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Baltimore Mayor Wants Task Force to Create 'Safe Art Spaces'

BALTIMORE (AP) — Baltimore's mayor has formed a task force to create safe spaces for artists in the wake of a fire at a California warehouse-turned artists' enclave that killed three dozen people.

The Safe Art Spaces task force was created after dozens of local artists were evicted earlier this month from work spaces at the Bell Foundry building in Baltimore's Station North Arts District. City officials said the building was unsafe three days after the Dec. 2 Oakland fire.

Mayor Catherine E. Pugh said Wednesday that she wants the group to come up with recommendations to create "safe, cost-effective" spaces for young artists to live.

A number of artists and art organizations are represented in the 22-member task force, including musician Dan Deacon and Station North Arts and Entertainment director Elissa Blount-Moorhead.

 

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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