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Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
 

George Sugarman

Baltimore Federal
1978

— Painted Aluminum: 45' Χ 45' Χ 20' —

 
 
George Sugarman Marker image. Click for full size.
April 1, 2023
1. George Sugarman Marker
Inscription.
The colorful dynamic form of Baltimore Federal was inspired by the elaborate and extravagant shapes of Baroque sculpture of the 17th century. The bright, vibrant colors and intertwining pieces of the sculpture invite the viewer to interact freely with the work in the words of the artist:

"The openness and accessibility of the forms and the variety of experiences they allow and needing no special knowledge to understand this work of art are concepts, which I feel are vital to public government interaction."

Located at the entrance plaza of the Edward A. Garmatz Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, Baltimore Federal is a reminder that the law draws life into its more rigid contours.

George Sugarman (1912-1999) is acclaimed internationally for his polychromatic sculptures. His art education began after the World War II when he studied in Paris on the G.I. Bill with cubist sculptor Ossip Zadkine. While in Europe he was influenced by Baroque architecture. He returned to New York in 1955 and began exhibiting his sculpture. Sugarman was one of the first major American sculptors to spurn the traditional use of the
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pedestal and to place the sculpture directly on the ground in the space of the viewer. His innovative style uses sequences of small forms that combine to create a united sculptural arrangement.
 
Erected by U.S. General Services Administration, Art in Architecture Program.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: ArchitectureArts, Letters, MusicGovernment & Politics. A significant historical year for this entry is 1955.
 
Location. 39° 17.243′ N, 76° 36.991′ W. Marker is in Baltimore, Maryland. It is in the Inner Harbor. It is at the intersection of South Hanover Street and West Lombard Street, on the right when traveling south on South Hanover Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 211 S Hanover St, Baltimore MD 21201, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Central Maryland. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic, in the Chesapeake Bay Region, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself
George Sugarman Marker image. Click for full size.
April 1, 2023
2. George Sugarman Marker
in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Restoration of 200 & 202 W. Pratt Street (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Mob Scene (about 600 feet away); Inspired Words (about 700 feet away); Baltimore College of Dental Surgery (about 700 feet away); Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (approx. 0.2 miles away); City Center (approx. 0.2 miles away); Building a City and a Nation: At the Crossroads (approx. 0.2 miles away); Wilkens Building (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Baltimore.
 
Another marker is no longer nearby. Joshua Johnson (was about 700 feet away but has been confirmed missing).
 
<i>Baltimore Federal</i> image. Click for full size.
April 1, 2023
3. Baltimore Federal
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on April 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 3, 2023. This page has been viewed 355 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on April 3, 2023.
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Jul. 25, 2026