Thanks to a $5 million dollar grant, the Ruth R. Marder Center for Matisse Studies will open by 2021—serving as a place of scholarship, study, and community surrounding the artist, who museum director Christopher Bedford calls “one of the two or three most influential figures of the 20th century.” The gift comes from the Ruth Carol Fund, created by Marder, the late Baltimore philanthropist and passionate patron of the arts who was a longtime BMA supporter.

“It’s unprecedented in our history,” Bedord says. “It very deliberately enhances the collection most associated with the greatness of the museum. This has been an aspiration that’s existed in the aether for a very long time.”

The BMA has been known for its extensive collection of Matisse’s works for some time. But Bedford points out that this reputation exists mostly within museum circles. In effect, the BMA serves as an extension for those who already share a keen interest in the artist’s work. With the establishment of the center and the accompanying marketing and press, Bedford hopes that the museum’s most reputable collection will become more accessible to the general public.

“We have the greatest and most comprehensive account of Matisse’s career in any public institution,” Bedford says. “One of the great things about this announcement is our capacity to telegraph that greatness to a far broader constituency than we’ve been able to achieve historically.”

Planning for what exactly the center will comprise of is still in early stages, but Bedford envisions a place where scholars both distinguished and eagle-eyed can gather to learn about and discuss Matisse’s works. Inevitably, he says, the center will be shaped by the interests of those who use it.

What it won’t do, though, is serve as a place of exhibition. The gallery space above its proposed first-floor location already does a more than adequate job of that. That’s not to say that the museum won’t dedicate some of its focus to improving upon its collection of more than 1,200 Matisse works, either. Bedford calls the museum’s collection of the artist’s work the “linchpin” of the museum. Now, when the center is established, it will exist in symbiosis with this collection, creating a place for consideration and discussion.

“The space will be about the production of new ideas as capitalized by Matisse’s unique genius,” Bedford says. “What we’ve really established here is a braintrust for the study of Matisse, his influences, and the influence that he continues to exert on a generation of living artists.”

Visual Art

Voices: Joyce J. Scott, Oletha DeVane, Christopher Bedford
Don’t miss your chance to hear from two of the guiding voices of the Baltimore art scene, jewelry maker and sculptor Joyce J. Scott (who was recently named the 2019 Smithsonian Visionary Artist) and multimedia artist Oletha DeVane. In this conversation moderated by BMA director Christopher Bedford, the pair will discuss their works, their inspirations, and the city they both call home. 7-8 p.m. April 10. Church of the Redeemer, 5603 N. Charles St.

TAPROOT
Two artists with varying backgrounds but shared experiences meet in this exhibition examining colonialism, consumption, and how they work their ways into the other parts of life. Working from their distinct perspectives “one of assimilation and one of frequent migration between continents,” Catherine Khammouane and Samiha Alam will present sculptural pieces that express their view that “what is manmade is natural.” Artist talk 5-7 p.m. April 6; on view through May 4. Waller Gallery, 2420 N. Calvert St.

Pile of Craft
Head to Space 2640 to peruse more than 50 vendors’ wares at this 13th annual craft fest hosted by Charm City Craft Mafia. Past favorites such as Annie Howe Papercuts and Tiny Dog Press will be on hand, and several new vendors will be hawking everything from rosé jelly to 3d paper and watercolor plants for those whose thumbs aren’t quite green. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 27. Space 2640, 2640 Saint Paul St.

Music

Abdu Ali Album Release Show
Abdu Ali has one of the most powerful voices in Baltimore music right now, and this launch of their debut album, FIYAH!!!, is going to be one heck of a party. Catch Ali’s blend of punk, rap, and Baltimore Club from the Ottobar’s intimate stage before this New York Times-lauded artist really blows up. Doors at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m. April 26. Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St.

Theater

Come From Away
When planes were unexpectedly forced to land following 9/11, some 7,000 people found themselves stranded in the small town of Gander in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. What began with tragedy grew into a week of friendship and humanity among travelers in unfamiliar territory and the town that took them in. This award-winning musical based on their true story is not to be missed. April 23-28. The Hippodrome Theatre, 12 N. Eutaw St.

Pink Milk
Single Carrot is leaving its Remington home behind soon, but first they have another story to tell. This Technicolor reimagining of codebreaker Alan Turing’s life story from Chicago-based playwright Ariel Zetina explores Turing beyond his history-making work. Zetina is also working with Single Carrot to update the text and score for the first time since writing the piece in 2013. Gala opening April 27, runs through May 16. Single Carrot Theatre, 2600 N. Howard St.

