Objects Made Holy Curated by Gina Pierleoni

Baltimore is woven together  by stories that arrived in her ports, through migration, or originated here. We assume we know people’s stories. We don’t.

For this exhibit, I invited 42 Baltimore residents to consider an object that held meaning for them. The participants chose based on personal significance and the accompanying story. These objects are links to culture, ancestry, history, and identity. Despite their physical appearance, they are revered, provide an emotional tether, or possess healing powers even if those powers are invisible.

People often expect each other to experience and understand life’s complexities the same way; these objects and stories subvert that belief. A spoon is never just a spoon. Objects Made Holy invites slowing down, allowing items to transport us and transform how we see, understand, and connect with one another. Once we know someone’s story, we’re changed. And we become part of it.

It’s important to remember that I curated the storytellers, not the objects. The participants form a cross section of Baltimore, span 6 decades, and are racially, religiously, socially, and ideologically diverse. Some people were born in the US, others not. Their backgrounds and careers are as varied as the objects they chose. Many have never heard of The Peale. The connective thread? Since moving to Baltimore in 1983, I have shared some sweetness with each of them, some over the course of decades, some years, others, months.

Though these objects may not all have originated in Baltimore, the love that is felt for them lives here. Gathering the objects and stories all in one place is powerful and palpable. Displaying items in vitrines, glass cases or on pedestals amplifies their importance. In experiencing this exhibit, I believe participants and viewers will feel more connected to their own stories, notice overlaps with others, and perhaps feel transformed.

Objects Made Holy is installed at The Peale specifically because its history and mission are built around Baltimore stories and community. It is the oldest purposefully built museum building in the country. Bringing together sacred objects and stories from different parts of Baltimore can be healing for the city. In every community,  stories are part of our connective tissue. Thank you for experiencing these.