Section1 is hosting a street art and hip-hop festival during Artscape

The planned debut of an open air art park under the Jones Falls Expressway has been delayed until the fall, but Section1 is still holding a festival during Artscape.
The creative-minded nonprofit is behind Satellites, a weekend-long gathering to spotlight street art and music, and benefit Section1’s art park efforts.
The event is spread over four sites: 1723 Maryland Ave., 1201 W. Mt. Royal Ave., 1205 W. Mt. Royal Ave. and 9 W. Lafayette Ave.
More than 50 street and mural artists will show their work, while the event’s main stage at 1723 Maryland Ave. will have a lineup of about 20-30 hip-hop artists and DJs.
Check out the full lineup
Section1 director Richard Best called the lineup an “all-star indie cast.” He adds that the organization even managed to finagle a liquor license for the event, meaning craft beer will also be available.

Best initially planned to open Section1’s art park during Artscape, but the organization needs more funding to complete the project, he said. Sitting in the midst of the Station North Arts and Entertainment District and MICA, plans call for the 3.5-acre site to be transformed into what’s being billed as the world’s largest outdoor urban art park — with 60,000 square feet of cement for street artists and muralists to create on, a 5,000-seat amphitheater and a skate park.
It’s designed to be a gathering point for Baltimore’s existing underground street art. The projected opening is now in October, Best said.
A team of 300 volunteers organized by Untapped cleaned trash in the spring. But more funding is needed for the other improvements to the site, Best said. So far, the organization received a $20,000 grant from the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts, and is also running a crowdfunding campaign called Series A that sells “Art Bonds.”
So while groups won’t be heading out under the JFX for this year’s edition of Artscape, Best still sees the weekend as an opportunity to get the word out.
“Artscape provides us a great opportunity to engage the community, and let them know what we’re doing in general,” Best said.