THE CROW'S NEST

A CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ART INCUBATOR

Art credit: Rosemary Feit Covey, 2022

Mission

MISSION

The Crow's Nest is an art incubator that provides work space, social space, and exhibition space for anyone seeking to address the twin challenges of climate change and environmental justice through artistic expression and cultural production, especially radical and public art.

At the Crow's Nest, we are building a diverse community where those who care about our shared future can connect, exchange ideas, experiment, collaborate, and inspire one another. We aspire to become Baltimore's hub where climate and environmental justice meets pathbreaking art.

You can find more about our mission here:

The Crow's Nest Lands on Mulberry Street

in Bmore Art magazine

Bridging Divides to Grow Resilience: Interview

in ecoartspace

WHAT'S ON AT THE NEST

SEPTEMBER 7 - 22, 2024

Inaugural Exhibit

Climate change is a vast, challenging thing to come to terms with. Philosopher Timothy Morton has called climate change a "hyperobject"-- something that we can't truly apprehend because it is massively distributed in time and space relative to humans. It's hard for us to get a phenomenon of such scale into our heads. In addition, climate change evokes all kinds of challenging emotions -- fear, anxiety, sadness, rage, and a desire for action. Yet, to confront the crisis, we must come to terms with it, however partially or imperfectly.

This exhibit presents the work of ten artists who help us grasp different aspects of the hyperobject. These diverse works explore three dimensions of climate change. Some help us glimpse the vast, human systems that are feeding the climate crisis and that need to stop or radically change. Others focus on Nature's resilience and awesome adaptability, but show that our future cannot be delinked from the rest of nature. The final group of works help us process our feelings about the climate emergency -- how rage can turn to activism and action; how powerlessness can turn into despair or denial, if we let it; and how gratitude and joy for what we still have can keep us going.

Artists exhibiting:

GALLERY HOURS (9/7 - 9/22)

Fridays 2 - 5 PM

Saturdays 1 - 5 PM

And by appointment

(email alexi@crowsnestbaltimore.com)

OCTOBER 12 - NOVEMBER 5, 2024

Opens Saturday, October 12, 1 - 5 PM

Reception Sunday, October 13, 2 - 4 PM

The Ecology of Freedom: Visual Activism Broadsides

In collaboration with ecoartspace, the Crow's Nest is proud to announce an ecological broadside (poster) campaign. From the nearly 100 submissions we received in response to our call, we have selected twenty-four visually captivating images, about half including text. The original posters will be on display at the Crow's Nest gallery in downtown Baltimore along with printed broadsides to take with you for free. Downloads for self-printing will be freely available here soon.

Themes of the broadsides:

Equitable access to clean air and water
Protection of undisturbed soils and regeneration of soils
Protection of communities against extreme heat and flooding
Plastics Recycling/Reuse
Rights of Nature
Indigenous Knowledge

Artists selected:

Mark Armbruster, Lynn Benson, Christina Bertea, Mazerick Betko, Pamela Casper, Nicole Dextras, Environmental Performance Agency (EPA), Holly Fay, Carol Flueckiger, Helen Glazer, Lawrence Gipe, Karen Hackenberg, Katie Kehoe, Deborah Kennedy, Pierre Leichner, Taina Litwak, Minal Mistry, Constance Old, Hugh Pocock, Jill Price, Jatun Risba, Jann Rosen-Queralt, Ruth Wallen, and Bart Woodstrup

Incubator

THE INCUBATOR

What does the Crow's Nest offer?

7-8 private work (non-residential) studios available for rent, ranging from 100 to 850 square feet; some can be combined or subdivided
Flexible leases
Gallery space for exhibits and events
24-7 secure building access
Newly renovated space, including new LED lighting in all studios and new cooling and heating systems
Wi-fi throughout
Industrial sinks and bathrooms on every floor
Shared kitchenette
Top-floor lounge to meet, relax, and talk
Easy access by car, bus, light rail, metro, and bicycle
Street parking; monthly parking available from two nearby, independently-managed lots

Committed to sustainability

All-electric building (no fossil fuels)
Heat pumps provide all heating and cooling
Energy-efficient LED lighting throughout
Recycled furniture whenever possible

How do leases work?

We welcome artists with a specific project in mind who need a place to execute it, as well as those still crafting a vision and looking to explore, experiment, or collaborate. Leases can be up to 18 months long, with the possibility of renewal after that. Length of leases is flexible and can be adapted to the background, needs, and project objectives of the artist. We have worked hard to keep rents as low as possible.

Who should apply?

We are looking for artists with diverse backgrounds, life experiences, and artistic media who are committed to pushing boundaries and challenging the status quo in the areas of climate action and environmental justice. The incubator is open to everyone, including writers, muralists, animators, illustrators, architects, photographers, painters, composers, and video game designers. The only constraint is what the building and the studio space can physically accommodate.

Studios