Guerrilla lighting isn’t a term that has gained a lot of traction in the United States, but in Europe, it’s commonplace. The idea is to gather a group of people and illustrate the transformative power that lighting a certain block or street can have in making a place more welcoming, attractive, and fun.

During Light City earlier this month, a group of artists and community activists led by the Neighborhood Design Center (NDC) and the Charles North Community Association—backed by local Dixieland jazz band Sac au Lait—took this concept and ran with it. More than 100 people marched through Station North over the course of the evening, lighting up murals, landmarks, and a median between Calvert and Guilford streets. Moving in a time-lapse style where the flashlights combined together to create a bright beam, they showcased the type of more permanent installations they hope will continue to permeate the area.

The event, which they dubbed “Flash,” caused such a hubbub that observers felt compelled to join in. It served as a kickoff for what will be called Signal Station North, a new multi-stage initiative that hopes to bring more light to the neighborhood.

“The impact of that moment—walking with people in public space in a very joyful way, felt like it captured the spirit of the project,” says Merrell Hambleton, the NDC project manager of Signal Station North. “I think having beautiful and high-quality public space lighting is critical to the future of the district.”

Armed with a $150,000 grant from the National Endowment of the Arts’ (NEA) Our Town program and a match from Central Baltimore Partnership, community leaders and residents hope that this project can contribute to a bigger and brighter Station North. Principle planning for the two-year project began in July, and the plans are set to be introduced to the community in the next few months.

Hambleton and her local collaborators—including Flux Studio, Post Typography, Central Baltimore Partnership, artist advisors, and other neighborhood leaders—are still working out exactly what shape the project will take. But, on a broad scale, they envision using the grant to emphasize public works of art and draw attention to specific blocks with the hope of continuing further activation.

There are three different lighting types they are hoping to implement—something practical, such as a street light, a DIY project that can be replicated by the community, and light-based art installations that will be chosen from an open call to artists interested in contributing.

“We’ve always wanted to have a comprehensive lighting master plan in the heart of the arts and entertainment district in the city,” says David Lapides, head of the Charles North Neighborhood Association. “We have a real vision for the area, and we think it’s vital that the district show cutting-edge lighting.”

Hambleton is quick to caution that this initiative is not going to light up the whole neighborhood, but it is an important step in the right direction.

“There’s no question that more [quality] lighting will increase people’s interest in coming to this space and others in the city,” Hambleton says. “One of the things we’re hoping to learn through the planning process is how the people who are in the district, or come to the district, feel about light.”

The community-minded project also aims to make locals feel safe and visitors more likely to frequent the neighborhood.

“It helps with perception that the area is safe—that is something we battle,” says Ellen Janes, executive director of Central Baltimore Partnership. “And this can go a long way to helping people feel comfortable coming here. We want to create a gathering spot.’

Given the foot traffic that Station North receives, organizers hope the project will serve as a testing ground for how future projects might take shape in other neighborhoods.

“This area has so much activity underway,” Janes says. “So it’s a good place to serve as a lab for how things can be done.”

Those involved stress that it is important that the community, those who live and work here, have input every step of the way. It’s their wants and needs that organizers hope will help shape how this initiative is carried out.

“I really think that in five to 10 years, this neighborhood is going to be the center of the action,” Lapides says. “When things are lit up, people are happier.”

Each year, Artscape, America’s largest free arts festival, is a reflection of Baltimore—where work from Charm City’s most imaginative artists is on hand to showcase to the masses. In 2019, Artscape—returning July 19-21—is doing things a little bit differently, placing an emphasis on ensuring that the featured work is seen in as far a radius as possible.

There is plenty of excitement around what is a slightly revamped Artscape this year. Here’s what you need to know before taking it all in.

A Changing Footprint

For starters, there are some changes pertaining to exactly where exhibits will be. This year, there is an increased focus on Charles Street and the Station North Arts and Entertainment District. The popular Artists’ Market, which features over 100 makers (organizers call it the “heart and soul of the festival”), will move from its previous location along Mount Royal Avenue over to Charles Street.

“Artscape is in the middle of Midtown,” says Kathy Hornig, director of festivals at the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts. “So inevitably, every year there’s construction or changes that challenge us to think creatively about the footprint of the festival. More is jumping off in Station North. That’s really where we see the future of Artscape headed as a city-wide arts celebration.”

Also of note: there will not be physical traces of the festival above the light rail tracks on Mount Royal Avenue, which Hornig notes is another way to place focus on Charles Street and the Station North district. This also opens up car traffic along Mount Royal—something very different from previous years.

In addition, due to ongoing renovations at MICA, the annual Sondheim Artscape Prize Exhibition, a festival favorite, will be moved r to One Charles Center. “We’re bringing arts to an audience that might not otherwise think to pop into a gallery,” Hornig says.

