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The list of what to do during Artscape’s three days—July 15-17 this year—is extensive. There are more than 150 artists, fashion designers, and craftspeople involved as well as dozens of performances, family events, street performers, installations—you get the drift. So we’ve taken the liberty of giving your our picks for this space-themed Artscape. (You can check out a full list of events here.)

BGE MAIN STAGE AT MARYLAND INSTITUTE COLLEGE OF ART
Starting Friday night, you won’t be able to avoid the pulsating beats—or the electric energy emanating from the hill in front of the B&O Railroad building. Beginning a weekend of ’90s throw backs, Wyclef Jean headlines Friday at 7:30 p.m. with his bopping hip-hop rhythms and liquid smooth reggae lines (it might be wishful thinking, but we’re really hoping he’s got some Fugees tracks on his playlist). And on Saturday, catch our own exciting hip hop duo Bond St. District before ’90s hit ska/punk band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones hits the stage. Hopefully, they’ll be in their trademark plaid, and you can copy the moves of the band member whose only job on stage seemed to be dancing (remember him?). Then, on Sunday, let it all wind down with old-school reggae godfather The Legendary Burning Spear. 1400 Cathedral St., near Mount Royal Avenue

INSTALLATIONS
When you ask artists to explore the theme of “space,” you have to expect that your mind will explode—and that’s the case with these seven installations. Take Fred Scharmen’s “The Grand Tour,” where the sizes of the planets and their distance from one another in proper scale—that means Pluto is a grain of sand. Or The Mothership Connection, a “funky adventure into other worlds,” that features a maypole, people sculptures and ornaments, and a metaphysical stage which will features performances by Ama Chandra, Ada Pinkston, and Blaqstarr. Mount Royal Avenue and North Charles Street

JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY STATION NORTH STAGE
If the main stage crowd is a little overwhelming, or you’d rather hear a cadre of up-and-coming Baltimore bands, this is the right stage for you. After Wyclef Jean’s show Friday, head here for a Prince tribute dance party, with Wendel Patrick and DJ Dubble8 of the groundbreaking Baltimore Boom Bap Society (their performance with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra has been one of our year’s musical highlights). Two of our favorites on Saturday are art rockers Surf Harp, and the infectious psychedelic sounds of the so-hot-right-now Sun Club. And on Sunday, ultra-smooth R&B group Chiffon performs before Bmore Beatscape, where Eze Jackson hosts a night of hip hop, including the winner of a beat competition, who gets a five-minute slot to play beats while the MCs rap. Charles Street, near North Avenue

ARTIST-RUN ART FAIR and ARTISTS’ MARKET
Our visual arts scene is blessed to have its share of fabulous artist-run galleries—Terrault Contemporary, Platform, Current Space. Check out the work of emerging artists that they showcase, as well as work from other artist-run galleries from as far as Portland, OR, and Chicago, displayed at the Charles Street Garage (1714 Charles St.) Then, peruse the art of more than 100 talented creatives that’s for sale along Mt. Royal Avenue.

DREAMGIRLS AT MOTOR HOUSE
This iconic musical about the early days of Motown girls groups (think the powerhouse anthems “Love You I Do” and “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going”) is at the hands of the Motor House’s resident company, and in its intimate theater on Friday night at 7:30. Plus, Motor House is warming everyone up for Artscape July 8 and 9 when you can catch dance performances, workshops, and a dance party. 120 West North Ave.

DANCE AND BMORE ELDER ENSEMBLE
Every once in a while, a group of performers comes along
that truly touches on why the arts are so important. Made up of resident from
the J Van Story Branch Apartments, which is a home for elderly and disabled
residents in Station North and led by the ever-energetic Broadway alum CJay
Phillip, this troupe transcends physical limitation to move, dance, and enjoy
music—and along the way tells us their stories. 7 p.m. Saturday, Motor House, 120 West North Ave.

SOLARIUM
We’ve all likely seen the pictures of the sun’s bubbling, lava-like surface, but this work transforms that understanding. Artists use data from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded on solar flares and eruptions to create a large-scale projection that will transport us into space. MICA’s Pinkard Gallery, 1401 West Mount Royal Ave.

POP-UPS
Per usual, there will be talented performers roaming the streets with acrobatics and clown antics galore, but these pop-ups are something special. Throughout the festival, performers will emerge from the crowds to shake things up—and, of course, they’ll be decked out in space gear. From The Marching Elite Marching Band on Friday to giant aliens and OrchKids on Saturday (and don’t forget to look for the samba parade on Sunday), you won’t know when the pop-ups will happen, but when they do, trust us, they’ll be memorable.

MICA’S BROWN CENTER and BALTIMORE THEATRE PROJECT
Pacing yourself is a must at Artscape (we’ve had one too many heat meltdowns ourselves). Take a break, get off your feet, and let your body temperature regulate in the ol’ AC while taking in the Debussy opera The Prodigal Son, produced by Lyric Opera Baltimore twice on Saturday, or on Sunday, take in bands that showcase a fusion of musical styles, like Black Masala, who plays a “unique” (we’ll say) blend of punk rock, Balkan brass, Indian bhangra, and New Orleans funk. At Baltimore Theatre Project on Friday, check out a ballet based on best-selling science fiction novel Dune. Falvey Hall, 1301 Mount Royal Ave.; 45 W. Preston St.

BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Any time you get to experience a world-class orchestra, it’s a treat. Even better is when it’s free. On Friday, the symphony will play Beethoven’s Eighth Symphony in the lobby, and, on Saturday, it will perform classical favorites alongside adult amateur musicians. Best of all, Baltimore City Public School students, as well as OrchKids, will perform on the Meyerhoff stage throughout the three days, showing us a little of the talent we have to look forward to. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St.

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A few days before, rioting had ripped through Baltimore, a result of outrage at the death of Freddie Gray. But a few days later, on May 2, the 12th annual CityLit Festival was scheduled to begin.

Wilhelm, executive director of the CityLit Project and Festival, took his cue from the Enoch Pratt Free Library, the festival’s location that had stayed open during the unrest, and continued as planned.

“I was quoted as saying on that Saturday after the riots, ‘This may be the least attended CityLit Festival, but maybe the most important one,’” Wilhelm said. “We were one of the few cultural events that took place that weekend.”

In its 13th year, attendees will find a bigger, expanded CityLit Festival. It has a new venue, beginning Friday, April 15, at the Maryland Institute College of Art and continuing Saturday at the Pratt and the University of Baltimore. It boasts 30 authors, poets, and presenters, and has turned the focus on the social justice discussions that emerged last year.

“I wouldn’t have guessed that it would be this different, robust, and meaningful a year ago,” Wilhelm said. “It really is a rewarding feeling to see the festival not only come back for another year, but come back bigger, better, and stronger with much of the programming directly related to the conversations we need to have and the content we need to explore to be a better city.”

Prominent in the list of appearances is poet Claudia Rankine, a National Book Critics Circle Award winner and Forward Prize winner for Citizen: An American Lyric, her collection of poems and essays that explores race and social justice. She’ll appear twice during the festival—at the opening event at MICA, and also at the Pennsylvania Avenue Branch of the Pratt on Saturday morning, where she’ll hear from West Baltimore students, read her work, and participate in a Q&A.

“That was important not only for us, but for her, too,” Wilhelm said. “She wants to be at the epicenter of where the demonstrations started last year.”

In addition to the two events featuring Rankine, here are a few others that Wilhelm recommends.

—D. Watkins and Lester Spence (you can read our reviews of their works here and here) will discuss topics ranging from last year’s unrest to the mayoral race. University of Baltimore Student Center, Saturday, 5 p.m. Free.

— If you love the English classics, check out a discussion on John Keats with two poet laureates—Sir Andrew Motion, former poet laureate of the United Kingdom (and a professor at The Johns Hopkins University) and Stanley Plumley, Maryland’s poet laureate. Immediately following is a talk on the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s beloved Emma, then you can try your moves at an English country dance lesson in front of the Poe statue. University of Baltimore Learning Commons, 1415 Maryland Ave., Saturday. Begins at 1 p.m. Free.

— If you are a burgeoning writer looking for advice, you can get your work critiqued for free by numerous published authors. University of Baltimore Student Center, 21 West Mount Royal Ave., 12 p.m. Saturday.

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Baltimore audiences are more than familiar with Waters and his films, art, and books—from the iconic Pink Flamingoes and Hairspray to his book CarsickCarsick, a chronicle of hitchhiking across the U.S. But that doesn’t mean it’s any less spectacular when the Pope of Trash—or the People’s Pervert, his newest nickname—makes an appearance in his hometown.

That was the case Tuesday night at the Maryland Institute College of Art, where Waters took to the stage to perform his gloriously dirty, and insightful, one-man show, “This Filthy World.” Delivered stand-up style, Waters wove biographical information with his insights on current events, pop culture, and, of course, his love for his hometown.

“Baltimore is the best place to live because it’s cheap enough that you can be bohemian,” he told the sold-out crowd. “Stay here, don’t leave.”

As is always true of Waters, no topic or material was sacred (and trust us, a good chunk of it was unprintable). Discussing presidential primary candidates, he said, “Even Cuba doesn’t want to be Socialist any more,” then continued that he’d “like Hillary to win so Bill can be First Lady, like Mamie Eisenhower.”

Turning to the state of the city after Freddie Gray’s death, he lamented that there doesn’t seem to be enough racial mixing. He brought up his own experiences of leaving the suburbs in high school to venture to North Avenue, where he “hung out with black kids. The cops hated it.”

He continued that, if black and white people interacted more, they would begin to realize that problems are more about economic disparity than race. “Pigtown and black communities should join together . . . then come to my neighborhood and burn down the country clubs. That’s how revolutions are made!”

In the second part of the evening, Waters took questions from MICA president Sammy Hoi—who said Waters’ films taught him about American culture when he arrived in New York after emigrating from Hong Kong—and then from the crowd. (Suffice it to say, his answers reddened some cheeks, but had people bent over in their seats.)

After a query about attending a burlesque performance, Waters floated a plan to turn The Block into a place for burlesque and punk rock venues. When asked where he goes to eat, he named Peter’s Inn and Rocket to Venus, though he really likes to cook at home. And he also declared his love for Justin Bieber.

