When Frenchie Davis talks about Baltimore, she speaks with the warmth of an artist who understands that a city is more than a stop on a performance schedule. It is a place with rhythm, memory, struggl...
Baltimore’s vibrant arts and culture scene is getting a flavorful boost this spring, as Artscape prepares to spotlight the city’s culinary talent in a big way.
Create Baltimore has announ...
Baltimore’s art scene is set to take center stage once again as acclaimed photographer Devin Allen has been named the 2026 curator of SCOUT, the city’s premier affordable art fair held during Arts...
Avon Dorsey—a success in his own right—is one of Baltimore’s own.
The contributing writer for Vogue magazine, celebrity stylist, and content creator, who will moderate a panel on Bl...
BALTIMORE — Create Baltimore has announced the five finalists for the 2026 Janet & Walter Sondheim Art Prize, one of the region’s most prestigious honors for visual artists. The finalists — ...
Baltimore, Md. — Create Baltimore has announced the 23 semifinalists for the 2026 Janet & Walter Sondheim Art Prize, one of the region’s most prestigious visual arts awards. Now in its 21st ye...
At Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, where tourists once lined up to experience the oddities of Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, a different kind of wonder now fills the halls. Inside the Light Street...
Baltimore’s art scene will once again take center stage this spring as the Scout Art Fair returns as part of Artscape, bringing together emerging and est...
The season features four operatic reimaginings, spanning 1,000 years of history, that lift up art’s power to unmask tyrants and their tyranny
(WASHINGTON, D.C) – IN Series has a...
This year’s Artscape is putting wellness at the center of the festival experience with a series of immersive activities designed to inspire movement, mindfulness, and connection through art. Pre...
Acclaimed Baltimore photographer Devin Allen is bringing fashion, art, and hometown pride together through a new collaboration with Under Armour at this year’s SCOUT Art Fair during Artscape wee...
Over the last few months, Threads, the text-based app from Instagram, has become a container for public opinion about Baltimore City. Infrastructure complaints, illegal dumping, potholes, parking tick...
Featured Highlights The nation’s largest free outdoor arts festival
LGBTQ Pride Kick Off Party
ArtScape After Dark
Main Stage Performers - The Roots, Stephanie Mills and all female DJ and host
Janet & Walter Sondheim Art Prize 2026 Seminifinalist Exhibition Opening Reception at Reginal F. Lewis Museum.
22nd May Friday
9:00 pm - 12:00 AMArt Scape After DarkWhistle & Cane Juke Joint, formerly Ida B’s
Frenchie Davis
23rd May Saturday
12:00 - 4:00 pmPOSH Pride Kickoff PartyM&T Bank Stadium
Baltimore’s Pride season is getting a major glow up this year. One of the nation’s fastest-growing LGBTQIA+ event brands is officially joining forces with one of the city’s biggest cultural institutions to create what could become one of the standout Pride kickoffs of the summer.
Create Baltimore and POSH Exec Eventz have announced their first-ever partnership for the Artscape Presents: POSH Pride Kickoff Party, a free celebration designed to officially launch Baltimore Pride festivities during #Artscape weekend.
Set to take place Saturday, May 23, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the iconic M&T Bank Stadium, the event promises an energetic mix of music, cocktails, food, art, and community-centered activations that reflect the spirit and diversity of Baltimore’s LGBTQ+ culture.
Attendees can expect DJs, curated activations, and immersive experiences designed to blend Artscape’s creative atmosphere with POSH’s signature energy.
The event will serve as both a celebration of Pride and an extension of Artscape’s ongoing mission to spotlight Baltimore’s vibrant artistic community.
Jay Isak, CEO of Exec Eventz, and Ja-Mel Johnson, COO of Create Baltimore tell Gaye Magazine that the partnership aims to honor LGBTQ+ culture while bringing together art, music, and community at one of the city’s most recognizable venues during one of its biggest cultural weekends.
11:00am – 9:00pmMain StageWar Memorial Plaza
DJ P-Chris, DJ Bmore Loddie, Chey Parker, DJ Keebee/Persia Nicole
Downtown Tumbao, Fulton Lee, Ken & Brad Kolodner, Frenchie Davis, Persia,
National talent: Brandon Woody, Kindred the Family Soul
Headliner: The Roots
ECHOES STAGE 1 Guilford St.
The Muthafunkaholx, Morphing Grid Radio, Gallaghers Frolic, Moth Broth, Kevin
Jackson, Emily Davies, Soroche, Birckhead Music Group
Headliner: Navasha Daya
ECHOES STAGE 1 Guilford St.
Philip Thomas, Lady Ro, L’Von, Kolpeace, Ari Voxx, Alena Ciera, Greeyo, Jon Tyler Wiley and His Virginia Choir, Ché Ray,
DJ Close Out: DJ Sauce God
11:00am – 12:00pm State of the Arts Whistle & Cane Juke Joint, formerly Ida B’s 235 Holliday Street
Moderator: Lynae Vanee
MD Delegate Marlon Amprey, Robyn Murphy, Linzy Jackson, Dean Radcliffe Lynes
Examining the current state of the arts in Baltimore and beyond, this discussion will explore the challenges, opportunities, and cultural shifts shaping the future of the arts locally, nationally, and globally. From public investment and creative economies to access, innovation, and community impact, the panel will offer insight into where the arts are headed next.
