Editor’s note: As cancellations and postponements due to COVID-19 precautions continue to roll in, please remember to check with venues about changes to events and procedures. A running list of changes to programs and events can be found here.

Visual Art

Too Long, Didn’t Read

South African-born artist Candice Breitz examines privilege and visibility through two vastly different groups in this new video installation at the BMA. TLDR highlights the treatment of workers in her home country and the power structures that keep them from the rights they deserve, while Love Story features Julianne Moore and Alec Baldwin joining six refugees in the retelling of their experiences. Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr., March 15 through July 12.

News

2020 Baker Artist Award Finalists Announced
Keep an eye out for upcoming showcases from the finalists for the 2020 Baker Artists Award, which will take place throughout the city over the coming months. The winners from this talented pool of 31 Baltimore creatives will be announced later in the spring. The finalists are:

Literary: Maria Adelmann, Pat Montley, Timmy Reed, Pamela Woolford, Jung Yun

Film/Video: Chung-Wei Huang, Amy Oden, Matthew Porterfield, Lynn Tomlinson

Interdisciplinary: Laura Amussen, ellen cherry, Hosey Corona, FORCE, Phylicia Ghee

Performance: Anna Fitzgerald, Ryan Johnson, Lola B. Pierson, Glenn Ricci, Allen Xing

Visual: Larry Poncho Brown, Michael Kirby, Christine Neill, Lauren Schott, René Treviño, Susan Waters-Eller

Music: Abdu Ali, Andrew Bernstein, Ami Dang, Lura Johnson, Outcalls, Meng Su

Coronavirus News:

Update: Following an announcement by Governor Larry Hogan on March 12 that all gatherings of 250+ people are to be postponed, most theaters are in the process of cancellation or rescheduling procedures. Check with box offices for information concerning tickets and new dates.

The Baltimore Museum of Art, the Walters Art Museum, and the JHU Museums have announced that all public programs through April 12 are postponed or canceled, though they remain open during regular hours. Enoch Pratt Libraries will remain open, but all public programs, including the CityLit Festival, are postponed or cancelled. Greedy Reads has also suspended all events through the month of March.

As of March 12, the Hippodrome Theatre has cancelled the upcoming Celtic Woman and The Band’s Visit touring dates and shared the following: “If you are a ticket holder for one of these events, please hold onto your tickets as we work to reschedule their performances in Baltimore. We will be in touch in the next 7-14 days with more information on the status of this event.”

Similar statements regarding increased sanitation measures and continued monitoring of the situation have been issued by the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, Baltimore Improv Group, The Strand, Arena Players, Vagabond Players, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, Rams Head Live!, Fells Point Corner Theatre, the SNF Parkway Theatre, and Creative Alliance.

In addition, Creative Alliance has instituted a new full refund/exchange policy during the month of March, postponed the Baltimore Old Time Music Festival (likely until the summer), and fully canceled the March 21 performance by the Marja Mortensson Trio. Everyman Theatre has waived ticket exchange fees and upgrade charges for the remainder of the New Voices Festival. Charm City Players has suspended pre-show activities, but performances will continue as scheduled.

Visual Art

Devin Allen’s A Beautiful Ghetto exhibit
Baltimore street photographer Devin Allen became known across the nation for his work after one of his images of the 2015 Baltimore protests was featured as the cover of Time magazine. Three years later, and in honor of that anniversary, the Institute for Integrative Health will exhibit a series of his black-and-white photos documenting the riots in A Beautiful Ghetto. Maybe more importantly, the show will serve as a launchpad for community-wide discussions. This kicks off with an artist talk during the opening reception, where his 2017 book by the same title will be available, and it continues with various events with a focus on healing, such as the April 13 dialogue with artists, writers, and leaders about creating healing spaces for their communities. The Institute for Integrative Health, 1407 Fleet St. Opening reception: 6 to 8:30 p.m. March 15.

Adam Davies: Reroutings
Creative Alliance resident artist Adam Davies will transform the space there to bring us Reroutings, an exhibit of his large-format film photographs of outdoor structures that have served as unofficial public forums (think graffiti-strewn bridges and unexpected street art found during a stroll). The gallery space will be completely darkened and the walls painted black and replaced with his huge (56- by 70-inch) photographic images, which will be lit from behind. Alex Zhang Hungtai of Dirty Beaches will perform his lo-fi electronica soundscapes—which were an influence on the photography series—during an opening reception on March 10, and more events will follow. Opens March 10 at the Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.

Stephen Towns: Rumination and a Reckoning
Story quilts are an African-American tradition dating back at least some 200 years. Some historians believe that secret codes were sewn into quilts, providing maps for navigating the Underground Railroad. Baltimore artist Stephen Towns continues in this tradition, exploring themes of slavery and perspectives of women and people of color through his large-scale fabric and bead-work pieces, often featuring faceless black figures that appear as silhouettes. The Baltimore Museum of Art will exhibit 10 of his quilts in Rumination and a Reckoning beginning this month, seven of which depict the story of Nat Turner and his 1831 rebellion. As if that weren’t enough, the museum will host Towns in conversation with internationally renowned artist Mark Bradford. March 7 through Sept. 2 at the Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Drive.

Music

Baltimore Plays The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 20th Anniversary
Hard as it may be to believe, it’s been 20 years since the release of the seminal album The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill. In a homage to the work, several artists—Jasmine Pope (J Pope and the HearNow), Christen B, Joy Postell, Karin Sings Evans, Marc Avon Evans, Jamaal Black Root Collier—will gather at the Creative Alliance to perform its tracks in their own style. March 18 at the Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.

Theater

Humbug: The Great P.T. Barnum Séance
Magician David London will attempt to summon the spirit of The Great P.T. Barnum via—what else?—séance in his new show Humbug at The Peale Center. While we can’t guarantee audiences will make contact with the legendary showman, we do guarantee the exhibition of genuine Barnum artifacts (honestly, that might be a hoax, too—in the spirit of P.T. Barnum, of course). March 8 to 25 at The Peale Center, 225 N. Holliday St.

Film

Everything is Terrible!’s The Great Satan
Imagine being able to get a taste of more than more than 2,000 horror, satanic, and religious films in under two hours. You don’t have to imagine anymore. Everything is Terrible! has done the work for you, creating a narrative from scraps of material to make the kitschy, trippy new film The Great Satan. In their own words: “Since the dawn of time, man has searched for answers . . . and failed. But the fog of existence has finally cleared thanks to the eternal fruits of your favorite found footage collective.” The makers will be at the theater to present their film as part of their cross-country tour. Guests are encouraged to bring offerings of VHS tapes of Jerry Maguire. March 7 at SNF Parkway Theatre, 5 W. North Ave.

Kékszakállú

Baltimore’s Matt Porterfield, best known for his films Hamilton and Putty Hill, will host and do a Q&A at two screenings of the gorgeous Argentine film Kékszakállú, co-written and co-produced by him and directed by Gastón Solnicki. The coming-of-age film’s title and inspiration comes from the opera Bluebeard’s Castle and follows a group of upper-class girls as they enter the world outside of their privileged lives. March 2 to 8 at SNF Parkway Theatre, 5 W. North Ave.

Literary Arts

An Evening with Laura Lippman at Federal Hill Prep School
Baltimore’s literary darling and New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman will be at Federal Hill Prep School as part of a book tour for her latest release, Sunburn. The novel tells the story of Polly, a runaway wife who’s ready to start a new life but wasn’t quite ready to fall in love in the process. March 24 at Federal Hill Preparatory School, 1040 William St.

Visual Art

WOKE Exhibition by Alma Roberts
Opens Dec. 8, Baltimore City Hall, 100 Holliday St. Ste 101. By day, Alma Roberts is a healthcare executive but, when she’s not working on serving her community through health initiatives, she’s enriching it through poetry, plays, and, of course, painting. Roberts brings her work to Baltimore City Hall to share pieces that communicate awareness of social, political, and racial injustices, as well as her hope for an equitable future.

James Hennessey: Enduring Concerns
Open Dec. 9, Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. Over the 37 years he spent teaching painting at MICA, James Hennessey influenced thousands of artists. Step into the shoes of those many students as Creative Alliance takes a look back at Hennessey’s decades-spanning career in Baltimore and the large paintings that define it. For more insight into the fables and influences that emerge from his canvases, stop by for a free gallery talk on Jan. 6 at 7 p.m.

