Beyond1776:
Reclaiming Our Global History
To build a global future for Baltimore's artists, we must first understand our global past. "Beyond1776: Black Artistic Flight, Freedom, and the Global Pursuit of Belonging" is the intellectual and moral foundation for Nosreme Baltimore's international residency program.
Why International Matters.
This public humanities initiative explores a powerful and often overlooked question: What did the promise of 1776 mean for Black artists, writers, and performers who had to leave America to find freedom, recognition, and belonging? The project examines the gap between the founding ideals of the Declaration of Independence and the lived realities of exclusion, reframing the pursuit of liberty as a global story with deep roots in Baltimore.
A Partnership Rooted in Scholarship
This initiative is a formal research collaboration with scholars and student researchers at Morgan State University, one of America's premier Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This partnership brings academic rigor to our work, centers the legacy of HBCUs as incubators of critical thought, and provides invaluable research opportunities for the next generation of humanities leaders.
Together, we are delving into archives, uncovering lost histories, and tracing the journeys of Black creatives who were forced to become expatriates to achieve artistic and personal freedom.
This is not a closed-off academic exercise. The research is designed to be a vibrant public resource, creating a new, more inclusive narrative for our city and our nation.
"Beyond 1776" is the critical first step in building our international artist residency. It provides the "why" for our global vision. By understanding the historical precedent of artists needing to go abroad, we are building a residency that doesn't just offer opportunity, but also creates a space for healing, dialogue, and reclamation.
This research ensures that our international exchange will be more than just a logistical arrangement; it will be a deep, critical, and inspiring dialogue rooted in a powerful historical context. It is the groundwork that will make the Nosreme Residency a truly unique and meaningful destination for artists from around the world.
The Foundation for Our Future
