With an audience that included dozens of students at the Collington Square School in East Baltimore, many dressed in red headwear with eyes and claws designed to resemble crabs, officials of The Crabtown Project announced they have raised about $200,000 toward their goal — which represents about 66 of the sculptures placed in public areas around the city. Sponsorships cost $3,000 each, of which $1,000 goes to the artist.
The goal is to put 200 of the sculptures around town — and to raise $1 million from businesses, foundations and individuals for a city-sponsored campaign to make physical improvements in school facilities, including money raised from an auction of the sculptures after they have been on display through the spring and summer.
A similar project four years ago, called “Fish Out of Water,” raised $670,000 for the schools.
Since a call for artists to submit ideas for decorating the crabs went out in January, 172 designs have been approved. Among them is one called “Have a Nice Bay” by Scott Oatman that has the title in balloon-like lettering against a blue and green background with inlaid pictures of marine life. Another is titled “Famous Baltimore/Great O’s” by Kevin Richards, featuring the crab body festooned with pictures of famous Orioles such as Jim Palmer and Cal Ripken Jr.
“We are raising awareness and much-needed dollars for an important effort called Believe in Our Schools,” said Mayor Martin O’Malley. “It has been shown by study after study that our students do better in schools that look good.”
Collington Square, in the Broadway East neighborhood, was built in 1962, and is in better shape than many city schools. But classroom windows, made of a type of plastic glass, need to be replaced because they have become so hazy that it is impossible to see outside, said Principal Harold Eason.
“We want you to look out your window and see some sunshine,” school board Chairwoman Patricia Welch told the students.
Last week, O’Malley announced a “Believe In Our Schools Tour” for the remainder of the school year, consisting of volunteer Saturday cleanup campaigns at select schools followed by weekday cleanup concerts. A more extensive volunteer repair effort last summer resulted in more than $5 million in improvements at more than 150 schools.
O’Malley has also proposed that the city take over responsibility for day-to-day maintenance of school buildings — and the mayor and Welch said after yesterday’s event that the city and school system are nearing agreement on the issue.
Two weeks ago, the city’s Planning Commission recommended that city agencies — and not the school system — take control of city money spent on school construction and called for closing under-populated buildings.
Welch said yesterday that school board members “understand the frustration of the Planning Commission” but pointed out that the board had the responsibility for overseeing the expenditures. She praised O’Malley as a “wonderful mayor who is really, really concerned about our schools.”
She and the mayor spoke with one voice on the issue of the adequacy of state funding for city schools that was argued yesterday before the Maryland Court of Appeals.
“We are together in that litigation,” the mayor said. “We’re looking forward to that decision.”
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Besides sponsoring an individual crab, those interested in helping the schools while the court considers the case can sponsor a “bushel” of four crabs for $10,000. For $7,500, a buyer will be identified during the display and will own the sculpture at the end the event without having to bid at the fall auction.
For more information, call 410-675-9448 or go to www.crabtown.org.
<!– ART CREDITJED KIRSCHBAUM : SUN STAFF
ART CREDIT–> <!– CUTLINE TEXTCollington Square School first-grader Ariea Hughes poses with a prototype crab that was too small for the Crabtown Project.
CUTLINE TEXT–> <!– ART CREDITJED KIRSCHBAUM : SUN STAFF
ART CREDIT–> <!– CUTLINE TEXTDebbie Cameron, a senior vice president with Smith Barney, is heading the Crabtown Project.
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