Light Art Festival Bathes Blighted Baltimore in A Sea of Color

The word “Baltimore” has sadly become synonymous with urban decay, police abuse, and The Wire-style criminality. But this weekend, the Light City art festival is creatig a new web of associations for the city—art, community, and light. With 27 light art pieces and a total of 50 attractions that range from live music to street theater, Light City Baltimore "transforms the city into a beautiful, glowing beacon."

"Light City is shining a light on the real Baltimore,” Light City Baltimore Steering Committee Chair Jamie McDonald tells The Creators Project. "Our focus is on making Light City a catalyst for change in the city in the way that Art Basel has been for Miami, Jazz Fest for New Orleans, and South by Southwest for Austin. The data about the impact of transformative festivals is clear."

In addition to its artistic offerings, the festival also presents an innovation conference centered on social change. "The speakers include Baltimore’s top thinkers alongside national thought leaders, talking about how to build a fairer, more equitable society,” writes McDonald.

"Like the best festivals, we are doing something unique that builds on our strengths,” she continues. "We think that Light City can be one of the catalysts that can really create a more fertile field on which Baltimore can grow and thrive. We want Baltimore to represent the power of and capacity of cities and communities to effect social change– we want to be the model for that."

To learn more about Light City Baltimore, click here.

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