Midtown Baltimore, in partnership with MCB Real Estate and Bloom Arts Strategy, is activating the vacant retail space in the Fitzgerald building (1201 W Mt. Royal Ave.) with opportunities for creative community engagement. The goal of the activations is to connect with artists of all kinds to facilitate and implement ideas that transform the space into a creative hub that serves artists’ needs and engages the broader Baltimore community.
The Fitzgerald Activation provides Baltimore’s creatives with access to space and resources—free of charge—allowing them to rehearse, perform, create, and connect with the community. Through music, dance, theater, spoken word, fashion, film, visual art, and more, these talented artists will transform the space into a vibrant, inclusive creative hub.
An open RFP was issued in spring 2024, generating almost 50 submissions from local creatives. After a selection process that included input from local arts leaders Gaia, Liz Miller, and Nicholas Cohen, an initial cohort of artists was accepted. The project is fully funded by MCB Real Estate.
For more information, you can download the 10/16/24 press release.
The Artists
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Wordsmith
Wordsmith is a songwriter, poet, recording artist, actor, playwright, entrepreneur and philanthropist from Baltimore, MD. He is a Grammy Voting Member, finalist for the 2023 & 2024 Baker Artist Awards, selected as one of 25 Black Marylanders to Watch in 2024 by the Baltimore Sun, 5 time ASCAPLUS Award winner, and winner of Best Rap/Hip Album for Perspective Jukebox at the 16th Independent Music Awards. His music and jingles are featured on prominent networks and shows like WWE, ESPN Sportscenter, Kawasaki, Russian Doll (Netflix), Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix), Preacher (AMC) and many more.
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Kelly L. Walker
Kelly L. Walker is an American born, self taught artist who continues to study at the ‘School of Life’. She found her way to Baltimore, Maryland by the age of 18 where she has lived ever since. Walker absorbs the beauty, chaos and reality of Baltimore City channeling it into her work. Walker’s artwork has been featured extensively at venues both in and outside of the Baltimore area, including the Rosenberg Gallery, Silo Point, Gallery 1951 in Los Angeles & Las Laguna Art Gallery in California and the Delaware Museum of Art.
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Ernest Shaw
Being a native of West Baltimore has taught artist Ernest Shaw the meaning of perseverance, community and integrity. As a product of Baltimore City Public Schools, Baltimore School for the Arts, Morgan State University, and Howard University, Shaw recognizes the importance of using his skills and talents for the betterment of others, not simply for his own self-aggrandizement. For Ernest, teaching is also an artistic medium.
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Birch & Pen
The Birch & Pen mission is to inspire people to follow their dreams and provide a supportive platform for them to become a reality. Founded by Jordan Jackson, Birch & Pen is dedicated to helping dreamers achieve their goals through entrepreneurial education and creating opportunities for local makers and artisans.
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Oh to Dream
Oh to Dream is a creative consultancy and incubation space rooted in holistic appreciation of the artist and the arts community you want to create. Oh to Dream is rooted in the transformative power of the arts and the belief that creativity serves as a catalyst for healing and imagining future possibilities. We see every creative endeavor, be it a sketch, a motif, or a concept, as an embodiment of a dream manifested into a tangible form. We believe in the unique ability of artists to unlock dreams, and translate them into artistic expressions that resonate across cultures and communities.
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The Stylette
The Stylette is a fashion and multiplatform media company providing a digital magazine, podcast, and wardrobe consulting agency based in Baltimore, MD. The Stylette Experience LLC celebrates and encourages women to own their originality, authenticity, and style story. We provide resources to help women discover, maintain, and elevate their signature style to look good, feel good, and ultimately show up confidently in their everyday lives
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Good Quemistry
Zora’s Room highlights the experience and skill set of each collaborator of the Good Quemistry team, comprised of Bakari Jones, Malik Coleman, and Q Ragsdale; Jones in event facilitation and production, narrative development, and business strategy; Coleman in comedy, teaching, storytelling, improvisation, writing; and Ragsdale in immersive media design, virtual production, artificial intelligence, and Web 3.
The Fall 2024 Schedule includes recurring and one-time events:
Tuesday, October 29, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Open Rehearsal - My Brilliance Shines Theater Troupe
Thursday, November 14, 6:00pm - 8:30pm
Open Rehearsal - Wordsmith and his Band
Tuesday, November 19, 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Open Tech Rehearsal - The Purple Tape (Musical)
Tuesday, November 26, 6:00pm - 10:00pm
Open Tech Rehearsal - The Night Owl Show
Tuesday, December 3, 8:00pm - 10:00pm
Live Taping - The Night Owl Show
Classes, Rehearsals, and Events by Wordsmith & Rise with a Purpose
BSO Artist in Residence, Wordsmith, will be holding weekly workshops and rehearsals for the youth artists participating in his organization, Rise with a Purpose, as well as performances and events for his own artistic work with his band. Rise with a Purpose provides tangible assistance to low-income people and underserved communities; facilitates long-term solutions to homelessness, hunger, and poverty locally and globally through social reform, education, and advocacy; and conducts community-based theater programs, music projects, and cultural exchange workshops to help aspiring actors and musicians enter careers in entertainment. These events will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:00pm - 9:00pm from October through December. While most rehearsals are closed, some rehearsals and events are open to the public.
