Equitech Tuesday #159: Artscape Preview

From: Robbin Lee

Director of Partnerships & Mobilization, UpSurge Baltimore

For those of you who don’t know me well (yet), my Baltimore roots are firmly planted in the Baltimore arts community where the quirky personalities and eclectic perspectives shape the innovative energy in our city.  I often credit the local creative community for embracing me as a human and helping me to find a sense of belonging here.  We know the power of culture to influence the stickiness of a place and give people a reason to stay and build.  Part of UpSurge’s mission is to strengthen culture & connectivity around Baltimore startups and what better way to do that than to weave together creatives with technologists, artists with founders, and to tap into the entrepreneurial spirit in us all.  Innovation happens at these intersections and this upcoming Equitech Tuesday is all about creating more opportunities to spark more of these collisions.

A summer in Baltimore would not be a summer in Baltimore without Artscape, a weekend festival core to Baltimore’s cultural fabric. At Equitech Tuesday, the Baltimore tech community will have an opportunity to get to know some of the artists and producers behind Artscape and to get hype for the upcoming festivities. I’m excited to see everyone there and I’ll leave you with a message from our collaborators at the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts:

“Dear Baltimore Tech Community – My name is Rachel Graham, and I have the pleasure of serving as CEO for the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts – also known as BOPA.

The intersection between art & tech is a busy one. There are so many ways technology can be incorporated into the arts – and vice versa – many of which will be on vivid display during Artscape 40. From August 2nd through 4th, the Mount Royal, Bolton Hill, and Station North neighborhoods will be transformed into a buffet for the senses.  Some tech-infused highlights at Artscape 40 include:

  • Gamescape — Perfect for the whole family, Gamescape is running on Friday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Fitzgerald, 1201 W Mt Royal Ave. Returning to Artscape, Gamescape will highlight the growing field of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) and offer an interactive visual arts exhibition showcasing video games shown by their creators and video game-inspired artwork and music.
  • Films at The Parkway: The Parkway presents Openings: a visionary series of original shorts, animations, documentaries, Baltimore-based youth-made films, and conversations with filmmakers as part of the Maryland Film Festival. Also, Friday, August 2nd – Friday August 30th from sunset to midnight, 15-20 windows of local storefronts and businesses on Charles Street will be illuminated with rear-projection visuals and short films. This project is a collaboration between The Parkway, Individual Baltimore-Based Filmmakers, Baltimore Filmmaker CollectiveJHU-MICA Film CentreSweaty EyeballsWide Angle Youth Media, and the Maryland Film Festival.
  • “Inviting Light” Pop-up — Located next to The Club Car Baltimore at 14 W. North Avenue in the Historic North Avenue Market Building, this provocative installation curated by Derrick Adams teases Baltimore’s highly anticipated Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge project, “Inviting Light,” a two-year community-driven, artist-led initiative, that aims to transform public spaces in the Station North Arts District with captivating art and interactive activities. Step inside this pop-up installation and let your own notion of light be illuminated. Additional information about “Inviting Light” will be available on-site.

Another returning light installation, The Blinkatorium, will be at the Charles Street Garage, 1714 N. Charles Street. After the popularity of last year’s installation, Central Baltimore Partnership is excited to present a new Blinkatorium landscape from Scott Pennington.

There are also a number of artists in the Artscape Artists’ Market who use technology to create digital art — like AKINVIEW, Female Power Project, and 0blivion.sugar, to name just a few.

Please join me and some of my BOPA colleagues at the next Equitech Tuesday on July 23 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. to talk about how art meets tech at Artscape 40.

Rachel Graham,

CEO of BOPA


Don’t forget to sign up for June 30th’s event – UpRise: Blank Checks, Not Blank Stares: How to Communicate & Market Technical Solutions with the self-proclaimed nerd-that-talks-good Joel Benge and Co-founder & CEO of NextStep Robotics Brad Hennessie.