BALTIMORE — This fall, the Baltimore Museum of Art is featuring a series of exhibitions that highlight the city’s diverse artistic heritage and complex history through photography, painting, weaving, and poetry. The shows, which run through various dates in 2027, emphasize the work of local artists and explore Baltimore’s social and cultural landscape.

The museum is presenting three major exhibitions: “Flashback: Two Centuries of Baltimore Photography” (through Feb. 21, 2027), “Jerrell Gibbs: Come home with me” (through May 2, 2027), and “Diedrick Brackens: lights at the end of the world,” which includes poetry by Baltimore writer Jôel Díaz (Nov. 8–Feb. 28, 2027). These exhibits collectively aim to showcase the depth of creativity rooted in Baltimore while offering varied interpretations of the city and the surrounding region.

“Flashback” features 210 photographs predominantly captured by Baltimore photographers, spanning nearly two centuries. Among them are several images by Devin Allen, whose striking photographs of the 2015 protests after Freddie Gray’s arrest and subsequent death gained international recognition. Allen, a self-taught photographer from West Baltimore, documented moments during the demonstrations that followed Gray’s spinal trauma, which was ruled a homicide. His photos were widely disseminated on social media and featured on the cover of Time magazine, elevating his career and further establishing him as a significant chronicler of Baltimore’s social realities.

The exhibition also includes historical works such as the earliest known photograph of Frederick Douglass, taken in 1841 when he was about 23 years old. Douglass, born and raised in Maryland, advocated for photography as a means of authentic representation for marginalized communities. Co-curator Leslie Cozzi noted photography’s role in enabling self-representation for those often excluded from democratic processes.

In addition to documentary photography, the show features images from notable local photographers like Irving Henry Phillips Sr., a longtime contributor to The Baltimore Afro-American newspaper. His carefully composed 1954 photograph “Druid Hill YMCA Swim Class” captures a swim lesson with a visual symmetry that conveys both beauty and a sense of community.

Complementing this broad historical perspective, Jerrell Gibbs’ solo exhibition offers a more intimate view of Baltimore life. Similar in age and background to Allen, Gibbs drew inspiration from family photographs found in his aunt’s basement—his grandmother's sister—who lived nearby in West Baltimore. Using these photographs as a starting point, Gibbs creates oil paintings that evoke memories and everyday experiences, such as communal meals and gatherings. While many images depict joy and familial bonds, there is also an undercurrent of caution and vigilance, reflecting challenges faced in the neighborhood, including encounters with law enforcement.

The third exhibition introduces a different artistic medium in the form of large-scale weavings by Texas-born artist Diedrick Brackens, who lives in Los Angeles. His works incorporate visual and thematic elements from the Chesapeake Bay area, including references to the Underground Railroad and the region’s wild horses. The exhibit, paired with original poetry by Baltimore poet Jôel Díaz, commissioned by the museum, explores ideas of migration, flight, and liberation. Brackens’ weaving “to be loved more and ridden less (the gate)” symbolizes freedom and coexistence between the natural and human worlds, while Díaz’s poems respond to and expand upon these motifs.

Asma Naeem, the museum’s director and the first Baltimore native to lead the institution, emphasized that showcasing local artistic excellence has been a strategic goal. Together, these exhibitions provide visitors with layered insights into Baltimore’s history, culture, and ongoing narratives shaped by its residents.