David Hess, award-winning Baltimore sculptor and furniture maker, has 32 public art sculptures dotted across Maryland, most of them in the Baltimore region. In 2006, Mr. Hess installed Baltimore Passage in Albemarle Square, just a few blocks from City Springs Elementary / Middle School, the Baltimore Curriculum Project (BCP) neighborhood conversion charter school located in the renewed Perkins Square community.
For over 20 years, the large stainless steel sculpture (dimensions: 74′ x 58′ x 12′) welcomed community members and visitors alike to the neighborhood. Unfortunately, a few years ago, a drunk driver hit the sculpture, causing great damage to the piece.
Today, BCP and Mr. Hess’s family—his father is founding BCP Board Chair and current Co-Chair George Hess—are partnering with Baltimore City to restore Baltimore Passage and return the statue to its former place of glory in the East Baltimore neighborhood.
They are joined by a group of local arts advocates, including Friends of Public Art, Cindy Kelly, author of Outdoor Sculpture in Baltimore: A Historical Guide to Public Art in the Monumental City, and artist/sculptor Mary Ann Mears, to develop a Maryland State Arts Council grant proposal supporting the restoration. As part of the grant, City Springs students will participate in an educational program exploring the history, design, and cultural significance of Baltimore Passage and other public artworks in their community.
Donations in support of the restoration are tax-deductible through the nonprofit BCP.
BCP has been a champion of Baltimore’s impressive public art traditions. Recently, at Wolfe Street Academy, Peely-Wheely, a beloved public sculpture in front of the school, was restored to its 1970s glory. During the last school year, Jessy DeSantis, a Wolfe Street parent and artist created a large mural on the school playground honoring the school’s and neighborhood’s cultural roots.
Visit hess.industries to learn more about David Hess and see his art.