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Artist Louis Middleton, who participates in the “teaching” track within our professional tracks program, has had a very busy year! You may have heard about his sold out Paint-A-Long workshop at the American Visionary Art Museum, but haven’t yet heard that he will be giving an artist presentation at an upcoming meeting of the Baltimore City of Accessible Arts initiative. A highlight from this fall was his collaborative guest teaching gig, described here…

Art program participants at the Baltimore Rec and Parks’ Farring-Baybrook Center make art weekly with facilitation from Make Studio (annually coordinated by staffer Rosie Eck). Louis recently applied his creative skills to collaborating on a group project and exhibition design. Inspired by the large hands from a 2024 Farring-Baybrook project, Louis guest taught and guided participants in creating stars, diamonds, and BIG FACES. Groups of 3-8 people worked together to create one big face per table, collaborating and making decisions to create a unique face. 

The resulting artwork, as well as other projects by Farring-Baybrook participants, was installed by Louis and staff as a showcase, called “Face to Face”, of playful artistic collaboration between dozens of creative minds. (Still viewable in our gallery, as of December 16, 2025, amidst holiday sales cheer!)

In addition to the BIG FACES, other artwork included in the “Face to Face” installation are:

All of Us (fabric garland) 

Cord, fabric, canvas, pipe cleaners and beads  

Participants in the Art Class at Farring-Baybrook Therapeutic Rec Center in south Baltimore make art each week; in a given week, there are three sessions, each with a different group of individuals participating. This collaborative art piece includes fabric strips ripped and decorated by all art class participants along with an additional ornament unique to each session. The Monday session made the beaded baubles along the red cord. The early session on Wednesday painted and stamped the pennants, while the session later that morning embellished and chained together recycled canvas pieces to attach to the garland. The complete piece brings together art that represents not only the individuals who contribute to the Farring-Baybrook experience, but also how the groups create unique and dynamic projects. 

Coral Reef Sculptures 

Cardboard, acrylic paint, assorted doo-dads 

These pieces were on display at Farring-Baybrook before appearing in our gallery. In Fall 2023, participants in the art class painted and decoupaged (glued on tissue paper) to wooden blocks. The next week, they painted paper tubes and other surfaces using bubble wrap as a stamp to create a bubbly, underwater texture. The following week, participants combined the pieces they had painted with other elements like beads, tubes and oyster shells to create colorful and lively coral reef habitats.   Coral reefs are an underwater environment teeming with life, full of creatures existing closely together like might in a classroom or a city. Coral reefs are also in grave danger from pollution and climate change, so our artwork is a tribute to them and their richness.  

Participating Farring-Baybrook artists are:

(Names marked with a star (*) were present the week we made the big faces, stars and diamonds.)

Kenneth A., Rickel G.*, Teresa J.*, Richard K.*, Christopher L., Erin M.*, Joseph M., Sharon N.*, Pence P., Marie S.*, Heather S.*, Joshua S.*, Jamie S.*, John S.*, William T., Brandon T.*, Eric W.*, Clifton W., Corey D.*, Rosey G., Tammy G.*, Sharon J.*, John J. Jr.*, Tanya K., Ann M.*, Josephine P.*, Shamera R.*, Stephen R.*, Byron S.*, Brian V., Masadey B., Jushlynn C.*, Quba C.*, Daniel D.*, Emmly F., Maegan J., Tahesha J., John J. Sr.*, Maureen J., Diane N., Krista P., Deirde R. , Antastaisa S.-E.*, Antoine T., Jessica B., Cara C.*, Josh C.*, Yusef D.*, Desmond L.*, Lauren M., Andrew M., Joseph R., Connor R.*, Corvette R., Kara R.*, Victoria S.*, Zachary S., Dominique S.*, Kurwin S.*, Aniyah T.*, Marcia W.*, Joel W., Mike Z.*, Lakira A.-M.*, Suliamon A.*, Marshall B., Alyssa B., Carol B., Deneen B., Roxanne B.*, Veronica B.*, Ashley C., Denise C.*, Andrea M., Deborah O.*, Della P.*, Cortez S.