Film

Making Cinema Matter: Masterclass with Sandi Tan
Singaporean filmmaker, zine publisher, and writer Sandi Tan returns to her cult roots for this workshop and screening of 2018’s Shirkers, which premiered and earned the World Cinema Documentary Directing Award at Sundance in 2018. Tan and her cohorts made what could have been a cult hit in 1992, when they were just teens, but their film was stolen by an American collaborator. Shirkers follows Tan back to Singapore to revisit the film, the American who stole it, and what both of them did for her dreams. Free screening at 7 p.m. April 5, masterclass April 6, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The SNF Parkway, 5 W. North Ave.

Literature

CityLit Festival
CityLit is known for bringing great authors and events to bibliophiles of all stripes at their annual fest, and this year is no different. During this day-long celebration of all things literature, visitors can attend more than a dozen session and check out the Literary Marketplace to pick up a few more additions to their nightstand stacks. Stick around for keynote speaker Dani Shapiro, whose memoir, Inheritance, delves into what happens when family secrets find their way to the surface. 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. April 27. University of Baltimore William H. Thumel Sr. Business Center, 11 W. Mount Royal Ave.

Hilton Carter’s Wild at Home Book Signing
Local plant expert Hilton Carter’s Baltimore home is filled with more than 300 ferns, cacti, and other green friends. His lush designs on have earned him national attention, but he’s sticking close to home for this celebration of his first book, Wild at Home. Grab some friends and head to Trohv on Earth Day for a book signing, Q&A, and cocktails with the Instagram plant guru himself. 7-9:30 p.m. April 22. Trohv, 921 W. 36th St.

Baltimore just got gifted with its own little (and in some ways massive) slice of the Venice Biennale.

Artist Mark Bradford, who represented the U.S. in the 2017 Venice Biennale, has deconstructed and reinstalled several of his pieces that were exhibited there to create a new iteration of the exhibition at the Baltimore Museum of Art. Mark Bradford: Tomorrow Is Another Day will be on view from September 23 through March 3, 2019.

On Saturday afternoon, as part of a four-hour Community Celebration at the BMA, Bradford will be in conversation with BMA director Christopher Bedford and senior curator Katy Siegel, who co-curated the exhibition here and in Venice. Guests can preview the show before its official opening on Sunday.

In his work and in talking about it, Bradford doesn’t shy away from confronting the complexities he’s experienced while navigating the world as a black man, a gay man, and a tall man (at 6-foot-8, he says he’s constantly aware of his physical body and how it relates to its environment and other people). Through large abstract mixed-media pieces, sculpture, and video, he processes his experiences within the framework of society and its various communities and cultures—especially those that have been marginalized. He often works with found materials, like dyed hair endpapers, that speak to these communities.

Some highlights in the show include the huge, gnarly sculpture Medusa—made from paint, paper, rope, and caulk and reminiscent of Medusa’s snake-like locks but in this case a commentary of sorts on empowered, self-righteous women; the large and solemn pieces made from repetitive rows of the aforementioned endpapers from a hair salon, which achieve a calm, meditative quality and have a tactile, water-like depth; the emotive trilogy of “Cosmic Paintings,” as the BMA describes them, that includes the show’s striking title piece; and his Spoiled Foot installation, which starts off the show and is constructed of canvas, lumber, cut-up road maps, used roofing material, and what Bradford calls merchant posters—signage collected from in-crisis communities that advertise things like “We Pay Cash for Homes,” 24-hour child care, and bed bugs extermination.

That piece hits on Bradford’s overarching theme of expulsion and how to navigate it. People can’t physically get to the center of the gallery where Spoiled Foot is installed because the piece stretches wall to wall and covers the ceiling, obstructing the space—a tangible representation of people who are, or feel they are, cast out of a particular community. Viewers move through that space much in that same way but in a literal, physical sense—ducking and dodging, conscious of the narrow space in which they have to walk through to get to the next gallery.

As Bradford puts it, “The center is not always available to everyone. . . . I wanted people to feel how it feels.”

This of course raises questions: Who owns the “center”? Who can occupy it?

“I became really fascinated by place,” he says.

Following that line of thought, context changes when a show is installed on the other side of the world.

“Bringing it to a city that’s predominately African American—it definitely changes it,” Bradford said on Thursday. “I think it reinvigorates some of the ideas.”

