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I ’ m deeply inspired by the young people who hail from Baltimore ’ s inner city . Their energy , optimism and ability to push through many of the shortcomings society offers sparks an undying creativity in me . I fought the same battles many of them currently are , and reading and writing were the only skills powerful enough to assure my survival . Now I spend my time visiting schools , teaching workshops and writing books for those same young people . The way they engage with me and my work is also inspirational — I hope and pray they gain the same kind of critical thinking skills from reading and writing as I did . If so , we can all play a role in creating the Baltimore we deserve .”
D . WATKINS Author
DEVIN ALLEN
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I ’ m inspired by being surrounded by and assisting young energetic talent in hot pursuit of their dreams . As every tree is known by and remembered by its fruit , my creativity is sparked by making the seeds I plant sustainable .”
DAVID WARNOCK
Founder and Chairman , Warnock Foundation ; Founder and Managing Partner , Camden Partners ; and Trustee , Baltimore Museum of Art and Georgia O ’ Keeffe Museum
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I am inspired by hope . Hope is why I continue to work towards a better tomorrow . Hope is what keeps me pushing every day to level the inequities in our community and elevate the children and youth in our city through visual art . Hope is what inspired me to build upon an idea and make it bigger , more diverse and more inclusive . Ultimately , it takes courage to be hopeful , and I would like to think that I have courage because I also find that courage is inspiring .”
RANDI PUPKIN Founder and Director , Art with a Heart
BALTIMORE . ORG 37