Project 13
Section1 - Urban Art Park
Urban Design, Community Development, Public Art
Project Brief
An abandoned 3.5-acre industrial site in Baltimore presented an unprecedented opportunity to reimagine public space through design thinking. As a thesis project during my dual masters at Johns Hopkins and MICA, I founded Section1 as a nonprofit dedicated to transforming this site into an urban art park that would enrich lives through public art, artist development, and community engagement. Secured $10K in seed funding from MICA's LAB Award to establish the organization and begin activating the space and others for Baltimore's creative community.
Duration
2012 - 2016
Stack
Design Thinking, Community Organizing, Public Art, Nonprofit Management
Skills
Urban Design, Street Art Curation, Event Production, Community Engagement, Artist Development
$3.4M Economic Impact
MICA LAB Award
Social Innovation Awad
Project Overview
Section1 began as a thesis project during my dual masters program at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and Maryland Institute College of Art. The Design Leadership program equipped me with skills to apply creative processes in business settings while focusing on social value creation. The vision: transform a 3.5-acre abandoned industrial site into an urban art park that served Baltimore's creative community.
After graduation, received $10,000 in seed funding from MICA's LAB Award—supporting projects that encouraged local talent to use the city as a canvas for creative vision. This seed funding established Section1 Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to using urban art to enrich people's lives. In March 2016, partnered with Volunteering Untapped to organize a cleanup effort with over 300 volunteers who removed 40,000+ lbs of trash from the site, bringing it to life.
While the physical park was never built, Section1 left a lasting legacy in Baltimore's arts community. As Executive Director, I funded the development of The Creative Labs and several other art organizations including Believe in Music. Organized dozens of mural jams, facilitated cultural exchange programs with Buenos Aires Street Art and Urban Walls Brazil, and produced over 200 mural panels covering nearly 1 million square feet of public art. The impact: 360 art activations, 5,960 artists reached, and $3.4 million in economic impact (calculated using Arts & Economic Prosperity Calculator from Americans for the Arts).
My Approach
Applied design thinking frameworks from my Johns Hopkins/MICA dual masters to reimagine how abandoned urban space could serve communities. Rather than traditional park development, approached Section1 as a platform for artist development and community engagement. The physical location became secondary to the cultural infrastructure we built—proving that impact doesn't require permanent structures, just sustained commitment to creative communities.
Organized the March 2016 cleanup with Volunteering Untapped, mobilizing 300+ volunteers to remove 40,000+ lbs of trash and transform the site from abandoned eyesore to usable creative space. This demonstrated community buy-in and created momentum for ongoing activations. Produced 360 art events over seven years, creating consistent opportunities for artists to reach audiences and for communities to engage with public art on their terms.
Built Section1 as an artist development platform rather than just a physical location. Organized dozens of mural jams that gave emerging artists exposure and experience. Facilitated cultural exchange programs connecting Baltimore artists with Buenos Aires Street Art and Urban Walls Brazil, creating international networks that elevated local talent. Produced 200+ mural panels and nearly 1M square feet of public art, giving 5,960 artists a platform to reach their audience.
Generated $3.4M in economic impact through art activations, artist commissions, and community programming. When the physical park proved unfeasible, pivoted to funding other organizations: established The Creative Labs (30,000 sq ft multimedia production studio), supported Believe in Music, and seeded several other Baltimore arts initiatives. Section1's legacy wasn't the park itself—it was the infrastructure and organizations that outlasted the original vision.
Word on the Street
"Section1 gave Baltimore artists a platform when no one else would. The murals, the jams, the connections to international artists—it changed careers and elevated the entire scene. The park didn't get built, but the impact is everywhere."
