On View at Motor House February  17 – March 27

Please join us as we celebrate the talent and creativity for the 2022 10X10 Exhibit themed Freedom Dreaming: Finding Joy. This year’s exhibit is in partnership with MICA’s Curatorial Practice Graduate Program and curated by 4 high school youth. This show will feature 140 works of art from Baltimore City Public Schools and will be available to be viewed online or at the Motor House.

ABOUT THIS YEAR'S EXHIBIT

Arts Every Day is pleased to announce Freedom Dreaming: Finding Joy, its sixth annual 10×10 Exhibit featuring art from Baltimore City Public School students and teachers. Guest curated by MICA Curatorial Practice MFA student Nia Ricks in collaboration with a youth curatorial team, the virtual exhibition is on view at www.10X10exhibit.org. A selection of works will also be on display at Motor House from February 17 – March 28, 2022.*                                                           

Freedom Dreaming: Finding Joy draws inspiration from authors Robin D. G. Kelley and Dr. Bettina Love. Kelley’s Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination emphasizes that visions of a better world are what draw people to social movements. In We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom, Dr. Love similarly explores dreams of social change — but through the lens of educational freedom. She calls attention to the educational survival complex and proposes ways to dismantle it.
 

Art Every Day’s 10×10 Exhibit connects young artists and rising arts leaders with collaborative exhibition opportunities, working alongside local curators and arts education advocates. Freedom Dreaming: Finding Joy sparks creative discourse in Baltimore City classrooms, encouraging students and teachers to share their own stories. The exhibited artworks comment on a lack of access to education and technology, daily stresses heightened by the pandemic, and other issues weighing heavily on the minds of local youth — while also reflecting empathy, friendship, and dreams of a brighter future.

View Opening Reception Artist Talk with Exhibiting Artists and Youth Curatorial Team

MEET THE CURATORS

Nia Aloia Ricks (she/they) is a painter, educator, and curator from Winston-Salem, NC. She discovered curating during her undergraduate studies at Winthrop University and was immediately drawn to the curator’s ability to inspire creativity, spark conversations, and bring people together. Nia worked as an elementary art educator from 2017–2020 where she strengthened her skills in facilitating, leading, and engaging others through art. In the Curatorial Practice program at the Maryland Institute College of Art, Nia is exploring ways to meaningfully connect art, education, joy, accessibility, and inclusion.

Zhadyn Beckwith, Senior at Baltimore Design School
“I am Zhadyn Beckwith, graphic designer, business owner and general tinkerer aka Unga Bunga science man. Currently I am in 12th grade at Baltimore Design School. I enjoy illustrating for the sake of my own projects but I often find myself illustrating for other people like for school work or at my job Dent education and my clients. I also enjoy experimenting with many digital medias, and my diverse creative skills often reflect in my art and portfolio.”

Ariyanna Craig, Senior at Baltimore Design School
“I’m Ariyanna Craig. I’m a 12th grader at Baltimore Design School studying graphic design. I’ve dabbled in other artistic mediums such as music and performance arts, but painting is by far my favorite. Upon graduating from high school, I plan on pursuing a science-oriented career that requires me to use my artistic abilities.”

Z Delly, Senior at REACH! Partnership High School 
“My name is Z Delly. I’m a senior at Reach! Partnership High School. My main art medium is sculpture, but I also draw both traditionally and digitally, paint with acrylics/gouache, and occasionally sew..”

Stanzanae Ware, Senior at Baltimore City College High School
“My name is Stanzanae Ware. I am a senior at Baltimore City College High School. I attend art classes at MICA through the ADCAP Program on Saturdays. I am also an artist who explores different media such as watercolor, acrylics, digital paintings, and animation.”