Art Space is a recurring element in the UpFront section of our print publication that spotlights a local art project making an impact in the city at large. Here’s what’s going on this month:

There’s no shortage of souvenirs in the Sideshow gift shop of the American Visionary Art Museum. Pins, puzzles postcards. Whoopie cushions, wind-up teeth, and saint candles, featuring a celestial likeness of museum founder Rebecca Hoffberger. And now, in fitting fashion for a venue celebrating outsider art, there is also a growing collection of zines.

Part of a long-held counterculture tradition, including a vibrant scene in Baltimore, these low-budget, limited-circulation, self-published printings are works of art in their own right, offering resources and reassurances for times of need. Submit your own or snag some free copies by the cash register, with topics ranging from gardening and libraries to anti-fascist activism and the LGBTQ+ community.

Sports and art generally operate in different arenas, rarely crossing paths on the ball field and court, museum and gallery. So, leave it to Federal Hill’s unconventional
American Visionary Art Museum to mount an exhibit featuring works by a diverse group of visionary artists focused on sports and play, and the struggles, values, and just plain fun they bring to the human experience.

Curated by Maryland Institute College of Art graduate Gage Branda, the wide-ranging Good Sports: The Wisdom & Fun of Fair Play covers sports and competitions from baseball, basketball, and boxing, to old-school pinball. The various mediums include painting, photography, sculpture, linocuts, mixed-media works, artifacts, oral histories, and a diorama of a historical soccer match, whirligigs of runners, and a visual homage to Mexico’s lucha libre professional wrestling.

It’s not all whimsy, however. Included are stories of social justice, childhood, camaraderie, and even religious transcendence.

The opening night party included sports-themed music—John Fogerty’s “Centerfield” to name one—and guests dressed in ball caps, jerseys, and warm-up suits. Definitely out of the ordinary for a major art opening. What was the spark for this show?
This exhibition came from a series of conversations we had within the museum. What began to resonate was a feeling of perceived division in the country, which stands in contrast to ideals around sportsmanship, which values treating each other with respect and dignity and winning and losing with grace. We’d like to believe that there are conflicts in our lives and in the world around us that could be resolved if we viewed our perceived rivals or adversaries in the same way that someone views a rival or adversary on the field. We saw it as a good opportunity to take some of that wisdom from athletes who push themselves to be their very best, but also display grace and civility.

One of the panels that stuck with me included an explanation of the English word “compete.”
It is derived from the Latin verb competere, which means to strive together, to meet, to come together, agree. It puts the focus on the camaraderie of competition. Yes, in Latin, it’s not antagonistic; it means to strive together. So, we reframed it, which was a brilliant idea from [AVAM founder] Rebecca Hoffberger. It’s her practice to look at words and examine their meaning as they were coming into the language, and what they mean today. I agree. It changes the context, the nature, of competition.

Did you play sports? Or, given your degree in sculpture, did making art always come first?
I played a little bit of sports growing up. I liked skateboarding a lot. There are competitions in skateboarding but, for me, it was always about, “How can I be better next time than I was this time?” When you look at the story of Roger Bannister, for example, the first person to run a sub 4-minute mile, he was only thinking about how he could get faster. In that way, athletes and artists do share something in common—the way they work at their craft, their “practice.”

I love the whimsy in the show, like Tom Wilborn’s carved piece of the baseball player in the on-deck circle scratching his rear end. We don’t necessarily associate whimsy with sports.
I tried to concentrate on artworks that weren’t about the spectacle of sport, but pieces that were more personal. It’s not a sculpture of Babe Ruth. But if you played or if you’ve watched baseball, if you watch your kids play baseball, you’ve seen this. I played some baseball and there are moments when you daydream and chew on gum or the grass you pulled up in the outfield because you’re bored. It’s one of those moments.

I also love William Wells’ memories of playing in Baltimore’s James Mosher League, the oldest continuously operating African-American youth baseball league in the country.
He tells a charming story about how he didn’t get a hit his first or second season but had a lot of fun. He learned about what it means to be on a team, what it means to cheer for your friends, what it means to care about each other, and just to have good mentors and leadership around you. I thought it could pertain to any social group, but it’s especially the kind of thing that youth sports, at their best, are all about.

I was seven years old, standing by the cash register at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., with three dollars wadded in my hand, free to choose anything I wanted from the gift shop. My sights were set on the space ice cream—the obvious choice of any red-blooded child of the 1980s. A Neapolitan wafer of Styrofoam-like sugar, it was the next best thing to bouncing weightlessly around the moon’s potholes.

This was no mere souvenir. Instead, my crinkly package of freeze-dried dessert was a tangible thread connecting my little-kid body to the superheroes who ascended into the stars. And from that instant, it was official: I was hooked. Not on the space ice cream—it’s pretty disappointing, actually—but on the magic of the museum gift shop.

Of course, these abound in Baltimore, a city of world-class museums that run the gamut from industrial history to postmodern art. And inside each one, the gift shop is another curated collection, tailored to reflect the people, objects, and stories that make that museum special.

Some are cool. Some are whimsical. Some are surprising. All of them distill the contents of their collections to human size, offering a little bit of the extraordinary to fit into our everyday lives. Their curios let you take some of that wonder home with you, as well as, often enough, the vibrancy, diversity, and unmistakable je ne sais quoi of Baltimore.

Every time I’m in town, I make sure to stop into at least one. A trip to the museum just isn’t complete without them.

American Visionary Art Museum

The G.O.A.T. of Baltimore museum shops is without a doubt Sideshow at the American Visionary Art Museum in Federal Hill. Owned by renegade retailer Ted Frankel, aka “Uncle Fun,” Sideshow is one-part outsider art gallery and one-part tchotchke dreamscape.

Local filmmaker John Waters describes it as “the best museum gift shop you’ve ever been to in your life,” and clearly the man knows what he is talking about. A funky riot of color, objects, books, clothing, antiques, and crafts, each surface and cupboard is bursting with everything you never knew you needed, be it for gag gifts, artsy gifts, kids’ stuff, grown-up stuff, and even stuff for your own home.

There’s a working Zoltar machine, hundreds of novelty sunglasses in the most improbable shapes and colors, whoopee cushions and miniature naked baby dolls, carved coconut monkeys and a stuffed tiger the size of a loveseat. You can spend hours opening tiny drawers full of glass eyeballs or perusing the world’s most robust supply of trick buzzers, squirt cameras, and fart powders.

But the true heart of Sideshow—and where it most closely reflects AVAM’s philosophy of joyful self-expression—is found in the rotating exhibits of artworks by contributing artists from across the country.

It was in this section that I found my favorite museum shop find of all time, a Christmas tree angel crafted from a National Bohemian beer can. To me, that little topper encompasses the spirit of AVAM’s Sideshow—a celebration of the wonder, whimsy, and imagination of those who are called to create. And how Baltimore is that?

Baltimore Museum of Art

Think of it as the Metropolitan Museum of Art—in miniature. The BMA’s collections include 97,000 works that span the art of ancient Egypt to some of the most significant works of modern-day.

The breadth is the point. By developing, maintaining, and now broadening a deep, global collection of the best 18th-, 19th-, and, increasingly, 20th- and 21st-century art and making it accessible to the public, the BMA continues to cultivate a vibrant and healthy city. After an hour or two of edification in the museum’s collections, with the help of free admission, I cultivate my civic duty with a stop in the BMA’s expansive gift shop.

Snag some Cone Collection-inspired journals, prints, and notecards, and don’t sleep on the shop’s jewelry section, which bypasses “statement” and goes right to “declaration.” Collars of acid-treated brass, necklaces of blown-glass globes, and geometrical wire bracelets mirror the Calders in the sculpture garden and Matisse paintings in the galleries.

The shop transforms with each changing exhibition (this past summer’s The Culture hip-hop show had an epic selection), so check out the latest and plan your shopping list accordingly.

I always come prepared to be enchanted and am never disappointed, with my best BMA purchases being a pair of ever-chic punched gold earrings with tiny metallic rays and a postcard of Vincent van Gogh’s painting of hobnailed boots. Pinned above my desk, the latter transports me in an instant to the cool, quiet beauty of the museum’s halls.

Baltimore Museum of Industry

“Industrial chic” is a recent trend, but at the BMI in Locust Point, it was always in style. Their exhibits feel like a Barry Levinson film set come to life—I love to wander through recreated historic shopfronts, printing presses, and workrooms under the glow of neon signs from bygone businesses, traveling back in time each time I turn a corner.

And the museum shop celebrates the city’s long tradition of manufacturing, too, with merch featuring the likeness of the neighboring Domino Sugars sign and books detailing the story of Baltimore’s packing houses, steel mills, and umbrella factories.

The mission of the museum especially shines through in their “Made in Baltimore” section, where you can buy one-of-a-kind treasures crafted on-site. Definitely check out the wonderful handmade iron keychains of beech leaves made by volunteer blacksmith Bob Webber on the BMI’s own working forge. A lifelike little leaf hangs from my key fob, a reminder that I need to plan my annual BMI pilgrimage for 2024.

The BMI also hosts entrepreneur pop-up events throughout the year, where you can support local small businesses and artisans selling prints, crafts, food, artwork, and other goods, including the seasonal farmers market that takes place in its parking lot come spring.

Maryland Center for History and Culture

Who needs reproductions when you can get the real thing? It makes perfect sense that a museum shop celebrating Maryland’s history and culture would sell antiques and vintage clothing on consignment, which has my name all over it.

Just a few steps from the displays of Orioles team cleats and the New Look sportswear of Frederick fashion designer Claire McCardell, you can find your own Maryland treasures at the MCHC. Snap up period finds like chased copper julep cups from the glitzy brownstones of Mount Vernon or fabulous hats from the Hutzler’s department store.

The museum’s changing exhibits, like the recent retrospective on one-time Marylander Jim Henson, also infuse the shop with all sorts of unique state-centric goodies impossible to find anywhere else.

A few years ago, I picked up a jaunty straw clutch from the 1950s, imagining it tucked under the arm of some well-to-do lady taking in a few races at Pimlico. I carry it around in the summertime to channel a little bit of Baltimore’s post-war glamour. And I often think that would make the MCHC proud.

Reginald F. Lewis Museum

Long before there was the Smithsonian’s world-renowned National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, D.C., there was the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, located at a cultural crossroads on the edge of historic Jonestown in downtown Baltimore.

The Lewis Museum features more than 400 years of Black Maryland history in its halls and, over the years, has highlighted both the past and present, such as midcentury painter Ruth Starr Rose, who documented Black life on the Eastern Shore to modern-day photographer and West Baltimorean Devin Allen, whose images have graced the cover of Time magazine.

This same sort of expansive oeuvre is on display in the museum’s gift shop, which offers one-of-a-kind ways to celebrate the icons and imagery of Maryland’s Black history. Frederick Douglass merch and original prints, jewelry, and artwork made by local artists of color, as well as children’s books introducing little readers to Maryland’s iconic Black musicians, artists, athletes, and visionaries, are all great reasons to take advantage of the always-free shop admissions. Inventory rotates weekly, so it’s worth popping in on a semi-regular basis. And while you’re there, be sure to stop a while and watch the city go by through its grand floor-to-ceiling windows along President Street.

The Walters Art Museum

The Walters has roots in a core collection of art and artifacts bequeathed to the City of Baltimore in 1934 by its namesake scion, Henry Walters.

Spanning seven millennia of art from around the world, much of the collections are personal in nature, providing glimpses of what museums looked like in the 19th century, when private salon-style exhibits blended artistic techniques and periods to suit individual tastes. The vast Classical and Egyptian galleries in particular make me feel like Claudia in From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, with covetable Roman torcs and impassive sphinx figurines.

Fortunately, the gift shop provides the perfect place to scratch that same itch. Replicas of ancient Egyptian, Roman, Greek, Chinese, and Pre-Columbian earrings, cuff links, and pins in gold and silver are shockingly modern in their simplicity and design.

The paper and prints section echoes the global scope of the main collections, with illuminated Ethiopian holiday cards, Renaissance landscape prints, and notecards with delicate Japanese watercolors.

My personal favorites are the replica blueprints of the iconic Walters Museum building itself—the perfect insider gift for the Baltimorean who has everything.

Small But Mighty

Many of Baltimore’s smaller institutions boast their own wildly cool shops with mission-inspired inventories that are delightful to explore.

The B&O Railroad Museum, for instance, has gifts for locomotive lovers of all ages, from striped engineer caps and model train kits to 19th-century replica railway maps and vintage Rails Across America comic books.

At the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum, snap up Poe “Death Week” vigil candles, “Nevermore” highschool iron-on patches, and International Poe Fest swag.

At The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum, find books, clothing, and souvenirs highlighting notable African Americans, like Baltimore’s own Billie Holiday.

And the T-shirt game at the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum is on point, featuring an homage to the baseball icon’s original period uniform and a “Call It” top commemorating the Babe’s epic prediction of his own home run hit to deep center field in 1932, both of which will leave baseball fans with plenty of ways to rep their native son.

Meanwhile, you can find chemistry kits and glow-in-the-dark skeletons at the Maryland Science Center, stuffed animals and shark-tooth necklaces at the National Aquarium, and all sorts of books, games, and puzzles at Port Discovery’s brand-new, minority-owned Snug Books.

The Baltimore arts community let out a collective sigh of dismay when it was announced that Rebecca Hoffberger, founder and director of the American Visionary Art Museum, would be retiring this year. Hoffberger is, of course, irreplaceable. But if anyone could fill her shoes, it’s Jenenne Whitfield, president of the Heidelberg Project, an acclaimed outdoor arts space in Detroit, and co-founder of the United Artists of Detroit, a grassroots network of artists, curators, and arts organizations. The former banker is also certified in divinity, trained in metaphysics, and has taught college students about art as a social practice. She takes over her new post in September.

When you were growing up, you had family in Baltimore. What stands out to you now returning as an adult?
What I’m seeing is not just the wonderful assets. Many cities across the country are going through a resurgence and that obviously means displacing people and drawing greater lines of demarcation. And then the other side is the richness, particularly within the arts scene. Baltimore is on fire. There’s a lot of underground art in addition to the institutions. There’s something to be said for the juxtaposition of raw grit with shine and polish. Can we find a good balance between the two? Both are going to be needed to teach us where we want to go.

How do you see artists in Detroit speaking to these dichotomies there?
It’s an uphill battle. You have to have champions, because what do artists do best? They create. What that calls for is stronger arts administrators, and not just directors of museums, where you’re working for the good of your institution. What my work in Detroit has been about is building bridges between the arts community and, say, the corporate community, and getting people to realize that we all benefit when we learn how to celebrate the great things that are happening in our cities.

