WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER VISIONARY TOURISM AWARD
Like its namesake , this award is reserved for a select group of visionaries whose leadership and commitment to growing Baltimore has lifted us all up , and made strong Visit Baltimore ’ s ability to promote our city as a distinctive destination .
REBECCA HOFFBERGER
As the founder , director , primary curator and beating heart of the American Visionary Art Museum ( AVAM ), Rebecca Hoffberger has dedicated her career to bringing the light of new ideas to Baltimore , by championing the role intuition plays in creative invention and innovation of all sorts . Her work challenges conventional thinking , beginning with the very definition of art . Unlike many revered cultural institutions , AVAM is dedicated to featuring the uniquely imaginative work of self-taught artists , such as farmer and master Whirligig maker Vollis Simpson , Maryland metal artist David Hess and matchstick artist Gerald Hawkes .
The pieces in AVAM ’ s collection are also bound by Hoffberger ’ s belief that social justice is “ life ’ s highest performance art ” because “ societal change for the better requires the fiercest of all creativity to achieve .” Throughout its 26 years , AVAM ’ s 41 original exhibitions have woven multimedia art forms with science , philosophy , humor and social justice , engaging the visitor in a dialogue with the art , creating the kind of transformative experience that changes minds . Such has been AVAM ’ s impact that many of the luminaries of our time have collaborated with the museum , from Archbishop Desmond Tutu and civil rights leader Julian Bond to scientific scholars and Nobel Prize Laureates .
Thanks to Rebecca ’ s dedication to showcasing visionary thought in all its manifestations , Baltimore itself has become a place that people are excited about visiting . Today , travelers from around the world make annual pilgrimages just to see AVAM ’ s sparkling mosaic exterior — a creation of
AVAM has remained a world-class art institution , and has helped to make Baltimore a bucket-list destination .
TOM AUSTIN , CONTRIBUTING WRITER FOR TRAVEL + LEISURE
AVAM ’ s youth-at-risk and youth incarcerated apprenticeship program , the largest of its kind in the world — and the thematic mega-exhibitions that “ celebrate the full spectrum of what it is to be a human being and speak in a language that can be visually read by all .” AVAM also hosts beloved annual events like the Kinetic Sculpture Race and Flicks from the Hill . The reputation of Hoffberger ’ s museum is consistently hailed by countless national and international outlets as a bucket list destination .
Through the celebration of creativity , self-expression and compassion , Rebecca reminds us of the power within each of us to make Baltimore , and the world , a place we want to be . Visit Baltimore thanks Rebecca for her lifelong service to our city , and for reminding all of us that each moment is an opportunity for creation .
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