The Oldest and the Middle and Young Boxer, two stunning portraits by a Baltimore artist seeking to humanize her hometown's hardened image, are now on display in the second floor lounge at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing.
The black-and-white photographs by East Baltimore native SHAN Wallace are the first pieces to be installed as part of the university's new public art initiative. The goal is to bring contemporary works of art to campus, representing a broad range of perspectives with many pieces created by local artists of burgeoning acclaim and reflecting some aspect of Baltimore. The effort, which involved an initial investment of $500,000 over two years and includes plans for future acquisitions, is an outgrowth of the university's Diverse Names and Narratives Project. A committee made up of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and trustee representatives selected artwork for purchase and installation.
The photographs were unveiled at a celebration on June 11. One depicts a brother and sister wrapped in each other's arms on North Avenue in Baltimore; the other features a pre-teen in training at Upton Boxing Center in West Baltimore's Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood. Wallace spoke at the gathering, along with School of Nursing Dean Sarah Szanton and Monica Herrera, A&S '18, a member of the Johns Hopkins Art Collecting Committee.
"We are thrilled to be the home for the visionary work of SHAN Wallace's photographs," Szanton said. "Hearing that she is from a family of nurses and that her work arises from a combination of care and attentiveness makes them a perfect fit. That is our framing for how we see patients, families, and communities."
Read more about Wallace and other artists whose work is heading to Hopkins.
Posted in Arts+Culture
Tagged diversity, community, fine arts, school of nursing, campus