Looking at your resumé, you seem destined for AVAM.
When I visited for the first time, I spent three hours in the museum alone. If you start talking about things like metaphysics, that night, after I visited, I was staying at the Royal Sonesta, and I awoke to a bright light over the harbor. I thought, is that a streetlight? But it was a star. And to me, it was like a witness or testament to me being here. And what Rebecca [basically] said in The Sun is that she could sleep at night knowing that I was coming, because we connected. People hope for that kind of magic and what Rebecca has put together is something that deserves care and thoughtfulness and that’s what I bring. How do we continue this great work, how do we expand it, and how do we help Baltimore see the treasures, AVAM being just one of them, that it has.

Any ideas for what you’d like to do first upon your arrival?
I want to do wrap my arms around the staff. I want to know what they want to do. I want their wings to begin to flap. I’m a newbie, I need them to teach me, and I want to grow with them.

EAT

May 3: Blue Moon Cafe’s Breakfast To-Go

1621 Aliceanna St. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. 410-522-3940

Since restaurants were forced to shut down in March, brunch lovers have been missing this tried-and-true mid-morning spot (and bonafide hangover helper). After weeks of longing for Blue Moon’s massive breakfast platters and famous Cap’n Crunch French Toast, fans will be happy to hear that chef Sarah Simington is launching carryout service this Sunday. For the first run, expect classics like the “Sweet Baby Jesus” (hash browns topped with jumbo lump crab, fresh diced tomatoes, cheddar cheese, eggs, and hollandaise) and sausage, egg, and cheese sandwiches. Place your order online by noon on Friday, wait for your confirmation, pick up curbside from the Fells Point location at your preferred time Sunday, and prepare for all of your brunch dreams to come true.

DRINK

May 2-3: Nepenthe Brewing Co.’s First Can Release

3626 Falls Road. 2-8 p.m. $14-18

The team at this Hampden favorite just added a special new offering to its takeout menu, which already highlights everything from sandwiches and frites to growlers and bottled cocktails. This weekend, the brewery is celebrating its first-ever can release with three beers available in four packs for curbside pickup. Head to Nepenthe’s website to order the newly canned “Lord Bones” double dry-hopped milkshake IPA, “Dubbabeebweepa” double IPA, and the “Tiny Tyrant: Idaho Gem” single hop pale ale. Regulars might recognize the can art by illustrator Mike Moses, whose pieces are on display in the taproom. Pre-sale will be live until 3 p.m. Friday.

SEE

May 2: Healthcare Heroes Day

Multiple locations including Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium.

At a press conference earlier this week, Gov. Larry Hogan declared Saturday, May 2 to be Heathcare Heroes Day in Maryland. To honor the selfless efforts of doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other providers fighting on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, landmarks throughout the state—including the Annapolis State House, M&T Bank Stadium, and Camden Yards—will be illuminated blue. Additionally, the Navy’s Blue Angels and Air Force’s Thunderbirds are scheduled to fly over Maryland Saturday. Head outside to watch the planes overhead, take a drive to see the glowing blue buildings, or don some blue gear throughout the day to show your support for our healthcare workers. “These men and women are as compassionate as they are fearless,” Hogan said in a statement. We couldn’t agree more.

HEAR

May 1 & 3: BSO Off-Stage Performances

Facebook Live. Friday 7:30-8:30 p.m., Sunday 3-4 p.m. Free.

As much as we wish we could enjoy these BSO performances from the seats of the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, a comfy sofa or outdoor patio chair will be as good a venue as any to take in the solo concerts. First up is principal oboist Katherine Needleman, who has organized a Friday-night lineup including the “Solo Sonata” by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. If you prefer to tune in on Sunday afternoon, catch violinist Greg Mulligan performing the first four movements of Bach’s “Partita in D Minor,” as well as the “Largo and Allegro assai” from Bach’s Sonata No. 3 on his Baroque violin.

DO

May 2: Virtual Kinetic Sculpture Race Salute

Zoom. 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Free

On the day that would have hosted the American Visionary Art Museum’s 22nd-annual Kinetic Sculpture Race—one of the city’s most beloved events in which makers race wacky, imaginative, human-powered works of art made from used bicycle parts—organizers are still celebrating by live-streaming a portion of the opening ceremony. Each year before peddlers take off, Sister Euphonia O’Blivion (aka Joe Wall) performs a blessing of the feet. This year, the virtual “Blessing of De-Feet” will undoubtedly feel a bit different, but it’s still an opportunity for devotees to don clean socks, throw on a costume, and show their support for the time-honored tradition.

COMING SOON

Cielo Verde: The beautiful top-floor restaurant space at the American Visionary Art Museum—fondly remembered as the former home Mr. Rain’s Fun House and most recently Encantada—will finally see a new tenant later this month. Spearheaded by chef Irena Stein of Canton’s Alma Cocina Latina and Azafrán on the Johns Hopkins University campus, the lunch and weekend brunch destination will focus on locally sourced sandwiches, salads, and soups. Menu highlights will include a gem lettuce salad with herbed walnuts, fig and thyme toast, vegan banh mi sandwiches, and sweets from Bramble Baking Co. and Sacré Sucré. “My intention was to unify the connection between food and culture,” Stein said in a statement, “a culture where there is a deep-rooted appreciation of food that transcends flavor, into gratitude of the earth and bounty from which it came.” In addition to the daytime service, the space will be available for catered dinners and private events.

Ben’s Chili Bowl: Half smokes and chili cheese fries are headed to Horseshoe Casino next month. As part of the $1 million remake of the casino’s food court-style Baltimore Marketplace on its first floor, the famous Washington, D.C.-based eatery will open a stall slinging its classic chili-topped hot dogs, fries, and burgers in early March. The South Baltimore location will mark the first Ben’s Chili Bowl in Maryland, bringing with it a 62-year history that has included visits from the likes of Martin Luther King, Jr., Barack Obama, Bono, and Chance the Rapper.

Riverside Tap House: Federal Hill residents have been wondering about the status of the former Das Bier Haus space on the corner of Light and East Randall streets, which closed last year after its owners worked to resolve structural issues that plagued the building. Sadly, the German beer hall never reopened, but a new pub has taken over the space. Riverside Tap House is expected to debut in the renovated building later this month, featuring a menu of draft beer, burgers, and other pub fare.

Thai Landing: Towson’s Shops at Kenilworth will soon house a second location of this Midtown-Belvedere mainstay. Moving into a 1,750-square-foot stall on the lower level of the mall this spring, the authentic Thai eatery will offer specialties including Northern Thai curry noodles, pineapple fried rice, “Pla Rad Prig” red snapper with hot chili and basil, and an assortment of Thai teas.

NEWS

Cocina Luchadoras Gets a Shoutout in Bon Appétit: Those who subscribe to the renowned food bible will notice a familiar name in the latest issue’s “Taco Nation” cover story. Upper Fells Point taqueria Cocina Luchadoras was praised for its “Cochinita Pibil” taco, which stuffs citrus-marinated pork into the spot’s scratch-made corn tortillas. We’re beyond happy to see that the dishes—which graced our own taco cover in October 2017—are getting some well-deserved national attention.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

2/15: Union Collective Chocolate Festival
What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day weekend than with a selection of chocolate-themed treats from the merchants inside Union Collective? In addition to drink deals and live DJ entertainment, chocolate lovers will enjoy Jinji’s Chocolate-covered espresso beans from Vent Coffee Roasters, a special chocolate liqueur from Baltimore Spirits Company, Union’s limited-edition Snow Pants Stout aged with cocoa nibs and cinnamon, and, of course, a flight of chocolate ice cream flavors and a signature milkshake from The Charmery. Guest vendors at the inaugural event will also include the experts from Charm School Chocolate and Anandi Chocolate.

SHUT

Howl at the Moon: Regulars at this lively piano bar inside Power Plant Live have until February 29 to get their last song requests in. The spot, which has been a fixture in the downtown nightlife district for the past 20 years, will close its doors for good on Saturday, February 29. “We want to thank each and every one of you for the last 20 years,” reads a message posted to the bar’s Facebook page. “It’s a bittersweet goodbye, but there will be many more opportunities to howl with us in the future at a nearby location.” The next iteration is slated to open in Washington, D.C. this spring. There’s no word yet on what will become of the bar that neighbors Ram’s Head Live, PBR, Mosaic Lounge, and others in the area.

“Isn’t life a series of images that change as they repeat themselves?”

It’s a question that was asked by Andy Warhol decades ago, likely rhetorically. But all the same, as the summer fades, we find ourselves thinking through the many changes this city’s artists and performers have seen in the past year, and the ones they have in store for the months to come.

This June, The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra suffered their first work stoppage in 31 years and musicians took to the streets to protest the institution’s management in the wake of a financial crisis. But still the band plays on, determined to carry on their legacy as a world-class ensemble.

In more encouraging news, in July, a year after selling pieces by Warhol, Franz Kline, Robert Rauschenberg, and others to acquire works by women and people of color, the Baltimore Museum of Art premiered an exhibition featuring black artists from the past two centuries, reconguring its Contemporary Wing to highlight the new acquisitions. And in 2020, the museum plans to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment with a full year of exhibits and events dedicated to women artists.

Meanwhile, downtown at Everyman Theatre, room is currently being made for a new upstairs stage, which will play host to a new festival featuring contemporary works by women next year. And around the corner at the former Eutaw Savings Bank, work is underway to expand the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center. Farther north, Single Carrot Theatre left behind its home in Remington to spread its shows around the city, allowing long-wandering, color-conscious troupe ArtsCentric to put down roots in the old space.

Even some of the city’s oldest cultural cornerstones are feeling the winds of change. Many historic homes and museums are finally taking steps to address their histories with slavery and indentured servitude and bring those stories to the forefront—leading to new programming, exhibitions, and discoveries.

There’s almost too much to keep track of, but as we plan visits to our favorite hallowed halls and holes in the wall, we look forward to what we may find there. These new developments—whether made to physical foundations or the fundamental ways we think about a place—each make their subtle change to the repeating image. And, eventually, they evolve into a whole new scene.

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Through Dec. 1: Hitching Their Dreams to Untamed Stars: Joyce J. Scott & Elizabeth Talford Scott
For 60 years, MacArthur award-winning artist Joyce J. Scott lived in Baltimore with her mother, Elizabeth Talford Scott, who passed away in 2011. This exhibit will bring together a collection of nine pieces of art that the two made, either collaboratively or separately. There will be quilts, beaded and glass sculptures, and weavings, among other types of art, that showcase the elder Scott’s experience in the aftermath of slavery and the influence she had on her daughter. Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr.

Sept. 3-Oct. 6: Proof
Everyman’s biggest season yet opens with this Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning classic about a father and daughter grappling with genius, identity, and mental illness in the past and present. Audiences who saw resident company member Megan Anderson shine as Catherine in the 2003 rendition will delight in seeing her take on the role of Catherine’s older sister, Claire, in this new performance. Everyman Theatre, 315 W. Fayette St.

Sept. 3-Oct. 6: Daniel Stuelpnagel Solo Show
This Baltimore native has showcased his acrylic paintings nationwide for more than 20 years. In 2017, Stuelpnagel had the distinguished honor of being a featured artist for TEDxJHU at Johns Hopkins University. Now, his collection, which encompasses an interest in science, architecture, and technology with dynamic imagery, is on display at this Fells Point contemporary gallery. The Alchemy of Art, 1637 Eastern Ave.

Sept. 6-29: Twelve Angry Jurors
The decision on a life—that’s what this is all about. Experience Reginald Rose’s electrified drama, the title of which has been given a timely update, about a dozen men and women gathered to determine whether an accused teenager is guilty of murdering his father. Tempers flare as the vote comes to 11-1 and evidence is re-examined. This courtroom drama will keep audiences on the edge of their seats and thinking about exactly what it means to live in a democracy. Vagabond Players, 806 S. Broadway.

Sept. 11-Oct. 19: Bianco e Nero
Black and white does not always have to mean plain and simple. Terry Thompson explores the boundaries of maximalism and minimalism in his new exhibition of monochromatic works. With some works bustling and busy and others mellow and tranquilizing, Thompson forces viewers to focus on the encryption layered throughout this chaotic series. Become entranced by his optical illusions and feel the energy of his monochromatic world. Y:ART Gallery, 3402 Gough St.

Sept. 11-Oct. 19: Miss You Like Hell
Mother-daughter relationships can be a roller coaster for anyone, but this especially complicated example is threatened by intense immigration policies. Join whip-smart, deeply imaginative teenager Olivia and her free-spirited Latina mother on a cross-country road trip as they come to understand what sets them apart and what connects them forever. This musical without borders is a must-see and a reminder to audiences that theater has the power to make politics personal. Baltimore Center Stage,
700 N. Calvert St.

Sept. 13-Oct. 13: Mr. Wolf
In their first show after leaving behind their Remington theater in favor of ever-changing performance spaces, Single Carrot Theatre will take over the St. John’s Episcopal Church rectory to explore broken ties and reconciliation in Mr. Wolf, a tale of a child abducted and returned to her family more than a decade later. St. John’s Episcopal Church, 3009 Greenmount Ave.

Sept. 13-15: Roots & RaÍces Festival
This Charm City-based festival celebrates and showcases the work of local immigrant artists. The festivities begin Friday evening at Creative Alliance with a dinner and gala, followed by a SOMOS Migrantes film feature and awards ceremony. Saturday’s lineup includes live music and performance art at Little Lithuanian Park. Between entertainment, enjoy tasty bites at the El Mercado market.

Sept. 18-21, Oct. 2-5: Best of Enemies
Based on the bestselling novel by Osha Gray Davidson, which recently became a major motion picture, Best of Enemies depicts prejudice in the South through the relationship between C.P. Ellis, a leader in the Ku Klux Klan, and Ann Atwater, an African-American civil rights activist. This co-production by the McDaniel College and Coppin State University theater programs brings to life Mark St. Germain’s adaptation of a true story that captures the controversy of school desegregation. Coppin State University and McDaniel College.

Sept. 19-Nov. 10: Second Tri-Annual Maryland State Artist Registry Juried Exhibition
Maryland Art Place has partnered with the Maryland State Art Council to present this statewide exhibition of pieces voted in by jurors. After receiving submissions of all media types (including literary arts), with a heavy emphasis on visual and performing arts, a select few were found worthy for entry. Experience the curated pieces as they highlight the wide range of skilled artists and artwork featured on the Maryland State Arts Council Artist Registry. Maryland Art Place, 218 W. Saratoga St.

Courtesy of Mono Practice

Sept. 20: Gallery Opening: Retrospective
The Baltimore School for the Arts has been educating and promoting talent in the city for four decades now. In honor of its anniversary, the Mount Vernon institution will highlight the creations of its alumni in this reflective new exhibition. Segal Gallery in Baltimore School for the Arts, 712 Cathedral St.

