STUDY HISTORY: My home is located in Butchers Hill. A structural engineer informed me that our house was likely built in the 1870s, based on the joists and beams observed in the basement. We purchased the house in 2008 directly from relatives of the original owners and learned that the house had only ever been owned by that one family.

DESIGN CLASSICS: My interior spaces are inspired by both midcentury modern and Scandinavian design styles, combined with personal, eclectic, and unique objects, art, and furniture. I try to maintain bright, open areas that invite natural light, with warm, neutral tones complemented by pops of color throughout.

A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING: I prefer clean lines, functionality, and order, but not at the expense of creating a warm and welcoming space where friends and family can gather. Since this is not a large home, it’s important to be intentional about what I include, where I place it, and how it functions. I want friends and family to feel comfortable and at home when they visit, surrounded by interesting items to explore, but not so precious that they can’t touch, pick up, or engage with them.

DRAWN TO ART: I am currently the co-executive director of the new Center for Creative Impact at the Maryland Institute College of Art and have been affiliated with MICA for over 20 years. Being part of a school of art and design, surrounded by creative makers and thinkers among the faculty and students, provides me with a constant source of inspiration. My home is filled with art from MICA, including pieces created by former students, faculty colleagues, and even some of my own work from my time as a graduate student.

A VISIONARY: I think your home can be the ultimate expression of your personality. I appreciate artifacts that are unique in their form, function, and history. Personal stories hold great value for me. While I might initially be drawn to a piece of art or an object for its aesthetic qualities and raw beauty, I truly fall in love with it when there’s a unique story or personal connection attached.

FAVORITE PERCH: I particularly enjoy sitting on the couch and looking out the large picture window that faces the street. From this spot, I can see and hear passing cars, people walking their dogs, and kids running around. Sitting here always makes me feel connected to the block, the neighborhood, and Baltimore City—inside the house while remaining connected to the vibrant life outside.

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

“My paintings are a labor of love for Baltimore,” says longtime Baltimorean and retired artist Richard Friedman, whose creative flame, sparked early on by an artistic mother, took him to the Maryland Institute College of Art, which he graduated from in 1973 before becoming a technical illustrator.

Friedman’s intricate oil paintings, which flaunt the city’s street musicians, restaurants, rowhomes, arabbers, and time-honored landmarks like The Club Charles dive bar in Station North, reinforce a decades-deep admiration. Find them on his Instagram account, @richshelfri1951.

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

Before a sea of statement hats and steely horses takes over the Pimlico Race Course for the Preakness Stakes this May, two local institutions will capture the event creatively with The Art of Racing. The online competition, presented by MICA and the Maryland Jockey Club, asks local artists to present their two-dimensional homages to the Baltimore tradition. From March 2-20, fans can cast a vote for their favorite piece, here.

When Baltimore artist LaToya M. Hobbs was a little girl, her grandmother Johnetta would wake her and her cousins early in the morning to recite a prayer in the living room. It was something she dreaded as a child, but now inspires a piece in her latest exhibition titled, “How Johnetta Taught Us to Pray.”

The piece is a part of Hobbs’ Salt of the Earth series inspired by biblical scripture Mathew 5:13, in which she personifies Black women as preservers of their families, cultures, and communities. It consists of two portraits of Hobbs and her mother in a position of prayer.

“For me it pays homage to the women in my family,” Hobbs says. “I’ve been really thinking about the legacies that have been passed down from generation to generation. I feel like prayer is one of those things.”

This exhibition helped win Hobbs the 2020 Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize, a $25,000 fellowship that the yearly festival—which took place online due to COVID-19—presents to a Baltimore artist to support their work.

At first glance of one of her pieces, it might seem that she’s been painting all her life, but the Little Rock, Arkansas native actually spent her early college years studying biology.

While Hobbs was always involved in the arts—whether it was dancing in junior high or singing in the school choir—growing up, she didn’t see much representation of people of color with successful careers in fine arts.

“Even though I loved art and I did it all the time, when it was time for me to go to college I was like ‘Okay, well I got to get a real job,’” Hobbs says.

However, halfway through undergrad at the University of Arkansas, she realized that she was unhappy. She found her true passion in creating art and, much to her parents’ dismay, decided to transfer to UA Little Rock to pursue it.

“I told my mom that I wanted to change [schools] and of course she said, ‘You’re just not trying hard enough, you’re giving up too easy,’” Hobbs recalls. “But I think you really have to be honest and know yourself.”