Performing Art

The Revolutionists
Opens Dec. 6, Everyman Theatre, 315 West Fayette St. A notorious queen, an assassin, a playwright, and a spy walk into a room. What could happen? Take a trip back to the French Revolution with some of the baddest babes in history: Marie Antoinette, Charlotte Corday, Olympe de Gouges, and Marianne Angelle. These French femmes are sure to have you laughing as you learn more about their incredible lives and legacies.

ArtsCentric Presents Sister Act
Opens Dec. 8, Motor House, 120 W. North Ave. Revel in the gospel vibes and hilarious twists of this classic convent caper. ArtsCentric brings the story of diva Deloris Van Cartier (Whoopi played her in the movie, but you knew that), the murder she witnessed, and her new life as Catholicism’s funkiest nun to the Motor House stage. This show is sure to be just heavenly.

Cirque de la Symphonie Holiday Spectacular
Dec. 22-23, Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. Spice up your symphony experience for the holidays with a visit from aerial flyers, acrobats, contortionists, dancers, jugglers, balancers and strongmen. These cirque performers will showcase their talents through choreography set to classical scores performed by the BSO. Come early for festive fare and a visit from St. Nick himself.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Dec. 21, Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. Join East German glam goddess Hedwig and her backing band, The Angry Inch, as they rock their way through Hedwig’s glitter- and innuendo-filled story of sex, love, music, and discovering exactly who she is. She made it over the great divide, now she’s coming for you.

A Christmas Carol adapted by Ian Gallanar
Opens Dec. 8, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, 7 S. Calvert St. You’ve seen the original by now, so why not take in a different version of this Charles Dickens classic? Opt for a uniquely regional retelling of the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and his ghostly visitors with CSC artistic director Ian Gallanar’s adaptation, which swaps out London for Victorian-era Baltimore.

Events

We Are Baltimore Rising
Dec. 12, The 29th Street Community Center, 300 E. 29th St. Come for the screening of director Sonja Sohn’s HBO documentary, Baltimore Rising, following activists, police officers, gang affiliates and community leaders in the wake of the death of Freddie Gray. But stay for the discussion to follow with those still addressing the issues covered in the film. Strong City Baltimore, which is hosting the event, encourages “young community leaders” ages 16-30 to attend. Lunch will also be provided.

Brown Lecture Series: Paul Butler
Dec 13, Enoch Pratt Free Central Library, African American Department, 400 Cathedral St. Listen as author, professor and former federal prosecutor Paul Butler shares insights from his book Chokehold: Policing Black Men. In it, he describes a system that isn’t broken, but is instead made to manufacture fear of black men from politicians, police, and ordinary people. This frank discussion of widespread issues with crime, law enforcement, and the criminal justice system is not to be missed.

A John Waters Christmas
Dec. 19, Baltimore Soundstage, 124 Market Pl. Nativity plays and Nutcracker performances not your thing? Consider attending this one-man show from longstanding resident of Santa’s naughty list John Waters. The Pope of Trash will share his yearly holiday musings and answers to age-old questions such as, “Is Prancer the only gay reindeer?” and “What would a Gaspar Noé Christmas movie look like?” among other, filthier queries. But leave the kiddies at home for this holiday outing, this show is (obviously) for adults only.

News

Several people and projects with Baltimore ties are up for NAACP Image Awards come January. On November 20, photographer Devin Allen, author Ta-Nehisi Coates, the documentary Step, and HBO docudrama The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks all received nominations for the annual awards honoring outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature. Winners will be announced Jan. 15.

Maryland natives also have several chances to shine at the Grammys. Country duo Brothers Osborne (Deale) is nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “It Ain’t My Fault.” Rapper Logic (Gaithersburg) scored a nom for “1-800-273-8255 (feat. Alessia Cara & Khalid)” in the Song of the Year and Best Music Video categories. Father John Misty (Rockville) is looking to score his first Grammy with Pure Comedy after a loss last year. Pure Comedy is nominated for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Recording Package. Columbia’s Brent Faiyaz also as a shot at a Grammy nod for his work on DC rappers Goldlink and Shy Glizzy’s “Crew,” which is up for Best Rap/Sung Performance.

Visual Art

Undesign the Redline Exhibit
Through July 9, Gallery CA, 440 E. Oliver St. This interactive exhibit connecs the intentional, systematic housing segregation by race of the 1930s to the political and social issues of today through the powerful narratives of the people and communities affected by redlining—the practice of restricting access to credit for prospective homebuyers based on the demographics (particularly race) of the community they want to buy into.

