Baltimore Design School Principal Joseph Freed

This is Joseph Freed, photographed for the Nov. ’11 issue of Baltimore Magazine for an article called “Education by Design”.  The article was about a new public middle-high school that focuses on fashion design, architecture, and graphic design. The school is now located in a temporary space at Winston Middle School, but within two years will move into the former Lebow building on Oliver Street in Station North, not far from the MICA campus.  Joseph Freed was a founding member and principal of the Carver Center for Arts and Technology in Towson, and came out of retirement to run as the school’s principal.  It’s not hard to see why- I think the school and it’s mission sound brilliant, and I wish I was able to attend something similar when I was younger.

From the article:

“Baltimore now joins cities like Detroit, Philadelphia, and Miami in embracing design-based public education, as more and more secondary schools implement design-centric curricula. ‘As a field of study and practice, design is both intellectual and practical,’ explains Ellen Lupton, curator of contemporary design at Cooper-Hewitt and director of the Graphic Design MFA program at MICA. ‘Students [at BDS] will engage with design’s unique thinking processes while learning with their hands and eyes. Designers are makers, doers, and problem solvers. They ask questions, conduct research, and collaborate. These are terrific life skills.’”

“With its proximity to MICA and the cultural assets of Station North, and with the commitment of local design firms and businesses to engage in internships and volunteering, the current and future BDS students will likely become a visible part of the city’s arts and design community.”

To read more about the Baltimore Design School, check out the article in its entirety here.