Lev Lazinskiy

Sowebo Arts Fest 2011

update 6/12/2024: sadly all the photos from this post were lost.

This is kinda late, but since the blog is new - its relevant.

Sowebo (South West Baltimore) fest is held each year on the last Sunday in may for memorial day. I had the opportunity to go for my first time this year and by far it exceeded all of my expectations. I was thinking that there was going to be a band playing, a couple hippies sitting around, and some artwork. I was blown away when I got there and saw that the majority of the area was cordoned off, there were four stages, and tons of great music, food, and artwork.

I absolutely cannot wait until next years event, it was such a wonderful experience and made me fall in love with Baltimore that much more.

A couple of my very good friends moved to Sowebo about a year ago, and I have spent a lot of time there. The thing that I love the most about the neighborhood is that despite the fact that it has faced some decline over the years, and many businesses have closed their doors - they still have a very active and vibrant artistic community. What’s more is that the people that live there are absolutely amazing. I have never met a more tight knit group of people in my life. People who truly care about the community that they live in and work together in order to make it a better place for everyone. You find this sort of thing all over baltimore, people coming together to defy the odds and spit in the face of recession, poverty, and crime. These heroes of the urban environment truly embody the notion that “world peace begins at home.”

The following are just a few photographs from the event.