Roughly 380,000 people attended the 2017 Venice Biennale (the largest crowd at the event to date), but Bradford, as well as Bedford and others on the BMA staff, says he thinks the show looks even better here, and he’s excited that it will be interpreted—or misinterpreted—differently here because of its new geographic location.

He’ll present a slideshow during his talk on Saturday, which is something he’s never done. He says he’s doing it specifically because he’s interested in engaging with the Baltimore audience.

While in Baltimore, he’s spent time with the Greenmount West Community Center, a community art space for children and their families. He’s also spearheaded its Greenmount West Power Press program, which allows kids to learn how to screen print. Tote bags and other items are available to purchase at a popup shop at the BMA to help support GWCC.

As Bedford put it, Bradford has one foot firmly planted in the studio and another in the community. He’s known for his passionate care in creating inclusive, safe spaces for youth.

In Venice, he began a partnership with the nonprofit Rio Terà dei Pensieri called called Process Collettivo, which provided inmates the opportunity to create artisanal products to sell and ultimately help with their reintegration upon being released.

In L.A., where he is based, he cofounded Art + Practice, a contemporary art gallery open to the public that doubles as an educational space for youth to develop skills and gain access to housing and employment opportunities.

In some cases, trying to bring people to a museum is backwards, he says. “I think we have to go there. How about us going there and feeling a little bit uncomfortable.”

When speaking about his time at GWCC, he says, “That’s where the hope comes in. You give the kids a safe space and allow them to be them. The world’s gonna be fine,” he adds, not sarcastically. “We just have to do more and more and more of this.”

He goes on to tell the story about his debilitating childhood fear of the dark. He’d look out his window at night at the moon and tell himself a story: that God poked a hole through the sky, and that’s the little window of light shining through, reminding us that the light is still there—that tomorrow is another day.

Visual Art

MICA ArtWalk
Maryland Institute College of Art undergrad class of 2018 will showcase their work in the three-hour ArtWalk extravaganza on May 11. Expect to see art in all genres and mediums: painting, sculpture, illustration, ceramics, graphic design, film, animation screenings, and more. New this year, the event is free to the public, complete with food trucks to give the event a festival feel. “The entire campus becomes one huge art gallery,” says Erin Baynham, social media manager at MICA. This is a great way to see what these talented kids are up to, with the added bonus of meeting them face to face and buying work to take home. 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. May 11 throughout the MICA campus. Work will remain on view through May 14. 

Music

The Björk Songbook
The Evolution Contemporary Series will conclude its season on May 8 with a concert of songs by Björk, taken from her newly released 34 Scores for Piano/Organ/Harpsichord & Celeste. Baltimore artists including Outcalls, Joy Postell, and The Witches will play renditions of songs by the legendary Icelandic pop star. Judah Adashi, founder of the series, is known for breathing new life into symphonic music, and this concert is sure to be no exception. 8 p.m May 8 at An die Musik, 409 N. Charles St.

Through the Eyes of a Child
The Through the Eyes of a Child performance is inspired by the work of Clara Han, associate professor of anthropology and co-director of the Program on Racism, Immigration, and Citizenship at Johns Hopkins University, who is exploring in a new book how violence is passed down through generations of families. The concert will be presented as part of Music of Reality, a series that brings musicians and scientists/researchers together and intersperses lectures with music. Music will include pieces by Leonard Bernstein as well as contemporary composers. 7 p.m. May 4 at 1025 S. Potomac St.

Theater

Life or Theatre?
With Baltimore Annex Theater’s production of Life or Theatre?, Charlotte Salomon may very well become a household name alongside Anne Frank. The play is written and directed by Carly J. Bales (founding producing artistic director of EMP Collective) and based on the life and art of Salomon, a German-Jewish woman in Nazi-era Berlin who completed nearly 1,300 autobiographical paintings (the largest singular body of work by a Jew during the Holocaust), gave them to a friend, and was murdered shortly thereafter in Auschwitz. The play combines her intimate prose and expressionist painting with music to bring to life her story, 100 years after her birth. This is Bales’ first full-length play. Thursdays through Sundays May 24 to June 17 at Annex Theater, 219 Park Ave.

Follow No Strangers To The Fun Places
The Acme Corporation will dissect the process of art making (specifically theater) in their new play Follow No Strangers To The Fun Places, by Lola B. Pierson (creator of Baltimore’s Ten Minute Play Festival). It’s loosely based on Italo Calvino’s novel If on a winter’s night a traveler, though we’ve been told not to get too excited about that point, as the play bears little resemblance to the book. May 3 to 19 at The Great Hall at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 1900 St. Paul St.