Now, as a teacher at the Maryland Institute College of Art, she encourages her students to pursue careers in whatever form of art they’re interested in.

We spoke with Hobbs about her craft, working and teaching in the age of COVID-19, and her plans for the $25,000 prize.

What inspired you to become an artist?
I think art has just always been something that I’ve been interested in since I was a child. I’ve always enjoyed, not always visual art, but bands and music so those things have always been a part of my life. But it wasn’t until 2007 that I really decided I wanted to be an artist, like to pursue it in my career. I had done dance and choir and art classes all throughout high school and I danced and sang through college, as well, but I think a lot of times with visual art, I know in the [Black community] in particular and in my family, there aren’t a lot of examples of people who have a career as an artist.

When people aren’t familiar with something, there tends to not be a lot of encouragement in that area. If I can walk up to an average person they can name five singers, they can name five actors, they can name five dancers, but most of the time you can’t really get people to name five visual artists unless you’re in a situation where people are avidly studying artists or something like that.

How did your family take you changing your focus from biology to art?
I just had to be honest with myself and say, “This is my life. You guys don’t have to go to these classes every week, you guys don’t have to work in this field. This is something that I’m going to have to do every day and I want to be happy with what I want to do.” So that’s advice that I always give students, particularly art students who want to paint or sculpt or draw but end up doing graphic design because their parents are like, “Okay, we’ll let you be an artist, but you need to do something that’s going to make money.”

I think we are starting to see more and more examples of different ways that people can sustain themselves as an artist. It’s not always limited to the route of being signed by major galleries now.

All of your portraits have a similar look. What techniques do you use in your work?
Earlier in my undergraduate studies, I was focusing primarily on painting as my major. But in my undergrad program at the [University of Arkansas, Little Rock] we had to take a class in every discipline. So, regardless of what your major was as a fine arts person you had to take sculpture, photography, printmaking, you had to take a survey of everything. When I got to printmaking, I really didn’t see the value in it at first, I had no intention of being a printmaker [laughs]. But after I started to learn more about the process and learned more about artists like Elizabeth Catlett, who was a really big influence on my work, I saw the possibilities that were available with that medium.

Your art features Black people and Black women especially. How has the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, especially its focus on the inequality of the Black female experience, affected you and your art?
If anything, it’s made people more passionate about what they do. I wouldn’t say it’s changed my work because I’ve always created images to reflect my community and how I feel about us, the beauty and the power that we possess, and just giving a more balanced perception and interpretation of who we are. I think I’ve always done that and artists in our community have always done that. Now there’s just more of a spotlight on us.

What are some of the challenges and some of the rewards that you didn’t anticipate about teaching?
For me teaching is a part of who I am. As I look back in every type of situation, I’ve been in, whether it was a job or on my drill team in high school, I always functioned in some kind of teaching or leadership position. In high school, I usually was the one who would teach the routines to everybody. In choir sometimes I was the section leader who would make sure everybody knew their part.

In terms of being an art educator, I find it to be a really rewarding and privileged position to hold, particularly being at an institution like MICA, because there are so many wonderfully creative students from all over the world. I learn from them just as much as they learn from me. It does have its challenges…but I think the things that I enjoy kind of overshadow the things that I don’t necessarily enjoy.

How have you shifted your approach to teaching since COVID-19?
A lot of that interaction and community with students is not going to be there. So, we’re trying to figure out a way to keep it there as best as possible. We had the first taste of that after spring break. At that point I had already had well over a half a semester with my students, so it wasn’t as much of a challenge because I had already built the relationships. But in the fall, it’s a whole new group and I am electing to do my classes online this semester just because I think that’s the best thing for my family. All across the country professors are having to think about creative ways to keep things afloat and keep that sense of engagement. It’s going to be challenging, but I think it’s definitely doable.

What are some of your plans for the Artscape Prize money?
We have a family goal to be debt free in the next five-to-six years. We’ve been really thinking about statistics of Black wealth in America and closing the wealth gap. So part of our financial plan is to focus a lot on debt elimination. But aside from that, some of the funds are going to be used to restock materials. I always say you have to invest in yourself to give back in your own practice.

Although the Black Cherry Puppet Theater is known around town for its eye-popping performances and award-winning school residencies, the puppetry group was never meant to be more than a summer job for five students from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).