Expanding and changing the location of the festival gives attendees a different look, and the ability to explore areas they might not have as much familiarity with. There are restaurants and businesses surrounding the installations that can benefit from new exposure, too.

“We’re hoping that [the new footprint] exposes a lot more people to all the really cool stuff that’s happening on Charles Street and Station North,” Hornig says. “We hope it pushes festival goers to patronize the restaurants, shops, bars, and clubs that are thriving in that neighborhood.”

An Out of This World Theme

The theme for Artscape this year is “Discover”—a play off of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing mission that happens to occur on the Saturday of the festival.

“We’re always thinking of new ideas and coming together on how a theme will help us do a better job of curating the festival overall,” Hornig says.

With this in mind, the Artscape braintrust got to work to find exhibits that would match the motif. And with Sydmonauts from artists Amigo & Amigo, they’ve done just that. Getting its inspiration from “low poly art, a popular style of 3-D digital art,” the nine astronaut pieces originally appeared at the Sydney Festival in Australia, and they’ll be spread out at locations throughout the event this weekend. “They’re just so visually appealing,’ says Hornig, who encourages patrons to snap a selfie with the unique pieces.

On the non-space front, renowned performers Squonk Opera will premiere their new show, Hand to Hand, an Artscape exclusive on North Charles Street. The show features the largest puppet hands in the world and is supported by original music, design, and staging.

Flavors of Artscape

Artscape also provides local food vendors with a canvas to showcase their offerings. This year’s festival will feature merchants from the Baltimore Farmers’ Market & Bazaar. Expect to see favorites like Ekiben, Otterbein’s Cookies, Vagrant Coffee, Vegan Soul Bakery, and Black Dirt Farm.

There will also be new offerings like matcha and ube soft serve and brick oven pizza from an old-fashioned trolley. Perhaps the star of the show, though, is fried watermelon—an inventive summer treat from vendor That Sounds Fake. You’ll need something to wash it down, and Maryland’s Open Gate Guinness Brewery, will be slinging beers to sip as you walk the grounds.

“I’m excited for our festival goers to see what we have in store for them,” Hornig says. “There’s so much going on.”

After five years as one of the anchors in the burgeoning Station North Arts and Entertainment District, Red Emma’s—Baltimore’s favorite worker-owned bookstore, café, restaurant, and event space—is moving back to Mount Vernon.

Kate Khatib, a Red Emma’s co-founder, said the bookstore coffeehouse hopes to open in the former home of Spike & Charlie’s at Preston and Cathedral streets by early September. The new location is essentially seven blocks south on Maryland Avenue and the protected bike lane there. It allow Red Emma’s to double the size of its bookstore (to 1,500 titles) and offer a seated dining option (small plate-based options) while still providing a versatile space for its readings, film screenings, panel discussions, and spoken word performances.

“We have absolutely loved being on North Avenue these past five years—we couldn’t imagine a better neighborhood to grow and develop our worker cooperative,” Khatib said, adding that making the decision to move has been a difficult process. “While we’ve managed to achieve some of our goals as a project since moving, we’ve struggled to recapture the cozy community feel of our original location, and, at the same time, have outgrown the capabilities of the cafe space we designed back in 2013.”

The new venue, with two floors and a street-level bar, will offer Red Emma’s an opportunity to grow its restaurant while also enabling the coffee and bookstore to return to the cozy basement-level vibe of its original Mt. Vernon home on St. Paul Street. At their current North Avenue address, having the coffee shop, bookstore, dining area and event space all in one large open area proved challenging at times.

The ability to divide the multi-purposed operation onto different floors and into distinct spaces will make everything more efficient, Khatib added. “We still want to have big events where we have 150 people come. But sometimes a room that holds 20 or 30 is better environment other things.”

Other changes include doubling the size of the bookstore, offering a seated dinner option, featured a dedicated gluten-free fryer, adding a full bar, and offering 10 more worker-owner track jobs, bring the Red Emma’s staff to a total of 35. Owners also said they want to strengthen their “commitment to creating and sustaining an inclusive gathering place with regular pay-what-you-want-nights and family-style dinners.”

Prior to hosting Spike & Charlie’s, the 9,000-square-foot building at 1225 Cathedral Street served as home to a jazz club run by Baltimore legend Ethel Ennis. “Our cooperative is increasingly owned by young black and brown women, queer, and trans folks,” Khatib said. “There’s a connection there to a hidden history of entrepreneurialism that’s really meaningful for us.”

For the immediate future, Red Emma’s will be open at its current location, Wednesdays through Sundays, through the end of June. They will closed for moving in July and August before opening in their new location.