change of tone

When the semester began and this process of learning all about the Station North developmental plans began, I was worried that the “charm” of the city would be in full assault. After living in Baltimore for more then three years I have adopted Baltimore has my home and have found comfort in everything that Baltimore City has offered. The DIY framework of the city is what initially attracted me to Baltimore. The availability of space within the urban environment, and the fluid transition of abandoned building to functional music venue is something I still have difficulty figuring out, but love nonetheless. While the city at certain moments may appear to be deteriorating all around me with vacant lots scattered throughout and certain blocks being completely abandoned, the arts scene is up and running 24/7.
Prior to hearing anything in the class my fear of developmental plans in the area was that this current relationship with the arts within the area would cease to exist. The status quo would not be able to handle the economic revision of the area and would be outsourced and the area completely gentrified. While potentially this would not need to be a bad thing (it would change the area and could have a functioning economically driven cultural area) it would not be the same North Avenue region which has attracted many artists and musicians to the area.
Fortunately, after hearing from a slew of active players in the developmental future of SNAED I can honestly say that I am optimistic about this project. While it will be impossible to say that I am “sold” that my Baltimore will not change too drastically for my liking until I check out the region twenty years from now, it has been presented to the class that it is in the best interest of Baltimore that the atmosphere stays the same. Even in the last couple of years huge changes have been made—for the better in my opinion. The Windup Space, Artists and Craftsmen Supply, Joe Squared and more have been built and have tapped into and encouraged the current music and arts scene of the city. Restaurants, galleries, theatres, markets, and green spaces seem to appear in every developmental plan, and if these spots remain affordable and universally welcoming, SNAED developmental plans can maintain the “charm” of North Avenue while improving the city and continuing to having a fully functioning culturally driven area.

BREAKING GROUND: A Beginners Guide for Nonprofit Developers

This informational brochure gives step by step instructions for people interested in starting a nonprofit real estate development business. The brochure starts off by explaining in very concrete terms how to assess whether or not an organization is ready to start a nonprofit real estate development business and tells you what you need to have in order to be ready. The brochure continues by giving people questions to ask themselves before starting such a business, and explains the different roles that a nonprofit can play in the community as well as the different forms a real estate business can take as a nonprofit. In addition, the brochure covers what types of people such a business should include (how to structure your business), what types of funding are available and how to get it, how to know your neighborhood's needs and facilitate community engagement, and how to manage a budget. The brochure also explains the lending process that businesses need to be aware of before starting a nonprofit real estate development business (which was informative for me). This explained a lot of things for me about the inner workings of nonprofit real estate development by revealing everything in a simple, clear, and understandable manner.
You guys should check this out:
www.community-wealth.com/_pdfs/tools/cdcs/tool-breaking-ground.pdf

After reading "How Art and Culture Happen in New York" and thought about Station North arts and Entertainment District in Baltimore

The author suggests importance of effects that art and culture in the urban, because economic structure moved from industry basis to art and culture basis. She took survey from cultural producers, gatekeepers and social life providers, research of policies which could help develop the cultural economy, concluded:

"The relationship between place and culture can be an effective tool for economic development….Fundamentally, art and culture thrive in places that support the social and economic dynamics necessary for creative production.”

However, the most interesting thing is how to interact creative people. In the reading, there are several quotations which like one nightclub owner said, “So many times, I see creative people sitting next to each other and next thing you know they are doing something.” Moreover, in the survey, most of them mentioned important of social activity such as ‘introduction’. I also deeply agree with this.


In my experience, even they are just ‘student’ or ‘amateur’, art world is influenced strongly social life. Most of my creative friends met in the exhibition opening, by accidently joining at drinking party, or by others introduced.



With this opinion, I also gladly accept North market project which is normally well-known “Station north market arts and entertainment district”. It has a plan that develops complex center entertainment and art providing in Central Baltimore. There’s already several place are running now. ‘Metro gallery’(1700 North Charles street), ‘The Windup space’(12 W. North Avenue) where locate Station North district and mixed bar, stage and gallery. In addition, every month on second Saturday, there is an event which has music performances, art exhibition, entertain such as providing pizza. Hence, they had some projects like “The Door & Window Project” that decorated vacant houses.








However, I think it needs to more effort to advertise to people-including MICA students and other art students and local artists, residents. First, it should renew their web site. Since last year, there is no updating even this month the event held. It is hard to get information beside leaflets. Secondly, it has to increase more ally facilities. It is glad news that there will be a new pub as soon as in North market building. It could help more local art and culture communication. At last, it needs to be held more notable events. It helps collect more artists and culture planners, and also could revive local economy.

