City officials, the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, and local creative firms have turned construction fencing at the City Dock into a free, walkable art gallery. Titled “An Exhibition of Sight & Sound,” the 180‑foot display runs along Ego Alley and showcases Chesapeake Bay landscape photos alongside portrait works that echo the orchestra’s 65th season theme, “In Nature’s Realm.”
Community partnership brings art to the waterfront
The project is a collaboration among the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, the creative consulting group AND Creative, and the City of Annapolis. Mayor Jared Littmann praised the effort, noting that the installation turns a necessary barrier into a celebration of local talent and gives residents another reason to stroll the waterfront while the dock revitalization continues.
Executive Director Erica Bondarev Rapach explained that the orchestra wanted to connect music with everyday life in Annapolis. “We saw a construction fence and imagined a gallery,” she said. “This project links our musicians, our season, local visual artists, and downtown visitors in a creative and welcoming way.”
Art and music inspired by nature
The exhibit features photographs of the Chesapeake Bay region by Maryland photographers Jay Fleming, Emily Carter, Alison Harbaugh, Pam Ehrenfield, Jennifer Casey, and Arden Haley. Local visual artists Joanna Bigelow, Charles Lawrence, Marissa S. Evangelista, Gia Tonic, Anita Hagan, Glory Paredes, Alison Chase Radcliffe, and Jeff Huntington contributed portrait pieces. Each panel measures five feet tall by ten feet wide.
Music selections for the orchestra’s upcoming season include works by Dvořák, Sibelius, Beethoven, Britten, Jennifer Higdon, Tan Dun and others, all chosen for their nature‑inspired themes.
Support from local businesses
Minuteman Press Annapolis, a local printing company, sponsored the printing of the exhibit. Owner Billy Ruehl said the partnership aligned with the company’s core values and was a “quick and easy yes.”
AND Creative’s Darin Gilliam and Alison Harbaugh helped bring the installation to life, emphasizing the importance of placing art in public spaces to remind neighbors that creativity belongs everywhere in the city.
Future installations and community impact
The City Dock exhibit will be followed by additional displays at the Michael E. Busch Annapolis Library, Arundel Center, and BWI Gateway Gallery, all managed by the orchestra and AND Creative. The Arts Council of Anne Arundel County provided further support.
A celebration event is scheduled for August 26 at 1 p.m., offering a chance for the public to experience the gallery and learn more about the collaboration.
Original reporting: Baltimore Fishbowl — read the source article.