Sept. 20-21: Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back—In Concert
A mix of science fiction, melodrama, and galactic action, iconic film The Empire Strikes Back will be screened alongside a live orchestra for two nights this month. Conducted by Nicholas Hersh, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra will perform John Williams’ noteworthy score as Jedi Master Yoda teaches Luke Skywalker about the Force. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St.

Sept. 28: Made in Baltimore Short Film Festival
Whether you’re a fan of animation, horror, or documentary, all these genres and more will be featured at this celebration of Baltimore-inspired film. Works are submitted by local filmmakers and then judged on technical ability, originality, and Baltimore flavor. You won’t want to miss this shot at getting a glimpse of the best up-and-coming film talent Charm City has to offer. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.

Sept. 29, 2019-Jan. 19, 2020: Generations: A History of Black Abstract Art
This touring exhibition will arrive under a new name and with an expanded collection of more than 80 paintings, sculptures, and mixed media pieces. This exploration of abstract art as a political choice and a personal statement for black artists will include both pioneers of post-war abstraction, such
as Norman Lewis and Alma W. Thomas, and more recent artists such as Kevin Beasley and Lorna Simpson. The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr.

Sept. 29, 2019-Jan. 12, 2020: Melvin Edwards: The Architecture of Being
The pioneer of contemporary sculpture showcased here is also the great-great-great-grandson of a West African blacksmith. Explore how he conveys the influence of his African roots and the experience of his time living, traveling, and teaching
in Africa for many years through this collection
of 16 works from across the four decades of his incredible career. The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr.

Oct. 4-31: Cordially Invited
For the second year in a row, Make Studio is offering a look at the works of artists with disabilities from studios around the world. This invitational exhibition will feature artists from as far away as Australia alongside local talents and celebrate the work of progressive art studios through pop-ups, artist talks, and workshops around the city. Schwing Art Center, 3326 Keswick Rd. & other locations.

Oct. 5-6: Doors Open Baltimore
Charm City has no shortage of buildings with unique designs and histories, and this annual citywide architectural exploration is the perfect opportunity to visit as many as possible. Take free self-guided walking tours through more than 50 buildings and neighborhoods, including new sites such as 414 Light Street and decades-old spots such as The Baltimore Basilica and The Arch Social Club, or sign up for bike or bus tours to discover some of Baltimore’s most interesting spaces and places on wheels. Locations vary.

Oct. 5-Sept. 6, 2020: The Secret Life of Earth: Alive! Awake! (And Possibly Really Angry!)
AVAM’s yearly exhibition is back, and it has a bone to pick with the citizens of Earth. This collection of works seeks to show visitors the state of our planet now and where it could be going if we’re not careful. Take in pieces such as Dr. Bob Hieronimus’ original 1972 Earth Day poster, Judy Tallwing’s Spirit Bear painting (which inspired 22 global poets to join AVAM in protesting the placement of an oil pipeline through Canada), and Bobby Adams’ kitchen diorama, Global Warming. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy.

Courtesy of AVAM

Courtesy of the Maryland Historical Society

Oct. 5-Oct. 2020: Spectrum of Fashion: Celebrating Maryland’s Style
Explore the wearable art that has defined generations of Maryland dwellers, from everyday workers to Duchess of Windsor Wallis Simpson, at this yearlong exhibition. Attend the opening gala on Oct. 5 for an early peek at the nearly 100 pieces while mingling with homegrown fashion star Christian Siriano. Maryland Historical Society, 201 W. Monument St.

Oct. 6-Jan.5, 2020: Designing the New: Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the Glasgow Style
Celebrating the 150th anniversary of iconic Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s birth, this is the first exhibition in a generation to highlight his work. There will be about 165 pieces on view from across various mediums, including furniture, textiles, posters, and architectural drawings. The link between Glasgow and Baltimore as the cities grew both industrially and artistically will also be explored.The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St.

Oct. 10-20: Charm City Fringe Festival
Experimental art installations, slam poetry, street acrobatics, puppet debates, dance parties—with the sky as the limit, all this and more is possible at the eighth annual Charm City Fringe Festival. This celebration of quirky theater and performing arts aims to engage diverse communities and elevate the local theater scene. The 11 days of performances across multiple venues contribute to the cultivation of Baltimore as a hub for art without boundaries. Bromo Arts & Entertainment District, locations vary.

Oct. 11-14, 17-20: Proxy
Rapid Lemon Productions concludes its 2019 Season of Belief with the world premiere of Proxy, by local authors Alex Reeves and Nell Quinn-Gibney. Directed by T.P. Huth from Inkubator New Works Development Laboratory, this play asks the challenging question, “When we die, who cares for those we leave behind?” Baltimore Theatre Project, 45 W. Preston St.

Oct. 18-20: The Snow Queen
During the premiere performance of the Ballet Theatre of Maryland’s new season, the story of The Snow Queen will come alive on the Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts stage. Watch in awe as local ballerinas use their graceful movements to bring to life the famous Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, which also inspired the Disney blockbuster Frozen. On your way out of the Annapolis theatre, be sure to grab information about the troupe’s annual performance of The Nutcracker in December as well. Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, 801 Chase St., Annapolis.

Oct. 23-Nov. 30: Marc Boone
Boone’s art has always had two unchanging factors:
he creates works in series and employs a studio sound backdrop. In his latest exhibition, Shaman’s Way, he focuses on medicine men and women who connect with nature and all creation to influence the world of good and evil. Come experience different worlds through unique art and jazz musicians and vocalists as Boone attempts to capture some magical conjuring.Y:ART Gallery, 3402 Gough St.

Nov. 16-17: Refuge: Needing, Seeking, Finding
This collection of works from Full Circle Dance Company explores varied themes through separate works explicitly created to be shown together. The result is a challenging yet beautiful array of pieces tackling such subjects as the global refugee crisis, America’s dark past with lynching, mental illness, loss, and what exactly home means through new music and stunning choreography. Baltimore Theatre Project, 45 W. Preston St.

It was a 52-foot, 10-ton object of controversy, curiosity, and for the most part, derision, when it was installed in front of Penn Station in 2004. A Baltimore Sun editorial described the aluminum, five-story Male/Female work at the time of its placement in the city-owned plaza south of the station as “oversized, underdressed and woefully out of place.”

Sun columnist Dan Rodricks wrote that artist Jonathan Borofsky’s intersecting male and female silhouettes resembled the robot Gort from the sci-fi, horror movie The Day the Earth Stood Still. A local cabbie, who regularly picked up fares at the station, called it “an abomination” in one story. Several times, City Paper readers voted the massive sculpture—a $750,000 donation from the Municipal Arts Society— Baltimore’s “Best Eyesore.”

Almost immediately, it prompted chatter about moving it from its prominent position outside the 1911-built Beaux-Arts style station.

And now, oddly enough, just as the city seems to have finally grown accustomed to it, the fate of long-controversial Male/Female may be in doubt.

In order to handle the new generation of high-speed Acela trains, as well as the expectation of more passengers in coming years, Amtrak has pledged a $90 million overhaul of Penn Station. Those plans include a transformation of the historic station into a more pedestrian, bicycle, bus, and cab-friendly transit hub—and, if developers can raise more funds—a new mixed-use development in the surrounding area.

No official has said the giant sculpture needs to be moved to remake Penn Station. No one has indicated it will stay. There is simply is no sight of the 52-foot statue in current renderings and maps. Bill Struever, CEO of Cross Street Partners, one of the developers and planners on the Amtrak project, noted in an email that indeed the sculpture had engendered strong feelings over the years. He also stated he “is staying agnostic on the statue.” Ultimately, Struever says, he expects a resolution on the development of the south station plaza—and thus the statue—will grow out of a community planning process.

The current working proposal calls for moving the taxi/drop-off area to Charles and St. Paul streets, which will serve a new Lanvale Street rail concourse on the north side of the station. That plan, Struever says, creates an opportunity to rebuild the south station plaza into a more pedestrian friendly space with the potential for events and programming.

In the meantime, however, the statue has grown on at least some Baltimoreans over the last few years. As Baltimore magazine contributor Ed Gunts noted in a short piece in 2015, one early defender of the Male/Female statue was Bill Griffith, creator of the Zippy the Pinhead comic strip, in which the sculpture has appeared. John Waters has said he likes it, too. Rebecca Hoffberger, founder and director of the American Visionary Art Museum, noted several years ago that even “The Eiffel Tower was detested” when it went up.

Asked again last week about the statue, Hoffberger said she wished “there was something that was more in tune with the station’s history as a link that gave homage.”

“It’s there and I think there are people that love it,” she says. “I don’t know how thematically it was decided on. There’s a bigger issue—the front of Penn Station is really historic and iconic to Baltimore,” adding the structure may be obscuring that. “I’m very big on preserving older architecture particularly of iconic sites.”

Baltimore architect and artist Jerome Gray said he believes the size of the statue overwhelmed city viewers at first, but since its installation people have become accustomed to it. He added the sculpture’s provocative intersection of the male and female forms—and its colorful, single, pulsating heart, widely visible at night—personally appeals. “I love weird things,” he says. “And I like anything that challenges you. In that way, it’s great. It makes you think.” (Initially, the sculpture’s beating heart was to be red, but it was switched to blue-magenta at the city’s request out of concerns the color red would be seen as a reminder of the city’s tragic homicide rate.)

Gray adds that it’s not unprecedented for the city to move works of art. The Orpheus statute, for example, at Fort McHenry was shifted from its original location. Others around Druid Hill Park have been moved in the past.

In 2015, City Paper contributor Michael Farley called the statue an “accidental monument to a consideration (or lack thereof) of gender identity and sex that’s distinctly Baltimorean.” He nominated it “the kinkiest artwork” in the city.

 

Borofsky, for what it’s worth, never liked to comment too much about the themes in his own work, preferring to leave it for the viewer’s interpretation. His public projects, including other large scale human forms, can be found around the world.

Eli Pousson, formerly of Baltimore Heritage, moved to the city a few years after the installation of the statue, but quickly became aware of the criticism of work. “It was abstract, difficult to categorize in terms of explicit meaning,” Pousson says. “It wasn’t your normal, marble famous guy. It plays with the [traditional] masculine and feminine forms, which also probably invited some of that response.” It’s interesting, Pousson continues, that today more people seem to respond positively to the statue as gender, sex, and queer identities and norms evolve in the eyes of society.

“Personally, I’m a fan,” Pousson says. “I’d suggest rather than spending money to take down public art, the city and developers use the money to put up more public art.”

Trudy Morgal doesn’t remember anyone taking her photograph at Woodstock. She does remember sitting on top of her band’s VW bus with Ricky Peters, a singer and drummer in their Baltimore group, Light. A wisecracking pistol who also sang and played the drums—picture a Hampdenesque Janis Joplin—Morgal can also recall the white umbrella she held onto during the three-day deluge of peace, love, music, and mud.

The photo of two barefoot musicians atop the wild art bus, slightly grim in the face of the gray weather, in other words an indelible representation of the festival, and just maybe an entire generation, had gone viral afterward, appearing in newspapers across the country. Not that Morgal knew it.

“I wasn’t aware that photograph existed until two decades later,” she recounts with a laugh. “I’d been helping a friend put wallpaper up in her kitchen when the 20th anniversary was coming up in 1989. We stopped for lunch and I grabbed The Sun, and the picture was on the front page of the Metro section. All those years looking at movies and photos from Woodstock, squinting to see if I recognized anyone. Suddenly there I am. On top of the bus with Ricky. I almost fell off my chair.”

Over time, as the anniversaries piled up, the image of Morgal and Peters, who died in 1998 (“Such a sweet guy”), sitting on the roof of the “Light Bus” emerged as an iconic portrait of Woodstock and the counterculture. It even appeared on the cover of a textbook about the ’60s.

Interest in the whereabouts of the colorful minibus, hand-painted with religious and esoteric symbols by renowned local artist Bob Hieronimus, began percolating as this year’s 50th anniversary approached. (In somewhat related news, Volkswagen has announced plans to remake the hippie-throwback VW Bus as a next-gen all-electric vehicle.)

Three years ago, Canadian documentarian John Wesley Chisholm approached Hieronimus about recovering and refurbishing the legendary van ahead of this month’s tentatively scheduled reunion concert in upstate New York.

Ultimately, after a six-month search came up empty, a Kickstarter campaign landed them an authentic 1963 VW Bus, which Hieronimus and five other artists painted by hand, recreating the art bus’ original Egyptian, Indian, Hebrew, and astrological blessings. (Those unfamiliar with Hieronimus’ work should check out his mural, “Historic Views of Baltimore 1752-1857,” inside the new jury room at the Clarence M. Mitchell Courthouse. It depicts Lord Calvert standing beneath Federal Hill as George Washington and The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine cross the Inner Harbor.)

The VW origin story began a year before Woodstock in a circus-themed Greenmount Avenue bar, complete with trapeze, called Judges. That was where Hieronimus met kindred spirit Bob Grimm, Light’s guitarist, who owned the soon-to-be-famous van. By then, Hieronimus had already been introduced to Jimi Hendrix, whose label wanted him to illustrate an album cover for $100. Grimm countered with an offer of $1,000 to paint and turn his VW into a “magic bus,” and the pony-tailed, oft-broke Hieronimus obliged.

Ironically, Hieronimus, who had purchased a ticket to Woodstock, begged off the road trip. Stopped at the gates with his bandmates (who went to spectate, not perform) because of the overflowing crowds, Grimm convinced security that the Light Bus was part of an art exhibition, which got them waved through. A year later, Grimm donated the van to Hieronimus, who had started a commune on the site of the old Ruscombe Mansion in Northwest Baltimore.

“We went to Woodstock for the music, and we had a good time despite the rain,” Grimm says. “It didn’t seem like the big moment it became in hindsight. I’ve learned more looking back on Woodstock than I did being there,” he adds with a chuckle. “I learned the years fly by.”

Bob Grimm in the Light Bus before Woodstock.

Editor’s Note: On Monday, August 12, the Woodstock “Light” Bus by created local artist Dr. Bob Hieronimus departs from the American Visionary Art Museum to recreate its journey back to Woodstock for the Golden Anniversary Weekend at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. A free program begins at 10 a.m., including the artists and mechanics who helped rebirth the new Light Bus. Plus, the Baltimore commune members and the Light band musicians who drove the original bus, will send it off. A live musical performance featuring original members of the Baltimore band, Light, is scheduled for 10:50 a.m. The bus will be on view at AVAM until 1 p.m.

“The Woodstock Bus,” an original documentary produced by Arcadia Content, also debuts on the on-demand streaming service CuriosityStream Aug. 12

The new, recreated VW Light Bus on display at the American Visionary Art Museum Monday.

