“People often collect the art of their time, so why not collect the art of your own place? Especially if you live in a cool place like Baltimore,” says Doreen Bolger, former Director of the Baltimore Museum of Art.

Connect+Collect is a program designed to build relationships between artists and collectors, to support Baltimore’s independent galleries, and to encourage investment in the careers of those who are actively making Baltimore a better place through their art.

There are many potential collectors who believe that collecting art is an exclusive privilege of the rich, or they’re not well-informed enough to collect “good” art, or that owning the art of your place and time is a luxury they cannot afford. There are many artists who don’t realize that Baltimore is full of collectors and those interested in collecting the art of their city, or haven’t been given the skills and straggles needed to negotiate these kinds of relationships. What Connect+Collect is doing, through speaker series, articles, studio visits, gallery tours, and inviting out-of-town curators and collectors to visit Baltimore, is bringing artists and collectors together and encourage meaningful conversations.

Our goal is that new connections, friendships, and patrons are founded through our events, exhibits, and lectures. We support artists, galleries, patrons of the arts, and the city of Baltimore. Our goal is to make the process of collecting less stressful and intimidating, more accessible to everyone, and to invest in the success of our collective place, Baltimore.

Please contact Gallery Director Teri Henderson to ask questions about our program. We welcome those new to collecting and are happy to provide information and opportunities to start your collection.

mission

We believe that everyone can benefit from engagement with the arts and, specifically, benefits from collecting the art of their place and time. Connect+Collect was designed to create opportunities for collectors to build relationships with artists based in Baltimore through studio tours, speaker series, events, gallery openings, PD for artists, and through BmoreArt Magazine. We work with artists and galleries across the city and feature a number of exhibitions in our gallery space.

Artists + criteria

Connect+Collect artists are based in Baltimore, but have achieved national acclaim in the form of gallery and museum exhibitions, public collections, competitive residencies, grants, awards, and/or press. These artists are not represented by a gallery in Baltimore , however their work is being collected and exhibited all over the world and is poised for collection by Baltimore-based museums and collectors.

The inaugural Connect+Collect Artist Cohort are: Christopher Bathgate, Erick Benitez, Amy Boone-McCreesh, Zoë Charlton, Oletha DeVane, Elliot Doughtie, Erin Fostel, Taha Heydari, Phaan Howng, Antonio McAfee, Jackie Milad, and René Treviño

program

The Connect+Collect program lasts approximately 24 months. Artists are given access to professional development, studio visits with visiting speakers and collectors tours, and an exhibition in the gallery.