SOUL The Stax Musical
Go back to the birth of soul music at Baltimore Center Stage’s production of SOUL The Stax Musical, which revives the songs of Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers, and other classic R&B stars during its world premiere. The musical tells the story of the Memphis-based Stax Records and music’s power to unite us, then and now. May 3 through June 10 at Baltimore Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St.

Dance

Moving Walls: A Performance of Body & Sculpture
Baltimore Independent Dance Artists examines human experience in relation to architecture in its new, experimental show at The Peale Center. Dance combines with a large sculptural installation and animation for the experience, though the set alone, created by Noa Heyne, is worth a visit to the museum. 8 p.m. May 3 and 5 at The Peale Center, 225 Holliday St.

Film

Maryland Film Fest
There is much to be excited about when it comes to this year’s Maryland Film Fest in Station North. There’s Matt Porterfield’s latest, Sollers Point, starring McCaul Lombardi; 10 blocks of shorts; a screening of the film I, Olga Hepnarova, selected and introduced by John Waters; an after party in the Ynot Lot and Windup Space; and much in between. Get ready to laugh, cry, and contemplate life every which way with more than 40 feature films across all genres and cultures. Learn more about it here and here and here. May 2-6 at the Parkway Theatre and MICA.

Miscellanea

Baltimore Portrait: Artists in Conversation
As part of the VOICES speaker series at The Church of the Redeemer, Baltimore artists Amy Sherald and Stephen Towns will be in conversation with Baltimore Museum of Art director Christopher Bedford this month. Both have become Baltimore celebrities recently after receiving national attention for their work—Sherald with the unveiling of her official portrait of former first lady Michelle Obama at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, Towns with his first museum exhibition (currently on view at the BMA). 7 to 8:30 p.m. May 30 at The Church of the Redeemer, 5603 N. Charles St.

Last August, visual artist Stephen Towns traveled to his home state of South Carolina and joined millions of Americans when he stood in the path of totality and witnessed a total solar eclipse.

“It is something that is indescribable,” he tells a crowd gathered to see his exhibit at the Baltimore Museum of Art. “You know there is something bigger than you.”

The same celestial forces played prominently in the story of Nat Turner, who led a rebellion of slaves and free black people in 1831, a story that the Baltimore-based Towns had been studying and using as the impetus for his latest body of work, a series of quilts that explore how slavery has impacted modern life. After seeing a solar eclipse in his time, Turner, a minister and deeply spiritual man, believed it was a sign from God to move forward with his revolt against slave owners, which he did, though it would ultimately bring him to his death when he was convicted.

“And about this time I had a vision—and I saw white spirits and black spirits engaged in battle, and the sun was darkened,” he writes in the book The Confessions of Nat Turner. 

The glowing moon and beaming sun against shimmering, starry skies play prominently throughout Towns’ pieces, which are are on exhibit in the solo show Rumination and a Reckoning at the BMA from March 7 through Sept. 2. The work is in the textile gallery space of the American wing of the museum and marks Towns’ first museum show.

Towns and internationally renowned artist Mark Bradford will be in conversation with BMA director Christopher Bedford on March 7 to discuss their work and chosen mediums. The event is free to the public and begins at 7 p.m.

Towns is trained as a painter but moved to fiber arts in 2014 when he made the large-scale quilt “Birth of Nation,” a Madonna and Child of sorts, depicting a black woman wet-nursing a white baby, set against the historical 13-star American flag.

“I tried through painting, I tried through drawing, but it wasn’t working,” he says about starting the. When he turned to fiber arts to convey Turner’s story, “something about the materiality of the fabric” lent itself to the work. The self-taught seamstress says he learned a lot watching YouTube tutorials—which is fascinating, given the meticulous detail of the pieces that combine metallic thread, glass beads, buttons, tulle, and, in some cases, acrylic paint.

The quilts aren’t particularly large, averaging about 30 to 35 inches. Towns says that’s partly because he’s a creature of habit—and this size is similar to the canvases he once painted. He also says, “They’re like windows into that past time period.”

He brought to quilting his knowledge of, and interest in, sacred art, portraiture, and 19th-century photography.

In addition to his “Birth of a Nation” piece, seven smaller story quilts tell Turner’s story—from a child learning to read, through his work as a minister, and finally to his hanging as a martyr for enslaved people. Turner as prophet is depicted with a yellow, beaming sun around his head in some pieces, reminiscent of Towns’ older series of paintings, inspired by medieval altarpieces, that showed modern-day men and women with metallic golden halos. Two quilted portraits of Nat and Cherry Turner, believed to be his wife, complete the show.