The troubled Woodstock 50 Festival now looks like it will be relocated to Merriweather Post Pavilion. Organizers of the anniversary concert—initially scheduled to be held on the 50th anniversary of the now legendary music festival at Max Yasgur’s 600-acre dairy farm in upstate New York—recently lost a final bid to keep the event near its original location when the town of Vernon, New York rejected their application.

On Thursday, several national outlets including Bloomberg and the New York Times reported producers of the event—including Michael Lang, one of the organizers of the 1969 festival—were hoping to shift Woodstock 50 to the Columbia venue.

In an email to Baltimore magazine, I.M.P. chairman Seth Hurwitz, owner of the 9:30 Club and The Anthem and operator of Merriweather Post Pavilion, said Woodstock 50 organizers had approached Merriweather about hosting the concert here in Columbia.

“The Woodstock folks are working on securing the artists now,” Hurwitz wrote. “If the bands come, we’ll produce the show. We’re looking forward to getting an update as soon as Woodstock 50 has one.”

In March, Lang had announced that the lineup for Woodstock 50 would include John Fogerty, who performed at the original festival with Credence Clearwater Revival, and other period performers including David Crosby, Santana, Robert Plant, Canned Heat, Hot Tuna, Country Joe McDonald. The lineup also featured big names such as Jay-Z, The Killers, Imagine Dragons, Chance the Rapper, and Miley Cyrus among others.

After the announcement of the switch to Columbia, Fogerty said he would perform at a smaller anniversary event not connected to Woodstock 50 near the festival’s original site at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, New York.

The Associated Press also reported that Jay-Z was pulling out of the concert. When the show was first announced, it was planned for the Watkins Glen racetrack in upstate New York, but when organizers failed to secure a mass gathering permit from the state Department of Health by June, the racetrack’s owners pulled out. By then, organizers were already feuding in court with former financial backer Dentsu Aegis.

“When we heard that there was an opportunity to save this festival and bring a piece of American history to our community this summer, we jumped at the chance,” Calvin Ball, the executive with Howard County, wrote in a note to Greg Peck, one of the organizers, according to reporting by Bloomberg. “Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia is a jewel of Howard County and one of the top music venues in the nation. It felt like such a natural fit to host a historic festival on our storied stage.”

Coinciding with the anniversary of Woodstock, a replica of the colorful VW touring bus of the 1960s’ Baltimore band Light—which became known as the “Light Bus” after photos of the bus at Woodstock made newspapers and magazines around the country—will be launched August 12 from the American Visionary Art Museum.

Woodstock wasn’t the only music festival in summer of ’69, of course, just the biggest. In fact, a few weeks prior—just 11 miles from Merriweather—the Laurel Race Course hosted the two-day Laurel Pop Festival, which included epic 1960s bands Led Zeppelin, Sly and the Family Stone, Jethro Tull, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, Johnny Winters, Jeff Beck, and the Guess Who.

Given the political division so evident in last year’s presidential election, there’s no better time to come together and celebrate the life of one legendary man who fought for equality, unity, and peace. Through music, dance, and many other mediums, these eight events help commemorate and immortalize some of Martin Luther King Jr.’s most important messages.

Films

SELMA
Jan. 9, Enoch Pratt Free Library, 1531 W. North Ave. 5 p.m. Jan. 18, Enoch Pratt Free Library, 3601 Eastern Ave. 12:30-7:30 p.m. This film depicts MLK Jr.’s violent and dangerous campaign through the South in 1965, a campaign that ended in a triumphant march on Selma.

RACE
Jan. 16. Carroll Arts Center, 91 W. Main St., Westminster. 1-3 p.m. In honor of MLK Day, see this 2016 film about African-American Olympic athlete Jesse Owens.

Festivals

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY
Jan. 16. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Celebrate MLK Day with guided tours, music, and special events throughout the day, with a birthday cake fit for a king.

MLK DAY CELEBRATION
Jan. 16. Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St. 12-4 p.m. Honor King’s legacy with family activities including crafts, a film screening, and dance performances by the Full Circle Dance Company.

Family

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. PARADE
Jan. 16. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. 12-2 p.m. See community bands, color guards, dance groups, civic organizations, steppers, floats, and more in this 17th annual parade.

THROWBACK THURSDAY: I HAVE A DREAM
Jan. 26. Enoch Pratt Free Library, 3601 Eastern Ave. 5:30 p.m. Give your full attention to this legendary speech, played aloud in its entirety.

Discussion

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. CELEBRATION
Jan. 12. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St. 5-8 p.m. The Baltimore Urban Debate League and Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle discuss King’s accomplishments with presentations, art making, and a ’60s-themed photo booth.

CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
Jan. 14. The Maryland Historical Society, 201 W. Monument St. 2 p.m. Prolific author, labor economist, and educator Julianne Malveaux presents the library’s commemorative annual lecture on MLK’s impactful career.

When Esther Nisenthal Krinitz left behind war-torn Poland in the summer of 1949, she had nothing left of the family she’d lost. Her parents, brother, and young sisters, along with the other Jewish families in her rural village, were told to report to a train station and never heard from again.

But Krinitz, 15 at the time, and her 13-year-old sister Maria managed to survive by posing at Polish farm girls and finding work in a nearby village where no one asked to see their papers. They had many memories—of Jewish holidays spent with family, quiet life among their crops and livestock, and playing together as a family —but nothing solid to pass along to tie future generations to their lost past.

According to Krinitz’s daughter, Bernice Steinhardt, her mother was always telling her story. But in 1977, when Krinitz was 50, she started showing it instead. The result is 36 embroidered pieces that are now the highlight of the American Visionary Art Museum’s latest exhibition, Esther and The Dream of One Loving Human Family. Krinitiz’s work depicts her childhood, escape from the Nazis, life in hiding, and journey to America, culminating in her final piece: a portrait of her first granddaughter. It’s also accompanied by a documentary about her life and a recreation of her home in Poland.

“What my mother was doing here was for the family,” says Steinhardt. “It was about the family she lost and for the family that she created. The fact that she was a grandmother, that was what my mother was all about. It was not about expressing herself artistically, although of course she did, it was about remembering her family for her family.”

The pieces are placed in conversation with works from international artists that demonstrate the danger of demonizing the “other,” with the goal of educating visitors on just how devastating the escalation of hatred can be. A “preamble” to Krinitz’s embroideries includes sewn works documenting the genocide of the Tutsi people in Rwanda and life under apartheid in South Africa, as well as painted, carved, and assembled works from Native American activist and artist Judy Tallwing.

“When you take away names or identifiers like Jewish, or Holocaust, or any ethnic group, religion, or color and you look at what the mechanisms of the campaign to permit a genocide or mass slaughter that is orchestrated with a purpose in mind were, it’s all one playbook,” says AVAM founder and director Rebecca Hoffberger.

Together, these art pieces from across the world share the perspective of the innocents whose lives are altered by hatred and warn of its dangers. Words, in the form of essays and quotes around the gallery, play just as big a role in the message, sharing wisdom and forgotten history relating to the need for peace and “one loving human family.”

Just days into its run, people have already traveled from as far as Ohio and New York for a chance to see this expanded collection of Krinitz’s intricate, emotional works, which originally premiered at AVAM in 2001. But there’s plenty of time to catch them in this new installation, which will stay on display through March 2024.

EAT

Feb. 16: Small Foods Party

American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. 7 p.m. Free-$15.

Whoever coined the term “the bigger, the better” clearly never attended a party supplied with a smorgasbord of bite-sized cupcakes, shrimp cocktails, and crab cake sandwiches. At this 14th annual bash-slash-competition, sample itty-bitty versions of your favorite foods (past standouts include mini matzo ball soup and cinnamon rolls). Or, if you’re confident in your shrunken cooking skills, enter your own petite picks to win the grand (and ironic) prize of a giant can of mini corn.

DRINK

Feb. 15-17: Max’s Belgian Beer Fest

737 South Broadway. 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Free.

According to Lyft, Max’s Taphouse was the most visited bar in Baltimore during 2018—and for good reason. During this annual beer fest, belly up to the bar and sample a selection of rare European pours that will join the pub’s usual 200-plus bottles and taps for the entire weekend. If you have one dubbel or tripel too many, no worries, the Fells Point favorite will be serving up Belgian-inspired snacks to soak up the suds.

SEE

Feb. 15-April 27: The Mother of Invention/ Amy Helminiak/ Ben Piwowar

School 33 Art Center, 1477 Light St. 6-9 p.m. Free.

If you’re a bit late to the Valentine’s Day party, but still looking for a cultural date to make up for it, you’re in luck. This Friday, School 33 Arts Center will unveil three new exhibitions: The Mother of Invention, a group exhibition of experimental video shorts that combines DIY digital and analog image manipulation, Modern Language, featuring emoji-inspired collages by Baltimore-based artist Amy Helminiak that explore communication in the digital age, and soft obstacle, an installation by local artist Ben Piwowar that combines drawing, painting, and structural strategies to evoke feelings of vulnerability and flux.

HEAR

Feb. 15: The Baltimore Rock Opera Society Pitch Party VII

The Crown, 1910 N. Charles St. 7-11 p.m. Free.

From their sci-fi comedy “The Terrible Secret of Lunastus” to this year’s Halloween extravaganza “Lurid Happenings: A Night of Mischief and Devilry,” the Baltimore Rock Opera Society always keeps its devoted local fans wanting more. This Saturday, help the beloved performance group chose their next fantastical production by watching two pitch presentations and then casting your vote for your favorite contender. After the ballots have been collected, stick around for a late-night dance party to celebrate another weird and wonderful rock opera in 2021.

DO

Feb. 17: Pinewood Derby

Union Craft Brewing, 1700 W. 41st St. 12-5 p.m. Free-$10.

Who said your Cub Scout training would never come in handy? While pinewood derby racing is a few decades past its heyday, Union Craft Brewing is keeping the good ol’ fashioned tradition alive through this annual contest that invites first-timers and seasoned racers alike to make a wooden toy car and run it down their 40-foot derby track. Whether you’re competing for style, speed, or cheering on your favorite car from the sidelines, be sure to grab a specialty slice from Well Crafted Kitchen’s carnival-themed menu and wash it down with a few Duckpins and Skipjacks.

Just three months after restaurateur Robbin Haas shuttered his neighborhood restaurant The Nickel Taphouse in Mt. Washington due to financial struggles, the chef has also closed Encantada, his whimsical brainchild on the third floor of the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM) in Federal Hill.

“You always have to look at the glass as half full,” Haas recently told us, in response to the rampant restaurant closures throughout the city. “Last year was a tough year, but every year can be kind of tough. You just have to keep pushing along and hopefully you do the right thing to get your customer count where it’s supposed to be.”

After four years, Haas and museum officials made the decision to close the restaurant to make way for another operator to take over the space. Though details have not yet been announced, the new concept is expected to emerge in the coming weeks.

“The third-floor restaurant space was always conceived as an extension of the spirit and visual delights found throughout our museum,” AVAM’s founder and director Rebecca Hoffberger said in a statement provided to Baltimore. “It’s literally a place to sit with people you love, ‘digest’ your visitor experience, and have fun immersed in deliciousness.”

With its fanciful fabrics, church pew seating, and Tim Burton aesthetic, Encantada was known for its modern design and outdoor patio overlooking the museum’s landmark whirligig by the late farmer and visionary artist Vollis Simpson.

“We dedicated our cafe to our beloved Baltimore farmer and master whirligig maker, and his wife, Jean,” Hoffberger adds. “It’s a perfect place to sit, drink, and watch it dance in the wind.”

In addition to the views, the spot was known for its contemporary takes on classic vegetable dishes—ranging from kale salads and crispy barbecue chickpeas to deviled turnips and Nashville cauliflower with vegan ranch. The bar also turned out colorful cocktails like the mesmerizing Cheshire Cat that changed hues as you drank it.

For now, diners can experience Haas’ locally sourced fare at Birroteca, his Italian-influenced spot in Hampden. Though it’s his only city restaurant left standing, Haas remains optimistic about the future.

“I’m excited about being in Baltimore—and I’m going to open more restaurants,” he told us earlier this month. “I’m not done. I’m just glad to be moving in a forward direction.”

EAT

Nov. 23-Dec. 24: Christmas Village in Baltimore

West Shore Park, 501 Light St. Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Free.

Save the leftover turkey and stuffing for another day and spend the rest of the weekend sampling authentic German fare at the annual Christmas Village. From grilled-to-order bratwurst and Bavarian burgers to sweet tooth staples like lebkuchen (German gingerbread) and strudels, this traditional holiday market is packed with enough German delicacies to pull you out of your post-Thanksgiving food coma. Don’t forget to snag holiday gifts like homemade hot sauce and marzipan on your way out.

DRINK

Nov. 23: Black Friday Celebration

Diamondback Beer, 1215 E. Fort Ave. 12-11 p.m. Free.

Whether you’re looking to get out of the house (aka away from your extended family) or need a reprieve from the Black Friday madness, Diamondback Beer has you covered. Stop by the Locust Point brewery for buck-a-shuck oysters, slices by BricknFire Pizza Company, and free-flowing pours of seasonal brews like Maple Thief, an oatmeal stout, and a Kolsch called Atmospheric Conditions. After warming up with a beer or two, head out to the patio to hear live music by local group Gene & Friends.

SEE

Nov. 24- Jan. 1, 2019: Miracle on 34th Street

700 W. 34th St. 5 p.m.-12 a.m. Free.

Although Hampden is known as a neighborhood that marches to the beat of its own drum (see Hampdenfest and Honfest), it does follow the unwritten rule against displaying holiday decorations and lights before Thanksgiving. But two nights later, the entire 700 block of West 34th Street will come alive with decked out digs and displays including illuminated Bohs, flamingos, crabs, and, of course, the famous hubcap tree. In this weird and wonderful Charm City tradition, join tons of locals and visitors alike in admiring the “most outrageous Christmas lights” in Maryland.

HEAR

Nov. 23: Joy Postell

Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. 9 p.m. $12.

We’ve been eagerly anticipating this powerful singer’s debut album since her first single, “Consciousness,” dropped more than two years ago, and it was well worth the wait. This Friday, hear this rising local artist perform brand-new tracks from her full-length album, Disapora, and experience how Postell’s fusion of jazz, soul, hip-hop, R&B, and spoken word creates a moving commentary on love, growth, and injustices faced by the African-American community. Be sure to get to Ottobar early to hear sets by noteworthy locals like rapper Butch Dawson, genre-bending artist Josh Stokes, hip-hop mainstay Al Rogers Jr., and singer-songwriter Bobbi Rush, as well as DJ sets by Loc Spice, Styles b0nd, and Jacob Marley.

