A few years ago, we told you about an ambitious street-art exhibition in Station North called Open Walls Baltimore. Since then, dozens of murals have popped up throughout the neighborhood and now the artists are getting some pretty major attention.
Three of Open Walls’ artists were featured in Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list, which covers a variety of categories, from gamers to celebrities to social entrepreneurs.
Not surprisingly on the list is project curator Gaia, who has had his work featured internationally, from Istanbul to Spoleto, and locally, at the BMA and on the corner of North and Charles. (Follow his Instagram to keep up with this travels. You’ll find him painting in Italy a lot.)
Also on the list is Portuguese street artist Vhils, whose work mostly features a single large textured face in earth tones, made with a combination of carving and painting. Find one such face carved near the intersection of Federal and St. Paul streets. His other accomplishments include a recent solo show in Lisbon and directing a music video for U2 last year.
Forbes also featured Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, another Open Walls artist, who does both street and gallery art that’s inspired by Gustav Klimt with vivid portraits using deep colors and gold paint. She has shown in several cities around the country and is famous for her “Stop Telling Women to Smile” public art series.
The list also recognizes other locals, like Fagan Harris, who created Baltimore Corps; BSA alum and fashion designer Christian Siriano; and a certain quarterback by the name of Joe Flacco.