Art with a Heart (AWAH) is celebrating its 26th birthday with a hands-on community art project at its social enterprise store, HeARTwares in Hampden, starting on Wednesday, March 18, from 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
Everyone is invited to color outside the lines, including supporters, volunteers, friends, families, and neighbors who would like to pick up a paintbrush and contribute to the 26th birthday mural. The mural will become the permanent backdrop to workshops and other HeARTwares events.
“Art with a Heart is always happy to bring people together to make beauty, share joy and connect through art, so of course we are incorporating this into our birthday celebration,” said Megan Gatto, executive director of AWAH, in a statement. “This mural will serve as a lasting symbol of our mission to inspire, strengthen and heal through visual art.”
The wall-sized mural was selected by staff and followers on social media and features a playful pattern of a brightly-colored sun. The image reflects the spirit, resilience, and fun of Art with a Heart.
There will be four dedicated sessions for painting the mural where guests of all ages can also learn more about Art with a Heart’s programs:
- Wednesday, March 18, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
- Thursday, March 19, 5–7 p.m.
- Saturday, March 21, 12–2 p.m.
- Sunday, March 22, 12–2 p.m.
Art with a Heart is a non-profit serving people in need with visual arts projects, community programming, workforce development, service-learning programs and more. Founded in 2000, they use visual art for positive civic and economic change. They opened their second location in Hampden in 2024 as their programs grew to provide access to more arts programming in Baltimore City and beyond. In 2025 alone, AWAH facilitated more than 13,000 art classes, worked with 95 community partners, and had more than 6,000 volunteers helping them in their mission.
HeARTwares, located at 1104 W. 36th St., Baltimore, MD, is a store in which AWAH showcases the artwork of students, volunteers, and participants in their workforce development program. At the store, the art be enjoyed and purchased. The proceeds are shared between AWAH and the artist or community partner. The Hampden location is also used for staff offices, meetings, community projects, and more.
To learn more about the mural project, visit Art with a Heart’s website or call 410-366-8886.
