MARYLAND ART PLACE (MAP) COLLABORATES WITH CHEON KROIZ TO ILLUMINATE SARATOGA STREET IN DOWNTOWN BALTIMORE
BALTIMORE, Thursday April 5, 2018 --Celebrated Baltimore-based duo Cheon Kroiz (Mina Cheon and Gabriel Kroiz), artist and architect team, have recycled their original “Diamonds Light Baltimore” light sculptures from the inaugural Light City 2016 installation for Maryland Art Place (MAP). The project, funded by the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, was created to promote safety and bring vitality to the highly traversed Saratoga Street corridor leading into the Bromo Arts & Entertainment District.
A mural designed in collaboration with and painted by Gaia (Andrew Pisacane), Forbes "30 Under 30" designated street artist, is included in the project. This mural will be painted along the Tyson Street alley next to MAP. In total there will be three different sized diamonds, two on the front façade and one diamond in the alley. The mural will be reflective of the diamond’s geometry and centers one of the cascading diamonds out of the three installed on the building. The project is intended to be a semi-permanent installation projected to last several years.
Maryland Art Place’s Director, Amy Cavanaugh explains, “Mina Cheon has a long institutional history with MAP and it was important to ensure we created a public art project that was reflective of the work we do with artists. This project is multi-faceted. Adding the light of the diamonds will encourage an artist/patron-safe environment. Additionally, the diamonds loosely speak to MAP’s basement cabaret history, (The 14 Karat Cabaret). Founded by artist and educator, Laure Drogoul over two decades ago, the 14 Karat Cabaret name was an ode to the various pawnshops and jewelers that were prevalent in the district. With all these overlapping meanings the whole concept felt right so I pushed for over two years to make it happen. MAP is extremely grateful to the Downtown Partnership for believing in this vision and helping us execute it.”
The diamonds will be installed in collaboration with the Baltimore-based company, Elemental Works. Installation will begin April 5, 2018 with the mural work starting shortly thereafter. MAP is aiming to have the project completed by its annual spring benefit exhibition, Out of Order, which will be held on Friday, April 13 at 7pm (ticketed event) during Light City.
For more information about Out of Order, please visit MAP's website. Tickets are on sale through MissionTix: $40 advanced, $45 at the door. The event will feature entertainment by Bambi Galore (the evening’s host) and DJ Alexander Jarman, and music by Joy Postell. Maryland Art Place is located at 218 West Saratoga Street between Park & Howard Streets.
About Cheon Kroiz: The Cheon Kroiz collaborative team includes Mina Cheon, who is a Korean-American new media artist, scholar, and professor at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and Gabriel Kroiz, an architect and educator, the Principle of Kroiz Architecture, Associate Professor of the Undergraduate Program in Architecture and Design at Morgan State University. Together, they have worked on public projects and international exchange programs for artists and designers between the United States and South Korea since 2004. With a commission from the Mayor’s Office and the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts for Light City 2016, their “Diamonds Light Baltimore” installation of 15 diamond-shaped LED sculptures was featured at the Inner Harbor and warmly received by the 400,000 visitors that came into the city. Over a decade, their diamonds have been exhibited as from as far as Korea and Qatar to Baltimore and Washington DC.
About Gaia: Andrew Pisacane, known by his street artist name Gaia, grew up in New York City and is a 2011 graduate of MICA with a Bachelor in Fine Arts. His studio work, installations, and gallery projects have been exhibited throughout the world, most notably at The Baltimore Museum of Art, Rice Gallery in Houston, Palazzo Collicola Arti Visive in Spoleto and the Civil and Human Rights Museum in Atlanta. His street work has been documented and featured in several books on urban art, including Beyond the Street: The 100 Leading Figures in Urban Art, (Berlin, 2010) and Outdoor Gallery (New York, 2014). Gaia was listed as a 2015 Forbes 30 Under 30 in Art and Style recipient and was a Fullbright beneficiary to study and paint in New Delhi on behalf of the State Department. He lives and works in Baltimore but spends a majority of his time painting murals across the world and has produced works in all six habitable continents.
About Elemental Metalworks: Elemental Metalworks was founded by Doug Koschalk in 2008 and is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Elemental employs a team of craftsmen and designers committed to collaborating and executing the visions of architects, artists, engineers, developers, and homeowners throughout the Baltimore and Washington metropolitan area. Elemental’s work has varied in scope from the recent facade branding at the Falls on Northern Parkway to the upgrade of the Heliport at Pier 7. Elemental collaborated with the RE/PUBLIC to build, install, and staff the “Divided Line,” featured in Light City 2017. Current work includes fabrication and installation of the Light City Neighborhoods project in Highlandtown for 2018, commission to fabricate “The Lightwell” sculpture at the Marie Reed School by artist/designer Cheryl Wing, and collaborate to design and build a sculptural stair in Washington, DC by artist/designer Hiroshi Jacobs. Elemental‘s work has been featured in various publications including The Washington Post and Washington Metro Magazine.
Maryland Art Place (MAP) inspires, supports, and encourages artistic expression through innovative programming, exhibitions, and educational opportunities while recognizing the powerful impact art can have on our community. MAP creates a dynamic environment for artists of our time to engage the public by nurturing and promoting new ideas. MAP has served as a critical resource for contemporary art in the Mid?Atlantic since 1981.
Information: www.mdartplace.org | 410 962 8565 | map@mdartplace.org
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