For more than 50 years, the Eubie Blake Cultural Center has served as one of Baltimore’s premier destinations for Black arts, culture and creative expression.

Founded in the wake of Baltimore’s Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s, the center remains one of the enduring institutions born from a cultural renaissance that helped shape the city’s artistic landscape. Today, it continues to provide a home for visual artists, musicians, dancers and cultural organizations while introducing new generations to the power of the arts.

Named after Baltimore-born jazz legend Eubie Blake, the center has grown far beyond its musical roots. Under the leadership of Executive Director Derek Price, it serves as a multidisciplinary cultural hub that showcases the breadth of Black creativity.

“We’re a multifaceted organization that does a lot of everything,” Price said.

Throughout the year, the Eubie Blake Cultural Center hosts rotating visual art exhibitions featuring emerging, mid-career and established Black artists. Exhibitions change every six to ten weeks, offering visitors an opportunity to experience a wide range of artistic voices and perspectives.

The center’s galleries have welcomed countless artists over the years, helping launch careers while also providing space for nationally recognized and internationally collected artists to share their work with Baltimore audiences.

Music remains a central part of the center’s identity. Local ensembles including the Charles Funn Big Band, the Baltimore Jazz Collective and the Peabody Graduate Jazz Ensemble regularly rehearse and perform in the historic space, continuing a tradition of artistic excellence that honors the legacy of its namesake.

Dance is another important pillar of the organization’s work. Programs such as Kia Kahlili African Dance and Destination Forever use the center for performances, rehearsals and instruction, ensuring that movement and cultural traditions remain a vibrant part of the center’s programming.

This summer, the center will continue that tradition with the opening of 5x5 Baltimore: The Art of Black Men, a major exhibition that brings together 10 Black male artists from Baltimore and Pennsylvania.

Opening June 20, the exhibition was intentionally scheduled between Juneteenth and Father’s Day and celebrates the creativity, stories and lived experiences of Black men through visual art.

Co-curated by Price and curator Barbara Bullard, the exhibition features five artists from Baltimore and five artists from Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley region. While many of the artists know one another, most have never exhibited together in the same space.

“What makes this exhibition special is that it’s ten Black male artists in one place at one time,” Price said. “That’s incredibly rare.”

The exhibition includes artists at different stages of their careers and highlights the diverse paths that led them to become professional artists. Their stories range from lifelong creative pursuits to journeys of personal transformation, demonstrating the many ways art can serve as a vehicle for expression, healing and purpose.

Interest in the exhibition has already generated significant excitement, with hundreds of attendees registering for the opening reception.

Beyond the gallery walls, the Eubie Blake Cultural Center continues to evolve. The organization is currently developing a filmmaking and podcasting studio and has begun offering classes designed to teach aspiring creators how to produce and launch their own podcasts.

More than five decades after its founding, the Eubie Blake Cultural Center remains what it has always been: a gathering place where Black artists can create, collaborate and share their work with the community. Through visual art, music, dance and emerging media, the institution continues to preserve Baltimore’s cultural legacy while helping shape its creative future.

5x5 Baltimore: The Art of Black Men opens June 20 and will remain on display throughout the summer.