North wall of the I-83 underpass along North Avenue. 

The Baltimore Underline is an initiative to illuminate the underpass infrastructure to increase the visibility of pedestrian zones and encourage safe behavior by both drivers and pedestrians. This is one part of a holistic approach to making North Avenue a more thoughtfully designed and inviting public space. 

This area is a busy transportation hub, with sidewalks connecting pedestrians to several transportation services: the Baltimore Light Rail at the North Avenue Stop, and the BaltimoreLink Gold Line, and new North Avenue bike lanes. This section of North Avenue also physically connects three neighborhoods of Central Baltimore; Charles North and the Station North Arts District, Bolton Hill, and Reservoir Hill, and serves as an important thoroughfare between the Maryland Institute College of Art's main campus to the Station North Arts District to the east, and  The Black Arts District to the west. 

A key component of The Baltimore Underline is the use of overhead blacklight effect lighting, provided by Formstone Castle Collective. 

Historical Context:

On the south wall of the I-83 underpass, is Jerry Butler’s “Social Justice” mural - painted in 2010 in collaboration with local school students from the surrounding neighborhoods. Over the years, it has been tagged and painted over. 

Jerry Butler’s “Social Justice” mural in 2010 and 2020.

As part of the Baltimore Underline, we will be restoring the original mural in collaboration with Jerry Butler.