In 2019, The Gutierrez Memorial Fund awarded Greenmount Tile the opportunity to design, fabricate, and install tiled sculptural seating in Greenmount West Neighborhood of Baltimore; and engage the community through a series of workshops.
Greenmount Tile LLC designs, manufactures, and sells a new format of ceramic tile that transforms both two-dimensional and three-dimensional surfaces into artwork. Company Founder Dominique Hellgeth is a ceramicist and community artist.
Dominique created this work in collaboration with the Greenmount West Community Center; a 501c3 non-profit which offers In addition to many essential community support services, high quality year-round programming for youth to grow, learn and create. GWCC Artist-In-Residence Christopher Johnson worked collaboratively with Dominique to schedule and implement multiple workshops for the youth to be involved with this project.
Additional recognition due to the team of artists and fabricators who made this sculpture possible- Design team: Cathrine Leberg, Kazi Adi Shakti, and Michael Hart; Tile Fabrication: Shelby, Jamie, Keyarra, GWCC youth; Armature installation and tile installation team: Arking Welding LLC, Tyler, Keyarra, Dion, Harlock, and Gen.
Think, Say, Do Something Good
In 2019, Greenmount Tile was awarded project funding from the Central Baltimore Partnership's Community Spruce-Up Grant Program with the generous support of State of Maryland's Deptartment of Housing and Community Development.
Dominique Hellgeth collaborated with the Greenmount West Community Center to lead workshops where neighborhood children could engage in the design process for the mural. In fact, the silhouettes featured in the mural come from a session where children demonstrated how they play and interact with the GWCC. In workshops they explored skills using software as a design tool and a hands-on demonstration of how tiles are fabricated.
Additional thanks to the fantastic collaborating artists, fabricators and supporting organizations: Chris Johnson, Keyarra Johnson, Ayobami Adeyemo, Ann Z, Arking Welding, GWCC youth and Openworks Baltimore.
Community Artists Herb Massie and Dominique Hellgeth team up to create an outdoor classroom setting for the Fort Worthington Community Garden sited in the Berea Neighborhood.
"Inspire Grow Thrive" is a mosaic artwork which utilizes handmade ceramic tile, glass and mirror; mounted onto a permanent concrete and masonry armature. Across the top of the sign are bright yellow letters, surrounded by mosaic tile and glass, spell: "Fort Worthington Community Garden". Below, a recessed classroom board which is surrounded and supported by the feature imagery: a 16'x3' mosaic neighborhood portrait. To make the handmade tiles at the base of the installation Herb and Dominique drew inspiration from the architecture in the Berea neighborhood.
Project Funded by the 1% for public art program, Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts
