Billie Holiday Statue, Pennsylvania Avenue and W. Lafayette Avenue. 
Photograph by Eli Pousson, Wikimedia Commons

Billie Holiday Statue by Black sculptor James Earl Reid, Pennsylvania Avenue and W. Lafayette Avenue in the Black Arts District in Baltimore.

The Billie Holiday Statue on Pennsylvania Avenue, erected in honor of the famed jazz singer's life and legacy, was first proposed in the 1970s as part of the redevelopment of Pennsylvania Avenue and finally commissioned in 1977.

The original pedestal was replaced with a solid granite base with sculptural panels in 2009, depicting one of Holiday's famous performances and her legacy as a Black artist.

Holiday spent much of her youth in the city. After leaving the House of the Good Shepherd, she briefly lived with her mother in a house on Edmondson Avenue before moving to New York City. However, she returned to Baltimore many times throughout her career to perform at local clubs and restaurants along Pennsylvania Avenue, which was once known as the city's “Black Broadway.”

Holiday's performances on Pennsylvania Avenue, which was the center of Black cultural and social life in the city during the mid-20th century, contributed to the Avenue's reputation as one of the premier jazz districts in the United States. 

More local knowledge about the Black Arts District

References

Eli Pousson, “Billie Holiday Statue,” Explore Baltimore Heritage, accessed February 15, 2023