Ten vibrant murals by local artists will be unveiled on the Pratt Street side of the Baltimore Convention Center as part of the second-annual BRUSH Mural Fest on Saturday, September 14.
The murals—created by 20 artists over the past two weeks—were all inspired by the festival’s “Hidden Gems” theme, which aims to highlight undervalued parts of the city. Some of the works include animals, waterways, and community gardens, according to Jaz Erenberg, who created the festival with Baltimore-based artists Saba Hamidi and Jess Langley last year.
“We gave that theme to our artists, but still wanted to give them as much creative freedom as possible,” Hamidi says. “We wanted them to interpret whatever hidden gems means to them.”
For nine of the teams, one professional muralist was paired with a mentee, or “rising star,” looking to gain more experience in the field. Organizers paired artists based on their styles and assigned them each a 200-square-foot space.
Erenberg and Hamidi, who are running the event this year, made up the last team. Their piece—which honors the artists themselves as hidden gems in the city—is a blend of their signature techniques. It’s bright and colorful, which is typical in Erenberg’s work, and has shiny, glimmering details that Hamidi incorporated.
Erenberg says working in teams helps mentees break into the Baltimore mural industry, which can be difficult without prior experience.
“If you don’t have a portfolio, you won’t get hired for a job, but you can’t build up a portfolio if you never get any jobs,” Erenberg says. “We’re hoping we can bridge that gap, as well as give them access to a resource library.”
Hosted in partnership with the Baltimore Convention Center, Saturday’s festival will be open to the public (rain or shine) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., offering food trucks, live music, art activities, a painting competition, and opportunities to chat with the muralists about their work.
It all aligns with Mayor Brandon Scott’s “Downtown Rise” initiative—which was created in May 2024 in an effort to make downtown more livable, vibrant, and pedestrian-friendly. It’s one of many projects that has produced more than 250 murals in the city in the last 50 years, according to the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts.
Baltimore Convention Center executive director Mac Campbell says the murals’ central location between Charles and Sharp Streets is an ideal spot to expand access to public art.
“I went out and talked to a lot of the artists yesterday, and they’re just so excited to not be in an alley—they’re front and center,” Campbell says. “What better shot in the arm for the renaissance of downtown than some really amazing creative works.”
In the weeks leading up to the festival celebration on Saturday, organizers held free public events including community paint days, a panel discussion, and an artist happy hour.
Erenberg and Hamidi hope to expand the festival next year and involve even more artists.
“We really wanted the festival to be the pride and joy of the city,” Erenberg said. “In my dreams, one day, when people think about Baltimore City, they will think about BRUSH.”