Hundreds of Baltimore City young people, family members, friends and community residents attended the 10th Annual Black History Month Student Art Competition at Creative Alliance on Saturday, Feb. 15. For the second year, this display of student excellence in the arts included a dance exhibition.
The program is coordinated each year by the Johns Hopkins Office of Government and Community Affairs and Creative Alliance. The art will remain on display until March 1.
“Student participation was excellent,” says Chrystal Green, assistant director of community affairs for The Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM). “The artwork was thoughtful, relevant and sincere. The students truly put their all into the pieces.”
Participating schools included City Springs Elementary/Middle School, Commodore John Rodgers Elementary/Middle, Highlandtown Elementary/Middle Number 215, Johnston Square Elementary, Patterson Park Public Charter School, Turnbridge Public Charter, Wildwood Elementary/Middle, and William Paca Elementary in East Baltimore.
“Wow! What a great event,” says Michael Preston, JHU’s and JHM’s director of community affairs. “This year, we had our largest display of student art with 38 pieces submitted from students from second through eighth grades.”
Prizes were awarded for first, second and third place, honorable mention and people’s choice. Johnston Square won the third place prize for its students’ artwork with inspiring messages. William Paca submitted 10 pieces and won second place for images including several honoring “girl power.” First place went to Commodore John Rodgers.
For the fourth year in a row, a project by Chadrick Shoales’ art class at Highlandtown 215 won the People’s Choice Award by receiving the most votes from attendees for a single piece of art.
All other schools received honorable mention recognition for their art, which featured Baltimore history and African American heroes including Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr. and Thurgood Marshall.
After the art competition, attendees headed to the Creative Alliance theater for the Kuumba Showcase, which offered music and dance performances from the 1900s to present day. Performers included Baltimore DanceTech and the Tench Tilghman Dance Team.
“The performers were outstanding,” says Green. “They brought their all to the stage and inspired everyone.”