The Neighborhood Design Center is thrilled to be part of the collaborative team behind Inviting Light, an innovative public art project taking place in Baltimore City’s Station North Arts District throughout 2025.
Baltimore was one of eight cities to receive $1 million from the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge in support of Inviting Light.
The project is curated by Baltimore’s very own Derrick Adams with additional curatorial support from Jose Ruiz, and is facilitated by Central Baltimore Partnership in partnership with the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office and NDC.
Inviting Light will bring five site-specific temporary public art installations to Station North in Central Baltimore as well as five site activations by artists. This will be followed by a year of scheduled events and curated arts programming for the community to engage with.
Public Art Installations in Baltimore
Third Watch
Located at the North Avenue Market, Zoë is conjuring Bwanga of Cameroon as a security nightlight for those seeking spiritual comfort and protection while passing the North Avenue Marketplace at night.
Big Ass Snake(Plant)s On A Plane
Playing off big action movies, Phaan is turning the Charles St. Garage into an over-the-top light-filled action movie– right across from the Charles Theatre.
Aurora
Tony’s work is an homage to real Baltimore people found in their usual neon-lit haunts. This one will be installed on the facade of what was formerly known as Gatsby’s on Charles St.
Harmony Park
Ekene’s installation challenges people to make connections through energy and light in the Barclay neighborhood.
Soft Gym
Get ready. A new contemplative gym is coming to the new YNOT Lot. Currently a vacant lot, it will become a new performance pavilion for Station North programming in fall 2025 and projected to extend until 2028-2030 when the site will be developed.
See more photos from the first three installations!
Community Light Walks
Three Community Light Walks were held where community members could learn more about the Inviting Light sites and installations, get behind-the-scenes updates, and experience the creative lighting research and design throughout Signal Station North - which serves as a foundation for this project.
These walks bring new perspectives to our nighttime environments and celebrate the power of light to transform spaces. Keep an ear out for future walks!
Signal Station North
Inviting Light builds upon the extensive research and insights gathered from Signal Station North — NDC’s district lighting plan and public space initiative for Central Baltimore.
Fueled by community input gathered through publications, workshops, and events, the project centered community engagement, research, and urban analysis to inform:
We are thrilled to continue this work to foster a vibrant and equitable public space in Central Baltimore that resonates with the community’s values and aspirations.
Why Public Space Lighting?
Light supports our experience in public spaces in obvious ways, like lighting our way, but also some less obvious ways — it helps us keep time, it serves as a guidepost, it creates a sense of place. And, just as light can welcome us in, it can also keep us out. Light can make us feel alert, focused, wary. Or it make us assured, calm, and invited.
“We believe that every community deserves equitable access to well-lit spaces. With Inviting Light, we will be demonstrating how artist-led and community-informed light can be a catalyst for safety, inclusivity, and vibrancy.”
— Merrell Hambleton, NDC's Program Manager of Arts Planning and Cultural Programming
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Media Contact
Contact Sara Warfield, on behalf of NDC
Sara@ SaraWarfieldCommunications.com
410-952-1271
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