You can call it Bmore, Mobtown, the Monumental City, Bawlamer, “Paris on the Patapsco” or just plain Baltimore. But this is a town known for having a lot of charm, soul, pluck and heart.
Now, it also has “The Heart of Baltimore” sculpture, thanks to the local nonprofit Art with a Heart.
At a Nov. 4 ceremony, Mayor Brandon M. Scott revealed the six-by-eight-foot heart mosaic sculpture, on permanent display at the University of Maryland Medical Center’s Gudelsky Entrance, at the corner of Lombard and Greene streets.
(Photo courtesy of Art with a Heart)
The $130,000 public art piece represents Art with a Heart‘s 20th anniversary gift to the Baltimore community.
AWAH’s mission is to enhance the lives of people in need through visual art. The organization has been a partner in the Baltimore community for more than 21 years.
At the core of its work is a commitment to equity, access and collaboration, having designed and installed more than 300 public art pieces over the past two decades.
Weighing 1,000 pounds, “The Heart of Baltimore” features 18 different colors of glass, mirror and recycled, glow-in-the-dark tiles. During the past 18 months, nearly 1,000 youth and adults of diverse races, ages and socio-economic backgrounds devoted their time to create close to 2,500 ceramic hearts with messages and love and encouragement.
“Everyone at Art with a Heart is extraordinarily proud of this project,” said Randi Alper Pupkin, the organization’s founder and executive director. “It is a true testament to the grit and determination of the Art with a Heart staff, board, volunteers and those who supported this project through unprecedented challenges.
“I am especially moved that the sculpture and the messages it contains will greet those visiting UMMC and will provide an inspirational, hopeful and beautiful welcome to all,” she said.
During the pandemic, AWAH distributed 425 pounds of clay via curbside pickup and mail, offering families, students and seniors an opportunity to safely make the ceramic hearts to embellish the sculpture. Afterwards, volunteers glazed each of these hearts and adhered them to the sculpture to create a sense of harmony and hope and showcase the love, resilience and charm at the core of the city.
“’The Heart of Baltimore’ was created during the height of the pandemic and quickly became a source of hope, respite, joy and beauty for all who participated in its creation,” said AWAH Director of Community Service and Public Art Ali Mirsky. “This project is particularly special because of its remarkable creation story. It is a beacon of hope and light, and I am truly honored to have played a part in its creation.”
Said Dr. Bert W. O’Malley, UMMC’s president and CEO: “UMMC is honored to be the home of such a meaningful, symbolic landmark for our city. The fact that ‘The Heart of Baltimore’ is also a visual statement of the incredible commitment and determination of our medical center staff on the frontlines of a global pandemic brings another layer of significance.
“My hope is that it offers a sense of pride for all we have endured and accomplished together over the past year and a half.”
The Heart of Baltimore project is the latest in a series of community-created AWAH installations at UMMC and the University of Maryland, Baltimore, including mosaics at the UMB Community Engagement Center and at UMMC’s Pediatric Emergency Department.
Another large-scale AWAH creation will soon be installed inside the entrance of UMMC’s new Outpatient Tower at its Midtown Campus.
For information about AWAH, visit artwithaheart.net.
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