Strong, Bright, Useful & True: Recent Acquisitions and Contemporary Art from Baltimore

On view April 15 – Sept. 6, 2025

Featuring contemporary Baltimore artists shaping the national and global arts landscape, the exhibition illustrates the vibrancy of Baltimore’s contemporary art scene and showcases a broad spectrum of media, including painting, sculpture, time-based media, and photography.

Plan Your Visit

View Exhibition Catalog

Explore the artists and works featured in the current exhibition.

Strong, Bright, Useful & True: Recent Acquisitions and Contemporary Art from Baltimore

Exhibition Closing Event

September 6, 2025 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. EDT

At the Close: Strong, Bright, Useful, and True Conversations

Artist interviews

Brandon Donahue-Shipp on his work and new Frary Gallery exhibition

Video

The Baltimore-based artist talks about the making of Basketball Bloom (Spectrum), which transforms found, discarded, and traded objects into works of art that foster connections among communities.

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Baltimore-based artist Linling Lu on weaving color, culture, and music into her work

Q&A

Lu shares more about her work, Circle Dance, and her unique approach to color field painting.

Read the interview

Jerrell Gibbs on exploring vulnerability through his work

Video

The Baltimore-based artist shares the inspiration behind his work, Can’t let ’em see me cry, which considers the societal expectations of Black men and boys.

Watch the interview

Explore Virtually

Discover expert insights, context, and more curated content on Strong, Bright, Useful & True: Recent Acquisitions and Contemporary Art from Baltimore on Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.

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In the News

Exhibition in the press

The art world loves Baltimore artists. This free D.C. exhibit shows why.

“Strong, Bright, Useful & True,” on display for free through Sept. 6, is a treasure trove of works created by some of Baltimore’s finest artists, from Joyce J. Scott and Derrick Adams to Soledad Salamé and René Treviño.

Read the Review

The Baltimore Banner

Johns Hopkins exhibit elevates the artists of its city

“Strong, Bright, Useful & True: Recent Acquisitions and Contemporary Art From Baltimore” is on display at Johns Hopkins’s D.C. campus through Sept. 6.

Read the Review

The Washington Post

Bloomberg Center’s Frary Gallery in DC features work of Baltimore artists

The Irene and Richard Frary Gallery—located in the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington, DC—is featuring an exhibit that draws heavily on the shining talents of its neighbor to the north. WYPR talks about it with the gallery’s inaugural director, Caitlin Berry, and with Jerrell Gibbs, one of the featured artists.

Listen to the interview

WYPR

“Strong, Bright, Useful & True” Demonstrates the Variety of Baltimore’s Art Scene

Running through Sept. 6 at the Irene and Richard Frary Gallery, the exhibit holds up Baltimore as a fertile creative ground for both established and emerging artists.

Washington City Paper