Aside from those two portraits, the figures in Towns’ series are intentionally faceless, appearing as black cutouts, silhouettes. He wants them to be representative of all of us, he says.

He also chose to not show blatantly violent images, in part because he’s heard from friends that they’re tired of seeing films about slavery that contain graphic depictions of the old South. Instead, Towns focused on the positive frames of the story, and much is told abstractly through symbolism. A red scarf-like ribbon, for example, runs through several pieces, representing the blood and sacrifice of slaves. The heavens, too, serve as a metaphor, “a place beyond that is always there,” as Towns put it, “that you don’t always have the wherewithal to get to.”

Visual Art

Reflections: Intimate Portraits of Iconic African Americans
Photographer Terrence A. Reese’s career has led him to take portraits of such stars as Lauryn Hill and George Clinton. The artist, who goes by TAR, will exhibit a selection of his work at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum this month in the show Reflections: Intimate Portraits of Iconic African Americans. Black-and-white images will depict such luminaries as the Nicholas Brothers and Gordon Parks in their natural environments and living spaces so as to better reflect who they are, through their personal objects, style, and the context of their lives. Wednesdays through Sundays, Feb. 1 through Aug. 12, at Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St.

Artist talk with Shirin Neshat
Iranian artist Shirin Neshat explores gender, identity, and politics in her work, as well as the differences in culture between the West and Muslim countries. Because she tackles such complex themes, there is no shortage of questions and discussion surrounding her work. It also makes her a perfect candidate for MICA’s Mixed Media lecture series, which brings to Baltimore artists from across the globe. For this installment, Neshat will be in conversation with Baltimore Museum of Art Director Christopher Bedford. 7 p.m. Feb. 15 at Falvey Hall, Brown Center, 1301 W. Mount  Mount Royal Ave.

Music

Charm City Django Jazz Fest
Nothing like some live gypsy jazz to add a little heat to a cold winter’s day. Creative Alliance has got us covered with not one but three days of its annual Charm City Django Jazz Fest, which will bring in acts from across the region and world, including headliner Samson Schmiit, a legendary Manouche gypsy guitarist from France. Swing on by to see Sara L’abriola, Ultrafaux, ‘Nuff Said, and others, to experience a range of styles within the genre. Feb. 23 to 25 at the Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.

Out of Darkness: Two Remain
A new opera looks at what you might consider atypical Holocaust survivors: one, a political prisoner, and the other a homosexual Protestant, both of whom used words to overcome the traumas of captivity during the war. World-renowned composer Jake Heggie developed the two-act opera based on the true stories of these characters who “survive through their poetry,” says Garnett Bruce, stage director of the Peabody Chamber Opera’s production of the piece. Feb. 8 through 11 at Theatre Project, 45 W. Preston St. The composer and librettist will attend opening night, with a talk following the show.

Theater

Constellations & Crossroads
Constellations & Crossroads is a theatrical double-header steeped in American history and exploding with life. Baltimore Rock Opera Society partnered with Arena Players, Baltimore’s historic African-American community theater, to present two short musicals in their entirety, backed by a live band. The Determination of Azimuth tells the story of Katherine Johnson, a black mathematician who worked for NASA and was responsible for comp[uting paths for rocket ships sent into space. Battle of Blue Apple Crossing leans more on fiction to tell the tale of blues legend Robert Johnson, said to have sold his soul to the devil in exchange for musical ability. The score follows America’s musical heritage from field spirituals to rock ’n’ roll to garage rock. 8 p.m. Feb. 9 through 18 at Arena Players’ venue at 801 McCulloh St.

All She Must Possess
The Rep Stage premiere of All She Must Possess tells the story of Baltimore’s famed Cone sisters, Claribel and Etta, extravagant world travelers and collectors of art and curios. During the early 20th century, they stored thousands of paintings—including work by Matisse and Picasso, among other greats—in their homes, amassing what would become one of the world’s largest collections of modern art (a large portion would eventually be housed at the Baltimore Museum of Art, where it is today). In the theatrical version of their lives, written by University of Maryland Baltimore County professor Susan McCully and directed by Rep Stage artistic director Joseph W. Ritsch, paintings come to life and Gertrude Stein—Etta’s lover—makes an appearance. Coinciding with the play is an exhibition of historical women’s clothing from the Cone sisters’ time, on display at Howard Community College’s Rouse Company Foundation Gallery through March 11. The play runs Feb. 8 to 25 at Rep Stage at Howard Community College.