MICA Mural Class with Ernest Shaw
Renowned muralist Ernest Shaw will be holding his weekly mural class through MICA’s First Year Experience program at the Fitzgerald. These classes will take place from October through November and are closed to the public.
Art Exhibition featuring Works by Kelly L. Walker
Baltimore legend Kelly L. Walker will be exhibiting select pieces for purchase from her “Baltimore Series,” which celebrates the warmth, color, and resilience of Baltimore’s working-class neighborhoods through vibrant layered paintings of iconic rowhouses. This exhibition will be on view October through December and is open to the public when the building is open for events.
Sunday, October 27, 3:00pm - 6:00pm
Sunday Dinner hosted by Oh to Dream
Oh to Dream brings their signature “Sunday Dinner” to the Fitzgerald, blending experimental culinary arts, performances, and discussions on innovation, offering a platform for artists and participants to explore new creative ideas over themed meals. Registration details to be shared at a later date.
Date to be announced
Sip, Swap, & Shoot Event hosted by The Stylette
The Stylette presents the “So Stylette Soiree,” a fashion and beauty event featuring local vendors, a fashion show, art gallery, and a panel of influencers discussing diversity, confidence, and personal transformation—spotlighting Baltimore's creative fashion community.
Friday, Nov. 29 - December 2, 12:00pm - 6:00pm
Saturday, December 7, 1:00pm - 5:00pm
Holiday Marketplace hosted by Birch & Pen
Birch & Pen will be curating and hosting a holiday market featuring local makers, artists, and small businesses offering home decor, fashion, art, beauty products, and more.
Saturday, December 7
7:00 - 10:00pm
Zora’s Room Immersive Experience hosted by Good Quemistry
Zora's Room is a bi-monthly, immersive, storytelling event series celebrating Black culture, womanhood, and queer identity. Each edition of Zora’s room begins with a social hour including mocktails, cocktails, immersive media, augmented reality (AR) experiences, and music. Attendees are encouraged to use their phones to scan various images in the space to interact with curated digital art. Following the social hour, community storytellers take the stage to tell short stories related to December’s theme “Anywhere But Home For The Holidays” exploring the magic of the holiday season and the journeys of people who, for various reasons, cannot go home for the holidays. Affordable housing nonprofit Smalltimore Homes will allow attendees to further reflect on the question, “What Makes Home?” as they step into a life-size tiny shelter and engage augmented reality digital art. Additionally, vegan, self-care product company Harp Vision will provide scents that compliment the augmented reality digital art throughout the event. Following the storytelling hour, attendees will have the opportunity to meet and celebrate the storytellers and community during a brief reception. Tickets available here.
About the Partners
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Founded in 2007, MCB Real Estate is a community-centric, privately held investment management and development firm based in Baltimore, Maryland. MCB has $3 billion in assets under management and a portfolio of approximately 15 million square-feet of industrial, office, retail, mixed-use, multi-family and life sciences properties, with nearly four million square-feet in development. The firm provides integrated commercial real estate services, including development, construction, property management, asset management, acquisitions, and legal support.
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The Midtown Community Benefits District is a neighborhood advocacy and improvement group created by a voter referendum in the mid-1990s to strengthen the neighborhoods for all who live and work within the 144-block Midtown District, including the Mt. Vernon, Charles North, Bolton Hill, and Madison Park neighborhoods. We strive to provide consistent services in order to ensure a clean, green, and safe community. Our team advocates on behalf of the entire Midtown District, partnering with community leaders, Board members, and constituents to positively impact the day-to-day lives of everyone who lives or works in Midtown. We work tirelessly with community associations, educational, cultural and non-profit partners, government agencies, and businesses to expand our outreach, and partner on a variety of initiatives that ensure Midtown’s success.
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Bloom Arts Strategy provides fundraising, event planning, strategy, and project management support to arts organizations and artists, striving to empower institutions and individuals to build the resources, community, and skills needed to achieve their creative and strategic goals. Founded and led by Stacy Handler, who brings over a decade of experience working with leading arts organizations in New York, Boston, and Baltimore, Bloom Arts Strategy excels at helping organizations and artists make the connections between their work and the foundational support needed to reach their goals.