Maryland Avenue Bridge Mural Project
Midtown Baltimore is working with female Baltimore-based artist Saba Hamidi to develop a mural for the Maryland Avenue Bridge to be installed in Spring 2024. Funding support for this project is graciously supplied by our partners at the Central Baltimore Partnership. This project is part of the Falls Gateway Masterplan.
Community Engagement
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Preliminary Concepts
Key project stakeholders met on August 29th, 2023 to review preliminary design concepts. Three original concept directions were presented and paired down and two designs were selected to be more developed.
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Artscape Attendees
During Artscape Midtown led a guerrilla-style engagement initiative, welcoming the public to contribute their thoughts about the designs. Attendees added their thoughts on panels which be used to inspire the final design.
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Community Meetings
Midtown staff is sharing this presentation during Community Association Meetings. This stage was created to inform neighbors about the project and provide an opportunity to gather community input.
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Artist Video Walkthrough
Recorded with artist Saba Hamidi, this video walks through the mural project covering engagement sessions, site details, an outline of the project scope, including inspiration concepts for the designs.
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February Newsletter
Midtown’s monthly February 2024 newsletter had a lead story about the Maryland Avenue Mural project. We used the forum to ask our mailing list for additional insight about the project design. The artist used the results to help create the final design.
About the Artist:
“What makes your soul sing?” I remember when a friend asked me that, and it stopped me in my tracks. Immediately, I thought of the first time I pulled an all-nighter in college, drawing every little detail for my first studio project. I can remember my eyes stinging and my back aching, but I can also remember my heart beating faster and my eyes lighting up as I delved deeper into what I was creating. It still happens to this day: whether it’s when I’m illustrating a mural design, creating a new logo, or sketching out how I’m going to tell a client’s story - I can literally feel the excitement in my bones. It’s that energy, that fire inside to MAKE THINGS, that’s always driven me to do my best work. It’s what makes my soul sing.
As a child, I fell in love with drawing. In high school, I experimented with different media. In college, I began to develop my own language and style. But it wasn’t until I entered the design profession (originally as a landscape architect!) when I experienced, firsthand, the magic that sparked when I combined my passion for making, with my keenness to listen and understand. I found myself at the intersection of creativity and empathy, feeling that same increased heart rate and excitement that I did, pulling that first all-nighter in college. That same fire that burned within, has led me to the place I am today - listening, creating, and exploring ways in which I can use design as a tool to tell stories.
Artist, designer, aerial yogi, Budokon warrior, music lover, people person, nature guardian, dream catcher - striving each day to GO. BE. LOVE.
Learn more about Saba at www.sabahimidi.com.