Dance

The Community Project
Each year, The Collective pulls together dancers from the community and pairs them with a professional choreographer to develop the Community Project performance. This year, 22 dancers—ranging in age from teens to baby boomers and across all skill levels—met on several cold January weekends to rehearse under dancer Caitlin McAfee for this year’s show, which is but one component to the Baltimore Dance Invitational. Set to Indian Wells’ song “Cascades,” the group will show through movement how the mind races, gets distracted, and follows its own trails of thought. Gordon Center for Performing Arts on Thursday, February 15, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Gordon Center for Performing Arts, 3506 Gwynnbrook Ave., Owings Mills. 

Beyonce vs Rihanna Dance Party: Round 2
The Ottobar event flier states it best: “Are you ‘Drunk In Love’ or ‘Drunk On Love’?!” At the Beyonce vs Rihanna Dance Party, that is precisely the question. And also, are you ready to duke it out—through dance, of course, to support your diva de jour. The dance party battle will light up with Beyonce tracks from DJ Mills and Rihanna tracks from Ottobar owner Craig Boarman. 9 p.m. Feb. 16 at the Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St.

Miscellanea

African-American Arts Festival
The University of Baltimore helps us to celebrate Black History Month specifically through art at its annual African-American Arts Festival. Its offerings span an array of artistic mediums: film, visual art, music, theater. Some highlights: a panel with Black Ladies Brunch Crew of D.C., an African drumming circle, readings of Langston Hughes poetry spliced with live, improvised jazz piano, and a screening of Jonathan Demme’s film of Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved. Feb. 15 to 18 at the University of Baltimore, 1420 N. Charles St.

Exhibit of Original Costumes

We may be 2,500 miles from Hollywood, but John Klisavage brings us a touch of its wonder by way of costume. At his bookstore in Havre De Grace, he’s displaying several outfits worn in major motion pictures, including Hunger Games and The Notebook. February and March at Washington Street Books & Music, 131 N. Washington St., Havre De Grace.

A culinary documentary on Basque cuisine
Parkway Theater has teamed up with a local restaurant to bring a food and film pairing, naturally. After a screening of The Txoko Experience: The Secret Culinary Space of The Basques, scriptwriter Marcela Garces and director Yuri Morejon will answer any questions the audience has, and then . . . everyone can partake in the food portion of the evening: passed pintxos from the Basque-inspired La Cuchara restaurant. Renowned Basque chefs serve as narrators of the culinary documentary, which explores Txokos, groups of people who gather to explore innovative and experimental ways of cooking. As Morejon puts it, “Txokos represent a distinctive, albeit enigmatic element of Basque gastronomy. As the private temples of traditional Basque cuisine, they captivate people with their warmth, ambiance, and great respect for fresh products.” 7 p.m. Feb. 22 Parkway Theater, 5 W. North Ave.

In a high-ceilinged art gallery at Maryland Art Place in downtown Baltimore, among sculptures and mixed-media works, a crowd forms around a man who has a certain undeniable magnetism. Partly, he stands out because of what he is wearing—the collar is popped on his trench coat, which is open to reveal a baby-pink dress shirt and perfectly pressed slacks.

This preppy attire separates him from the artists and creative types surrounding him, who favor dark colors, army boots, even an ostentatious fur coat. It’s also the man’s demeanor. He holds himself slightly guardedly, as if he’s observing an exhibit in a zoo or some strange foreign ritual. But he does seem to be enjoying himself—an impish, boyish smile often crosses his lips as more people press forward to shake his hand, murmuring continually, “It’s so nice to meet you,” and, “What do you think of Baltimore so far?”

This night in October marks a little more than two months since this man, Christopher Bedford, has become the director of The Baltimore Museum of Art, and the 40-year-old rising star of the art world is just settling in as head of one of Baltimore’s most storied artistic institutions. His new position carries with it a prominence and significance that few others hold in this city, and Bedford seems aware that his mere presence brings a certain level of gravitas to any event he attends. Which could explain why, when he is handed a microphone at this “meet and greet” sponsored by the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance, he doesn’t hesitate to get right to the point.