“I don’t think we had a vision beyond making a puppet show that we could tour to recreation centers during the summer and make money,” says Michael Lamason, the nonprofit’s executive director.

He had never seen a puppet show when he founded the group in 1980 with Bill Haas, Rick Weiss, Corliss Cavalieri, and Michael Richardson. But by the end of that first summer, Black Cherry had put on 107 shows.

For the next decade and a half, the group performed puppet shows and hosted workshops at after-school programs and recreation centers around the region before putting down roots in Hollins Market in the late 1990s. The unfinished space, which sports a series of psychedelic splashings, as well as a mural by visual artist Espi Frazier, has worn many hats during its decades on Hollins Street, including a puppet theater, a live music venue, and, most importantly, a springboard for young talent.

Black Cherry affiliated artists Jennifer Strunge and Valeska Populoh were students at MICA when they joined the theater, and now Strunge runs the after-school workshops. Populoh, who now teaches in MICA’s Fiber Department, co-founded the theater’s fast-selling Puppet Slamwich series.

“Many of us have cut our teeth on puppetry in that space,” Populoh says.“A lot of people have given their free labor and time to Black Cherry because it’s been such an important resource for us.” Strunge agrees, calling the theater, “a place for connoisseurs of cardboard and lovers of scrappy inventions to support each other.”

Lamason hopes that sentiment will continue for years to come. For now, the theater continues to perform virtually until stay-at-home orders are lifted. But planned renovations slated for later this year include adding a new bathroom, ticketing area, and upstairs studio to give the next generation of puppet masters an improved performance space to last the next 40 years.

Now 62 years old, Lamason says he won’t be putting away his puppets anytime soon.

EAT

April 17: The Charmery “Chef’s Signature Flavor” Collaboration with Clavel

Multiple locations including 801 W. 36th St. $11.

If you’re looking for a surefire way to spark a little joy during quarantine, ice cream is the answer. Not only is The Charmery offering its whimsical flavors for delivery and curbside pickup at its Hampden and Towson locations, but husband-and-wife owners David and Laura Alima are continuing to dream up fun ways to give love to their fellow hospitality workers during this time of need. Beginning this Friday, the duo will launch a new series called “Chef’s Signature Flavor,” in which they whip up a limited number of pints of a local chef’s favorite variety. The Alimas’ buddy Carlos Raba of Clavel is up first, collaborating on a Rosac Con Su Mezcal flavor that highlights strawberry, hibiscus, lime, and mezcal. Each pint costs $11 with $1 of all sales benefitting The Charmery’s scooper fund, and another dollar donated to the Clavel employee fund. If you can’t grab a mezcal pint before sellout, stay tuned for the next collaboration with Chef Opie Crooks of A Rake’s Progress.

DRINK

April 17: Union Tour and Taste Live!

Facebook Live. 4-5 p.m. Free.

Switch up your virtual happy hour plans this Friday and join Union Craft Brewing co-founder Jon Zerivitz on Instagram Live for a behind-the-scenes tour of the brewery. Crack open a cold can of Duckpin and follow along as Zerivitz talks through the style, aroma, and tasting notes of fan-favorite brews like the Duckpin Pale Ale and Steady Eddie IPA. Stock up on six packs before the happy hour with delivery, dockside pickup, or by grabbing from your favorite local liquor store.

SEE

April 17-18: MICA MFA Thesis Film Virtual Showcase 2020

7 p.m. http://micafilmmaking.org. Free.

Though MICA’s MFA filmmaking class of 2020 won’t be able to screen their thesis films in front of a live audience for the time being, students remain excited to get the projects they’ve worked long and hard on out into the world. In collaboration with the SNF Parkway Theatre, the films will be screened on three different platforms, including the MICA film program website and the Parkway’s Facebook page, beginning with the first half on Friday, April 17 at 7 p.m. The second half will premiere on Saturday, April 18 at 7 p.m. Kick back and enjoy five documentaries, three dramas, and three horror films, and be sure to stick around for live Q&A sessions with the filmmakers after the broadcast.

HEAR

April 18: Qlub Q Dance Party With DJ Rob Macy

9-11 p.m. Zoom. Free.

We might not be able to go out, but that won’t stop stir-crazy Baltimoreans from attending a DIY dance party. Break out your laptop to break it down at the virtual Club Quarantine with DJ Rob Macy of the famous Save Your Soul Dance Party. After you shimmy, shake, and dance the night away, throw a few dollars in the virtual tip jar and check back each week to see which Charm City DJ is spinning next.

