Here, in Baltimore, it’s a rising creative class, young people who came of age in the anxious decade following 9/11. Many, but not all, of these culture-creators studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), now among the very top art schools in the nation. Add into the mix the creative types attracted to vibrant arts programs at Towson University and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and by the music of all kinds at Johns Hopkins University’s incredible Peabody Conservatory. These kids are transforming Charm City.
You can pick the art-full sorts out in the crowd. They get around on bicycles, not in cars. Consumerism be gone. They take pride in wearing vintage clothing and sitting on used furniture. Given the boundless enthusiasm for the gently used, I fear there may soon be nothing left in our thrift stores. All these kids love the environment—green is the new black—and they recycle with a vengeance.
The art-full communicate in ways that morph as quickly as technology offers new ways to do it. They prefer to dwell communally, in post-industrial live/work spaces that double as art galleries, and/or theatres, and/or live music venues.
As for art-making, the term transdisciplinary was coined for them. They work in multiple modes of expression: visual, auditory, kinetic, or often all … at the same time.
Many of these young people are more interested in creating art than cashing checks. This is probably for the best considering that many of them are looking for their first jobs during the most serious economic downturn since the Great Depression.
Members of this generation consciously curate what they experience in life. What they create and wear, and what they’re doing to make a better and more beautiful world make the biggest statements about who they are. It’s not about what they earn or what they possess.
Nothing holds them back; this is a Do-It-Yourself generation. Want an exhibition? Install it. Wherever! Want to play in a band? Buy some beer and invite people in for $5. Think you’re an actor? Write your own script and start rehearsals now. Unsatisfied with local arts coverage? Start your own blog.
The art-full are not waiting for permission or approval. They won’t be quiet and they won’t sit still for long. These kids are redefining the meaning of audience; no longer can you remain a passive viewer or listener. Art requires full participation!
Where do you find these art-full young folk?
• MICA’s exhibitions and events.
• Station North Arts & Entertainment District. Request their weekly email blast from their homepage to learn about gallery openings, theatre performances, and concerts of all kinds.
• The Windup Space. This DIY venture on W. North Avenue gives Baltimore a full schedule of homegrown art-full events.
Doreen Bolger is always on the move because she can’t stop seeing, supporting, and writing about the arts in and around Baltimore City. Her lengthy love affair for the arts began in Long Island when her father, an executive in the textile industry, brought home breathtaking fabrics every night from the heart of the garment district. 
Thanks that was a excellent article!
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