The Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center will present an art and music exhibition entitled “COLAB: Art and Music from Baltimore and Beyond – An Audible Art Exhibition.” Co-curated by Hilary Pierce, the exhibition will run from Saturday, May 17, 2025, through Saturday, August 16, 2025.
The exhibition features original works by 36 visual artists from the mid-20th century to the present, nearly one-third of whom are from the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. area. Each work of art is accompanied by musical selections from a wide variety of genres chosen by 18 noted musicians, vocalists, producers, and DJs.
Visitors are encouraged to bring their cell phones to access QR-coded content, and to bring their own Bluetooth audio devices and/or earbuds to experience the immersive nature of the audible art exhibition. The exhibit aims to help people experience the visual art through music.
Pierce conceived of “COLAB” having chosen Baltimore for her artistic education and professional beginnings. She is a graduate of Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), president of Art Collector’s Athenaeum, and a founding curator for The Petrucci Family Foundation of African American Art.
“This exhibition showcases the depth and diversity of African American art over the past 50 years, across a wide range of mediums and styles,” Pierce said. It includes works by the late Samella Lewis and Sam Gilliam, alongside celebrated Baltimore artists Joyce J. Scott and Megan Lewis. The exhibition also highlights emerging talent Ziggy Sayeed — who held his first exhibition at age 17 — alongside his mentor, Baltimore photographer Devin Allen.
Expanding on Pierce’s love of Baltimore as a creative hub, she told Fishbowl, “Baltimore doesn’t function on a level of elitism, which I think is really great, fertile ground for emerging artists. People like to network, connect and cut their teeth and learn, develop their own practice. And so, I think there’s just something very special about that.”
Pierce’s co-curator for “COLAB” is Sean Jones, who curated the music, and is an accomplished jazz musician and trumpet player. A young DJ out of Washington, D.C. named Dmitre Powell (“DJ Meech”) is creating the flow of the playlist visitors will hear as they view the artistic works.
The “COLAB” exhibition is the careful and intentional synthesis of art and music. The musicians contributed soundscapes they felt reflected the visual art they were viewing, providing insight and commentary to help visitors see the work through sound.
“Music is a powerful unifier, which makes the Eubie Blake Cultural Center — an anchor of Baltimore’s cultural legacy — the ideal venue for this multidimensional experience,” Pierce said. “We are honored to bring nationally recognized artists and musicians into dialogue with Baltimore’s vibrant creative community.”
Selected works in the exhibition will be available for acquisition with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Eubie Blake Cultural Center. For information about acquisitions, call (443) 547-7550 or email this link.
The Eubie Blake Cultural Center is located at 847 N. Howard Street, Baltimore, MD. Gallery hours are Wednesdays – Fridays from 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
