M. Kendall Ludwig

Three months ago, an acquaintance of mine, Zach Sowers was walking from Canton to his home in Patterson Park. Four men pulled up in a car, jumped out, and asked Zach for a cigarette. He said he didn’t have one, then the four men proceeded to take his wallet, and then beat him beyond recognition. He was in a coma until 2 weeks ago, when he passed away. His wife has been active in speaking in the community and raising awareness about what happened to Zach. I was inspired by Zach to create a poster to express my unhappiness with the growing rate of crime (mostly murder) in Baltimore. Anna Ditkoff, a writer for the City Paper, has created a map that pinpoints each murder that has occurred since the beginning of 2007. Viewing this map for the first time was a powerful and disturbing experience, and one that each resident of not only the city, but the whole state needs to see. An equally powerful image is one of a tree that’s been cut down. To some, it might represent possibility made by paper or economic development. But to many, it symbolizes waste, pollution and deforestation.

Location: Area F | Harford Road