According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, arts and cultural economic activity accounted for 4.4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), or $1.02 trillion, in 2021 — a 13.7 percent increase over 2020. Art, quite simply, has the ability to be harnessed for growth and helps strengthen communities.

足球游戏_中国足彩网￥体育资讯 has long understood this relationship, which is why it undertakes activities and partnerships that reflect a deep commitment to building stronger, more equitable neighborhoods in Baltimore. Recently noted for its part in the revitalization of the Station North Arts and Entertainment District — considered a model of how art can transform places — one of 足球游戏_中国足彩网￥体育资讯’s newest endeavors is a partnership with the local nonprofit Art with a Heart (AWAH) to assist Baltimore City with a major community development initiative in three historic neighborhoods in East Baltimore: Perkins, Somerset, and Old Town, known collectively as PSO.

With $250,000 each from the Housing Authority of Baltimore City, funded through a larger grant from the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, 足球游戏_中国足彩网￥体育资讯 and AWAH are developing durable public artworks in those neighborhoods. Last January, 足球游戏_中国足彩网￥体育资讯 selected faculty members — Whitney Frazier ’06, ’13 (Painting BFA, Community Arts MFA), Unique Robinson, Ernest Shaw, and Bruce Willen ’02 (Graphic Design BFA) — who will receive up to $75,000 to engage community residents in the design and installation of site-specific projects in the PSO area by 2025.