You Be Safe Now Exhibition Opening

You Be Safe Now is a retrospective exhibition of art made in Baltimore. For the past 5 years, Julia Glatfelter has captured moments in paint and cut paper collage – rendering the colors and noticings of our city. The result is a large collection of everyday images: magnolia blossoms, “no shoot zone” signs, narrow alley streets, and foxtrot patrols. What we notice sets the tone for our experience here. What do you notice in Baltimore?

As a person who creates images of place by what she sees – this collection is the artists’ honest perspective of the beauty, the dull and the heartbreaking views. Absorbed in the sights, residents often receive a common departing prayer from strangers. “Be safe,” they say. When you check out at the corner store, “be safe” they call out. After mumblings with a neighbor at the bus stop, “get home safe now,” they say. That wish wraps you in a hug and scares you all at once. It reminds you to use caution, seek beauty and to pass on the same wish to others. After 5 years of living and loving in this city, Glatfelter is moving. As she leaves, this exhibition is her departing wish to all who might view it. You be safe now.