Adam Stab has lived in Highlandtown for much of his life and if you ask him, he doesn’t define himself as one type of artist, he’s just a guy who seeks out things to paint on that no one knows about or cares about. Most people think of him as a painter because of his connection to graffiti, but street art is his motivational place—collage, painting in studio, assemblagist, murals—all his work is inspired by life on the street. Adam got his start as an “aerosol kid” in the skateboarding community, so it’s no surprise his favorite medium is spray paint. It’s led to so many other materials and canvases, including chain link fences, fire hydrants and more.
Adam’s work can be found all around Baltimore. In Southeast Baltimore he has a piece celebrating the Chesapeake Bay outside of Filippo’s Restaurant in Highlandtown and a mural at The Sound Garden in Fells Point. Most recently, Adam completed several walls at Camden Yards. He remembers them breaking ground on the building when he was a teen–and stealing the “Houser Street” sign from the construction site to impress friends. Upon finishing the murals at Camden Yards, he proudly brought the street sign with him–bringing his journey full circle. To top it off, he made it to the big screen…the Jumbo-tron. And according to his daughter he is really famous now, because he knows the Oriole Bird!
As he continues his journey, he wants to stay connected to the working-class, blue-collar neighborhoods of Southeast Baltimore, which are his origins. Highlandtown is his home and he’ll continue to embrace the folk-art and spirit of the community, which represents survivalism and strength. In the end, he’s gotta stay true to who he is.
