South Baltimore Community Land Trust Exhibition

The project began in a first phase with a series of workshops with the high school students, and this second phase developed an overall concept of the exhibition design as well as all graphic design and copy writing and editing.

The South Baltimore Community Land Trust (SBCLT), a non-profit organization that addresses fair development in an overburdened geographic area of Baltimore/Curtis Bay have been training youth as organizers, engaged citizens and scientists since 2015.

These youth have been diligently working throughout the summer of 2023 to understand the broader political landscape of injustice, governmental environmental policy, data collection and data utilization to create systemic change in their communities, at a city and state level.

NDC supported the engaged youth at Ben Franklin High, and the coordinating
team from SBCLT, Towson University, and Johns Hopkins University, to collaboratively design and build an interactive art installation which explores environmental justice and community science from the perception of the youth scholars and their research.

See high resolution artwork of the exhibition posters here, plus timeline graphics here.

A “Place Matters” project provided additional staff time to assist in the production of all materials, the museum install at the Peale in April 2025, and the co-hosting of an opening reception. The “Toxic Overburden” exhibit about Curtis Bay moved to Baltimore Unity Hall in July 2025 with intentions to travel throughout the city. It featured interactive elements like 3D printed maps and dynamic large-scale posters.

This Baltimore Community Design Works project was led by NDC staff Julia DiMauro, with support by volunteers Julio Ramirez, Lee Tomlonis, Corianne Setzer, and Tamu Wright.