2026 Mayor Scott's Black History Month Student Art Contest & Exhibition
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Since 2023, Baltimore City students have been invited to participate in Mayor Scott’s Black History Month Student Art Contest and Exhibition. In commemoration of Black History Month, students are encouraged to submit original artwork—paintings, drawings, photography, digital art, or mixed media—celebrating the contributions of Black leaders, artists, and trailblazers. This year over 125 pieces of art were submitted. The Mayor and First Lady selected 25 finalists who were honored in an awards ceremony, and whose art was displayed at City Hall throughout the month of February. For the first time this year, the eight first prize-winning artworks are on display at Artscape.
Art with a Heart
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Art with a Heart’s mission is to enhance the lives of people in need through visual art. The organization believes that creative development and artistic expression are essential to human experience and works to address inequities in arts education by providing high-quality, engaging programs throughout the Baltimore region. Founded in 2000, Art with a Heart has grown from four weekly classes to as many as 15,000, (over 320,000 individual art experiences) annually to under-resourced children, youth and adults, serving participants ages 2 to 102. Classes are facilitated in partnership with community partners that have complementary missions and take place in schools, group homes, shelters, community and recreation centers, senior facilities, hospitals, and more. These programs and projects develop artistic skills while fostering confidence, collaboration, civic engagement, and a shared sense of purpose. The organization integrates art, human services, and education to deliver culturally responsive instruction supported by nurturing, consistent guidance and encouragement from Art with a Heart teachers. Participants in Art with a Heart’s programs and projects explore new ideas, develop new skills, build relationships across lines of difference, and engage in meaningful shared creative expression. Over the past 25 years, Art with a Heart has grown its impact through a range of initiatives including a workforce development program, HeARTworks, a social enterprise store, HeARTwares, a robust Community Art & Service initiative, which brings communities together to co-create public artwork for themselves and others and engages over 6,000 volunteers annually, and the Art of Leadership program, a year-long leadership program for 10th- and 11th-grade students across the Baltimore region.
Baltimore School for the Arts
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We are one of the top five public performing arts high schools in the country, combining a rigorous college-prep program with pre-professional training in the arts. We offer programs in dance, film, music, stage design and production, theatre, and the visual arts. Our students spend four hours a day in art classes taught by working professionals and four hours a day in academic classes. Sure, they’re becoming excellent artists. But they’re also building skills such as collaboration, time management, discipline, and grit. The result? Our high school graduation rate is close to 100 percent, and our six-year college graduation rate is 81 percent, well above the national average. Our alumni can be seen on Broadway and television, in films, in major galleries, and in dance companies. Others can be found analyzing stocks on Wall Street, working in well-respected hospitals, and running their own start-ups.
Living Classrooms Foundation
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Our Studio serves as an artsy space for students in grades 1st through 8th. Whether engaged in painting, sculpting, or sketching, students are guided by their curiosity and the joy of the creative process, prioritizing exploration over the final product. A key aspect of Our Studio is the practice of "evening pages," in which students dedicate three minutes during each session to writing or drawing whatever they wish to express. For those who struggle to come up with ideas, Ms. Moon provides three creative ideas on the board from easiest to hardest. These prompts are designed to open up the creative flow and encourage students to think outside the box; for instance, they may be asked to sketch a creature or create a fanfiction narrative featuring their favorite character. These prompts act as guides, helping students unlock new ideas and perspectives. As they immerse themselves in these activities, they build confidence in their artistic abilities and begin to view the world through a more imaginative lens. The evening pages evolve into a cherished ritual—a time for reflection and personal growth. During this moment, students can explore their thoughts and emotions, translating them into visual or written narratives that capture their unique voices while simultaneously honing their public speaking skills. Our recent project focused on developing our very own characters. This project invites students to delve into the depths of their imagination and bring to life a character that is uniquely their own. This project is designed to stretch their creative muscles, encouraging them to think critically and creatively about character development. The "Creating Your Own Fictional Character" project is an opportunity for students to explore the intricate process of character creation. Over the course of several sessions, they participated in a series of guided activities that will help them shape their character's identity, personality, and story. The aim is to empower students to express themselves, allowing them to explore different perspectives and possibilities.
Make Studio
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Make Studio is a nonprofit community art center that supports artists with disabilities in growing their professional art goals. With a studio and gallery located in the Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore City, Make Studio has 45+ member artists who exhibit work across the country, facilitate workshops and give artist talks in the greater Baltimore metropolitan area. Make Studio creates opportunities for everyone to connect through art. We empower artists with disabilities to grow as professionals with visibility and voice in their communities. We envision a world of acceptance and inclusion where art opens doors for everyone.
Station North Arts District
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The Station North Arts District is an internationally recognized arts district. As a thriving and diverse arts ecosystem, the district is driven by a vibrant, multi-disciplinary and evolving creative community with access to the tools, resources and assets it needs to flourish. Station North Arts District advocates for a thriving arts community by promoting civic and cultural engagement, harnessing and directing resources, and preserving and enhancing arts spaces in the heart of Baltimore.
The Black Genius Art Show
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Bryan Robinson is an educator and an award winning automatist media artist born, raised and superhero'd in Baltimore Maryland. He has a background in film, 2D animation and Business Marketing. He feels the blank canvas is just another portal to which his stories can be told. He compares his work to a mixture of the Mona Lisa and the morning cartoons of the 80's. Robinson is inspired from the works of artists like Emory Douglas, Melvin Peeples, and Keith Haring. Under the motto "Create Everyday", Robinson has over 200 original illustrations (acrylic/oil based paintings), one of the nation's largest collections of wearable art garments and an assortment of animated projects in the works. Robinson currently works with school based programs, universities, youth groups, galleries, art initiatives and community based organizations throughout the states to further The Black Genius Art Show. In 2021, Robinson opened his first art showroom he labels Genius Guice Studios. GG is a hybrid gallery space that displays revolving art spreads, custom collectables, wearables and art incentives for “Me and you, ya’ momma’ and your cousin too”. The Black Genius Art Show features a diverse range of media and styles, including painting, sculpture, fashion, photography, and performance art. Our activations include community engagement events such as artist talks, workshops, and performances, providing opportunities for artists and audiences to connect and collaborate.
Tola's Room
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Tola’s Room, located in Baltimore City, is a vibrant hub of Puerto Rican heritage and culture, blending personal narrative, historical exploration, and community engagement. Founded in 2018 as an art therapy project following the passing of Christina Delgado’s father, it now honors Puerto Rican and Nuyorican experiences through exhibitions, workshops, events, and collaborations that foster connection and belonging. Rooted in honoring ancestors and preserving local Puerto Rican histories, Tola’s Room safeguards cultural heritage while inviting future exploration of how the Puerto Rican community can continue to thrive in Baltimore. Through immersive exhibits and intimate gatherings, visitors are empowered to connect with their identities and histories in the comfort of a home-like setting. As Baltimore’s only Puerto Rican home museum, Tola’s Room is both a sanctuary for cultural reconnection and an open invitation to the Boricua community to consider it a second home. It embodies the resilience of the Puerto Rican diaspora, enriching the cultural and artistic landscapes of Baltimore and beyond.