DO

Nov. 23-24: Bazaart Holiday Art Market

American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. Fri. 12-6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Free.

Start the holiday season off right by supporting local artisans during the American Visionary Art Museum’s annual art market, featuring tons of one-of-a-kind items that make early-bird shopping special. Held on Small Business Saturday, the market will highlight original creations made by more than 40 regional artists such as paintings, textiles, and jewelry. After you’re shopped out, take a free tour of the acclaimed Jim Rouse Visionary Center.

For those who are parents and those who have been parented, the American Visionary Art Museum’s newest exhibition, Parenting: An Art Without a Manual offers a meditation on the role of role models, parental figures, and family—in all their shapes and sizes. From the warm and fuzzy to the nightmarish and traumatizing, the show is a contemplative, visual collection of stories on a theme, and it will most likely expand your definition of parenting.

It opens on Saturday and remains on view through September 1, 2019, in the nationally recognized museum in Federal Hill, with special events planned throughout its duration, including a free summit on March 24 that will bring together world-renowned speakers.

“Each year, we pick one grand theme that has always bedeviled or inspired humanity,” says Rebecca Hoffberger, the founding director of AVAM and co-curator of the show with Anna Gulyavskaya. “We’re all parenting, whether we choose to have children or not.”

As is usual with AVAM shows, Parenting is both visually and intellectually satisfying, with some of the most well-researched and thoughtful text you’re likely to see at an art exhibit. Statistics and the latest findings—on childhood trauma, parent-child attachment, grandparents becoming full-time parents because of the effects of the opioid epidemic, images of the developing brain, and more—as well as quotes witty and wise are posted throughout the gallery spaces to complement the visual art.

Bobby Adams’ powerful installation Models and Critics, for example, depicts his family—mother, father, and two children, one of whom is a young Bobby—on a couch. Their mannequin bodies are topped off with flat pieces of cardboard that display black-and-white photographs of their faces. Adams explains during a preview of the exhibition that his mother is in her nightgown, reading a book to his brother, while his father is dressed in nice clothes, having probably just gotten home from an evening of “womanizing,” and is yelling at Bobby, leather belt in hand. “My father always said I was stupid and called me a bastard,” he says in an emotional retelling of his childhood story to a crowd of journalists and exhibiting artists.

In another room, a long wall is dotted with several life-sized cutouts of a small child—each one with the same face but a different outfit. The work—Fifty Girls in Food Sack Dresses, by Linda St. John—explores the future of parenting and “designer babies,” while posing questions about what parenting will look like as people’s lifespans increase and families grow to include several generations.

And what would an AVAM show be without postcard images from Frank Warren, of Post Secret fame, or a piece by Baltimore’s beloved mosaic artist Loring Cornish, or the large spiritual work of Alex Grey? All of the above find their place in this show, alongside artists who have never been exhibited at AVAM until now.

Baltimore’s Chris Wilson makes his AVAM debut with a large abstract painting titled Momma’s Boy. Through it, he tells the story of his mother, who took her own life after struggling with drug and alcohol abuse, used as a coping mechanism to survive a horrific trauma. “In this painting, my brother and I attend Mom’s funeral,” he writes in the description of the piece. “I remain in the back because I am afraid to see my mother deceased. It was the hardest I’ve ever cried, so white tears are all over the canvas.”

Additional pieces explore surrogate parents, the father-daughter bond, children living in refugee and diaspora situations, and what it feels like to be an orphan.

A compelling sculpture by Allen David Christian called Piano Family: Adagio, Amarosa, and Bucky depicts three figures made of piano parts and is enhanced by a quote installed above it, from Michael Levine: “Having children makes you no more a parent than having a piano makes you a pianist.”

Les Miserables
Oct. 9-14. 12 N Eutaw St.. $54-199. Two years after the end of its second Broadway revival, this Tony Award-winning musical will come alive on the hallowed Hippodrome stage during a six-night stint in Baltimore. Rediscover the timeless story of love and redemption in this updated production presented by famed British producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh. With an iconic soundtrack, including “I Dreamed A Dream” and “On My Own,” and an intricate set inspired by creator Victor Hugo’s original artwork, this rendition of the timeless tale will leave audiences wishing the show lasted one day more.

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AVAM’s Parenting: An Art Without a Manual
Oct. 6-Sept. 1, 2019. American Visionary Museum, 800 Key Highway. Free-$10. The American Visionary Art Museum considers parenting to be “humanity’s most essential performance art,” and, for the next 11 months, will showcase work that explores the experience of parenting and being parented. This highly anticipated exhibition features a wide range of pieces by 36 artists, including locals such as Francisco Loza, Bobby Adams, and Chris Wilson (“Momas Boys,” pictured).

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Made in Baltimore: Short Film Festival
Oct. 6. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.. 7:30PM. $10. With hometown auteurs such as John Waters and Barry Levinson, this city certainly has film in its DNA. During this one-day extravaganza at the Creative Alliance in Highlandtown, celebrate the city’s up-and-coming directors, producers, editors, and actors with screenings of 12 short films that view the world through a uniquely Baltimore lens. Revel in the chance to view works by the next generation of area filmmakers and join fellow cinephiles to applaud the talented winners who take home the night’s top prizes.

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Doors Open Baltimore
Oct. 6-7. Location varies. 1PM. Free. For one weekend, get free access to more than 60 of Baltimore’s architectural wonders, along with lectures and guided tours of local historic structures and neighborhoods. During this fifth annual tradition, stop by tourist attractions such as The Star-Spangled Banner Flag House and the Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory, or delve into more recent, lesser-known additions such as the mid-century modern Highfield House landmark designed by architectural revolutionary Mies van der Rohe. Whether you stop into one spot or turn the building hop into your entire afternoon, take advantage of this weekend’s open-door policy and explore the city’s hidden gems.

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Baltimore Beer Week
Oct. 12-21. Location and prices vary. It’s no secret that Charm City’s beer scene has exploded over the past decade with more new breweries, beer-centric events, and homebrewers than ever before. During this nine-day celebration of all things hoppy and frothy, check out annual brew week events such as the Baltimore Beer Legends Hall of Fame at the Mt. Washington Tavern, the Maryland Brewers Big Wheel Race at Max’s Taphouse, and endless pairings, new releases, and tap takeovers across the city. Prices vary, baltimorebeerweek.com.

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Oysterfest
Oct. 13-14. 36 E Cross Street. Free-$100. As the oft-repeated quote goes, “He was a bold man that first ate an oyster.” The owners of Ryleigh’s are no strangers to the one-of-a-kind delicacy, and they’re hosting their 12th annual oyster festival just in time for the official start of the R-month season. Stop by the Federal Hill bar and restaurant for two days of al fresco local brews, live music, and tons of mouth-watering mollusks. Be sure to stick around to watch some of the region’s best shuckers compete in the annual competition on Saturday afternoon.

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Immigrant and Refugee Food Festival
Oct. 14. Canton Waterfront Park, 3001 Boston St.. $15. With the motto #BreakingBarriersByBreakingBread, this food festival celebrates the diversity of the city’s dining scene with dishes by some of the best immigrant and refugee chefs in Baltimore. Spend the afternoon at Canton Waterfront Park sampling authentic eats from local vendors such as Cocina Luchadoras, Man Vs. Pho, and Thai Street, listening to live performances by Madagascan band BeMaeva and DJ Nikilad, and catching an appearance by Maryland Democratic primary candidate Krish Vignarajah.

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Baltimore Running Festival
Oct. 20. $55-270. Lace up your sneakers for the city’s most anticipated race of the year. Whether you’re trying out the 5K or taking on the full marathon, join more than 17,000 runners in circling the city and seeing picture-perfect views of the waterfront along the way. For the first time in its 17 years, the finish line will be at the Inner Harbor, where participants and spectators alike can celebrate a successful run with food, drinks, music, and family-friendly activities.

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Maryland Science Center & Believe in Music Halloween 2018
Oct. 27. 601 Light St.. 8PM-1AM. $35-75. Halloween music doesn’t have to consist solely of “Thriller” and “Monster Mash,” and the Maryland Science Center and local nonprofit Believe In Music are hosting an all-out dance party to prove it. Across seven stages featuring Baltimore musicians, prepare to dance with headlining electronic artist Dan Deacon, sing along with folk legend Caleb Stine, rock out to post-punk group Natural Velvet, and wander throughout the center’s exhibits in your finest costume.

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The Great Halloween Lantern Parade and Festival
Oct. 27. Patterson Park at Eastern & Linwood Aves.. 3:30PM. Free. It’s not truly Halloween in Baltimore until this glow-in-the-dark spectacular takes over the hills of Patterson Park. Each year, on the last Saturday in October, the city green space transforms into a family-friendly festival, complete with lantern-making classes, hayrides, and local beers, followed by the sunset illuminated parade featuring artists, musicians, and dancers in a park-wide procession.

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As the dog days of summer give way to the crisp winds of fall, Baltimore’s art season kicks into full gear. Come September, theater seasons launch, galleries host their biggest shows, and an abundance of art-centric colleges and universities—including the renowned Maryland Institute College of Art and Peabody Conservatory—means a swelling of cultural and educational activities. Here, we round up our recommended events to catch from now through the end of 2018.

Kubrick 90: A Would-Be Birthday Retrospective
Through Dec. 2018. Parkway Theatre, 5 W. North Ave.
In honor of what would be Stanley Kubrick’s 90th birthday, the Parkway will screen a retrospective of work by the celebrated filmmaker, semi-chronologically, including classics such as Lolita, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Dr. Strangelove, Eyes Wide Shut, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Each film will play twice throughout the festival, and many will be presented on 35mm.

Baltimore Comedy Festival
Aug. 29-Sept. 3. Motor House, 120 W. North Ave.
More than 100 comedians from around the U.S. will be in town for the second Baltimore Comedy Festival, where Motor House will serve as headquarters and a performance venue for this five-day, citywide event.

The Institute of Visionary History and the Archives of the Deep Now
Sept.-Dec. The Peale Center, 225 Holliday St.
With the historical Peale Center as its backdrop, Submersive Productions will present its latest theatrical experience, featuring a different production each month. It will culminate with a December shadow performance themed around a 1980s movie set in pre-World War II Germany.

The Thing is Close
Aug. 31-Sept. 29. School 33 Art Center, 1427 Light St.
Cindy Cheng and Jackie Milad will present work in a two-person exhibit that examines identity and home. Cheng creates sculptural installations that reference the interior of her parents’ house in Hong Kong, with meditations on the importance of particular objects within the space. Milad’s work on paper explores ethnic backgrounds through actual and invented symbols associated with her Egyptian and Honduran heritage

Baltimore Taxidermy Open
Sept. 6. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St.
The Walters Art Museum’s Chamber of Wonders houses treasures from around the world, among them taxidermied birds, beasts, and reptiles. But only during this annual event does the museum play host to an array of contemporary taxidermy artists (the term “taxidermy” is used loosely in this context) alongside these antique ones for a pop-up exhibit and taxidermy competition.

DOS-à-DOS
Sept. 7-30. Hamilton Gallery, 5502 Harford Rd.
Baltimore artists L. Nef’fahtiti Partlow-Myrick and Jenny O’Grady, who met as students in the Creative Writing and Publishing Arts master’s program at the University of Baltimore, exhibit a collection of their art books, made from a variety of materials both traditional and unorthodox. The show’s title references a bookbinding technique that ties together two text blocks with a shared spine—that spine being the MFA program in this context.

Survival Bias
Sept. 8-29. Current Space, 421 N. Howard St.
This two-person exhibition of sculptures, wall works, and video by Brittany De Nigris and Adam Milner investigates what defines the immediate present and how things are often an accumulation of past subjects, places, and times. The show’s title is based on the term “survivorship bias,” which describes how our history is shaped, in part, by the artifacts that survive.

Putin On Ice (That Isn’t The Real Title of This Show)
Sept. 12-Oct. 7. Single Carrot Theatre, 2600 N. Howard St.
A mix of fable, melodrama, and theater, the satirical Putin on Ice elevates the man to myth, from dictator to deity, in a collaboration between theater companies Single Carrot and The ACME Corporation.

Balancing Act: Paintings, Drawings, Collages. Works by Joseph Paul Cassar
Sept. 12-Oct. 20, artist talk from 4-6 p.m. Oct. 13. Y:ART Gallery, 3402 Gough St.
Art historian, author, and artist Joseph Paul Cassar will show recent drawings in ink and pastel, paper cutouts, collage, and acrylic on canvas.

Repurposed with Purpose: Meaning in the Materials of Making
Sept. 20-Nov. 10. Maryland Art Place, 218 W. Saratoga St.
This large group exhibit, curated by former Baltimore Museum of Art director Doreen Bolger, nudges viewers to look deeper into pieces and think about the materials used and why, what statement they make, and whether they are a reflection of the artist’s personal story or have a broader significance.

Lovelight Yoga and Arts Festival
Sept. 21-24. Pearlstone Conference & Retreat Center, 5425 Mount Gilead Road, Reisterstown.
Music, art installations, and lots of yoga and meditation will be held in a serene, natural setting at the annual Lovelight Festival in Reisterstown, featuring Krishna Das and Rising Appalachia, among others, plus more than 40 classes and workshops.

Mark Bradford: Tomorrow is Another Day
Sept. 23, 2018-March 3, 2019. Opening Celebration, 1-5 p.m. Sept. 23. Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr.
This major exhibition by renowned contemporary artist Mark Bradford will bring together work he showed at the 2017 Venice Biennale and a new site-specific installation. The Los Angeles-based artist explores themes from his personal life, black identity, Greek mythology, and the universe through mixed-media works, abstract paintings, and video.

Fades and Fellowship Barbershop Stories
Sept. 28. Motor House, 120 W. North Ave.
Baltimore-based theater troupe Fades & Fellowship brings black barbershop culture to the stage. Not only does the cast of actual barbers perform the conversations and stories—true and embellished—as overheard in barbershops, but they finish the show by giving a few lucky audience members haircuts onstage.

High Zero
Sept. 28-29. Theatre Project, 45 W Preston St.
Experimental music in all its glory will be performed during this two-day festival by musicians who will expand your definition of music and instruments. Performers include Wendel Patrick, Ada Pinkston, Neil Feather (who plays invented instruments), Carrie Fucile (who plays objects and cassettes), Orlando Johnson (who plays found objects), and several others.

