THE BALTIMORE BENCH PROJECT

Reimagining Baltimore’s Benches

For many Baltimoreans, the city benches are more than just places to sit—they’re quiet witnesses to our stories.

     Originally painted with Mayor Kurt Schmoke’s 1988 slogan, “The City That Reads,” the benches were part of a citywide effort to promote literacy and civic pride. Though sometimes playfully critiqued, the slogan carried a powerful message about Baltimore’s cultural spirit and its deep connection to learning, fitting for a city that built the first free public library in the nation.

  For me, these benches hold a deeply personal meaning. Growing up in East Baltimore and attending Sinclair Lane Elementary, I vividly remember participating in a reading program that rewarded kids with a free personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut. After finishing enough books, my mother and I would sit together on a neighborhood bench, waiting for the 22 bus to claim my hard earned reward. That simple ritual of books, benches, buses, and pizza became a symbol of hope, creativity, and possibility.

   Decades later, those same benches still stand as quiet reminders of Baltimore’s evolving identity. I seek to revive that feeling of inspiration by transforming these public seats into vibrant canvases that reflect the city’s resilience and imagination. The project aims to blend nostalgia with creativity and bring together local artists, organizations, and residents to reintroduce beauty, pride, and community engagement into Baltimore’s shared spaces.