About The Painted Screen Society  
                 

 

The Painted Screen Society was founded in 1985 by folklorist Elaine Eff and screen painter Dee Herget.  At that time, dozens of artists were still active, but worked independently, unaware that each was a part of a community of traditional artists. Although everyone knew about the competition, few of the screen painters had ever met one another.  In 1983 we began to gather and exchange ideas.  Originally conceived as a guild for practicing screen painters, it was immediately evident that the art form had equally ardent supporters among neighbors and relocated Baltimoreans.

The Society acts as a clearinghouse for information and classes, hosts workshops, tours, artist residencies in schools and museums, demonstrations, exhibitions and community and custom outreach efforts.  Our aim is to facilitate networking and communication--connecting artists to artists, customers to artists, and artists to resources -- to sustain the art form in Baltimore's rowhouse neighborhoods and beyond. By working together our goal is  to encourage future generations of screen painters and aficionados.

 

                                 What are  Baltimore Painted Screens?

                                       You See Out. No One Sees In.

 

Image: Mrs Figinski photo

 

Painted screens are canvases with holes. Imagine a window or door screen with a picture painted  on the outside of the woven fabric. Originally made of wire, stretched and framed in wood, then metal or vinyl,  screens are now made of , vinyl, fiberglass or other porous mesh materials. Any surface can be painted with the proper paint to last for decades or longer. The paint does not cover or clog the holes. The  image stops the gaze of people on the sidewalk from seeing inside a darkened room--perfect for the row houses of Baltimore. The screen still functions perfectly for ventilation and as a barrier to flying insects. The one way effect does not work when a light source is in the room.

Baltimore became the twentieth century home of brightly colored landscape scenes when William Oktavec introduced his iconic “Red Bungalow” scene in 1913. Painted screens were found on almost every window and door in entire neighborhoods of ethnic East Baltimore and west Baltimore during most of the twentieth century and can be found today scattered throughout the region and country.