Baltimore Book Festival
11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sept. 28-30. Baltimore Inner Harbor.
The annual Baltimore Book Festival along the Inner Harbor is a free, three-day celebration of the written and spoken word, featuring presses from indie to university and every genre imaginable. Hundreds of authors will participate in readings, talks, book signings, panels, and workshops, and more than 100 exhibitors and booksellers will line the Inner Harbor Promenade, from the Inner Harbor Amphitheater to Rash Field. Highlights this year: authors A.J. Jacobs, April Ryan, Bill Whitaker, Jonathan Abrams, Carol Anderson, D. Watkins, Nic Stone, Tim Junkin, and Wayétu Moore, plus numerous stages and tented areas, including Tablers Tent, Charm City Comic Pavilion, CityLit Stage, Food for Thought Stage, Ivy Bookshop Stage, Literary Salon, Maryland Romance Writers’ Stage, Red Emma’s Radical Books Pavilion, Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America Stage, and a music stage.

Chinese Snuff Bottles
Sept. 30-Dec. 9. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St.
Chinese snuff bottles—historically used to hold a medicinal blend of tobacco, spices, and herbs and worn around the neck—were not only intriguing and practical pieces but also intricate works of art. The Walters will exhibit nearly 250 snuff bottles made from stone, glass, porcelain, ivory, lacquer, enamel, and precious metals. The show coincides with the 50th annual Convention of the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society, which will be held in Baltimore in October.

Afro Punk Ballet
Oct. 4-6. The Peale Museum, 225 Holliday St.
This sci-fi, futuristic ballet opera is the second in a trilogy produced by Afro House. As the story goes, mad scientist Levi created a second sun that is drying up the lands and bringing the nation’s inhabitants to near extinction. His descendants are left with his mess to clean up.

Parenting: An Art Without a Manual
Oct. 6, 2018-Sept. 1, 2019. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy.
AVAM’s next annual mega-exhibit is a meditation on the art of parenting—from cultural wisdom to scientific breakthroughs in cognitive and behavioral research. Work by three dozen artists will incorporate a wide spectrum of media and styles, such as Allen Christian’s life-sized torso sculptures of Mother, Father, and Child made from antique piano parts; Leon Borensztein’s black-and-white photos documenting his daughter, who was born legally blind; and a group of women who sewed their fathers’ old ties into hexagonal assemblages and provided six-word stories to accompany them.

John Waters: Indecent Exposure
Oct. 7, 2018-Jan. 6, 2019. Opening Celebration, 1-5 p.m. Oct. 7; Artist Conversation with John Waters and Senior Curator Kristen Hileman, 6 p.m. Nov. 1. Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr.
Enter the wonderfully absurd world of John Waters in this retrospective exhibition of photos, video clips, early films, photocopied drawings, and sculpture from the legendary Baltimore filmmaker. The artist’s penchant for black humor is evidenced in the more than 160 pieces he has made since the early 1990s that criticize, dramatize, and exploit popular culture and celebrate the LGBTQ and other marginalized communities.

Open Studio Tour
10 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 13-14. Assorted venues citywide.
More than 100 artists open their studio doors across the city for this two-day, self-guided tour, where visitors can watch the artists in their element and talk with them about their work.

A Charmed Life
Oct. 13-Nov. 24. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.
This retrospective of more than 130 photographs will span Jim Burger’s 30-plus years as a photojournalist with The Baltimore Sun and City Paper. Burger will present an illustrated talk of his life’s work from 7:30-8:30 p.m. on Nov. 8 to coincide with the exhibit.

Leonard Bernstein’s Mass
7:30 p.m. Oct. 26. New Psalmist Baptist Church, 6020 Marian Dr.
This massive theatrical spectacle, conducted by Baltimore Symphony Orchestra director Marin Alsop, will feature hundreds of Baltimore performers—Peabody Conservatory instrumentalists, singers, and dancers; Preparatory students including members of the Peabody Children’s Chorus; and others from the community including the Morgan State University Choir and students from the Baltimore School for the Arts. The show is loosely based on a Catholic Mass and uses song and dance to raise questions about faith.

Charm City Fringe Festival
Nov. 1-11. Various venues in the Bromo Arts District.
Experimental theater and performance art will be highlighted in this 11-day festival that brings performers from across the continent to Baltimore for more than 90 performances in theater, comedy, dance, crankies, film, and more.

Romare Bearden: Vision and Activism
Nov. 10, 2018-March 3, 2019. Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St.
Romare Bearden is considered one of the most important and influential artists of the 20th century. As an artist, educator, scholar, writer, songwriter, and social activist, he examined race through his work: paintings, editorial cartoons in the Baltimore Afro-American newspaper, collages, and other artwork. More than 50 of his pieces will be displayed at this major exhibition.

A Wonder in My Soul
Nov. 29-Dec. 26. Baltimore Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St.
Set in a Baltimore beauty shop, this story of friendship and community confronts the issues of gentrification and crime as its co-owners decide whether or not to move the shop.

Violinist Joshua Bell
8 p.m. Nov. 30, 3 p.m. Dec. 2. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St.
Joshua Bell, one of the most celebrated violinists of his era, with appearances on The Tonight Show and Amazon’s Mozart in the Jungle, will perform Dvorák’s romantic Violin Concerto under the baton of Romanian conductor Cristian Măcelaru.

Alice Gadzinski
Dec. 7, 2018-Jan. 12, 2019. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.
Baltimore sculptor Alice Gadzinski was a resident artist at the Creative Alliance when she passed away earlier this year from cancer. In honor of her creative spirit, the art center is hosting an exhibit of work she made at the Creative Alliance, as well as never-before-seen pieces.

Black Nativity
Dec. 7-30. Motor House, 120 W. North Ave.
Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity, a musical originally performed Off-Broadway in 1961, is a retelling of the Nativity story with an entirely black cast. The show, presented in Baltimore by ArtsCentric, includes Hughes’ poetry as well as traditional Christmas carols sung gospel-style.

 EAT

May 5: Papi’s Cinco In The City

Central Plaza at Harbor Point, 1310 Point St. 12-7 p.m. $10.50-70.68. 410-299-8480. 

Since this Fells Point taco joint opened its doors in 2014, Papi’s annual Cinco de Mayo event has been a can’t-miss fiesta filled with salt-rimmed margaritas and Mexican street fair-inspired bites. This year, Papi’s is raising the bar with an all-day celebration at Harbor Point, featuring live Latin music from Mambo Combo and Zakke Latin Fusion Band, taco-eating contests, and even a live donkey. Along with Papi’s signature street tacos, nachos, and elote, nosh on Alexander Tavern’s Mexican-inspired tot-chos and baja chicken sliders at this inaugural festival.

 DRINK

May 5: Kentucky Derby Block Party

The Chasseur, 3328 Foster Ave. 12-8 p.m. $10. 410-327-6984. 

The 143rd Preakness Stakes is only two weeks away, but if you can’t wait until then to get your horse-racing fix, head to this Canton corner bar to celebrate “the greatest two minutes in sports.” The Chasseur is pulling out all the boozy stops for its fifth annual derby block party, including brewery tents and trucks from local favorites like Union Craft, Waverly Brewing, and Monument City, as well as a vodka bomb special and a mint julep bar for something a little stronger. Snack on eats from local food stands (featuring sweets from Cream Cruiser and Balti’Marons) and catch live music performances by bluesy band Ricky Wise & The Dirty Unit, as well as DJ AYYYE ONE, AstroSquid, and Victims of Experiences.

 SEE

May 5: Kinetic Sculpture Race

American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Free. 410-244-1900. 

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the American Visionary Art Museum’s weird and wonderful event that challenges contestants to race handmade, human-powered sculptures through 14 miles of land, water, and mud. Watch from the sidewalk (we recommend braving the crowds for a spot at Canton Waterfront Park or Patterson Park) as these motorized works of art, decorated to fit the theme “Mysteries & Tall Tales,” compete for awards like “Worst Honorable Mention” and “Grand Mediocre Champion.”

 

 HEAR

May 5: Mini Masquerade Ball

Modell Performing Arts Center at The Lyric, 140 Mt. Royal Ave. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Free-$17. 410-704-8938.

Just when we thought WTMD’s kiddie concert series, Saturday Morning Tunes, couldn’t get any cuter, they throw a masquerade-themed party packed with enough music and entertainment to leave their pint-sized listeners (and their parents) ready for a nap by noon. This Saturday, bring the kiddos to the Lyric to hear a family-friendly set by the Bachelor Boys Band, dance with a hula-hooping stilt walker, and design colorful masks to wear during the party.

 DO

May 4-5: FlowerMart

Mount Vernon Square, 699 Washington Pl. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Free. 410-274-5353.

Before the clouds roll in this weekend, head to Mt. Vernon Place for this beloved springtime celebration filled with flowers, colorful hats, and classic lemon peppermint sticks. At this 107th annual festival, kick off spring in the city with arts and crafts vendors, live music and entertainment, and plenty of Bawlmer-style eats like Maryland crab cakes and pit beef sandwiches. Stick around on Saturday to see the parade of pets dressed in their best spring outfits and the annual maypole dance.

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

 EAT

March 17: St. Paddy’s Day Block Party at Parts & Labor

Parts & Labor, 2600 N. Howard St. 11 a.m. Free. 443-873-8887. 

From the takeoff of new businesses and foodie spots (think R. House and Clavel) to the announcement of the first-ever Remfest in May, Remington continues to blend its rich neighborhood history with its bold plans for the future. This weekend, two of the area’s mainstays are teaming up to celebrate the greenest day of the year with Irish classics like corned beef and Shepherd’s Pie from beloved butcher shop Parts & Labor and Old Oriole Park suds from Peabody Heights Brewery. Get to the shop early for beat-the-clock beer specials (beers start at 25 cents at 11 a.m., then increase to 50 cents at noon, and so on until 4 p.m.) and spend the afternoon devouring happy hour-priced snack specials around the fire pit.

 DRINK

March 17: Official Rye Whiskey Release Party

The Baltimore Whiskey Company, 2800 Sisson St. 1-5 p.m. Free. 443-687-9099. 

Since opening its doors in 2015, The Baltimore Whiskey Company has been preparing for the official return of rye whiskey distilling to Baltimore. And now, after three years of aging, the Remington-based company will release its first batch of Epoch Straight Rye to commemorate the first rye whiskey made in Baltimore in more than 50 years. With feature notes of clove, vanilla, honey, cinnamon, and tropical fruit, try this 100-proof spirit at its release party on Saturday, accompanied by eats from Well Crafted Pizza and Sugarvale.

 SEE

March 17: Torrey Smith Family Fund Charity Basketball Game

Royal Farms Arena, 201W. Baltimore St. 6:30 p.m. $15-100. 410-347-2006. 

NFL wide receiver Torrey Smith will wear a Carolina Panthers jersey next season, but after being drafted from the University of Maryland in 2011 and helping The Baltimore Ravens win a Super Bowl title in 2012, we’ll always claim him as one of our own. This Saturday, Smith and a group of his former and current teammates will return to Baltimore for the eighth annual charity basketball game to support his foundation, The Torrey Smith Family Fund, which benefits local after-school and teen mentoring programs. Watch these pro-football stars show off their basketball skills and enjoy giveaways and live entertainment during halftime.

 

 HEAR

March 17: Zip Into The Yellow Light

The Motor House, 120 W. North Ave. 8 p.m. $7-12. (410) 637-8300. 

Since his early years on the Baltimore club scene, Abdu Ali has hustled to create spaces—like live performances and DIY collectives—for marginalized members of the music community. This weekend, following the release of “DaWon” from his upcoming FIYA!!! mixtape, Ali will headline “Zip Into The Yellow Light,” a performance dedicated to using music as a transportation device into a metaphysical abyss where othered people can access every entity needed to fully live as themselves. International DJ BEARCAT, instrumental rock quartet Horse Lords, and legendary local voguer Marquis Revlon will open the show before Ali debuts new music on The Motor House stage.

 DO

March 16: TRÖEG-A Toga Party

American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. 8-11 p.m. $25-30. 410-244-1900.

It’s like that party from the movie Animal House, but with Tröegs beer, better snacks, and handmade crafts. This Friday, don your best bedsheet and head to the AVAM for a night of toga-filled fun to benefit the upcoming Kinetic Sculpture Race. After hitting the dance floor and sampling snacks from local restaurants like Encantada and Handlebar Café, make a keepsake craft using Tröegs Independent Brewing’s bottle caps, labels, and packaging. Don’t forget to enter to win killer raffle prizes like a behind-the-scenes tour of Oriole Park at Camden Yards and gift cards to places like Thames Street Oyster House and Race Pace Bicycles.

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

 EAT

March 3: Small Foods Party

American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. 7-10:30 p.m. Free-$10 410-244-1900.

You might not know this, but tiny food videos became a viral phenomenon a few years back, with the American Visionary Art Museum launching its annual Small Foods Party here in Baltimore in 2006. On Saturday night, this beloved fête returns for the 12th year with even tinier versions of everything from thumbnail-sized tacos to scaled-down TV dinners. Enter your own minuscule meals to be judged by guests, or spend the evening tasting your way through the smorgasbord of petite picks. And, of course, stick around to see which amateur chef wins an ironically giant can of mini corn.

 DRINK

March 3: Old Line Spirits One Year Anniversary and Rum Release Party

Old Line Spirits, 200 S. Janney St. 12-6 p.m. Free. 443-961-3199.

Since Old Line Spirits opened its doors in Highlandtown last February, the distillery has gained a loyal local following for its flagship and experimental whiskeys. After all, they’re carrying on the Land of Pleasant Living tradition of making the bodacious brown spirit. This Saturday, celebrate the distillery’s first birthday with a boozy brunch party featuring their newest single malt cask-finished rum that’s been aged for months in former whiskey barrels in both the tropics and their own casks. In their open tasting room, enjoy it straight or mixed in cocktails by Sugarvale, and soak it all up with Dooby’s egg sandwiches and brioche doughnuts from Sundays.

 SEE

March 3: Viva Brasil Carnival Dance Party

Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. 7:30-11:30 p.m. $15-18. 410-276-1651. 

For one night only, the Creative Alliance will transform its hallowed Highlandtown arts haven into a vibrant Brazilian Carnival. At this 12th annual hip-shaking party, watch in awe as dancers in glittering costumes and feathered headdresses put on a full performance in celebration of this annual South American tradition that’s been dubbed the Mardis Gras of the Southern Hemisphere, and then try out your own dance moves with lesson to live Samba and forro music. If the Brazilian food and Caipirinha cocktails (Brazil’s sweet and sour national drink) don’t convince you to book a trip to Rio, you can at least look forward to the CA’s party next year. 

 HEAR

March 2: Outcalls, HexGirlfriends, North by North, Eyas

The Bun Shop, 40 W. Chesapeake Ave. 9 p.m. Free. 410-989-2033. 

