FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Brandin Bowden 443-681-7600 [email protected]

February 12, 2018

 

Newswise — BALTIMORE, MARYLAND --The Institute for Integrative Health and the Gordon Parks Foundation announce the upcoming exhibition and program series, A Beautiful Ghetto, at the Institute for Integrative Health’s event space from March 15 through May 24, 2018. The exhibition showcases social justice photographer Devin Allen’s documentation of the landscape and community of Baltimore immediately following the death of Freddie Gray. Through this 10-week program series, Allen and the Institute intend to use the exhibition and interactive art installations to spark conversation and action that will help in the healing of individuals and the community of Baltimore.

With a rising death count in the years following the protests, Baltimore City residents continue to feel immense pain and frustration at the current state of our city. In bringing his exhibition back to the heart of the city where he grew up, Devin Allen, the inaugural Gordon Parks Foundation Fellow and NAACP Image Award nominee, is focused on bringing healing back home.

We always spend so much time on the pain. We measure how strong we are by how much pain we can take,” Allen said. “Can we, for once, focus on how we can address our issues, get educated, and start the healing process? I want this show to be a platform to address our pain freely and heal together.

This exhibition, which coincides with the third anniversary of the protests, is a part of a broader Institute initiative focused on the use of art and nature as tools for helping people recover from trauma. Engagement in the arts has been proven to reduce stress, boost self-esteem, and aid the healing process,” said Brian Berman, MD, founder and president of the Institute for Integrative Health. We welcome this opportunity to work with Devin on holding a sacred space for people to come together, through creative expression and open dialogue, to explore how we can heal ourselves and our city.

An artist’s reception, talk, and book signing will take place on Thursday, March 15th from 6 to 8:30 PM. Allen’s publication, A Beautiful Ghetto (Haymarket Books, 2017) will be on sale.

A press preview, including refreshments, will take place on March 13th from 10:30 to 11:30 AM.

Other events throughout the 10-week program series will include panel discussions and collaborative programs featuring Devin Allen and other community activists and leaders, and a closing celebration on May 24th.

For press images and more information on events and gallery hours, contact Brandin Bowden at 443-681- 7600 or [email protected].

Hours & Admission

Free to the public

### General Information

1407 Fleet Street Baltimore, MD 21231 Website: Tiih.org

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About Devin Allen

Devin Allen was born and raised in West Baltimore. His photographs have appeared on the cover of Time magazine and in New York Magazine, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Aperture. His prints are in the permanent collections of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, and the Studio Museum in Harlem. He is the founder of Through Their Eyes, a youth photography educational program, and the recipient of the 2017 Gordon Parks Foundation Fellowship. Allen was also a nominee of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work by a Debut Author in 2017. Since gaining national attention, Allen has turned his attention towards arming the youth of Baltimore with cameras, not guns by starting the “Through Their Eyes” program.

About Gordon Parks

Gordon Parks was a seminal figure in twentieth-century photography. A humanitarian with a deep commitment to social justice, he left behind a body of work that documents many of the most important aspects of American culture from the early 1940s up until his death in 2006, with a focus on race relations, poverty, civil rights, and urban life. In addition, Parks was also a celebrated composer, author, and filmmaker who interacted with many of the most prominent people of his era - from politicians and artists to celebrities and athletes.

About The Gordon Parks Foundation

The Gordon Parks Foundation's mission is to permanently preserve the work of Gordon Parks, make it available to the public through exhibitions, books, and electronic media, and support artistic and educational activities that advance what Parks described as "the common search for a better life and a better world." The primary purpose of The Gordon Parks Foundation’s exhibition space is to present focused exhibits of Parks’ photography, as part of the Foundation's commitment to educating the public and preserving his work.

About The Institute for Integrative Health

The Institute for Integrative Health was founded in 2007 by Brian Berman, MD, with an aim to creating a wellness and healthcare model that shifts our society’s focus from managing disease to promoting lifelong health. Valuing the power of interdisciplinary collaboration, it pursues bold ideas that challenge the status quo and uses cutting-edge science to understand the dynamic processes that affect our well- being. The Institute incorporates this insight into actionable programs for individuals and communities.

Hours & Admission

Free to the public

General Information

1407 Fleet Street Baltimore, MD 21231 Website: Tiih.org

Social Media

FB: InstituteForIntegrativeHealth Twitter: SpeakHealth

Instagram: instituteforintegrativehealth

M-W: Th-Sat: Sun:

Closed 11 am- 3PM

Closed