“I’m asked a lot about why I came to Baltimore, why this job, and why now,” says Bedford, in the slightly posh tones that are a result of his British upbringing. “When I was going through the recruitment process, I asked the chair of the search committee, ‘What do you want to say to Baltimore through art?’ Usually, when I ask something like this, nothing follows in response. But in this case, the board chair said, ‘I want the BMA to be the most dynamic, socially engaged museum in the U.S.’ . . . There’s a real willingness on the part of the museum to pursue that course, and on the other hand, an incredible appetite among you all for change on that scale.”

Bedford appears to understand that getting this room of arts administrators, curators, and artists excited about his vision is key to his success here. So when he is asked about how he plans to get audiences more engaged, he jumps right in with vigor.

“One thing that we’re going to do—and this is really going out on a limb, and I hope no one’s recording this,” he says, with a smile, “we are going to consider and pursue a major satellite location for the BMA.” This kind of full-steam-ahead leadership is characteristic of Bedford, who undertook a similar mission at his prior job as director of The Rose Art Museum in Waltham, Massachusetts. There, he explains, “We couldn’t get the part of the city that we wanted to come to the museum. So, we just decided to relocate it. My feeling at the BMA is that we face a similar obstacle. Young people from every socioeconomic bracket, every race, should understand that the museum is free and open to the public. And I’m not sure we can expect them to know that unless we take it to them.”

“I’d rather make a mistake going a million miles an hour than do nothing.”

A hush settles over the room, and the attendees seem to be weighing this groundbreaking possibility. It’s as if everyone is thinking, “Is what he’s saying possible?”

Since that night, Bedford has doubled down on his ambitious agenda for the 103-year-old BMA, one he hopes will improve the museum’s accessibility and burnish its credentials nationally and internationally. Along with the satellite location (the Lexington Market area has been discussed), the institution plans to hold a series of conversations this fall between renowned artists and writers speaking about social justice-related topics in various locations around the city, and Bedford is aiming to renovate the museum’s second-floor special exhibition galleries. Plus, in a bit of serendipitous timing, the BMA is heading to the prestigious Venice Biennale this spring. While at the Rose museum in Waltham, Bedford was chosen to organize the United States’ pavilion at the world’s preeminent art show, but since he’s here now, the BMA staff has been helping to put together the work of Bedford’s long-time collaborator, California artist Mark Bradford.

It’s quite an enterprising list for someone who has been at his position for eight months—and has never headed up a collection as large as the BMA’s, which holds 95,000 works of art and has a budget of $13.5 million. (In contrast, The Rose Art Museum has a more than 8,000-object collection and a $1.8 million budget.) And Bedford’s pace can be hard to match.

“He certainly hit the ground running, and sometimes I come home quite exhausted from being with him, because he’s got a lot of ideas, a lot of energy,” says Clair Zamoiski Segal, who chairs the BMA’s board of trustees. “It’s a thrill, but I do think, ‘Oh my God, how am I ever going to keep up with someone this smart?’” She laughs. “But it’s been a great pleasure—our partnership has been very rewarding to me, and I really do treasure it.”

Bedford will need that energy. He has big shoes to fill—his predecessor, Doreen Bolger, was the BMA’s director for 17 years, and, in that time, championed free admission, spurred the re-opening of the museum’s historic entrance to the public, and oversaw an unprecedented $28 million renovation. But Bedford is nothing if not confident. “I came [to Baltimore] anticipating considerable rapidity, and I had some assurance from the staff and board that there was a desire to roll up our collective sleeves and imagine a new future for the museum rather quickly,” he says. “I’d rather make a mistake going a million miles an hour than do nothing. Which is not to suggest or anticipate failure—it’s that I’m willing to absorb that to achieve a higher goal.”

And Bedford has a track record of fast success. He essentially turned around the Rose museum—which is affiliated with Brandeis University, also boasts free admission, and at the time was thought of as sleepy and financially unstable—in four years. “He took a leap of faith and came to the Rose at a very turbulent period of time,” says Lisa Lynch, Brandeis’ provost, who worked closely with Bedford. In 2009, at the height of the economic crisis, the university had discussed selling off the art collection as it struggled with finances. Bedford arrived in 2012 and started acquiring and commissioning new art—including an outdoor sculpture by contemporary artist Chris Burden that greets visitors when they arrive—and added a key Boston arts philanthropist to the board. Attendance during his tenure increased by more than 50 percent, and he established an enhanced reputation nationally and in nearby Boston, both for the Rose and for himself. He’s been covered in The New York Times and The Washington Post, and was even named one of 2014’s most stylish Bostonians by The Boston Globe.

“I don’t think the future of museums is going to be written in New York or Los Angeles.”

