Art with a Heart (AWAH) will hold its annual Shop & Bop — an art sale and free open house — on Friday, Aug. 15, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at HeARTwares, the organization’s new social enterprise store at 1104 W. 36th St. in Hampden.
Shop & Bop is kid-friendly, so children are welcome. Visitors can shop for hand-made and one-of-a-kind items like artwork, jewelry, houseware items, garden ornaments and meaningful gifts. Each unique item was crafted with enthusiasm by community volunteers, students, and apprentices in AWAH’s HeARTworks workforce development program, now in its 21st year. The event will have an interactive art activity, games, a DJ, food, and drinks, including beer, wine, and nonalcoholic choices.
“As a social enterprise, HeARTwares reinvests proceeds not only into Art with a Heart’s mission, but also directly to the students and partner organizations participating in the work,” Megan Gatto, AWAH’s executive director, told Baltimore Fishbowl. “The sale of each product is shared between Art with a Heart and the student who made it, or the partner organization for each program. Students in the workforce program are paid a stipend for their participation as they create the products, all the while learning job skills throughout the program.”
Shop & Bop will feature the work of 2025 summer HeARTworks students — youth from ages 14 to 24 who have created the art sold at HeARTwares. The HeARTwares space provides room for the youth to collaborate, experience a structured work environment, all while building job readiness and life skills. They engage in group critique and reflection, work on their résumés, conduct mock interviews, go through conflict resolution training, and more.
HeARTworks provides space for young people to think creatively about their goals and future. The program offers them a sense of belonging and accomplishment. They learn about workplace procedures, set and meet concrete expectations, work within a structured environment, and get real-world experience working in a retail store and interacting with the public in a meaningful, affirming way.
HeARTwares is celebrating its 15th anniversary, and to mark the occasion, AWAH will host an online auction leading up to Shop & Bop from August 1 to August 14. Auction items will include two Paul Reed Smith guitars, a private tour of the Latin American Art Exhibit at the Walters Art Gallery by curator Ellen Hoobler; private tour, tasting and lunch at Old Westminster Winery; pottery class at The Clayground in Ellicott City, and more.
AWAH, based in Hampden, moved HeARTwares to The Avenue last November, where Shop & Bop will take place. They chose a centrally-located satellite location where the artwork of its students and volunteers could be seen, appreciated and purchased by many more people. The new space is more than double the size of the previous HeARTwares location. With 7,600 square feet of space, the retail store takes up most of the first floor, where shoppers can browse the handmade, one-of-a-kind artwork, jewelry, houseware items, and more for purchase. The theme of the store is “shopping with purpose” and buying gifts with meaning.
There is also storage space and a large classroom on the first floor. On the second floor, there are staff offices, a computer lab, and a large classroom. AWAH hopes to become a community hub for people from all over Baltimore, where everyone feels welcome and its workforce development collaborations and community art projects can grow.
Gatto cites the new satellite location’s benefits for the students and the community.
“Most notably, the new space significantly improves accessibility—it’s located less than a block from a major bus stop, providing a more direct and convenient route for students who rely on public transportation,” Gatto said. “As a result, we’ve already seen improved attendance and punctuality this summer. Positioning the storefront on a high-traffic thoroughfare, with adjacent classroom space, has expanded the scope of experiences and opportunities we can offer. Students now witness their completed artwork displayed and appreciated by the broader community, which has instilled a stronger sense of pride and ownership in their creations.”
Art with a Heart was established in 2000 with a mission to enhance the lives of people in need through the visual arts. In the last year, AWAH provided nearly 16,000 art classes to children, youth, adults, and families in schools, shelters, community centers, hospitals and senior facilities; provided over 270,000 individual art experiences, and completed and installed 16 community art projects with the help of over 3,900 volunteers.
