Curated by Baltimore’s own Derrick Adams, Inviting Light is a public art initiative supported by the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge. Through a series of five artist-designed installations across the Station North Arts District, creative lighting enhances the urban spaces of the district and strengthen community connections after dark.
Managed by Central Baltimore Partnership in association with the Mayor’s Office for Arts and Culture and the Neighborhood Design Center, Inviting Light public programming kicked off in February 2025, introducing our selected artists, the sites, and their proposed installation designs.
Over the following 16 months, we unveiled all five of the installations. All five continue to shine brightly in Station North.
We are hosting one more guided tour of the sites on May 8 and all of the installations will remain on view through at least mid 2027.
Baltimore was one of eight U.S. cities awarded a 2023 Bloomberg Public Art Challenge grant to create Inviting Light, chosen from 154 proposals. This $1 million grant funds ambitious art projects that tackle civic issues and inspire community change.
Inviting Light builds on Signal Station North (2019–2022), a public space initiative led by the Neighborhood Design Center. This collaboration of artists, designers, and nonprofits explored lighting’s role in public spaces through community engagement.
The project highlighted how poor lighting affects Station North’s livability and identified 14 community lighting values, including enhancing the district’s artistic character with creative lighting.
Derrick Adams is the artistic director of Inviting Light and curator of the five light-based site installations.
He is a critically acclaimed multidisciplinary artist whose work celebrates and expands the dialogue around contemporary Black life and culture through scenes of normalcy and perseverance. In Baltimore, he is a recognized force creating opportunity for artists and organizations alike. If you’re interested in Derrick’s approach to Inviting Light, we suggest you explore more at the link below.
Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Art Challenge encourages mayors to partner with artists, elevating the value of including the creative sector when developing solutions to significant urban issues. The program supports temporary public art projects that celebrate creativity, enhance urban identity, encourage public-private collaborations, and strengthen local economies.
Baltimore artists can submit creative proposals for Inviting Light programming in 2025. Apply by March 31, 2025! Visit the submissions page for details and sign up for updates.