This Friday night, head to The Bun Shop not just for delicious Roti buns and Vietnamese coffee but also live music by local artists, including baroque-pop duo Outcalls and electrofemme punk duo HexGirlfriends. Chicago’s North by North will be there, too, as will Washington State’s Eyas, but you’ll be there to hear up-and-coming hometown talent. Using their classical opera backgrounds, powerful pipes, and shimmering synth melodies, Outcalls’ Britt Olsen-Ecker and Melissa Wimbish produce an unlikely harmonic sound that’s all their own, while HexGirlfriends’ Hannah Holt and Sondra Boyle swing between glitchy slow jams and rebellious rock songs. If you can’t make the show, be sure to keep both on your radar.

 DO

March 4: Baltimore Bartenders Guild’s “Ryes Up”

Kimpton Hotel Monaco, 2 N. Charles St. 5-8 p.m. $75-100. 443-692-6170.

As we mentioned above, rye whiskey has deep roots in Maryland, so it couldn’t be more fitting than to use the amber-colored spirit to bring all corners of the city together for a can’t-miss party in support of a great cause. This weekend, at the seventh annual cocktail competition, beat the Sunday blues with a sampling of 20 rye-inspired craft concoctions made by some of the city’s top bartenders to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. (If you’re not one to revel in dark liquor, don’t worry: There will be wine, non-whiskey spirits, and Diamondback beers in tow.) Vote for your favorite drink, dance to music by Save Your Soul’s DJ Rob Macy, and ward off the impending headache with tasty bites from 15 local restaurants like Pen & Quill and Cunningham’s.

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

 EAT

Feb. 10: Clues, Brews and BBQs

Blue Pit BBQ & Whiskey Bar, 1601 Union Ave. 5-8 p.m. Free. 443-948-5590. 

It might be the dead of winter, but nothing will warm your heart like downing a plate of Blue Pit’s coffee-rubbed brisket or bourbon-glazed ribs to support local rescue pups. This Saturday, Hampden’s dog-friendly bar will donate 10 percent of your final bill to Baltimore Bully Crew, a grassroots organization that helps rescued pit bulls. Come for the melt-in-your-mouth barbecue and local brews and stay for the themed escape game from Charm City Clue Room, where participants will solve a short series of puzzles to “save” a stuffed blue pit bull.

 DRINK

To Feb. 9: Sip & Shine

American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. 6-9 p.m. $30-35. 410-244-1900.

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and what’s more romantic than a night filled with wine, a scavenger hunt, and mosaic magnets? Nothing, really. The American Visionary Art Museum’s twist on a sip-and-paint night lets guests compete in an after-hours scavenger hunt through The Great Mystery Show, their current exhibit on mystical investigations and curious subjects. Grab another glass of wine or beer and dive into the museum’s treasure chest of craft supplies to make a take-home mosaic magnet for you and your valentine.

 SEE

Feb. 9-11: Constellations & Crossroads

Arena Players, 801 McCulloh St. Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 5 p.m. $20. 410-728-6500. 

In a theatrical collaboration like no other, Arena Players, Baltimore’s historic African-American community theatre, and Baltimore Rock Opera Society, the city’s rock theater powerhouse, present Constellations & Crossroads, a double-feature production filled with American history and live rock music. “Determination of Azimuth” follows the story of Katherine Johnson, a black NASA mathematician who performed calculations that made space flight possible. The second musical, “The Battle of Blue Apple Crossing,” depicts a fictionalized account of the legendary blues guitarist Robert Johnson. If you miss the first three shows, don’t worry, they’ll be back on the West Baltimore stage again next weekend.

 HEAR

Feb. 10: Roses

Showroom Café & Bar, 120 W. North Ave. 9 p.m. $8-10. 410-862-0930. 

We’ve watched them grow and rise in the local music scene over the past few years, and this weekend some of Baltimore’s up-and-coming artists are giving a little love back to their city. Micah E. Wood, Joy Postell, Al Rogers Jr., and Bobbi Rush will serenade the Saturday night crowd at Station North’s Showroom with their heartfelt energies and a performance that is sure to sweep you off your feet. Lose yourself in Wood’s trademark talk-sing, fall for Postell’s neo-soul rhythms, admire Rogers Jr.’s honest rap, and relish in Rush’s dreamy melodies. If you need a preview, follow The Big Baltimore Playlist on Spotify where we’ve featured our favorite songs by these talented artists.

 DO

Feb. 10: Frederick Douglass Day

Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St. 12-4 p.m. Free. 443-263-1800.

Among the many legends born in the Baltimore region, few are more revered than Frederick Douglass. Raised on a plantation on the Eastern Shore, the freed slave turned iconic abolitionist became one of the country’s most widely-read authors and famed orators. Throughout his lifetime, he preached about universal human rights, educated other slaves, and became the first African American to receive a nominating vote for president. Celebrate his 200th birthday and honor his historic legacy at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum this Saturday with lectures by historians Dr. John Stauffer and Dr. Lawrence Jackson, readings of Douglass’s speeches by history re-enactors, and a children’s art and story hour with illustrator London Ladd.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH AT THE B&O
2/1-28. B&O Railroad Museum, 901 W. Pratt St. Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free-$20. Learn about the historic contributions of African Americans to the United States railroad industry.

FREEDOM: EMANCIPATION QUILTED & STITCHED
TO 2/28. Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St. Wed.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 12-5 p.m. Free-$8. This new exhibit features documentary-style story quilts that honor the lives and legacies of people of color in Maryland.

AFRICAN AMERICANS WHO SERVED DURING WARTIME
2/10. Benjamin Banneker Historical Park & Museum, 300 Oella Ave., Catonsville. 1:30-3 p.m. Free. Celebrate two decades of the park and commemorate Banneker relatives who served during times of war.

JOHNS HOPKINS BLACK HISTORY MONTH STUDENT COMPETITION & EXHIBITION
2/24-3/4. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. Tues.-Sat. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Free. Southeast Baltimore students showcase artworks inspired by and featuring historical black figures.

VISIONARY ARTISTS OF COLOR
2/14. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Free-$15.95. In honor of Frederick Douglass’ 200th birthday, enjoy a self-guided tour through the art museum’s collection to view works by African Americans and other artists of color.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH TEEN LISTENING PARTY
2/6-27. Enoch Pratt Free Library, 3601 Eastern Ave. Tues. 3-4 p.m. Free. Throughout the month, young adults can listen to the works of celebrated black authors.

CIRQUE ZUMA ZUMA WITH TRADITIONAL AFRICAN DANCE
2/15. Goucher College, 1021 Dulaney Valley Rd., Towson. 10:15 a.m. & 12 p.m. $9. This lively performance includes music, dance, and acrobatics to create an African-style Cirque du Soleil.

TELL THEM WE ARE RISING
2/18. Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St. 2 p.m. Free. During this documentary film screening, learn about the pivotal role historically black colleges and universities have played in American history.

I HAVE A DREAM: THE LIFE & TIMES OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
2/22. Goucher College, 1021 Dulaney Valley Rd., Towson. 10:15 a.m. & 12 p.m. $9. Performance artists present this biographical dramatization about the legendary civil rights leader.

ANNAPOLIS AFRICAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE TOUR
2/17. City Dock, Annapolis. 1-3 p.m. Free-$20. Explore the history and culture of Maryland’s African-American community through this guided walking tour.

FREDERICK DOUGLASS PATH TO FREEDOM WALKING TOURS
TO 9/3. 800 S. Broadway. Times vary. $7-15. These guided walking tours take history buffs through the iconic abolitionist’s life in Fells Point.

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your holiday weekend.

 EAT

Jan. 6: For the Greater Goods Market

R. House, 301 W. 29th St. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. 

Two years ago, Liz Vayda of B. Willow launched a monthly craft market to benefit local charities and support small businesses. So far, it’s been a big success, bringing Baltimore artisans together while giving back to those in need. This Saturday, catch their first market of 2018, benefitting Back on My Feet Baltimore, a running program that helps individuals who are experiencing homelessness. While you’re there, eat through the Remington food hall’s stalls or indulge in small batch, handmade goods available for sale by area vendors. Some of our favorites include WOOT! Granola’s almond-lavender and coffee-cacao granola mixes, The Velvet Chocolatier’s creamy caramel cups, and Le Monade’s artisanal drinks.

 DRINK

Jan. 7: Yoga & Whiskey

Sagamore Spirit, 301 E. Cromwell St. 10-11:30 a.m. $20.

The yoga-beer trend took off last year, but during the cold days ahead, you might prefer a darker spirit—whiskey. If that’s up your alley, head to Port Covington for a CorePower Yoga session at the newly opened Sagamore Spirit Distillery. Inhale the vanilla and cinnamon smells of rye as you move through vinyasa flows led by a local instructor. After your last ohm, tour the 22,000-square-foot building and sample their signature whiskey. Attendees will also receive a 20-percent discount to Rye Street Tavern so you can replenish your energy with post-workout brunch.

 SEE

Jan. 6: Cut, Copy, Paste: It’s Not What You Think.

Terrault, 218 W. Saratoga St. 7-10 p.m. Free.

It’s true that you can find beauty in almost everything—even cut up yoga mats and polyurethane foam. See it for yourself at the opening reception of Terrault’s first exhibition of the year, Cut, Copy, Paste: It’s Not What You Think. Featuring works by Baltimore-based Alex Ebstein and Brooklyn native Leah Guagdanoli, this Bromo Arts District exhibit highlights the mastery of mixed media and unfamiliar art forms. Browse Ebstein’s bold yoga mat paintings and abstract installations, as well as Guagdanoli’s 3D constructions inspired by the ’80s, ’90s, and Art Deco. 

 HEAR

Jan. 6: Amazing Bill with Outcalls and Petunia

Metro Gallery, 1700 N. Charles St. 8 p.m. $10.

The bomb cyclone may have slammed the East Coast this week, but Amazing Bill is the cure for your winter blues. In Station North, lead singer Will Lederer, who doubles as the guitarist of vintage-soul band Bosley (and triples as husband of Baltimore’s office manager, Sarah), performs funky, feel-good, indie-pop tunes off his new album, Glitzy Golden. But expect a full night of amazing music with a killer lineup featuring electronic opera queens Britt Olsen-Ecker and Melissa Wimbish of Outcalls, kicking things off with their dreamy vocals and alt-baroque sound, as well as Philly’s three-piece Petunia with their “pinball rock” tunes.

 DO

Jan. 6: Beaded Beasts

American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. 1-4 p.m. $5-20.95.

This new year, there’s no need to reinvent your whole self. Instead, embrace your creative side and explore a new craft. On Saturday, drop by the American Visionary Art Museum to participate in their first weekend walk-in workshop, part of the AVAM classroom’s monthly art-making series. Channel your inner artist as you follow a step-by-step lesson on how to make your own mosaic cat or dog (think Nancy Josephson’s shiny Gallery-A-Go-Go Bus parked outside of the museum’s main entrance). All supplies will be provided, including decorative beads, sequins, rhinestones, and other micro bling, so just come with an open mind and bedazzle away the afternoon. 

“I cannot see you and I cannot see the sculpture,” blind South Korean balloon artist HongSeok Goh told the crowd gathered at the American Visionary Art Museum hours after he recently completed a massive, four days-long balloon installation—more than 20 feet long and 15 feet tall—inside the museum’s warehouse barn. “But it makes my heart pump harder.”

Making his first installation in the U.S., Goh said that his work was inspired by AVAM’s current mega exhibition, The Great Mystery Show. He described his piece as a metaphor for the universe, envisioning and building a bold, enormous elephant standing over a sprawling tortoise. The vastness of the universe is represented by the immense elephant, Goh explained, and the passage of time by the slow-moving, imperturbable turtle.

The four colors of the legs of the elephant—red, blue, white, and black—highlight the colors of his country’s flag. A dragon’s head and gaping mouth perched at the end of its trunk symbolizes the human imagination.

Goh arrived in Baltimore with his wife and a small team of assistants, whom he calls his “Korean Balloon Avengers,” courtesy of a South Korean grant. They went an extra mile or two to keep the sculpture up for several weeks, literally inflating a balloon inside each balloon, adding a sealant as well. Goh said through an interpreter that he slept just two to three hours a night to complete the project .

One reason he likes to make balloon sculptures, Goh says, is that his works are inevitably temporary, and the process of inflating air into something beautiful that slowly fades away signifies “the ephemeral life of all things and the greater cycle of Nature.” Another reason is that his pieces make the air that surrounds people—which they cannot see, as he cannot see—suddenly visible.

Goh was also helped by Los Angeles-based balloon artist Addi Somekh, who has been twisting balloons for 26 years. “This is not normal ballooning,” Somekh said. “He’s had to invent new ways of doing things out of necessity and it is incredibly precise and sophisticated. And make no mistake, he is doing the work and directing us,” Somekh added. “He goes from the intricate work of the dragon’s head to the rear of the elephant and knows just where everything is. It is not like he’s partially sighted, either. I’ve seen him ask his wife a question and watch her make a few lines in the palm of his hand, but that’s it.”

As a teenager, Goh contracted a virus that began to destroy the optical nerves in his eyes. Now 46, he has been blind for almost 25 years. As a young man, he described himself as athletic, an avid baseball player, soccer player, and cyclist with no artistic training or interest. “I began to twist balloons when I was 28, so I could have a job to do for the rest of my life.”

The installation is expected to remain up this week and next inside AVAM’s Anita Roddick Tall Sculpture Barn.

The Lion King
Nov. 16-Dec. 10. The Hippodrome Theater, 12 N Eutaw St. Tues.-Sun. 1 p.m.-8 p.m. Prices vary. Hakuna matata. Whether you sang it as a kid or to your tots, who can forget belting out these words along with Timon and Pumbaa as scenes of Africa and its animal kingdom crossed the silver screen? The Lion King was a childhood dream, in the heyday before kids’ movies became overcomplicated by too much computer animation and 3D. Since 1997, Julie Taymor’s record-shattering stage interpretation has hauled in millions of viewers and heaps of awards to make it the third-longest running show on Broadway. It’s been 20 years since the original cast graced the stage in gigantic animal head costumes and intricate patterns of bright body paint, but the show has proved its staying power, still churning out about $2 million in sales each week and nabbing the title of highest-grossing show in history. This month, see what all the hype is about when The Lion King comes to Baltimore for some 30 performances at the Hippodrome. From November 16 to December 10, bring your young ones—in age or at heart—and let the show transport you to the savanna as you sing along to all those beloved songs. We know you remember the lyrics.

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Baltimore Voices
Nov. 1-3. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. Wed.-Fri. 10 & 11:30 a.m. Free-$6.50. 410-783-8000. From its outdoor community concerts to the BSO Pulse series, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra has been upping the ante when it comes to celebrating our homegrown musical talent. This month, the symphony highlights city voices during its mid-week educational concert, featuring beatboxer Shodekeh, hip-hop collective Baltimore Boom Bap Society, and the co-founders of WYPR’s Out of the Blocks podcast. In a showcase of talented Charm City residents, high-energy remixes and local student interviews mingle with Beethoven classics.

