Reflections of Maryland: Art, People, and Place
Yumi Hogan Art Gallery, Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
Reflections of Maryland: Art, People, and Place brings together significant works from the museum’s historic collection alongside contemporary works of art by Maryland-based artists to highlight the enduring impact of African American heritage on the state’s identity and legacy.
In this exhibition, artists pay tribute to changemakers such as Verda Freeman Welcome, the second African American woman elected to a state senate in the United States; Gloria Richardson, a civil rights leader who led the Cambridge Movement on Maryland’s Eastern Shore; Harriet Tubman, an abolitionist, nurse, Civil War spy and Underground Railroad conductor who led enslaved people to freedom; and Frederick Douglass, a formerly enslaved man who became a renowned orator, writer, and statesman—to carry forward their legacies through visual storytelling that challenges, inspires, and educates.
Equally important is the recognition of historic and culturally rich places like Carr’s Beach, David C. Driskell Community Park, and the Baltimore Inner Harbor—landmarks that reflect the everyday lives, gatherings, and resilience of Maryland’s African American communities. Carr’s Beach, in particular, was a vital haven during segregation, offering Black families a rare space to relax, swim, and enjoy live performances by some of the era’s top touring acts, including legends like James Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, and Ray Charles—transforming the beach into a joyful, culturally vibrant destination.
Featured Artists
Schroeder Cherry | Dr. Joan M.E. Gaither | Simmie Knox | Hughie Lee-Smith | Hope & Faith McCorkle | Tom Miller | Jason Patterson | Globe Printing | Preston Sampson | Ernest Shaw | Thomas Stockett
Carr's Beach, 1966
The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog into a shimmering pool of rainwater that had gathered since the last frost. Soft clusters of leaves fall without a plan to the ground, mirroring the unhurried chestnut thatch of the fox’s dense coat. The fox looks to the west, only then realizing the horizon has begun to curve towards them. Perhaps they should not have jumped so soon.
Carr's Beach Poster, 1966. Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum Collection, 2009.23.2
Solar Return at Driskell Park, 2023
Hope & Faith McCorkle (b. 1999)
Solar Return at Driskell Park commemorates childhood rituals, memories, and transformative experiences. The window scene features images and foliage from the park near Hope and Faith's childhood home in Hyattsville, Maryland, now named David C. Driskell Community Park. Hope & Faith honor this sacred space of tradition and community where they have celebrated many gatherings, ceremonies, and birthdays since birth, encapsulating the magic of uncovering histories, celebrating life, and reflecting on personal growth.
Drawing after a Detail of a Photograph of Gloria Richardson with George Gelston during the Cambridge Non-violent Action Committee march, July 12, 1963, Cambridge Maryland, 2024
Jason Patterson (b. 1984)
Gloria Richardson was a fearless civil rights leader whose bold activism reshaped the fight for racial justice on Maryland's Eastern Shore and beyond. As the first woman to lead a grassroots civil rights movement outside the Deep South, she challenged segregation head-on and helped negotiate the landmark 1963 Treaty of Cambridge. In this powerful work, Eastern Shore based artist, Jason Patterson reinterprets a pivotal moment from the civil rights movement, capturing Gloria Richardson’s unwavering defiance alongside fellow activist George Gelston. Through precise draftsmanship and historical sensitivity, the artist invites viewers to engage with the legacy of resistance and the courage embodied in this iconic image from the Cambridge Movement.
Anna Murray Douglass (quilt)
Dr. Joan M.E. Gaither
This quilt by Dr. Joan M.E. Gaither honors Anna Murray Douglass—abolitionist, suffragist, mother, and freedom fighter. Born into slavery in 1813 in Denton, Maryland, Anna escaped with her family as an infant and later moved to Baltimore to work as a domestic laborer. There, she met a young Frederick Douglass and, risking legal repercussions, funded his escape from slavery—an act of radical love and liberation.
The couple settled in Massachusetts and later in Rochester, NY, where Anna turned their home into a haven for freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad. Though she could not read or write, Anna remained deeply engaged in the fight for Black freedom and women’s rights, supported by her daughter Rosetta Douglass Sprague and granddaughter Fredericka Douglass Sprague Perry, who ensured her legacy would be remembered. Gaither’s quilt captures Anna’s multifaceted life—as a laundress, wife, mother, and activist—reminding us that not all revolutionaries march in the streets; some liberate through love, labor, and home.
The art program at BWI Marshall Airport provides our passengers with an opportunity to experience the beauty, spirit, and creativity in our region. The various art exhibits celebrate natural and intellectual resources, our regional flavor, and the wonders of exploration and aviation. The Yumi Hogan International Art Gallery rotates up to four times per year and is juried through a collaborative effort between the BWI Marshall Static Arts Committee, chaired by Jack Rasmussen, and partner organizations.
The BWI Marshall Static Arts Committee is proud to collaborate with the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum, Maryland's official museum for African American history and culture, to showcase the work of Maryland-based African American artists who explore the state’s diverse cultural and environmental landscapes.
For More Information on Featured Artists, Click the Links Below
Schroeder Cherry | Dr. Joan M.E. Gaither | Simmie Knox | Hughie Lee-Smith | Hope & Faith McCorkle | Tom Miller | Jason Patterson | Globe Printing | Preston Sampson | Ernest Shaw | Thomas Stockett