The Dog & Pony Show
Through July 30, Area 405, 405 E. Oliver St. During its 12-year run, The Janet & Walter Sondheim Prize has generated an elite alumni of visual arts from the Baltimore/Washington region. This new exhibit at Area 405 (whose own director Stewart Watson is one such esteemed alumnus) recognizes those who have been previously selected as Sondheim finalists as a community of high achieving visual artists. The exhibit at Area 405 is curated by Watson, and Cara Ober, Editor of BmoreArt and is designed to celebrate the award and the evolving careers of former finalists.

Through the Layers Pt. 1 at Terrault
July 8-29, 218 W. Saratoga St., Third Floor. Antonio McAfee’s fascinating work made him the winner of Terrault’s juried art show earlier this year. In this exhibit, McAfee appropriates photographs from W.E.B. Du Bois and Thomas Calloway’s Exhibition of American Negroes (1900) into various 3D images and collages, attempting to provide alternate ways to see black figures, ways that allow for the subjects to have multitudes of possibilities, real and imagined within a still image. 

The Weight of Absence
Through Aug. 13, Goucher College’s Rosenberg Gallery, 1021 Dulaney Valley Rd. The architectural drawings that artist Erin Fostel is working on came about through grieving the loss of her father in 2014. He was an architect who enjoyed exploration, always interested in finding new ways to get from here to there. She wanted to create a body of work that served as both a commemoration of his life, and a relief from the heartbreak of his death, so she started exploring parts of Baltimore City she did not know well. At some point, she began taking photographs of certain buildings and structures that caught her attention, ones she thought would have been of interest to her dad. These ruminations, explorations, and photographs have become the foundation for her new body of work.

S33 Studio Biennial/Ursula Populoh/Giulia Livi
School 33 Art Center, 1427 Light St. Three new shows open at School 33 this month, including an exhibition that highlights the work of the studio artists in residence there, including Taha Heydari, Cheeny Celebrado-Royer, and Lynn Cazabon. And catch solo exhibits by fiber artist Ursual Populoh, and Giulia Livi, whose geometric objects and paintings utilize materiality to investigate light, form, and the weirdly functional. 

Performing Arts

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s New Music Festival
July 13-15, various locations. This inaugural event has the BSO musicians performing at new, unique venues—like pizza favorite Joe Squared on North Avenue. There’s also a concert that features two BSO premieres by Polish composer and soprano Agata Zubel, as well as the World Premiere of Syrian-American composer Malek Jandali’s The Silent Ocean. And as an added bonus, all of the composers featured in the festival will be in attendance so you can say you’ve brushed elbows with true creative geniuses.

Tick Tick Boom at StillPointe Theatre
July 14-28, 1825 N. Charles St. You likely know Jonathan Larson from his epic, Broadway-changing musical Rent—but you might not know its intimate, autobiographical predecessor. This deeply personal peek into the life of an artist follows one man’s journey to define success on his own terms. 

News

Doors Open Baltimore, the architectural tour that showcases all things eclectic, historic, and truly Baltimore, is expanding to two full days this fall. Locations range from returning favorite the Arabber Center, a must-see attraction at one of the country’s last remaining locations for this African-American folk tradition and Charm City Meadworks, Baltimore City’s only meadery and the event’s newest addition, which will be open for tours and tastings of mead, a honey-based historic beverage similar to wine.

After more than 10 years of serving emerging artists, collectors and the Baltimore community at large, Jordan Faye Contemporary is closing its doors at the Maryland Art Place building at 218 W Saratoga Street, effective July 28th. “What an incredible journey it has been,” founder and director Jordan Faye Block wrote in an e-mail. “Never did I think, when I moved here from a small college town in New Hampshire 14 years ago, that I would fall so in love with this city – its culture, its visionary people, its architecture & the art community.” Block said she is exploring options for a new venture within the city.

The owners and operators of downtown Baltimore’s Platform Gallery—Abigail Paris and Lydia Petit—have announced they are handing over the reigns of the exhibition space to Baltimore Youth Arts, an artist-run, after school program that provides artistic and professional opportunities to youth, ages 14-22. “We could not be more thrilled to have this location and space occupied by a cause that is so crucial to the community, and we encourage everyone who supported us to continue to attend the events they hold,” Petit and Parish wrote in a statement.