Sandra Engel | Hotel Indigo

Sandra Engel | Hotel Indigo   |     |  

Sandra Engel  | Hotel Indigo 

On View:  November 26, 2025 - Thursday, January 29, 2026

Reception: Sunday, January 11 |  1 PM to 3 PM

Hotel Indigo | 24 West Franklin Street | Free & Open to the Public

Maryland Art Place, in partnership with Hotel Indigo Baltimore is pleased to present a solo exhibition by Maryland-based artist, Sandra Engel. The exhibition is on view at Hotel Indigo, located at 24 West Franklin St. from November 26 - January 29, 2026.  A public reception will take place on Sunday, January 11 from 1 PM to 3 PM. 

About the artist: 

Sandra exhibits along the East Coast at galleries and fine art shows. Her work is collected internationally. ?A  Maryland native, Sandra has lived in Baltimore, Md for the last 30 years.  She holds a BFA with honors from the University of Maryland, and is involved in many local arts organizations. While serving on the board of School 33 Arts Center as the Artists Representative, she was an integral part of initiating the Member’s Gallery.  She is an honorary member of The Creative Alliance in Baltimore, and served as the Chairman of the Board of The Rittenhouse Square Fine Arts Show in Philadelphia, PA from 2016- 2023. Recently, she began " Art Around Hampden", a monthly event to encourage her community to explore and support the arts in their neighborhood.

Artist Statement: 

“Art was a means of communicating without speaking when I was young and painfully shy. Figurative elements have always found their way into my work, regardless of the subject matter.  Maybe it’s because for so long I struggled with body image. I was too tall, too skinny, too fat.  I finally figured out that I don’t have to play by the rules, that I don’t have to listen to what is whispered in the ears of women everywhere. I discovered that I am amazing. I discovered I like myself.

 Layers of torn papers, drawings, and poems create visual interest and intrigue before the paint ever touches the boards. I make these vibrant pieces in the hope that they empower other women to see their own sense of beauty.” Focusing on painting unapologetic women, I believe all women should be able to feel their own sense of beauty, and not have to compromise to feel seen. I begin on a black substrate, as I like the way color works on the dark surface. Then comes the collage. The substrate gets covered with papers - gestures from a life drawing session, hand drawn ink drawings on tissue paper, scraps of poems or lyrics, cut outs of lovely handmade papers. The muse is drawn, usually with charcoal and conte, then sealed onto the collage. The painting is completed with oil and cold wax.  Depth is created with this process - mixing a hard emotion with a good line and a soft background. Drawing is important, line is celebrated rather than covered entirely with paint.”

Please join us on Sunday, January 11 from 1 PM to 3 PM for  a reception at Hotel Indigo located at 24 West Franklin St.