BALTIMORE, MD – On April 16, the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) will present a focus exhibition of 35 rarely shown photographs by Baltimore-based artist Devin Allen. Heavy with History: Devin Allen and the Baltimore Uprising documents a defining moment in the city’s history by capturing the raw emotion of the protests that followed Freddie Gray’s untimely death in 2015. Organized by Lisa Snowden-McCray, Editor-in-Chief and co-founder of Baltimore Beat, this exhibition of powerful black-and-white images capture impassioned protestors, joyful children, wary police officers, and a collective righteous anger, pain, and advocacy for a different future. The exhibition also includes a soundscape featuring voices of the Baltimore Uprising for visitors to listen to while they are in the gallery. The exhibition is on view through June 22, 2025.
“Devin Allen’s photographs are evocative, poignant, and magnetic. They draw you into a critical moment in time, reflecting a raw and shared humanity,” said Asma Naeem, the BMA’s Dorothy Wagner Wallis Director. “We are honored to collaborate with Lisa Snowden-McCray to present these significant works as we remember Freddie Gray and the Baltimore Uprising and to capture the resilience and beauty of our city in the face of incredible sadness and trauma. Heavy with History is part of our institutional commitment to platform the voices of our community, and we look forward to inviting people into the museum to experience the exhibition.”
Additional Freddie Gray/Baltimore Uprising commemorations include a special issue of Baltimore Beat on April 9; Freddie Gray & The Baltimore Uprising:10 Years Later Reflecting, Reckoning, and Rebuilding at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African-American History and Culture on April 10-11; In the Wake of: Resilience and Revolution, an exhibition of photography by Paul Abowd, Devin Allen, and Joseph (J.M.) Giordano on view at the Creative Alliance through April 19; and the world premiere of the Baltimore Legacy Project documentary Baltimore Still Rising at the Senator Theater on April 24.
More information: https://artbma.org
