Originally formed by 14 Baltimore artists as a short-term artist cooperative, Current Gallery is now in its second home and is currently functioning as a non-profit gallery and artist studio. The space came to life in 2004, after the initial group of young artists received a grant from the city of Baltimore for a proposal to productively utilize an unoccupied downtown building.
The cooperative’s members were composed primarily of MICA (Mary Institute College of Art) students and alumni. Although Current began as an experiment with an uncertain life span, the space slowly gained notoriety within its community. In 2006, Current was voted best art gallery by the city’s newspaper.
Current’s strong following is largely due to the gallery’s unique mission. Rather than display works of art that will find immediate commercial success, the gallery prefers to display media – in a wide range of genres – that otherwise may not find a public outlet. Focusing primarily on local artists, Current values its reputation as “a bright outpost of the vigorous DIY ethic that characterizes the city’s quirky, self-sustaining art community.”
The gallery’s next large-scale exhibit involves “mimicking” the format of a small grocery store. The installation will incorporate shopping baskets, a stationed cashier, and “products” that are created by artists and kept in constant stock. Current is working on finalizing details for the exhibit, and members are excited to present it in July of 2011 during Artscape – an annual arts and music festival in Baltimore.
In addition to curating visual-art exhibits, Current Gallery also uses its space to host live performances, film screenings, concerts, art workshops, and lectures. Rather than function as a physical space that merely displays art, Current has broad plans to exist as hands-on venue where artists may also create and develop their works. The gallery is in the midst of building artist studios, a screen-printing facility, and a photography darkroom.