ManneqART, a Laurel-based art museum and studio, announced its scheduled move into the Bromo Arts District in Baltimore has been postponed indefinitely.
“We would love to move to Baltimore … [but] we weren’t able to work out final arrangements with the building,” Executive Director Al Scolnick said Tuesday.
The museum will not be relocated for “the foreseeable future,” Scolnick said.
After 18 years tucked in the back of an industrial park at 9010 Maier Road, the plan was to move both ManneqART and the ManneqART Museum to 322 W. Baltimore St. in June.
The move was to put ManneqART in “a bigger and more active arts community,” Scolnick said that provided more foot-traffic and tourists.
“Howard County was wonderful to us, an incubator, and we are trying to find a bigger audience for sculpture on the human form,” he said.
ManneqART, a nonprofit, is focused on “sculpture on the human form,” according to its website. Lee Andersen is the founder and director of the international arts and education nonprofit which has a goal of becoming a global catalyst for inspiring human form sculptures, according to the website.
Sharing a space with the museum was meant to be a temporary measure, Andersen has said. The museum is also attached to the Lee Andersen Wearable Art Clothing Factory, Andersen’s business.
Each year, the museum features more than 50 different life-size artworks crafted by artists from around the United States. The artwork is made to be worn by people.
The ManneqART Madness Photography Day, originally set for June 24, is rescheduled for Oct. 13 and 14 in Laurel at the museum. The event will feature nearly 50 artist entries who interpreted this year’s theme of Love, Fantasy, Metro, Mechanics
for the annual Sculptural Artworks Competition. also underway. A yearly competition, artists can choose from four themes [Love, Fantasy, Metro, Mechanics] and those Artists with the best art work for each theme are awarded a $1,000 award with a $3,000 master award is given for the best overall artwork.
ManneqART will also have a show, “Sculpture on the Human Form” featured in the Howard County Arts Council’s main exhibit gallery from Aug. 31 to Oct. 11.