Seeing Baltimore through a new lens

Black and white photo of two children hugging on a street corner in Baltimore - Meet the six Baltimore-based artists whose work will be on permanent display at Johns Hopkins, helping to celebrate the city's flourishing artistic talent and build bridges between the university and surrounding communities - If pictures could talk, SHAN Wallace 's The Oldest and the Middle would utter, I've got you . The photo depicts a brother and sister wrapped in each other's arms on North Avenue in Baltimore. "When I asked to take their photograph, they said, 'Let's show the world how much we love each other,'" says Wallace, the Baltimore-based photographer and mixed-media artist whose work is among nine new contemporary art pieces acquired recently by Johns Hopkins University. Wallace's photograph is part of a new university commitment to select artists and artwork representing a broad range of perspectives , with many pieces created by local artists of burgeoning acclaim and reflecting some aspect of Baltimore. The effort, which involved an initial investment of $500,000 over two years and includes plans for future acquisitions, is an outgrowth of the university's Diverse Names and Narratives Project. A committee made up of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and trustee representatives selected artwork for purchase and installation. The pieces will make their way to JHU campuses this spring and be positioned in places where both the public and the Johns Hopkins community can access and enjoy them, with the precise locations to be announced later.