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Trevor Noah
Nov. 4. The Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 N. Eutaw St. 7 & 9:30 p.m. Prices vary. 410-837-7400. For one night only, The Daily Show host and South African comedian brings his signature stand-up—a mix of incisive political commentary with charmingly comical personal stories—to the hallowed Hippodrome stage. 

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Charm City Fringe Fest
Nov. 2-12. Locations & times vary. $27-98. 410-682-8902. At the beginning of the month, Baltimore’s indie performing arts festival returns for the sixth year, with 11 days and more than 90 performances across six stages in the Bromo Arts District. Catch eclectic, original works, from off-kilter comedy, poetry readings, and magic to a rock opera and even a haunting thriller performed on roller skates.

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Across the Bay 10K
Nov. 5. Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Stevensville. 5 a.m.-2 p.m. $60-200. For one fall Sunday, lace up your sneakers and join the more than 20,000 people in the state’s largest running event—a 10K across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Whether you’re a practiced runner or novice jogger, this 6.21-mile course should be a breeze, with stunning views of the Eastern Shore and crisp autumn air blowing over the brackish waves beneath your feet.

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Fabergé and the Russian Crafts Tradition
Nov. 12-May 27, 2018. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St. Wed., Fri.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thurs. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Free. 410-547-9000. Through the lens of the famous Fabergé egg, learn about the extraordinary artistry of Russian jewelers and enamel workers during the turn of the 20th century. Explore more than 70 ornate objects, including two original Easter eggs crafted for Romanov royalty, plus a contemporary print exhibit that reimagines the delicate shells.

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Bazaart Holiday Art Market
Nov. 24-25. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. Fri. 12-6 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Free. 410-244-1900. Escape the commercialized chaos of Black Friday sales at this Baltimore-centric art shop, equipped with hand-crafted gifts by more than 40 regional artists. From homespun jewelry and hand-pressed prints to organic beauty goods and kids’ toys, there’s something for everyone on your list, including visionary art as whimsical and wacky as AVAM itself. 

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Just a Kid from Highlandtown
To Nov. 18. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. Tues.-Sat. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Free. 410-276-1651. Graffiti, skate, and club culture have deep roots in Baltimore’s Highlandtown neighborhood, thanks in large part to local success story Aaron LaCrate. With his rise to international renown in the early 2000s, the creator of streetwear brand Milkcrate Athletics put the city’s counterculture movement on the map and has since become a trendsetting staple and collaborator with everyone from JAY-Z and Kanye West to Madonna. This month, the Creative Alliance celebrates the Southeast Baltimore native’s career with an exhibit that journeys all the way back to his crate-hopping youth.

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Miracle on 34th Street
Nov. 25-Dec. 31. 700 block of W. 34th St. Times vary. Free. The holidays officially arrive in Baltimore when the 34th Street stretch of Hampden transforms into its annual winter wonderland. Grab a cup of hot cocoa and partake in this kitschy tradition. See the neighborhood houses decked in thousands of twinkling lights, including illuminated Natty Bohs and Maryland crabs and, of course, the iconic Christmas tree made entirely out of hubcaps. 

How did you start making mirror art?
I’ve always loved art, but it all started when I saw a single strand of double mirrors hanging in someone’s yard, just shining in the sun. There they were, just moving around, and I’ve been making them myself for about 12 years now. I just have a ball, and it’s really very simple. You just need a board to keep the mirror in place when you score the glass, and a simple pair of convex pliers. There are no shards, no splinters; it’s not messy at all. You can cut all kinds of different shapes in all different colors. You just have to figure out what it is you want to do, like my mirror neckties, or flower vases, or “flashies.” Mirrors are just easy to work with and you can make beautiful things out of them.

You have a few prominent works at the American Visionary Art Museum, including The Universal Tree of Life outside of the main building and the mirrored Oceanus.
The Universal Tree of Life was one of the first things I made with my neighbor, Rick Ames, who is an artist and a dear friend. It sat out in my yard for two and a half years until Rebecca Hoffberger saw it and asked if the museum could have it. It’s been outside on the street there ever since, through 11 Baltimore winters, and it looks as good now as it did when I put it in. On a sunny day, it puts on a great show. 

At AVAM, you also have a non-mirror work on display—the now permanent “Flatulence Post,” or farting exhibit, located in the basement gallery. What was the inspiration behind this piece?
Well, I’ve been farting all my life. [Laughs.] Actually, it was inspired by this joke radio program from the 1940s called “The Great Crepitation Contest.” It was a farting competition between two contestants with a British announcer that was presented as if it was a sports event. It was very, very funny, but not for broadcast, so it circulated on a set of 78s—we didn’t have CDs back in those days. During World War II, our military heard it and loved it so much that hundreds of thousands of copies were made for our soldiers and sailors to give them something to laugh about.

But it’s really just a very funny subject—Mark Twain wrote about it, as did Benjamin Franklin, and William Shakespeare—and people really do enjoy it. About six years ago, AVAM’s big show of the year was What Makes Us Smile? The entire second floor of the museum was dedicated to that topic and the biggest hit was a big bench lined with Whoopie cushions.

You teach workshops at the museums a few times a year, too. Besides that, do you make it down to the museum often? 

Every Saturday, I spend three hours at the museum, talking to people from all walks of life. AVAM is such a fabulous place. Baltimore is so lucky to have it, and I’m very proud to be a part of it. Fine art is very valuable, but these works are by untrained people who felt compelled to create something different and found a way to do it.

Your love of art actually began with a different medium—music. 

The mirror art is only a small part of what I do. I’ve been writing classical music reviews for more than 20 years. All my life I’ve loved classical music. My father took me to concerts when I was very young and it made a lasting impression on me. Over half a century ago, I had this house built around a perfect room just for music. It has an 84-inch television screen with full surround sound, and when you listen to something up there, it’s better than being in a concert hall.

You also had a more than 40-year career in radio. 

People seem to think my voice is pretty good. When I first came to Baltimore after the war, there was a public radio station just starting out called WBJC. I volunteered for them and the next week, I started announcing three nights a week. Later, I worked as the chief announcer and program director for a commercial classical radio station called WFDS, which was later bought by WBAL. For 14-and-a-half years, I did classical music there until they realized they could make more money with other genres, which is when they created 98 Rock. And then when 88.1, the Johns Hopkins station, started, they hired me to do classical music on the weekends. WYPR is a wonderful station.

At home, you’re currently working on an “Infinity Mirror House,” similar to the Infinity Mirrors installation by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, which should be open this fall. 

It’s going to be in my back yard. I’ve ordered a pre-fab, A-frame house, just like mine, and once it arrives and gets assembled, my neighbor, artist Rick Ames, and I are going cover the whole inside with mirrors. When you step in, things will be reflected over and over again hundreds and thousands of times. It will be like stepping into outer space.

Visual Arts

Summer ’17 at C. Grimaldis Gallery
Through Aug. 26, 523 N. Charles St. Catch some of Baltimore’s biggest artistic names at this group show, including the works of Sondheim Artscape prize finalists Zoe Charlton, Wesley Clark, and Hasan Alahi. 

Concrete/Complex: a portrait of McKeldin Fountain
Aug. 12-Sept. 3, Current Space, 421 Howard St.  Using photography, video, and sound, Baltimore-based artists Shannon Collis and Liz Donadio documented McKeldin Fountain’s last days. Their portrait of the once-functional space culminates in an immersive installation that conjures a meditation on the essence of this urban landmark. The installation’s sculptural forms reference the fountain’s Brutalist design, and celebrate its minimalism and strong angles; video shot on site traverses each of these surfaces. Collis and Donadio’s abstract, visual, and auditory impressions offer a sensory memorial experience of McKeldin Fountain, opening a layered engagement with viewers. 

What We Learn While Waiting
Aug. 14-20, Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center, 847 N. Howard St.  Inspired by Baltimore City’s public benches, “What we learn while waiting” – a conversation with Baltimore, the greatest city in America; is a gallery exhibition that explores the many experiences, dynamics, and realities that exist within our city’s parameters. The works curated by Malaika Aminata Clements, with Shan Wallace and LieAnne Navarro, are inspired by public space, human interaction, mass transit, and Baltimore city’s benches. This event is sponsored by    

Our Right To Smile
Opens Aug. 26, Dovecote Café, 2501 Madison Ave.  This exhibit from painter Jerrell Gibbs provides a glimpse into his world through recreations of childhood photographs and memories. Gibbs bestows viewers a lens into the everyday life of the community he’s familiar with. He gives the audience a sense of the traditional Baltimorean family functions. His use of elongated figures, inspired by Ernie Barnes, and expressive gestures allows him to convey a feeling of liveliness in the form of two-dimensional paintings.

Performing Arts

Super City/ Chiffon/ Twen
Aug. 14, Ottobar, 2549 Howard St.  Catch Baltimore rockers Super City and Twen as they head out on tour. Ultra-smooth R&B group Chiffon joins them for this show. 

Ultrafaux
Aug. 20, An Die Musik, 409 N. Charles St. Fresh off their new album release, Ultrafaux—an acoustic trio that presents original music rooted in the authentic technique of 30’s French guitarist Django Reinhardt—will present a set of Reinhardt’s songs exploring the evolution of the gypsy jazz style.  

Summer in the Square with Symphony Number One
Aug. 23, Mt. Vernon Place’s West Square  This performance from the Best of Baltimore winning chamber orchestra that specializes in substantial works by emerging composers includes 15 pieces, 14 of which are new compositions that have never before been played in public. The works feature spoken word poetry by Eubie Blake, a toy piano, dub-step influences, selections from George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Saint-Saens, a taste of patriotic flair, and a piece inspired by the Mount Vernon Place Conservancy’s discovery of the Washington Monument cornerstone.

J. Roddy Walston and The Business
Aug. 24-26, Ottobar, 2549 Howard St. J. Roddy Walston and The Business are returning to Baltimore (they are now based in Richmond) for this three-day residency at the Ottobar. Specializing in a classic-sounding Southern rock/Americana style that emphasizes songwriting and danceable kinetics, they are about to release their fourth studio album this fall and have a new single, “The Wanting”, their first four years.

Events

Throwback III: A 90’s hip hop party
Friday, Aug. 11, Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.  Curators of Hip Hop and Creative Alliance are partnering for a 90’s R&B, soul, and hip hop party, with two dance crews one dance floor. Bmore Than Dance and local Bboy and Bgirl crews will be there along with artists Eze Jackson, Jahiti of Brown FISH, Joy Postell, Al Rogers Jr. and Bobbi Rush, who will be performing your favorite 90’s hits.Throwback gear highly recommended but not mandatory.

Literary Mt. Vernon walking tour
Aug. 19, meet at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, 400 Cathedral St. Follow in the footsteps of Baltimore’s literary luminaries on this Maryland Humanities tour. Discover the elegant brownstone mansions and majestic cultural institutions built by Baltimore’s successful 19th century merchants and industrialists on . Learn how a neighborhood of scholars, struggling artists and authors, newspaperman, philanthropists and social reformers offered rich opportunities to discuss and debate ideas and open new literary avenues. 

News

On August 12, 1992, the American Visionary Art Museum became a United States Congressionally designated national museum. Though it wouldn’t open its doors for another three years, founder and director Rebecca Alban Hoffberger recalls, “That early and unanimous official recognition gave AVAM the imprimatur of credibility to flourish that which has since wildly exceeded even the sweetest of all our dreams. We say on the eve of our 25th Anniversary as a beloved national museum, God-speed the rapid return to united and Bi-Partisan Congressional care and action to impact the greater good. We sure need their urgent visionary action to repair infrastructure, healthcare, climate, and create the jobs of the future, now.”

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

 EAT

June 30: Sac and Pizza

Paulie Gee’s, 3535 Chestnut Ave. 9 p.m. Free.

When you think of New Orleans, you don’t necessarily think of pizza, but this Friday, head to the back bar of Paulie Gee’s in Hampden for slices of pie alongside the Big Easy sound of Sac Au Lait. The quirky six-piece is known around Charm City for their energy and humor, and has performed everywhere from bars and restaurants to parades and Mardi Gras festivals for more than 10 years. Just don’t miss the “Stinger Bell,” named after Idris Elba’s infamous character from The Wire, and covered with mozzarella, lemon slices, and fresh basil. 

 DRINK

July 1-2: Hysteria Brewing Company Grand Opening

Hysteria Brewing Company, 9570 Berger Road, Columbia. Sat. 12-11 p.m., Sun. 8-11 p.m. Free. 

Just as Maryland’s beer scene seems like its about to burst, along comes Hysteria Brewing Company, ready to join the ranks in Columbia. During their grand opening weekend, test their new brews in a pop-up beer garden, with local food trucks, lawn games, and live music. Check out the new digs with group tours and come back a week later when they open for full service. The weekend’s festivities are family friendly—just leave your four-legged friends at home.

 SEE

July 1 through 2018: Reverend Albert Lee Wagner’s Miracle at Midnight

American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. Tue.-Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Free-$15.95.

One small moment in time was all it took for Albert Lee Wagner to have an epiphany that would completely alter the course of his life. On the eve of his 50th birthday, the Cleveland moving-company owner was struck by the inspiration to start marking art. His hobby progressed into a movement, and Wagner (who went onto become a reverend) became one of America’s most prominent visionary artists with his plethora of bold and colorful paintings and sculptures. Commemorating that pivotal eureka moment and the man himself, this new exhibit will include more than 50 of his recently donated masterpieces, including the featured Red Sea.

 HEAR

June 30: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia.7:30 p.m. $40-55. 

Okay, so we’re suggesting you go to Columbia a lot this weekend, but with summer concert season officially upon us, it’s time to shake out that old camping blanket and head over to Merriweather for some quality lawn time. This Friday, hear the acclaimed musical sounds of former Drive-By Truckers frontman Jason Isbell and his four-piece band. Since his departure from the group in 2007, the singer-songwriter has pursued a successful solo career, and his blues-riddled Southern sound is perfect for a warm summer night beneath the stars. 

 DO

June 30: Baltimore Bike Party: 2000s

Ride starts at St. Mary’s Park, 600 N. Paca St. Party starts at Lexington Market, 400 W. Lexington St.  6:30 p.m. Free.

Throw it back to the days of Avril Lavigne, MySpace, and trucker hats with this month’s Baltimore Bike Party. In a celebration of the early aughts, the monthly bike ride will end with an outdoor party at Lexington market, complete with DJs, food vendors, and Heavy Seas beers. After avoiding potholes and obeying traffic signals, flaunt your best “Hey Ya” dance moves in your low-rise, boot-cut jeans.