But Waters kept coming back to his hometown. “This city has always been eccentric. Everyone has a sense of humor, it’s not pretentious,” he said.

“If I had to get rid of all the places I live, I’d keep Baltimore.”

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One held an assortment of surprising, uncanny items—shoes, plants, sports equipment, and, probably most eye-catching, a mannequin wearing a corset with a pineapple on her head. What united them was color—all had been spray painted black.

The other consisted of a fibrous, textured rope, colored white with bursts of jewel tones woven throughout, and a string of delicate white lights. Soon, they would both be hung from the rafters, garland-style.

These were the makings of two temporary sculptures by students at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Their fiber and sculpture course led by Susie Brandt had been selected to be part of Maryland Art Place’s IMPACT program, which aims to reach broader audiences by bringing the works of living artists into the public.

As part of the program, students used items from merchants at Green Spring Station, a collection of locally-owned shops, services, and restaurants. That obviously accounts for the unique objects that would comprise the black sculpture, but, surprisingly, also in the garland-type work—the pops of color and texture in the rope are from 50 yards of material including a bridal gown and tulle, said Astrid Albert, a senior fiber arts major who is part of the class.

The twinkling lights, carefully sautered by another student, enhance it even more, and lend a holiday spirit, Albert said. “The lights will create even more sparkle, and it will be even more beautiful.”

And, it leads viewers to the next sculpture, which is about structure and form, as much is the other is about texture and light. Each object is distinct, yet united by its color, said junior fiber arts major Joseph Malson, and there are also pops of color from layered wrapping paper that add dimension to the piece.

Though Malson’s team had just started piecing together the sculpture, he mentioned that dimension was another aspect they wanted to highlight. They wanted the work to grab your attention, “to make the objects into something you can walk around,” Malson said.

It appeared that goal had already been achieved Tuesday morning, as customers stopped in their shopping to gaze at the developing sculptures.

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That was the message from bicycle
advocates at a public meeting Thursday evening at the Midtown Academy
near the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).

It won’t be
completed overnight, but the Baltimore City Department of Transportation
presented the next step in a suddenly expanding downtown bicycle
network—the Mount Royal Avenue cycle track.

The dedicated,
two-lane bicycle route (cycle tracks physically separate bicycles from
auto traffic) will run on the north side of Mount Royal Avenue from
McMechen Street, near North Avenue, down to Charles Street.

The
design, which is 65 percent complete, officials said, will be finished
this fall. Construction is scheduled to begin next spring, with the
cycle track opening some time in late 2016. When completed, it will
particularly help bicycle commuters in the MICA, University of Baltimore,
and midtown corridor link with Penn Station, for example, and the
forthcoming Maryland Avenue cycle track project. About 45-50 parking
spaces will be removed along Mount Royal Avenue to make room for the
bicycle track.

At a standing room-only public meeting at the Pratt Library two weeks ago, BDOT
representatives presented plans for
a dedicated, two-way cycle track that will run north and south on
Maryland Avenue from 29th Street to Pratt Street. That project, expected
to be implemented this fall, also includes several new east-west
painted bike lanes.

The Mount Royal Avenue cycle track is part of a
broader, $6 to $7 million infrastructure upgrade to Mount Royal Avenue
that will include dedicated electrical conduits intended to assist Artscape, water main improvements, street and landscaping, new traffic signals, and enhanced handicap accessibility.

Currently,
the only cycle track in the city is the short, north-south Fallsway
bike lane east of Charles Street, which starts near the Inner Harbor and
links to the Guilford Avenue bike route. Light Street Cycles bike shop owner Penny Troutner and Chris Merriam, executive director of Bikemore,
a Baltimore nonprofit bicycling advocacy organization, as well as
others in attendance—while pleased to hear the city is building
additional cycle track for bike commuters—also strenuously requested
that city officials extend the Mount Royal cycle track three blocks more
to Guilford Avenue.

According to the current plan, bicyclists are
supposed to use the eight-foot sidewalk between Charles Street and
Guilford Avenue when either heading north on Guilford or south on the
Fallsway cycle track, which is also part of the larger Jones Falls
Trail. But an increase in pedestrian traffic and the speed of cars
coming off I-83 in that area will remain a hazard without the extension
of a dedicated cycle track, Troutner and Merriam said. They also
stressed the benefits of a fully connected bicycle-friendly route that
sweeps across a large swath of the downtown commercial area.

“This
is such a short distance to go [to extend the cycle track to Guilford
Avenue],” Troutner said. “We need to complete the thought.”

“I
strongly recommend continuing the cycle track down to Guilford Avenue,”
Merriam said, noting that the bike path in front of the Inner Harbor,
which isn’t physically separated from pedestrians, hasn’t worked for
bicyclists because of the heavy foot traffic there.

Still, despite
the desire to extend the Mount Royal cycle track by several blocks, as
well as concerns about crossing North Avenue and turning onto Charles
Street—the planned project, though not yet completely designed—was
generally well received.

“I think this is great,” Troutner said. “The more cycle track, the better.”

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