Meet Catherine Rupan Mapp

We were lucky to catch up with Catherine Rupan Mapp recently and have shared our conversation below.

Catherine, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?

I think resting is key to creativity. You need leisure time to read, go to museums and shows to look at other artist’s works, and go out in nature and spend time with people where you can talk through ideas and problem-solve. Joining Bogus Gallery studios and creating a community there has been one of the best ways to meet artists on similar trajectories who can give me the most applicable feedback. Even when I am not actively making work, I’m always thinking about the little details and mentally troubleshooting. On days when I’m not feeling particularly inspired, it’s still important to go to the studio for this reason. Sometimes I may not paint that day, but I’ll bring a book and spend time looking at my work until the next step in the process becomes clear or someone drops in to say hello and brings new perspectives with them on what I’m working on.

Movement helps a lot too- if I’m having a creative block and I go out dancing, I feel physically depleted but mentally revived the next day. If I’m deeply enough into a flow state because the music the dj is playing really resonates, sometimes I get little flashes of patterns and imagery in my mind while I’m on the dance floor that ends up making its way into the paintings. Divine inspiration of a sort. I’ve also been thinking a lot about the process of sampling and remixing with the new body of work that I am creating right now and made a little home music studio to learn more about the logistics of phrasing music. It’s a great way to step away from painting when I get stuck while also still being able to sit with the ideas in a new medium. Essentially it’s a way of working backward in one mode of communication and channeling these new findings into the other one.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m Catherine Mapp, a muralist and fiber artist whose work explores the deeply connected experiences of people, music, and culture. My art is rooted in my heritage, weaving together symbols, colors, and patterns that reflect my Mexican, Cuban, and Guyanese background. I draw inspiration from the energy of the DMV electronic music scene and the vibrant influences of my Miami upbringing. Each piece I create is an exploration of color, form, and ritual, a visual language that bridges ancestral memory and contemporary life.

I’m especially excited about my approach to murals, as it allows me to engage with communities and transform public spaces into places of connection and inspiration. Its also a lovely break from working in isolation in a regular studio practice. I feel like our ability to connect has been deeply hurt by the pandemic as well as our overreliance on technology and social media. Whereas Baltimore was once a city of thriving neighborhoods, we now rarely know the people who live on our block or and have fewer and fewer opportunities to do so as third spaces where people can freely gather without spending money have also been shrinking away. It definitely plays a part in our growing mistrust and lack of care for one another on both a local and national level.

I have been attempting to confront this in my artistic practice through other means in addition to murals. In March this year, I took on the role of lead educator at the Baltimore Museum of Art and pride myself on creating workshops that deeply engage families who come to the museum for our Sunday Programming. I design workshops for our drop-in art-making activities in the Joseph Education Center that use simple materials and techniques that can be scaled up or down in complexity depending on the participant’s skill levels and patience. At the end of the day, a successful session gives parents and children time away from their screens to work meditatively with their hands and engage with one another- something we really don’t get to do enough of anymore.

Currently, I’m focused on expanding my mural practice and growing my brand to reach more local businesses. I love showing how murals do more than beautify spaces—they attract foot traffic, create unique destinations, and bring vibrancy to neighborhoods. If you’re in Baltimore, you might have seen my mural for the first year of Brush Mural Fest at 1735 Guilford Avenue. I’ve also been working in collaboration with other artists such as Rowan Bathurst for a mural at Drug City Pharmacy in Dundalk, Nicole Buchholz (Sol Raya Public Spaces) at Francis Scott Key Elementary/Middle and Tench Tilghman School as well.

As these works age too, I have been thinking a lot about restoration practices that allow the preservation of public works, and the historical narratives that they carry. During my first summer out of undergrad, I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Bob Hieronimus in restoring his iconic “With a little help from my friends” mural on the community remediation center at Waverly and 31st Street. Being able to ensure that this mural will live on for another 30+ years as a symbol of peace and pride in Waverly was an eye-opening experience into how much public art can move individuals. I remember in the first few days of work, people would come by every few minutes to demand explanations of what we intended to do to the wall. Everyone was fearful that something else would be painted over and there was such a sense of ownership and love over the piece. It has absolutely inspired me to look for other opportunities to help preserve Baltimore’s public art legacies over the next few years.

I want my work to inspire a sense of home and belonging in a way that is bright and vibrant and unafraid to take up space. Whether it’s through community-engaged workshops, or large-scale murals that tell collective stories, my goal is always to foster connection and a shared sense of place.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I think resilience is probably the biggest key. As an artist, the projects you envision rarely come out exactly as you have planned. You’re always running up against external forces like the limitations of your materials, timelines, client feedback on your initial designs, weather forecasts for murals, bureaucratic things like permits etc. You have to learn to roll with it all and not get too attached to one plan or way of doing things. Always keeping an open mind and being willing to learn or try things another way is also a huge part in what keeps you growing as an artist- no matter if you’re 3 years or 5 years or 10 in the game. Its also in that weird liminal grey space where creativity thrives.

Persistence is another big one. Expect half or three-quarters of what you put out into the application ether to get rejected. But always remember that art is extraordinarily subjective and at the end of the day, you are playing a game of numbers. 100 applications might result in 10 approvals but the other 90 can always be an opportunity for reflection and feedback to improve your odds on the next round. Don’t ever be afraid to ask for feedback from judges and curators- many are happy to share their thoughts. Each rejection only brings you closer to your target audience.

Learning to lean into your network is also really crucial. I’m hyper-independent and learning to lean into my community and ask for help has made such an immediately noticeable change in my artistic trajectory. Creative friends sharing expertise from their own working life is a an indispensable source of advice and opportunities for mutual growth. Same thing goes for shared resources and opportunities to show work- far easier to work together than attempt these massive undertakings on your own.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

Collaboration is always key! I have a very graphic style that is abstract and pattern-focused and would love to collaborate on some murals with people who work more figuratively. I think there’s a lot of opportunity to play with strategic visual tensions there. I’d love to connect with muralists, fiber artists, musicians, and creators in the DMV area who are exploring themes of identity, place and heritage, or who are interested in combining visual art with music and performance. Additionally, I’m open to partnerships with art educators or cultural institutions for workshops, educational programs, or community building projects that engage people in creative expression and cultural discovery.

If you’re reading this and feel inspired to work together, you can reach out to me via my Instagram @catherinerupanmapp or by email at catheriner.mapp@gmail.com.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.catherinemapp.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catherinerupanmapp