The Walters’ “Off the Wall” Project Wins Gold ADDY® Award

Baltimore, MD (4/9) — The Walters Art Museum has won the coveted Gold ADDY Award for Off the Wall, a community outreach art project that brings reproduced classic paintings to Baltimore’s main streets and outdoor spaces. The museum also took home one of two Special Judges Awards, given to advertisers who exemplify innovative thinking.

With more than 60,000 entries annually, the ADDY® Awards are the world’s largest and arguably toughest advertising competition. Representing the true spirit of creative excellence, the ADDY® Awards recognize all forms of advertising from media of all types, creative by all sizes, and entrants of all levels from anywhere in the world.

The Walters accepted the top prize in the “non-traditional museum campaign” category at the April 4 ADDY Awards ceremony held at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore. The win automatically moves the Walters’ campaign on to the District level (which includes New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and D.C.), then potentially to the national level. Making this nomination even more noteworthy, the Walters’s marketing department developed the concept and produced the campaign in-house and with limited resources.

“Everyone at The Walters is very excited about the Off the Wall ADDY and Special Judges Award,” said Matt Fry, Director of Marketing and Communications. “We’re even more pleased by the tremendous response the project has received from the people of Baltimore and the way in which it has encouraged people to explore the wonderful neighborhoods and businesses throughout the city.”

Off the Wall, which began in October 2012 and will run through December 2013, replicates classic paintings on weather-resistant vinyl, places them in period-correct frames, and then Baltimore sign company Adler Display either mounts them to commercial walls or “plants” them in parks throughout Baltimore. Each framed reproduction comes with a label that identifies the artwork and describes the project. Phase Two – which runs from July 2013 through October 2014 – will see the high-quality reproductions displayed in new locations.

Generously sponsored through a $15,000 donation from CFG Community Bank, Off the Wall also features a Quick Response or QR code next to each painting. These QR codes can be scanned with a Smartphone, leading to a more detailed description on the Walters’ works of art site. Partner locations will distribute maps showing all 25+ works, and a printable version of the map can be found at https://thewalters.org/offthewall/.

Among the reproductions currently on display throughout Baltimore are:

• The Archdukes Albert and Isabella Visiting a Collector’s Cabinet, a 17th century painting depicting a Flemish collector’s room of rare and artistic objects, which sits on the side wall of Hampden’s Avenue Antiques;
• The 19th century painting, Bunch of Grapes, which is centered on the canary yellow wall of Aldo’s Italian Restaurant in Little Italy; and
• Syria, The Night Watch, a moonlit scene of ferocious lions among ancient ruins painted in 1880, which is attached to the lion cage display at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.

General admission to the Walters’ permanent collection is free. For more information, visit https://thewalters.org/offthewall/ for a map of locations, a list of community partners, and information about related events.

CFG Community Bank

Headquartered in Baltimore, CFG Community Bank is a locally owned, full-service commercial bank devoted to meeting the needs of small and middle-market businesses, professionals and executives.  The bank prides itself on being a neighborhood bank that offers all the modern-day conveniences of big banks with a stronger emphasis on customer service.

The Walters Art Museum

The Walters Art Museum is located in downtown Baltimore’s historic Mount Vernon Cultural District at North Charles and Centre streets. Its permanent collection includes ancient art, medieval art and manuscripts, decorative objects, Asian art, and Old Master and 19th-century paintings. Wyndham Baltimore Peabody Court is the official hotel of the Walters Art Museum.