The building will have two public art installations by artists Kipp Kobayashi and LaToya Peoples, who were selected by a committee established by UMB and the Maryland State Arts Council.
The new University of Maryland School of Social Work Building, under construction at 600 W. Lexington St., will feature two public art installations commissioned by artists selected through a seven-member artist committee established by the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and the Maryland State Arts Council. The artist committee comprises representatives from the School of Social Work, UMB, Ballinger (the architect), and the governor-appointed art commissioner. After an extensive search and evaluation process, two artists have been selected - Kipp Kobayashi and LaToya D. Peoples.
Kipp Kobayashi will install an art piece suspended in the atrium of the two-story lobby. Kobayashi is an artist interested in the traces of human activity and how they transform the structures and systems of our physical world into living entities of our collective thoughts, actions, and experiences. His work stems from his background growing up as an Asian American, which has led to a lifelong interest in deconstructing our preconceived notions of identity and culture. By breaking them down into the most basic elements of human and natural factors, he aims to better understand the unique combinations and patterns that define a more nuanced interpretation of identity and cultural belonging. Kobayashi has been commissioned by organizations and agencies across the nation. Based in Los Angeles, he received a BA from the University of California at Berkeley and an MFA from the University of Southern California. View Kobayashi’s portfolio.
LaToya D. Peoples will install a two-dimensional mural on the building’s exterior Greene Street entrance. Peoples is a Philadelphia native and Baltimore-based multidisciplinary artist working in the realms of public/community arts, education, and design. A graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art, Peoples’ murals adorn walls all over Baltimore and other major metropolitan cities. Her work focuses on figuration, color, and pattern as a way of exploring narrative and history. Her work represents successful collaboration with partners in fabrication, development, schools, universities, hospitals, libraries, businesses, nonprofits, and government. View Peoples' portfolio.
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