Photo by Megan Darling

From Sea to Shining City at the  Herbert Bearman Community Arts Gallery takes you on Daniel Stuelpnagel’s artistic journey over the past seven years, as he turned from a career in financial services to the life of a full-time artist.  We see his early subjects—alluring views of islands and oceans—morph into geometric views of the built environment. His recent paintings, Urban Legends, appear as skyscrapers at night with a twinkling pattern of lit windows and solid walls. 

Daniel is a resident artist at Living Classrooms, a progressive school in Fells Point that offers disadvantaged youth and young adults hands-on education and training. Here, kids learn by doing. In this innovative learning environment, students respond to Daniel’s paintings with their words, videos, and other artworks.

Daniel’s richly painted “buildings” are installed edge to edge, in clusters that suggest a city skyline. They are hung only a foot or so off the floor to encourage the kids from Living Classrooms to come close, sit down, and share the experience.  You can view these more closely at www.409A.com.  Better still, experience these paintings in their stunning setting, a gallery designed by Ziger/Snead Architects, complete with a panoramic view of the working harbor—at night the lights flicker there as they do in the paintings.

To truly appreciate Daniel’s recent pictures, we, like the children Daniel teaches, need to experience how they are painted. You can get an idea of his process here: 

Click here to view the embedded video.

The artist makes grids using tape before painting over them. He then removes the tape, creating new patterns, one over another. Trust me, this is a lot harder than it sounds. One work has been in the making for twenty years!

To learn more about Daniel’s outreach through art:

• Attend the closing reception for From Sea to Shining City on Tuesday, December 8, from 6 to 8 pm.
• Visit the Herbert Bearman Community Arts Gallery at The Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Museum and Park.
• Claim one of Daniel’s paintings for yourself or for an art-full friend. 50 percent of the sale will support Living Classrooms.  Call 443-676-8978 for details.