Official opening party held for the "We The People" Mural by Dr. Bob Hieronimus at the Historic St Paul Street Park - St. Paul and Lafayette
On June 6, 2014 the Charles North Community Association and Jubilee Baltimore organized a celebration for the changes to the park over the past two years, recognizing the volunteers and funders, and honoring the artists with live music and refreshments. Local political figures including City Council President Jack Young, City Council Rep. Carl Stokes, and Baltimore County Council Rep. Vicki Almond, and the local press/media including WJZ 13, The Baltimore Sun, and The Baltimore Times attended. Also enjoying the party were many community members, artists from all the murals, music from Brad & Paul, and pizza donated by Joe Squared. Read the moving speeches delivered by Drs. Zohara and Bob Hieronimus here.
Dr. Bob Hieronimus with the posters and t-shirts of the "We the People" mural.
Dr. Bob with musicians Brad & Paul.
Phinesse Demps of The Baltimore Times interviews Dr. Bob.
Dr. Bob and Bernard C. "Jack" Young, President, Baltimore City Council.
“We the People” officially unveiled on 6/6/14!
Dr. Bob and Steve Yeager, UMBC Professor and Filmmaker.
Whenever possible, drive art around! Dr. Bob and the "We the People" artcar.
Rebecca Hoffberger, AVAM Founder and Director and Dr. Zohara Hieronimus.
Attorney Paul Cocoros and City College Classmate of Dr. Bob.
The neighborhood turned out for the St. Paul Street Park party!
Zohara, Rebecca Hoffberger and Baltimore City Councilman Carl Stokes.
Mural artist Billy Mitchell and Dr. Bob reunite over pizza and mural memories at the party. Joe Squared donated the pizza for the event.
Vesta Kaltenbach and Dr. Bob.
Jubilee Baltimore’s Linda Harrington organized the party.
Everyone enjoyed meeting the artists and park organizers.
Baltimore Sun writer Chris Kaltenbach and his little buddy Dr. Bob.
Baltimore City Councilman Carl Stokes giving his remarks at the Park dedication ceremony.
Don Donahue, president of the Charles North Community Association, speaking at the dedication.
The party was attended by local politicians (Jack Young, Stokes, Vicki Almond among them) and many community members, artists from all the murals, a band, and pizza donated by Joe Squared
Members of the press, local government and community members watch the dedication ceremony.
Lots of speeches at the park dedication to Michael J. Deets.
Zohara Hieronimus, D.H.L. giving her remarks at the dedication ceremony.
Dr. Bob giving his remarks at the mural dedication.
Dr. Bob talks about the importance of “We the People”.
See the text of Dr. Bob’s speech below.
We are one!
Dr. Zohara, Baltimore County Councilwoman Vicki Almond, and Dr. Bob
Mural artists taking a bow: Billy Mitchell, Greg Gannon, Dr. Bob and Kasey Jones.
Baltimore's trailblazing couple, Drs. Zohara and Bob Hieronimus.
Dr. Bob and Councilwoman Vicki Almond in front of the "We the People" artcar.
Brad & Paul entertain the crowd.
Mural artist Billy Mitchell with his poster of the mural.
Friends and Family attended the “We The People” Mural opening.
Mural artists receiving their round of applause: Elisabeth Gambino, Lauren DeMarsh, Dr. Bob, and Greg Gannon.
WJZ Channel 13 interviews Dr. Bob.
Dr. Bob explains some of the symbolism behind the mural.
WJZ crew members, Dr. Bob, and his good friend phototgrapher Stuart Zolotorow.
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See the Baltimore Times article on the festivities See RetroBaltimore by The Baltimore Sun's article on Dr. Bob's murals See The Baltimore Sun article |
Remarks by Zohara M. Hieronimus, D.H.L. at the opening of the “We The People Mural June 6, 2014
Photography by Ed Weiss, CBP.
What a beautiful day to celebrate a community park and a gorgeous mural opening. We the People tells us, that it’s all of us together – or it’s all of us apart. Logically we can all see that all of us together is the best option.