Baltimore City Paper from 2003: PAST AND FUTURE COLLIDE IN THE ARTICLE "Will the Station North Arts District Paint a Brighter Future for Midtown?"

In 2003 an article came out in the Baltimore City Paper entitled Will the Station North Arts District Paint a Brighter Future for Midtown? This article describes many things that we might already know (at least as a class) about the District, but I still found reading it pretty fascinating because much of what is described is still relevant to the SNAED of 2010. This is a really great article in my opinion, in part because it expresses the viewpoints of so many different neighborhood players. It also summarizes information well and gives a comprehensive description of the state of the district about seven years ago in it’s earliest and most formative days. The Article explains how Charles North/Greenmount West was chosen to be Baltimore’s Arts and Entertainment District and gives us a few anecdotes about SNAED’s initial conception. The article describes a Station North Arts District that is younger and maybe just as full of reservation (if not more so) about how much can realistically change in the next decade. It might be relevant to recall that this is also a pre-housing crisis and pre-recession SNAED. Brennen Jensen, the author of this article, is able to capture the characteristic sentiment of watchful hesitancy that people in the district have had since the beginning regarding any potential gentrification of Station North. This is a sentiment that asks for (in the words of Dennis Livingston of the Greenmount West Community Development corp) maximum local participation and hands-on grassroots initiatives.
2003 was a pretty crucial year for the Station North Arts District. This article was written the same year that the districts 10 year tax incentives were passed, including the property tax credit for arts-related businesses, the entertainment and amusement tax credit, and the artist-income tax credit. This was also the same year that the PUD (the Planned Unit Development) ordinance was passed. This ordinance was a zoning shift for Greenmount West's industrial buildings, allowing more of them to contain a mixture of commercial and residential tenants. In addition, 2003 was the year that City Council Bill 03-1143 was approved, giving the city authority to ‘use condemnation powers as a means to acquire 24 vacant or underutilized properties in and around the Charles Street corridor.’ At the time that this article was written, the building’s owners had been given 8 months to come up with credible finance plans of their own or else they faced being bought over by the BDC. By no surprise these buildings included sites that we now know to be part of the Charles North Vision plan, including the Chesapeake Restaurant and the Parkway Theater. Oh, and 2003 was also the year that Area 405 opened up.
It’s informative to realize how much is still the same but at the same time important to remember that it’s only been seven years since this article was published. Quite a lot has happened in these few years already. It's hard to measure progress, because with progress there's always the short term and then there's the long term and again, seven years really isn't a very long time. But you should still read the article, even after reading this summary.
Read the article @: http://www.citypaper.com/news/story.asp?id=3328

I recently joined a friend in the search of a nearby bus stop. A quick online investigation told us to walk just down the road to North and Howard. My friend turned to me and asked, “Where’s North and Howard?” For an instant I was taken aback, appalled really. To begin with, this intersection is not more than a 3-minute walk away from our apartment building. Perhaps more importantly, both North and Howard serve as major commercial streets, and their corners offer many assets for art students like us- Artist&Craftsman and Joe Squared, for example. These assets were of course familiar to my friend, but their geography was not. I soon realized that, over the course of Art, Artists, and The City, I have developed a strong position about the knowledge of geography. That is, I have come to view the understanding of ones spatial context as imperative, a personal responsibility. To choose to live in a place is to choose to acknowledge the surrounding area. This responsibility does not end at geography, but must extend the activities and trends that happen therein. In my case, this means I must know not only the physical manifestations of Central Baltimore (streets, land uses, etc.), but also how people interact with them. I must be aware that no urban process is organic- there is always human involvement. Residents, community organizations, developers, and the city all interact to change and mold the area. The responsibility of Central Baltimore residents is to be aware of their role in these processes. In my case, I must know that my identity as an artist makes me a component of the Station North Arts District. In addition, I must be aware that my identity as such may contribute to both residential and commercial gentrification. I cannot be ignorant of my possible role in displacement. The knowledge of this role allows me to minimize my negative impact. Through volunteering opportunities such as our surveying for Greenmount West Community Organization, I can make sure that the residents of the neighborhood are accounted for, perhaps increasing their representation in the case of displacement.
In the instant my friend asked “Where’s North and Howard?”, I wanted her to feel the personal sense of responsibility that I have developed. In essence, I wanted her to experience the whole course of Art, Artists, and The City. This, of course, is a ridiculous expectation to place one anyone. However, it is still very important that one is aware of their contextual surroundings, especially in the city. I would hope my friend is able to achieve this awareness by some other means. After all, though Art, Artists, and The City has been extremely informative, it can never measure up to years of immersion in an urban community.

Street Art works

I found several wall painting or some install works in neighborhood area.