“Across the Waves…” is a large mural (1500 square feet) in the Highlandtown neighborhood of Baltimore, and it celebrates the history and culture of the community. I came to research Highlandtown in 2008, and was struck by the diverse waves of immigrants that have arrived for more than a century, and continue to arrive today. The left side shows European immigrants arriving by boat early in the 20th century, and shows their lifestyle in the neighborhood, including their custom of washing their marble steps every Saturday morning, something that many long-time residents remember from their childhoods. Today, Highlandtown is a diverse community, including Black, White, and Latino residents, and the right side of the mural demonstrates this diversity. There has been a huge influx of Latino immigrants in recent years, and the mural shows a man talking on the phone to his family back in his home country, demonstrating the strong connection that recently-arrived immigrants feel to their homelands and their families. The mural was funded by the Baltimore Office on Promotion and the Arts (BOPA), and is located at the corner of Banks and Highland Street. It was featured by the international news network Voice of America (click here for video).Also in 2008, I painted an underpass column in downtown Baltimore, an area which is used as a farmer’s market on weekends. Going along with this theme, I painted a Mayan farming theme, including the Corn God. All the columns in the market are painted by local artists, a project that’s also funded by BOPA.
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