On Saturday, Aug. 29 from noon to 7 p.m., Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks will hold its inaugural ArtFusion: Earth, Moon, and Stars festival at Holt Park and Center for the Arts in Overlea.
This free, one-day immersive arts festival and gallery will gather artists from across the region to showcase their interpretations of the cosmic, natural, and metaphysical worlds around us. There will be art installations and displays, music performances, family-friendly activities, vendors, food trucks, and more.
“The arts bring people together, spark our imaginations and help us see the world in new ways,” Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier said. “I’m thrilled that Baltimore County is launching ArtFusion at Holt Park, a special place where art and nature come together. I cannot wait for people of all ages to experience the creativity, energy and impressive local talent this festival will showcase.”
The juried art gallery opens at noon on Aug. 29, and will be on exhibit through Friday, Oct. 2 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The gallery features the work of ten artists who were selected from 22 gallery submissions. There will also be public sculptures, activations, and performances.
Compass, by Laure Drogoul is a large-scale sculpture inspired by Earth’s magnetic fields that explores migration, location, and humanity’s sense of direction. Rainbow Rider, by Bike Powered Events, has participants pedaling stationary bikes to power towering LED sculptures, creating an interactive light display.
“ArtFusion gives local artists the platform to shine and our residents a chance to come together, explore, and be inspired by their own community,” said Bryan Sheppard, acting director of Recreation and Parks. “We’re grateful for the team at Holt Park and Center for the Arts for creating a phenomenal source of art and nature programming year-round.”
There is a full schedule of performances being held at the solos stage and amphitheater. It begins at 12:30 p.m. with Kevin Sherry’s puppet show inspired by outer space travel, includes acts like Mind on Fire (contemporary classical music), Afro House presenting its Astronaut Symphony (a mix of jazz and opera), and concludes at 6 p.m. with Sun Ra Arkestra, the jazz ensemble blending jazz, blues, rock, and improv through an Afrofuturist lens.
Kids and community activities will include a community fiber project, jewelry making, planet printmaking, cyanotypes, and button-making. Of course, there will be food and drink available, with food and beverage trucks on site. Look for Clear Skies Meadery, Glizzy’s Wagyu Dogs, Ministry of Brewing, Once Upon a Potato, and more.
Parking for the festival and shuttle transportation are both free. The shuttle will run approximately every 15 minutes starting at 11 a.m. Parking is located at Overlea High School, 5401 Kenwood Avenue, Baltimore.
A fuller list of public sculptures, activations, and performances is below.
Public Sculptures and Activations:
- Fission, The Cosmic Inquiry and Celestial Assembly, by Scott Pennington
Three 9-by-9-foot sculptures made from brightly painted wood, inspired by stars, meteors and 1950s science fiction. - Compass, by Laure Drougoul
A large-scale sculpture inspired by Earth’s magnetic fields, exploring migration, location and humanity’s sense of direction. - NEOM, by Adewale Alli
An 8-foot alien-like sculpture surrounded by three paintings, installed within the trellis at Holt Park. - Rainbow Rider, by Bike Powered Events
Participants pedal stationary bikes to power towering LED sculptures, creating an interactive light display.
Performance Schedule:
- 12:30 p.m. | Kevin Sherry
Kevin Sherry brings funny puppet shows for kids and adults to the festival, with a new show inspired by outer space travel. - 1:30 p.m. | Mind on Fire
Mind on Fire brings contemporary classical music together with Baltimore’s experimental arts community. - 2:30 p.m. | Amy Reid
Amy Reid is an electronic musician, producer and sound and visual artist whose work explores the natural world and the spaces between worlds. - 3:30 p.m. | Afro House
Baltimore-based Afro House presents its Astronaut Symphony, a mix of jazz and opera. The group was recently named “Best Performer” by Baltimore Magazine. - 4:30 p.m. | Herald
Herald is the solo project of musician Lawrence Worthington, creating psychedelic alternative pop. - 6:00 p.m. | Sun Ra Arkestra The pioneering jazz ensemble blends jazz, blues, rock, improvisation and electronic music through an Afrofuturist lens. The group was nominated for a 2026 Grammy Award.
- 7:00 p.m. | Festival ends
