day at the Market, a community outreach program based at the Johns Hopkins East Baltimore campus, the exhibition will be on view at the historic Northeast Market, 2101 E. Monument St., on Saturday, April 1 and Wednesday, April 5 from 10 am–2:30 pm, as well as at “Grad Show III” at MICA’s Decker Gallery, 1303 W. Mt. Royal Ave., on Friday, April 21, 5–8 pm.
The exhibition is a socially engaged art project that brings together different perspectives on the contentious issue of community development in East Baltimore, and aims to confront the difficult realities of rapid urban development and raise awareness about a range of impacts on diverse stakeholders.
Hamburger’s portraits use salvaged formstone debris and audio narratives to honor residents of the community and share their stories about the area’s past, present and future. Their stories provoke viewers to think critically about the sense of place, home and the meaning of development.
Listen online to stories from community members featured in the exhibition.
A painter, socially engaged artist and educator from Silver Spring, Ben Hamburger is currently completing his M.F.A. in Community Arts at MICA. This project is a component of his thesis work.
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