City Dock construction fence gets artistic makeover in Annapolis

What was once just a construction barrier along Annapolis City Dock is now a work of art.

City leaders unveiled a new outdoor art exhibit Wednesday, turning about 180 feet of construction fencing along Ego Alley into a walkable gallery. The exhibit features large-scale photographs of Chesapeake landscapes and wildlife, along with portraits by local artists.

"You've turned something ordinary into something worth stopping for and exploring," said Annapolis Mayor Jared Littmann.

The Exhibition of Sight & Sound is a partnership between the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, AND Creative and the City of Annapolis.

The images also connect to the symphony's upcoming 65th season, "In Nature's Realm," which explores the relationship between music and the natural world.

"These panels pair the work of talented local artists and photographers with the ideas and music behind our upcoming season — our 65th in Annapolis," said Erica Bondarev Rapach, executive director of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra.

Organizers say the goal isn't just to beautify a construction zone, but to draw people back to the waterfront and nearby businesses while the City Dock revitalization continues.

"Art gives people a reason to walk toward an area instead of around it," said Alison Harbaugh, co-founder of AND Creative. "It tells them there's something still happening here."

The exhibit features work from six Maryland photographers and eight local visual artists.

For those artists, it's also a chance to see their work displayed in the heart of the city.

"I never knew that Annapolis was so excited about art and I love the enthusiasm," featured artist Alison Radcliffe said.

Another featured artist, Glory Paredes, contributed a portrait called "Between Green Life," depicting a Hispanic man who works at a local nursery.

"This guy represents all farmers in Annapolis," Paredes said. "It's something from my culture ... for my people."

Organizers say the free exhibit is ultimately about connection — between music and nature, artists and audiences, and the community and the changing waterfront.

"Art in public places is not decorative, it's essential — and how a city stays alive through times of change," Harbaugh said.

The exhibit will remain on display along the City Dock construction fencing as the waterfront transformation continues.