National Aquarium Unveils Harbor Wetland Art Installation in Collaboration With Baltimore Youth Arts

The National Aquarium and Baltimore Youth Arts (BYA) are thrilled to unveil a new, interactive art installation located on the Aquarium's public Harbor Wetland exhibit. Featuring twelve original artworks, the installation takes a journey into Baltimore's future, illustrating what a healthy Inner Harbor could look like a century from today.

During the spring and summer of 2026, 31 BYA Apprentices ages 14-21 worked with Aquarium conservationists and educators to study the science and history of harbor restoration, with the goal of responding to the question: "What should the future of the Inner Harbor be?". The collaborative artworks envision the harbor in 25, 50, and 100 years, combining scientific insight with imagination to depict a fully restored, self-sustaining ecosystem where both human and wildlife residents can flourish.

The artworks are the second installment of Harbor Wetland's Future Harbor display, which features three interactive tumblers that showcase new work by local artists every 2-3 years. Guests can enter the free, public Harbor Wetland exhibit and spin each tumbler to reveal the twelve artworks, traveling forward in time with each panel.

"Harbor Wetland invites visitors to imagine the many possibilities that our harbor holds, and art plays an important role in sparking that imagination," said Jenny Hamilton, Director of Community Partnership Strategy at the National Aquarium. "Through our collaboration with Baltimore Youth Arts, we aim to not only inspire our guests, but amplify the next generation of Baltimore creatives as they think about the future of our city—and our planet."

Baltimore Youth Arts is a community-based creative entrepreneurship and workforce development program for youth ages 14-25, focusing on those impacted by the juvenile justice system. Entering its 12th year, the program has provided over a decade of artistic, entrepreneurial, and leadership opportunities to young people across Baltimore, encouraging them to build relationships, hone their artistic talents, and collaborate on major projects like Future Harbor.

"We're thrilled to partner with the National Aquarium to showcase the work of our 2026 Studio Apprentices," said Gianna Rodriguez, Founder and Executive Director of Baltimore Youth Arts. "31 unique voices are represented across the project, and the final result is a powerful example of how creative entrepreneurship and mentorship can shape both individual artists and the way our community collectively envisions its future."

"I enjoyed most that (the project) was collaborative, and that people who live in Baltimore and visit Baltimore can see it," said Madison Murphy, an Apprentice at Baltimore Youth Arts. Madison hopes that Harbor Wetland visitors "talk about the ideas people actually want to see change in the future, and try to make that change real."