Photograph Courtesy of Merrell Hambleton
Architecture is a manifestation of culture. On the occasion of AIA Baltimore’s 150th anniversary, the AIA Baltimore and Baltimore Architecture Foundation 2021 Lecture Series will explore how the built environment simultaneously reflects and influences culture, in Baltimore and beyond. Each lecture will expose how cultural values shape design. The three lectures are focused around themes with specific local resonance in Baltimore, a city in which the arts and culture are key to community identity, history, and future vitality: Architecture and Identity, Art and Architecture, Architecture and Social Justice. Visiting and local speakers will examine and highlight the built environment and its relationship with the arts, community initiatives, sustainability goals, preservation, equity, the vernacular, and more, as we reflect on how these have been shaped by design practice throughout AIA Baltimore’s 150 year history.
Photograph Courtesy of Neightborhood Design Center
The infrastructure of public lighting in Baltimore City is often overlooked, and yet our street lamps, porch lights, illuminated windows and park lights animate the nighttime environment. For the past year and half, Signal Station North, a project of the Neighborhood Design Center, has sought to understand the nightscape of the Station North Arts District through analysis, observation, activation and conversation. We’ve learned that light can be warm and welcoming, but also aggressive; that it can invite us in or keep us out; and that at its best it can make us feel safe, secure, and at home. Through a history of light in Baltimore and insights from the Signal analysis, research, and engagement process, this talk will explore how light impacts our neighborhoods—and how neighbors can impact light in their places. Learn More About Signal Station Here
Register Here
About The Presenter
Merrell Hambleton leads Signal Station North, an NEA-funded project to plan for, invest in, and improve access to high-quality lighting in the public realm. As Program Manager for the Neighborhood Design Center, Merrell supports implementation and design-build services, including a forthcoming Designer-in-Residence program that will activate key green spaces in East Baltimore neighborhoods. Prior to her work with NDC, Merrell produced pathbreaking public art projects with NY-based nonprofit Creative Time and artist Stephen Powers. She has a dual MA in Social Design and Critical Studies from MICA and BA in History from Columbia University.
Thank You To Our Generous Sponsors!
Major Sponsor
Supporting Sponsor
Capitol Sponsor
Corinthian Sponsor
Ionic Sponsor
Craig Gaulden Davis Architects
Suzane Frasier, FAIA
This project was made possible by a grant from Maryland Humanities, with funding received from the Maryland Historical Trust in the Maryland Department of Planning. Maryland Humanities’ Grants Program is also supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities and private funders. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in the Spring Lecture Series do not necessarily represent those of Maryland Humanities, Maryland Historical Trust, Maryland Department of Planning, or National Endowment for the Humanities.