Quilting has always been…stitched… into Baltimore’s story. From practical bedcovers to decorative works of art, quilts reveal connections to global textile and dye trades while grounding themselves in the city’s working-class traditions. Baltimore’s most famous contribution to this legacy is the Baltimore Album Quilt, a mid-19th-century style known for its elaborate appliqué blocks—floral motifs, patriotic emblems, and personal dedications—combined into one-of-a-kind community heirlooms. In 1981, Mayor William Donald Schaefer celebrated this tradition with a citywide quilt competition that drew makers from across Maryland. Exhibits at City Hall and the Baltimore Museum of Art showcased the artistry of local quilters, with a $1,500 grand prize going to a striking black, white, and gold geometric design inspired by the city’s iconic marble stoops. The winning quilt with the marble step design captured Baltimore’s rowhouse traditions, while dozens of other prizewinners reflected the breadth of Maryland quilting—many of which can now be seen on this website. Among the participants was Mimi Dietrich, whose quilt from the event now resides in the Maryland Center for History and Culture. This history is now being carried forward 45 years later. With quilting communities still active across Baltimore—from guilds to classrooms to living rooms to community workshops—the revival builds on a strong foundation. The new competition will culminate in an exhibition opening June 6, 2026 at Current Space.
For more information see: https://www.homagetobaltimorequiltingcompetition.com/
Follow us on https://www.instagram.com/homagetobaltimorequilts
The Sowebo Community Archiving Event will provide a chance for residents to engage with past public history and cultural documentation projects as part of UMBC’s Baltimore Traces: Communities in Transition project and offer suggestions for building a collective community archive for the future in partnership with the Maryland Traditions Archives at UMBC and to assist residents in documenting and preserving their own experiences.
With a focus on local cultural traditions—such as the rich history of Baltimore’s Hollins Market, local neighborhoods like Poppleton, local arabber horse-and-wagon street vendors, and local street art—we are inviting those who live and work in the area to share their memories and learn more about their neighbors.
Afterparty at Zella’s at 4:30pm for the last weekend of the Sowebo Streets: 40 years of street photography in Southwest Baltimore exhibit.
Even if you cannot make it, you can still fill out these online surveys at any time:
Sowebo Community Archives survey (general)
Baltimore Street Art (specifically on Sowebo street art)
This event is supported by the Orser Center for Public Humanities with support of the Maryland State Art Council’s Maryland Folklife Network.
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sowebo-community-archiving-event-tickets-1985871315563
This event is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University’s nondiscrimination policy.