By Andrea Stevens
AFRO Employees Author
astevens@afro.com
Baltimore welcomed the Sowebo Arts and Music Pageant within the historic Hollins Market neighborhood on Might 25. Native distributors had the chance to showcase their style, meals and artwork on the occasion, now in its forty second yr.
Artists and attendees gathered through the Memorial Day weekend to get pleasure from native distributors, performances and artwork installations that replicate the range and richness of Baltimore. For a lot of, the annual pageant provides one thing extra intimate and genuine than the town’s bigger festivals. Skye Janae, a Baltimore native, grew up attending the pageant.
“It’s very genuine, extra private work, extra selection,” mentioned Janae. “We all the time went as a result of our faculty was related to it. We simply stored the custom going.”
Desiree Wingo, a repeat customer, mentioned the neighborhood power units Sowebo aside.
“I didn’t have a query about coming again out,” Wingo mentioned. “I had a good time final yr– received some nice items…lots of people don’t learn about this little gem of the town,” Wingo added.
“I hope of us will come out and provides this pageant as a lot of an opportunity as they do Artscape,” she mentioned, referring to the choice to maneuver Baltimore’s Artscape pageant to the identical weekend as Sowebo, historically held over the Memorial Day vacation.
Vendor Devon Corridor mentioned he determined to promote his work on the Sowebo Pageant as an alternative of Artscape partly as a result of the latter is usually rained out— but additionally due to what it means to him as an area.
“This was one other probability for me to do one thing for the hometown. I’m engaged on a Baltimore Hometown Heroes collection…making an attempt to honor a few of the those who we glance as much as within the metropolis,” mentioned Corridor, standing subsequent to a tribute of Keith Boissier, recognized domestically because the “Baltimore Working Man.”
Corridor shared recommendation for different rising creatives who could also be contemplating a vendor’s desk at subsequent yr’s Sowebo Pageant.
“Take probabilities,” he mentioned. “It’s a grind, however the satisfaction you’ll get ultimately is unmatched.”
For older residents, the pageant represents many years of custom and cultural connection. Charles Lowder, a longtime attendee and collector of African artwork spoke with the AFRO about why he attends Sowebo every year.
“I gather African artwork,” he mentioned, whereas trying by way of African jewellery and hats on show. “There’s numerous tradition on this neighborhood…a mixture of African artwork and Hispanic artwork and all different kinds of artwork.”
Now 80, Lowder has been attending the occasion for many years. He mentioned the combination of cultures on show is a part of what makes Sowebo particular and hopes that it’s going to stay as particular for future generations.
“I’m hoping that my grandchildren and their kids will know this and really feel it once they see it,” he mentioned.
As Sowebo continues to develop, it stays a beacon of Baltimore delight, cultural heritage and inventive expression — celebrating not simply the place the neighborhood has been, however the place it’s going.