In particular, Lynch credits Bedford’s establishment of the satellite gallery with making significant inroads. Appropriately called Rosebud, it occupies a storefront in downtown Waltham and showcases part of the Rose’s video art collection while also providing an arts space for use by city residents and college students. “Chris made sure that the museum was actively part of the community. He was constantly looking for ways to break down walls and barriers to access,” Lynch says. “Every time we would have an opening at the museum, it was the hippest, most fun event on campus. You’d have students, people from Boston, and [patrons] from outside areas. You couldn’t go through an exhibition and not be enthusiastic or curious. . . . It was a way of bringing the community together.”

Bedford also highlighted the work of 20th-century African-American artists who had long gone unrecognized—abstract painter and sculptor Jack Whitten and sculptor Melvin Edwards, for example. He intends to continue that emphasis at the BMA, which will present the first major exhibition of Whitten’s sculptures in 2018. Whitten is not only a “tremendous artist,” Bedford says, “but I venture to say, being a novice in this city, that his art will be very useful for social discourse here.” And, as Whitten’s art addresses systemic racism and civil rights, the planned exhibit fits in perfectly with Bedford’s drive for social justice. “There’s a reason why I do this that’s entirely personal,” he says.

Bedford knows now that there was a deeper reason he attended Oberlin College. It goes beyond him discovering his passion for art there—the Ohio institution also helped instill in him a passion for social justice. That aspiration is shared across the campus—Oberlin was the first college in the United States to admit African-American students, and the city of Oberlin was a stop on the Underground Railroad. “I don’t think I realized at the time how formative Oberlin was. It changed everything for me,” Bedford says. “I graduated in 2000, and there was a T-shirt that we made then. It was black with a picture of the world and it said, ‘Think one person can change the world? So do we.’ I still believe that.”

He entered Oberlin intending to study English literature. But that was before he enrolled in an art history class that would change his life. Growing up in Scotland and England—before his family moved to the U.S. when he was 17—his mother took him to museums in London. There he developed a fascination for the impressionists. But that had not prepared him for the lush dexterity that he saw in Saint Sebastian Tended by Irene, a 17th-century painting by Dutch master Hendrick ter Brugghen. And he found the accompanying lecture by professor Bill Hood just as engrossing.

“It was Bill who uttered those fateful words, ‘All art was once contemporary,’” Bedford says. “The light bulb went off. This painting at one point was painted for a civic population, and, I thought, ‘How thrilling would it be to be involved in that process of production and interpretation?’ My progress through the museum field was dictated by those words.”

He worked to incorporate social justice into the art world in positions at The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles and the Wexner Center for the Arts at The Ohio State University, but this drive emerged most strongly at the Rose. It was one of the things the BMA search committee found most appealing about Bedford, says search committee member James Thornton, who also serves on the museum’s board of trustees. “We are in a community that is majority African-American and people of color. If we look out over the years to come, it’s important for the museum to find creative ways to connect with that community. I’m a person of color,” he continues, “and I’ve always noticed that there are people who don’t look like me who are very much committed and are beneficial to moving the equality conversation forward. Chris is one of those people. I think he’s trying to set the record straight.”

Though Bedford has become a visible presence for the museum in Baltimore—he joined the board of directors of the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance, for example—he says he would like to make further inroads with the artistic community. But he has met with one artist whom he particularly admires, whose work is known for its social commentary—Joyce Scott, a 2016 recipient of a MacArthur “genius grant.” Says Bedford: “I’m excited to integrate her art into the exhibition space. She’s sincere, she’s soulful, she’s brilliant, she’s very connected to the city, and her work is extraordinary.”

Scott says she hopes he brings recognition to local artists (as well as those from farther flung destinations). “That is one thing I hope there would be more of—local artists on display in a real show,” she says. “It’s not like we don’t have them—Baltimore is a hotbed of artists.”

Eight months into the job, Bedford’s day begins early and ends late. When asked if he enjoyed a recent art community get-together, he replies, “Which one?” Still, he is settling into life in Baltimore with his wife, Jennifer, an art historian, and their three children. And his desire to bring about change in Baltimore by making the BMA more open to everyone is as fervent as when he first arrived.

“I’ve said many times that I don’t think the future of museums in the 21st century is going to be written in New York or Los Angeles. It’s going to be written in a city like Baltimore, where we’re going to reconstitute our relationship with our audience through exhibitions, programs, and outreach. Otherwise, we risk irrelevance,” Bedford says. “My ambition is to make Baltimore known to the world and to bring the world to Baltimore.”