Sassy Toes

Come Meet Sassy Toes - The Peale’s Biggest Resident!

There’s a new star at The Peale, and she’s impossible to miss.

Floating gracefully through the museum’s spiral stairwell is Sassy Toes, a towering puppet-sculpture of a mastodon whose presence fills the space with wonder and playfulness.

Sassy Toes is more than an artwork — she’s a symbol of everything The Peale stands for: creativity, curiosity, and community. Inspired by the original mastodon once exhibited by Charles Willson Peale in 1802 — the first full fossil reconstruction ever shown in America — this new interpretation brings that spirit of discovery into the 21st century.

Hand-crafted by local artists and collaborators, Sassy Toes was designed to move people — not just in size and scale, but emotionally. Her sweeping ribs and enormous limbs seem to climb upward through the stairwell, inviting visitors to follow her path from floor to floor.

Each view reveals something new: light filtering through the bones, shadows dancing on the walls, and that unmistakable feeling that history is alive and playful here.

Now that she’s settled in, we invite you to come meet Sassy Toes in person. Bring your friends, family, and curiosity — she loves a good audience. Snap a selfie from the landing, share it to help us welcome this prehistoric Baltimorean to her new home.

Because at The Peale, the past isn’t something we simply preserve — it’s something we play with, learn from, and bring to life.

Call for Artists – Life in Baltimore

February 13, 2026

Life in Baltimore – Call for Artists The Peale is pleased to announce the opening of the Call for Artists for Life in Baltimore, a juried exhibition exploring the lived experience and everyday life of

Objects Made Holy – Exhibit by Gina Pierleoni

February 6, 2026

Objects Made Holy Curated by Gina Pierleoni On View February 12, 2026 – March 29, 2026 | 2nd Floor Objects Made Holy gathers deeply personal objects and stories from 42 Baltimore residents, each invited to reflect

Embers Held

February 4, 2026

Embers Held Works by LeRease Clark On View February 2, 2026 – March 22, 2026 Moses Williams Center, 1st Floor Curated by Daisy Brown, Embers Held gathers works made across years of Baltimore artist LeRease

News

Sassy Toes

Come Meet Sassy Toes - The Peale’s Biggest Resident!

There’s a new star at The Peale, and she’s impossible to miss.

Floating gracefully through the museum’s spiral stairwell is Sassy Toes, a towering puppet-sculpture of a mastodon whose presence fills the space with wonder and playfulness.

Hand-crafted by local artists and collaborators, Sassy Toes was designed to move people — not just in size and scale, but emotionally. Her sweeping ribs and enormous limbs seem to climb upward through the stairwell, inviting visitors to follow her path from floor to floor.

Each view reveals something new: light filtering through the bones, shadows dancing on the walls, and that unmistakable feeling that history is alive and playful here.

Now that she’s settled in, we invite you to come meet Sassy Toes in person. Bring your friends, family, and curiosity — she loves a good audience. Snap a selfie from the landing, share it to help us welcome this prehistoric Baltimorean to her new home.

Because at The Peale, the past isn’t something we simply preserve — it’s something we play with, learn from, and bring to life.

Call for Artists – Life in Baltimore

Objects Made Holy – Exhibit by Gina Pierleoni

Embers Held

The Peale is grateful for the support from these organizations.

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