Symbols are a way of sharing a story that applies to everyone, that is archetypal. Bob has always used his art to be part of story-telling and unifying communities. He has always supported community art and the artists who celebrate life through their painting, music, dance and other artistic expressions.
All of the artists who worked with Bob on this project know what a challenge it is to make a living at creating art. Bob has given away his genius and talent for many years in order to benefit the public rather than individual buyers. Public art remains unprotected and his murals have been destroyed in the past by developers, by institutions, and by individuals without even a call to let him know or give him the opportunity to discuss preservation, restoration or relocation.
It is my sincerest hope that this mural will be safeguarded by the community it is in, as it has been for the forty years prior to its restoration. Parks in each neighborhood are a common space that enhance our sense of belonging in nature as well as neighborhood.
Enjoy this beautiful art that is in your midst and let us all together support the creative impulse in ourselves, in our children and communities. Art can elevate the soul and bring joy to the eyes, ears and heart. It can express our deepest feelings and greatest longings or ideals. And beautiful and symbolic art that tells a story of unity and mutual respect between people and gender is a creative way of bringing peace and progress among us, and all our relations. May “We the People” remind everyone who sees it, that, as my husband has always said, We are not just the people of Maryland or of the Untied States -- We are Earth People.
Bob’s Remarks at the 6/6/14 “We The People” mural unveiling
Photography by Ed Weiss, CBP.
Thank you for inviting me to say a few words at this event honoring the hard work behind the renovation of this historic park. Your community is obviously full of enthusiastic citizens who are “do-ers” and I’m proud that my artwork has been a staple of this park for over 40 years!
The “We The People” Mural is both a refurbishment and a redesigned extension of a 1974 mural I did that was greatly faded and in rough shape back in 2010 when I was first asked to restore it by community members like Dr. Richard Willis and Dwight Whitley. For several years after that, the neighborhood’s organizations, like Jubilee Baltimore and Midtown Development, tried to raise the funds necessary to meet the budget to achieve this quality. Unfortunately, even with the generous donations from Guppy Management’s Alan and Mike Shecter, it still came down to my lovely wife and partner in all things, Dr. Zohara Meyerhoff Hieronimus to raise the $30,000 we needed. We employed a hand-picked crew of 15 dedicated artists from UMBC, MICA, and Johns Hopkins University, and together we executed my revised design to nearly double the size of the original. I completely donated all of my time on this job, and was not paid one cent for my work.
Those artists who joined me in this effort, please step forward! Give them a hand!
The overall theme of this mural is “One People, One Planet”. The focus on the divine feminine in American symbolism carries the message that the most powerful nation on Earth must tap into its female power and learn to lead with compassion instead of domination. Our unacknowledged roots among the indigenous peoples is demonstrated along the lower portion of this mural. Not only did the matrilineal Native American nations honor the power of the female, but their balanced approach to their environment also led to sustainable practices that honored the seventh generation and maintained commerce without despoiling the land. Today, corporate greed is killing our future on this planet, and Americans need to embrace all of what the Native Americans tried to teach our forefathers – especially about balance among the sexes and a system of government motivated by peace -- before it’s too late. Celebrate “We the People!” We Are One.
Thank you.
See more about the We The People Mural renovation
Check out the photo galleries of the mural reconstruction on Facebook
Read the PDF booklet about the mural and all the artists and crew who helped make it happen
Special “We The People” Mural Collectibles For Sale!
Now you can wear the mural and take it home to hang on your walls!
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Suitable for framing, “We The People” Mural posters measure 18" x 24" on high-quality glossy stock. Cost is $10 plus $10 for Shipping and Handling. |
VERY LIMITED EDITION T-Shirts: Exquisite wrap-around design, wear with pride your love of the American goddess in the “We The People” Mural T-shirt! Cost $40 Plus $5 for Shipping and Handling. |
Send checks to Hieronimus & Co., Inc., P.O. Box 648 Owings Mills, MD 21117 USA or email us at info@21stcenturyradio.com for more information.
