On a gray afternoon in November, NoMüNoMü is largely empty, aside from Joseph Orzal, who contemplates the multi-colored artworks that hang on the walls. But on any given weekend, the downtown gallery on Howard Street is packed with young creatives, all curious about the exhibitions and events hosted by this “intersectional arts collaborative.”

“[The typical museum] is not for people, it’s for the donors,” says Orzal, creative director at NoMüNoMü and former staffer at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C., where he grew up.

As a first-generation son of immigrants, he found local art museums to be exclusive in their formality and unwelcoming to people of color with their Eurocentric collections. Which is why, in 2014, Orzal co-founded NoMüNoMü, an art gallery and workspace for marginalized artists who have largely been left out of mainstream art museums.

Originally housed in the D.C. home of his friend, Nora Müeller, who inspired the space’s name, NoMüNoMü’s goal is to challenge the status quo with exhibitions and events that address gentrification, race, and politics.

“The books are radical, the art is radical, but it’s cozy and comfortable—we’re not trying to scare people away,” says Orzal, surrounded by wooden shelves featuring books like The Colonizer and the Colonized by Albert Memmi, next to a children’s corner, complete with thrifted couches, a shag rug, and Afghan blankets.

During the pandemic, Orzal, a Maryland Institute College of Art grad, set his eyes on Baltimore, inspired by its working-class roots and DIY ethos. In 2021, he moved NoMüNoMü to the city’s Bromo Arts District. Today, the gallery space mingles with artist workstations and plenty of space for community events, such as lectures, classes, and film screenings. But anything goes.

“There’s not a lot of gatekeeping here,” says Orzal. “There aren’t any ideas that are really off the table.”

Over the next year, he aims to raise at least $250,000 to support NoMüNoMü’s operational costs, fund additional programming, and hire a staff, after having to let his small team go a year ago due to gaps in funding—a perennial concern for small arts organizations. And as the gallery evolves, he hopes it will not only be a space to support artists and artworks that challenge oppression, but also provide them with a sense of freedom.

“As people start to be informed by this space, and as people start to feel like this is a space for them, to be comfortable as themselves…they’ll start to think differently,” says Orzal. “They’ll produce different forms of art, create new narratives, and create new dialogues…I hope we can be a catalyst for genuine creativity.”

For Dominique J. Allen, the decision to open her vegan raw juice bar business, Vegan Juiceology, in Baltimore’s Market Center-Bromo Arts District was the culmination of a long struggle.

“It was part of my personal journey of health and fitness,” says the Baltimore native, a former athlete. “When you get older, you can’t lose weight as fast as you used to. About seven years ago, I was 225 pounds—and I was miserable.” After a softball injury led to knee surgery in 2015, Allen got her wake-up call.

“My weight was a contributing factor,” she says. “I cut out meat, seafood, dairy. Anything that wasn’t good for my body, I took out.”

In addition, Allen added in an exercise regime that included Rev Cycle Studio and Spin. “I went hardcore with it, going from 225 to 160 something,” she says. “I lost the weight within 12 months.” Ever since, Allen has worked tirelessly to inspire others. “I wanted to help others on their journey—that’s how the juice business started,” she says.

Allen launched her juice and smoothie business with taste-testing sessions at area gyms and sold her wares at local farmers’ markets. Once she built up the brand, by July 2020, she started looking for a bricks-and-mortar space along the 400 block of Howard Street.

Having a storefront has allowed Allen to expand her mouthwatering options, from Tropical Green Smoothies (kale, pineapple, apple, mango, mint, lemon, lime) to plant-based soups, like sweet potato-coconut curry.

“I feel better putting healthy things in my body,” says Allen. “It’s about having positive energy and feel-good vibes, and food is a big part of that. I want to educate the community on the benefits of having a majority plant-based diet.”