BALTIMORE — CIAA is about more than just a basketball tournament; it’s a chance for Baltimore City to show what makes it unique, and it’s the same concept you will find inside the walls of Harborplace.
You may be familiar with the Boost program and other local businesses inside the Harborplace pavilions, but there is a hidden gem you may not have seen before.
VIDEO: Pop-up art exhibit in Harbor Place boasts work of local Black artists
Pop-up art exhibit in Harbor Place boasts work of local Black artists
“We like to think of ourselves as the largest pop-up of Black art in the nation,” says Harold Booker, volunteer coordinator.
That pop-up titled Creatively Black Baltimore has taken over a familiar space inside one of the pavilions.
“What you will experience is a former Ripley’s Believe It or Not, and as you walk through kind of the maze of the building, you’ll see some of the old charm mixed with all kind of art from local artists,” says Booker.
There are several different types of art as well, from paintings to sculptures and even clothing and self-portraits.
“We feature over 300 pieces here by over 65 artists who either live in Baltimore or are currently working in Baltimore,” says Harold Booker.
The art exhibit is free and open to the public, and for CIAA week, it also features a special short film.
“We’re actually featuring a video by one of the CIAA players from Livingstone College in the theater,” says Booker.
The short film Josh Wallace created is a part of the CIAA’s athlete entrepreneur spotlight.
The partnership is another way to highlight talent from Black creators, which is the purpose of the art exhibit.
“So this is actually the brainchild of Paris Brown from The Baltimore Times and Larry ‘Poncho’ Brown, who is a local artists,” says Harold Booker.
Although the art exhibit is a pop-up, it will be in Harbor Place until the summer of 2026, ahead of MCB Real Estate moving forward with renovations.
For the rest of CIAA week, the pop-up will be open from 1-7pm each day but 1-5pm on Sunday.
