the Tower
The Tower employs a range of mediums to offer people a tactile experience of Baltimore’s art and queer spaces. Inspired by the tarot card, The Tower, which symbolizes both the collapse of structure and the crucial, inspiring work of rebuilding. These themes echo throughout the show, connecting Baltimore’s past to its ongoing story of transformation and resilience.
To create the artwork, I explored the archives at the Enoch Pratt Library’s Periodicals and Maryland Archives Room, gathering material from the 1979 Baltimore Gay Paper and the Maryland Vice Commission Report from 1915. These documents, filled with outdated and derogatory descriptions of gay men and women (then labeled as "sexual perverts"), became the foundation for re-examining and reclaiming this forgotten history.
In collaboration with artist, DJ, and organizer Amy Reed, we activated the exhibition with a Queer Dance Party Spell in the Clocktower on opening night, invoking joy and defiance in a historically reclaimed space. Throughout the exhibition, I hosted a tarot station, offering readings for visitors, recording reflections in a tarot notebook I created, and engaging in meaningful conversations with the audience. To conclude the exhibition, I invited Baltimore Public Librarian and researcher Ben Egerman to discuss the history that shaped the show, deepening the community’s connection to this shared past.
Curator Kirk Shannon-Butts adds, “Alexander is infusing a queer element into The Baltimore Art Movement. His research and presentation of this often marginalized and historically overlooked community is necessary and delivered to the public with wit and profound consideration.”
