Zoë Charlton sculpture called ‘Third Watch’ to be unveiled on Friday as part of $1 million ‘Inviting Light’ initiative in Station North

Baltimore’s North Avenue Market will be in the spotlight on Friday evening when artist Zoë Charlton and community leaders unveil a work of art that she created and installed there as part of the $1 million Inviting Light initiative that Bloomberg Philanthropies has funded to help revitalize the Station North Arts and Entertainment District.

“Third Watch” is the title of Charlton’s art work, the first of five temporary installations that will be unveiled around the arts district over the course of 2025. A lighting ceremony for her work is scheduled for Friday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the North Avenue Market, 10-30 W. North Ave. The lights will go on at around 7:45 p.m.

Charlton’s installation consists of three illuminated statues atop the North Avenue Market, “serving as security night lights for those seeking spiritual comfort and protection while passing through Station North” after dark, according to a description provided by the curators.

Nine-foot statues have been placed in the two towers on the market and a seven-foot statue will keep watch from the market’s Maryland Avenue balcony.

Baltimore is one of eight cities that were selected in 2023 to receive up to $1 million in funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Art Challenge. The other artists selected to create installations for Station North are Phaan Howng, for the Charles Street garage at 1714 N. Charles St.; Tony Shore, for the front façade of the old Gatsby’s nightclub at 1817 N. Charles St.; Ekene Ijeoma for two vacant row house lots at 1707 and 1709 Barclay St.; and Daniel Wickerham and Malcolm Lomax for a corner lot at 101 W. North Ave. Each of the installations will be in place for at least a year.

The installations “are a key part of the ongoing revitalization of Baltimore’s Station North Arts District through creative public art and community-driven initiatives,” said Tonya Miller Hall, the Scott administration’s senior advisor of arts and culture, in a statement. “The Inviting Light project installations will not only enrich the visual character of the area but also serve as a catalyst for dynamic cultural programming and events that strengthen community engagement.”

An unveiling reception for “Third Watch,” hosted by Currency Studio at 18 W. North Ave., will begin at 7 p.m. It will feature remarks by Charlton, “Inviting Light” curator Derrick Adams, and curator and community coordinator Jose Ruiz.

Also part of Friday’s program at North Avenue Market are a:

• Performance: More than Four Women for Four Hours, led by Ada Pinkston, with Black women performers embodying acts of confinement, kinship, and healing. Featuring Ada Pinkston, Noelle Tolbert, Amorous Ebony, Sheila Gaskins, and Tracey Beale (with Konjur Collective)

• Light-Based Installation: A presentation by Dreamseeds with Hannah Brancato, Sanahara Ama Chandra, and residents of the J. Van Story Branch apartment building.

• Baltimore Youth Arts Open House: Showcasing artwork inspired by “Third Watch.”