Artscape 2024 Festival brings creative vibe to Baltimore

This past weekend Artscape 2024 took over the scene in Baltimore and Unheard Voices had a chance to capture the event.

Held August 2 – 4, Artscape is one of America’s largest free outdoor arts festivals, bringing the creative vibes to Baltimore since 1982.

Originally crafted to showcase Baltimore’s cultural flair, Artscape has been a driving force for community support, economic growth, and investment in the Mount Vernon, Bolton Hill, Charles North and Station North Arts District.

Organized by The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA), the 40th Edition of Artscape this summer featured a vibrant lineup of artists, live concerts, visual arts experiences, performances, fashion showcases, family-friendly activities, films, experimental tunes, improv, comedy, literary delights, and tasty food.

Artscape 2024 Exhibitions

This year, there were a wide variety of exhibitions throughout the landscape of the festival.

The B24 Exhibition, the B stands for Baltimore and best whilst 24 is the year of 2024, placed a spotlight on emerging contemporary artists in the burgeoning Baltimore art world and The Baltimore Arts Movement.

Created by Kirk Shannon-Butts in 2019, B24 features the work of 41 of the best Baltimore City artists and the surrounding regions. Featured artists work in painting, textiles, mixed media, photography, film, video, mixed media, and animation. Artists are in various stages of their career.

Kidscape and Teenscape allowed the youth to show their creative side. Children and teens enjoyed a variety of hands-on activities and workshops, including artmaking and interactive programming including T-shirt making for shelter animals with MDSPCA, Origami artmaking with the Baltimore Museum of Art, and Books from the MD Book Bank’s book van.

For S.T.E.A. M. creatives, Gamescape highlighted the growing field of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math), offering an interactive visual arts exhibition showcasing video games shown by their creators and video game-inspired artwork and music.

To name a few.

Artscape 2024 Performances

Unfortunately, inclement weather cut much of the performances on Friday and Saturday. Main stage acts like Chaka Khan and Sheila E., who were to perform Friday and Saturday evening, respectively, were canceled. But the show went on Sunday with performances on the main stage by Todd Marcus Jazz Quintet, Trinidad & Tobago Steel Drum Band, Navasha Daya, and reggae group The Original Wailers ending the festival on Sunday.

Vendors

Artscape is also an opportunity for thriving artists to showcase their original work for purchase.

Unheard Voices was able to chat with a few of the artists.

Anson Asaka

This is Mr. Anson Asaka of The Asaka Gallery. Asaka is a self-taught visual artist and a civil rights attorney based in the Baltimore-DC area, who uses paintings and drawings to celebrate Black people, culture, and history. Last year, in honor of Women’s History Month, Asaka debuted his latest exhibition, “The Black Queen In All Of Her Splendor and Glory,” with an opening reception at Katsea Gallery in Townson, MD.

Abdul Badi and son at Artscape 2024

Abdul Badi of The Art of Abdul Badi, is a 50-year experienced painter out of Brooklyn, N.Y. Badi paints beautiful distinctive fine art oil paintings of East African tribes, though he’s never been to Africa himself.  The award-winning artist has sold thousands of his prints and his originals have been acquired by the most discreet seekers and collectors of the best African art.

And we talked to various more, book authors, comic book entrepreneurs, comedians. Each beginner or experienced artists, from all walks of life, showcasing their work and talent.

Artscape is a space for the creative minds to meet. From music, tech, authors, fashion, to paintings, it is a place to celebrate true art in Baltimore’s rich art scene.