Catonsville might officially be “Music City, Maryland,” but don’t sleep on the arts in this town, either. A major public art project called “Signs of the People” will begin in spring 2025 in the Catonsville Arts District (CAD).
By early fall, stretches along the historic “Village” area of Frederick Road will be able to see prominent, cheerful wayfinding and placemaking signs detailing the cultural history of the area. The project, announced by Baltimore County Arts Guild (BCAG), was conceived by artists Eva Salmerón and Ciro Márquez, selected through a national search.
Though Salmerón and Márquez are an internationally recognized team, they’ve already forged a relationship with Baltimore through their interactive public artwork BUS, which was installed in the downtown Highlandtown Arts District. Kyle Miller will also join Salmerón and Márquez in their work. He is one of the two local sculptors who fabricated the BUS sculpture.
“The highly engaging and eye-catching work of Eva Salmerón and Ciro Márquez will transform the visitor experience along Frederick Road,” says Monica Herber, executive director of the Baltimore County Arts Guild, which operates the Catonsville Arts District. “While the signs highlight historic sites, including some that have now vanished, they will also become their own destination points.”
Each placemaking sign will feature an enlarged silhouette of a Catonsville resident. The sign will stand around 14 feet tall, visible to drivers and pedestrians alike, topped with the bright yellow silhouette of the Catonsvillian gesturing towards the historic site. Under the silhouette are area maps and descriptions telling the stories of the sites which will be printed in braille on the reverse side. A QR code will bring people to audio descriptions and directions, and lead to a website with more historical information.
The signs will be in the shape of a Catonsville resident who has a special connection or story to tell about the place to which they’re drawing attention, and a quote from their story will be on the text below their silhouette. It would be as if a neighbor was pointing out to a visitor where the now-vanished home of Victor Gustav Bloede, the inventor of postage stamp glue, once stood; or where Greenwood Electric Park for decades operated as a space for Black families to gather and celebrate holidays and life’s milestones at a time when they were shut out of other recreational spaces. The social center was supported by Black entrepreneur Remus Adams.
“The inspiration for this project came from our visit to Catonsville last October, from the passion of the various people who showed us around, from their excitement to tell all the stories of their town, and from their sense of welcome. Signs of People is a tribute to the locals, who are, after all, the ones who make the place what it is today,” Salmerón said.
“The signs will be as clear as road signs, as conceptually powerful and synthetic. The organization of the information on the plates will be graphic and intuitive. People’s profiles will be drawn with a thick stroke that gives them expressiveness and makes them distinguishable from far away,” Márquez said.
The ten historic sites were chosen with the help of the former Catonsville Historical Society, and include:
- Fire Station House — Home to Catonsville’s first fire department. Sign location: 756 Frederick Road.
- Heidelbach Grocer and Butcher — Family-owned gourmet grocery store. Sign location: 718-720 Frederick Road.
- Remus Adams Blacksmith Shop — Home to Black philanthropist and entrepreneur. Sign location: 615 Frederick Road.
- Catonsville High School (original site) — High school and elementary school. Sign location: 615 Frederick Road.
- Salem Lutheran Evangelical Church — Church for Catonsville’s German community. Sign location: 905 Frederick Road.
- Victor Gustav Bloede Home — Home to the inventor of postage stamp glue. Sign location: 1001 Frederick Road.
- Albert Smith Home — Home to Catonsville’s first newspaper. Sign location: 701 Frederick Road.
- St. Timothy’s Church — Catonsville’s oldest church. Sign location: 200 Ingleside Avenue.
- Greenwood Electric Park — Social center for Catonsville’s historic Black community. Sign location: 20 Winters Lane.
- Catonsville Health Center — Women’s public health advocacy organization and clinic. Sign location: 756 Frederick Road.
The public is invited to nominate current and former members of the Catonsville community — including themselves! — to be featured on the portrait silhouettes. The artists will review the submissions and choose ten residents whose stories connect the past and present. The residents will be interviewed and photographed for the silhouettes and plaque quotes.
Nominations will be accepted through Thursday, March 27, 2025. To submit a nomination, click this link.
There will be a public launch event on Thursday, March 6, 2025, at 7 p.m. at the Catonsville Clubhouse, located at 10 St. Timothys Lane, Catonsville, MD. There, the artists will discuss their artwork, answer questions, and reveal the conceptual designs.
