By Kate Masters
The ubiquity of the phrase “there’s an app for that” has now extended to Baltimore’s Artscape festival, one of the city’s biggest events of the year and the nation’s largest free arts festival.
Artscape is kind of a big deal, especially for its home city—according to Tracy Baskerville, communications director for the fest, it raked in over $25 million for Baltimore in 2009, a number that’s only grown as the festival has expanded.
For new visitors, the event might be overwhelming. The festival features over 150 artists in three days at more than 20 different venues, both indoors and out, and over 350,000 visitors flood downtown Baltimore for the festival every year. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth a weekend visit—with a full lineup of indie bands like Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, local acts like Super City and Among Wolves and a stable of DJs, the fest is a music lover’s paradise, and the event also offers up dance performances, film, and a wide array of visual arts.
Don’t be discouraged by the abundance—we have the basics to guide you through the festival, along with handy tips for navigating the brand-new app.
The Basics:
Where: Baltimore, Maryland. Specifically, Mount Royal Avenue and Cathedral Street, Charles Street, Bolton Hill and the Station North Arts and Entertainment District neighborhoods.
When: July 18 and 19, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; July 20, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
How much: Free. There’s no admission price, though you can purchase art, souvenirs and snacks from vendors inside the festival.
How to get there: If you’re driving, take I-95 to the 395 expressway into Baltimore city. Pass M&T Bank Stadium on your left, then bear right onto Conway Street. You’ll be facing the Inner Harbor with Camden Yards behind you; make a left onto Charles Street. The festival is 13 blocks north on Mt. Royal Avenue, Cathedral Street and Charles Street.
The Fitzgerald Garage on Mt. Royal Avenue and the Meyerhoff Garage on Cathedral Street are the official parking garages of Artscape.
If you’re taking the train, there’s a special Amtrak deal on the Artscape website.
The New:
According to Baskerville, the festival is incorporating the idea of movement into many of its exhibitions this year, which translates to new venues and new performances. The Aerial Arts Arena at Charles and Preston streets will host a frenetic frenzy of aerial art performances this year, including dancers and circus acts from around the Baltimore region. Expect to see props like trapeze, hoops and aerial cloth incorporated into the acts.
Tying into the idea of movement, outdoor exhibitions on the Mount Royal Median will feature kinetic sculptures like mobiles, whirligigs and Rube-Goldberg machines until Oct. 31. Exhibits range from a motorized merry-go-round featuring celebrated Maryland cuisine (think crabs and Smith Island Cake) to a solar-powered, glow-in-the-dark sculpture.
Finally, Baskerville mentions ‘Field Day,’ a participatory visual exhibition hosted by artists and curators, Compete with your friends in games like HopsXotch Rivalry, an obstacle-laden race on a 50-foot track. There’s also Pizza Party Twister, a riff on the traditional board game, and an installation of classic carnival games with edgy names like Political Punk Rack and World Destruction Ring Toss.
The Old
Don’t miss Art Cars, coming back for its 21st year at the fest. Run-of-the-mill automobiles become vivid artistic creations in this longtime exhibit on Charles Street, which culminates on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. with a parade in front of the American Visionary Art Museum. One of the most popular displays at the festival, these cars can run the gamut from modern, rocket-like contraptions to junked-up jalopies covered in bottle caps.
The App:
To make for easy navigation, Artscape has introduced an app this year where you can find more information and updates on the festival. Download it on iTunes or Google Play, then click the list icon on the home page for the festival’s schedule and lineup of information.
The app includes oodles of useful features for finding and attending events. Head to the Schedule tab and find a full list of exhibits topped with three navigational icons; click on the upside down triangle to see a whole range of filtering options, including bubbles that allow you to pick events based on location or category.
You can also pick and choose events to add to your personal calendar. Click on any listing on the schedule page, and you’ll find yourself directed to a more detailed event page.
Touch the white bookmark icon on the bottom left-hand corner of the screen, and the event will be added to your schedule, which you can access with the star icon on the upper right-hand side.
There are also features to make your Artscape visit a more social experience. Click on the share icon at the bottom left-hand corner of an event page and you’ll be given the option to post the listing on Facebook or Twitter or send it out by text or email.
