The Peale opens exhibit featuring work from the Baker Artist Portfolios
Nov 15, 2024
Some of Baltimore’s newest art is getting a show in America’s oldest purpose-built museum, after The Peale this month opened an exhibit of work by artists who participate in the Baker Artist Portfolios program.“Baker Artist Portfolios: Off the Web at The Peale” is the title of a two-month exhibit that began Nov. 7 at The Peale, 225 Holliday St., and runs through Jan. 19. An opening reception is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 15, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.The Baker Artist Portfolios were established by the William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund and are a program of the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance (GBCA). Created to support artists and promote Greater Baltimore as a strong, creative community, the portfolios can be viewed at www.bakerartist.org.Open to artists working in all disciplines who live and work in Baltimore City and its five surrounding counties, the online program exposes area artists’ work to regional, national and international audiences. Each year, up to 1,000 artists create or update their Baker Artist Portfolios, making the website one of the largest digital collections of art from the Greater Baltimore region.For the ‘Off the Web’ exhibit, which the GBCA mounted in partnership with the Baker Memorial Fund, curators invited any artist with a Baker Artist Portfolio to share one piece of art for display at The Peale. The result is a wide-ranging display of work by more than 200 artists representing a variety of disciplines and viewable in galleries throughout the building, as well as a series of live events.“ ‘Baker: Off the Web’ is conceived of in the same spirit as the Baker Artist Portfolios, to give a platform for artists in Greater Baltimore to showcase their talents and to invite the public to experience the richness of the creativity in this region,” said GBCA Deputy Director David London, in a statement.This is the second time a ‘Baker: Off the Web’ exhibit has been held at The Peale. The first time was in 2018, before the 1814 Peale building received a $5.5 million renovation. It featured works by close to 100 regional artists with Baker Artist Portfolios.In addition to the opening reception on Nov. 15, ‘Off the Web’ events at The Peale include: a Baker Artist Portfolios Info Session, on Thursday, Nov. 21, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.; The GBCA Holiday Happy Hour on Friday, Dec. 6, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.; a Baker Artist Showcase on Sunday, Dec. 8, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.; a Baker Artist Literary Fair on Saturday, Dec. 14, from noon to 4 p.m.; Baker Artist Portfolios Peer Feedback Sessions on Saturday, Jan. 11, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and a Baker Artist Showcase and Closing Reception on Sunday, Jan. 19, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.Visiting the museum is free, and so are all ‘Off the Web’ events. The Peale’s hours are Thursday and Friday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.