12:30pm – 1:45pmAfrofuturism: Art as Liberation Whistle & Cane Juke Joint, formerly Ida B’s 235 Holliday Street
Moderator: Conscious Lee
Dayvon Love and Jonathan Gilmore
This powerful conversation will explore how Afrofuturism uses art, storytelling, imagination, and cultural expression as tools for liberation and social transformation and will examine how Black artists and thinkers are reshaping narratives, envisioning new futures, and creating spaces for resistance, healing, and freedom through creative expression.
2:00pm – 3:00pm The Art of Going ViralWhistle & Cane Juke Joint, formerly Ida B’s 235 Holliday Street
Moderator: Amanda Sabreah
Branford Jones (They Have the Range), Marcus Cheathum (Under Armour), Imani Nia Robinson (Three Blind Mice)
This conversation will discuss the opportunities and challenges that come with sudden attention, how to build sustainable careers beyond social media traction, and the importance of authenticity, branding, and creative evolution in maintaining momentum. Through personal experiences and industry insight, the discussion will highlight how viral success can become a launching point for lasting impact across film, fashion, music, and entrepreneurship.
3:30pm – 4:30pm The Art of Getting Dressed Whistle & Cane Juke Joint, formerly Ida B’s 235 Holliday Street
Moderator: Avon Dorsey
Joshua Kaindoh, Michael N. Simon, Olayinka Lawal, Karlo Young
Sure to be a dynamic conversation exploring the intersection of fashion, grooming, wellness, confidence, and identity among Black men. From personal presentation to mental and physical well-being, this discussion will unpack how style can shape perception, success, and self-expression.
24th May Sunday
11:00am – 9:00pmMain StageWar Memorial Plaza
DJ K-Leena/Coach B, DJ Jess Carp, DJ Ty Alexander/April Watts
Charles Butler & Trinity, Ragdollz, Kendall Jay, Jxhn Tylxr, Black Assets
Headliner: Stephanie Mills
ECHOES STAGE 1 Guilford St.
Teddy (Artscape Karaoke Winner, at Hard Rock), HUE, Outside Smoke, L Stringz, Kyaira, Los Fellas, The Noize, Full Circle Dance Company, Liberated Muse, Rise With a Purpose, Queen Songbird Coates
Headliner: Buddy Red
ECHOES STAGE 2 Gay St.
Wombwork, Italian Blood, Time in the Wilderness, Kiing, Jenny Hates Techno, Kelvin Dukes, Night Walks, Maestra Chameleon, Brooklynn, Mike Thomas DJ Closeout: AJ Showtime
9:00 pm - 12:00 AMArt Scape After DarkWhistle & Cane Juke Joint, formerly Ida B’s
Crank Crusaders
11:00am – 12:00pm The Future of Film is Female Whistle & Cane Juke Joint, formerly Ida B’s 235 Holliday Street
Moderator: Ngozi Olandu-Young (2x NAACP Image award winner)
Thea Washington, Tene Wilder, Elissa Blount Moorhead, Tyler Lepley
This dynamic conversation to discuss the evolving future of cinema will explore innovation, representation, authorship, and the evolving landscape of film through the lens of visionary women creators and cultural leaders.
12:30pm – 1:45pm SCOUT Artists Spotlight Whistle & Cane Juke Joint, formerly Ida B’s 235 Holliday Street
Moderator: Devin Allen and Cierra Britton
Roe Vision, Sandman, Victoria Walton
Artscape is AMERICA’S LARGEST FREE OUTDOOR arts festival, rocking the cultural heart of Baltimore since 1982, it was designed as an Arts Fair and marketed Baltimore as a cultural hub. The newly developed Meyerhoff Symphony Hall was underway, and to draw community support and stimulate economic development and investment in the area, Artscape was born.
Over forty years later the festival will now move to the heart of downtown as part of the Mayor’s Downtown Rise Initiative.
Designed to elevate Baltimore’s arts and culture scene, it played a pivotal role in positioning Mt. Vernon as a creative hub while generating community and financial support for the newly built Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.
Today, that same bold vision drives us forward. As part of Mayor Scott’s Downtown Rise Initiative, Artscape 2025 moves to the heart of Downtown Baltimore, leveraging the power of art to ignite reinvestment, attract new energy, and reimagine the city’s urban core. By transforming streets, historic sites, and public spaces into vibrant cultural destinations, Artscape will continue to serve as a powerful platform for artistic expression, fostering community engagement and cultural innovation. With art at its core, Artscape reaffirms its role as a transformative force in Baltimore’s cultural landscape.
Just as it did four decades ago, Artscape isn’t just about celebrating art—it’s about shaping Baltimore’s future.
