The Final Fridays: Artist in Residence Renaissance Ball, the first ballroom event in the Enoch Pratt Public Library’s history, was the finale and celebration of inaugural Artist-in-Residence SHAN Wallace’s work. Wallace is a photographer, archivist, and conceptual artist from Baltimore.
As part of her year-long residency, Wallace organized several workshops and events that allowed Black Baltimoreans to tell their own stories. The Renaissance Ball is evidence of SHAN’s mission to preserve the history of Black Baltimore in its multiplicity. Wallace’s practice documents the lives of Black Baltimoreans sincerely and beautifully.
Jeremy Collins photographed the Renaissance Ball. Collins is an artist and photographer based in New York City. His work centers Black folks and marginalized identities in the stories told through his camera lens. The Ball was held on June 30 at the Central Library, and the festivities included a Ballroom catwalk with prizes, performances, and food vendors. The event’s theme was Club Renaissance, according to the library, “in acknowledgment and honor of the ongoing history and importance of Queer Black art’s cultural significance.” Visitors could experience the history of voguing, ballroom, Kiki culture, and all things queer and fashion at the after-hours series. (Teri Henderson)