DO

April 17: Earth Treks Virtual Rendezvous

6-10 p.m. Facebook Live and Zoom. Free.

Unfortunately there’s no virtual alternative to bouldering with your buddies at this Hampden climbing gym, but the Earth Treks team has put together a jam-packed evening of online activities that evoke the gym’s communal spirit. After pre-registering, hop on Facebook Live for a HIIT class with instructor Jenna Scott before a dance party with beats spun by Union beertender and DJ dagm, a group trivia game, and a collective watch party of the sci-fi classic Tremors, with commentary encouraged in the Zoom chat box.

Visual Art

Amalie R. Rothschild Rock Icons & Images

Don’t miss your opportunity to catch the work of Amalie R. Rothschild, the “unofficial photographer of Woodstock,” at Goya Contemporary Gallery. The documentary-style work captures some of rock’s greatest personalities during the turbulent late ‘60s and early ‘70s, chronicling one of the most iconic periods of American music and history. Through March 2. Goya Contemporary Gallery, 3000 Chestnut Ave.

Literature

Writers LIVE! R. Eric Thomas, Here For It

Park School alum R. Eric Thomas offers the internet his best jokes and hottest takes in his daily humor column, “Eric Reads the News.” Now get a more personal set of tales with his new book of essays, Here for It. The man himself will make a stop at Central Library’s Wheeler Auditorium this month to discuss his childhood between two vastly different neighborhoods, finding love, and the wild world of internet fame. Feb. 20. Enoch Pratt Free Library, 400 Cathedral St.

Bruce Goldfarb’s 18 Tiny Deaths

Hear the story of one of Baltimore’s most impactful quirks as Bruce Goldfarb presents his 18 Tiny Deaths, The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics. The 18 tiny deaths refer to the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death, a series of painstakingly recreated crime scenes that, at first a hobby for Lee, turned into a teaching tool for generations of criminal investigators. The scenes, now housed Maryland Medical Examiner’s Office, are still used for forensic seminars today. 7-9 p.m. Feb. 15. Atomic Books, 3620 Falls Rd.

Music

Psycho Killers at Union Craft Brewing

Before David Byrne takes the SNL stage this month, get your fix with this tribute to the New Wave icon’s first project: The Talking Heads. The boys of Psycho Killers will be on hand at Union on Valentine’s Day to play hits like “This Must Be The Place” and “Once in a Lifetime,” as well as love songs from other bands’ discographies, throughout the evening. 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. Feb. 14. UNION Craft Brewing, 1700 W. 41st St.

Pleasure For Your Palette: A Colorful Night With Emerging Opera Stars

February is the month for opera, with multiple opportunities from the likes of The Acme Corporation and Opera Alchemy around the city. But for those looking for a survey of the operatic talent Baltimore has to offer, Creative Alliance has gathered a crew of rising stars. In this intimate performance, soprano Victoria Zelefsky, mezzo Taylor Hillary Boykins, tenor Henry William Hubbard, bass Aaron Thacker, and pianist Maria Adele Scott will join together for a night of solo and ensemble work and discussion. 8 p.m. Feb. 28. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.

Theatre

MICA Fifth Annual Benefit Drag Show

Great music, creative costumes, lots of glitter, and the chance to support MICA’s LGBTQ scholarships—this drag show truly has it all. Members of the art school’s Faculty and Staff Queer Alliance will join pro kings and queens Miss Sue Nami, Dee Dee Dereon, Venus Festrada, Gadfrie Arbulu, and Chris Jay for this night of fun that helps fund the FASQA Awards, given each year to a a student in the community who demonstrated financial need and another to a student who has shown involvement in and commitment to LGBTQ+ issues. 8-10 p.m. Feb. 28. The Gateway BBOX Theater, 1601 W. Mount Royal Ave.

Film

Open House: True Laurels—A Gallop Through Time

Though they’re not as prevalent as they once were, Baltimore’s arabbers remain an essential part of the city’s cultural identity. On Feb. 22, join True Laurels founder Lawrence Burney for a screening of the documentary We Are Arabbers and a discussion with former members of the trade to discuss the occupation’s past and what can be done to preserve it for the future. 2-4 p.m. Feb. 22. The Baltimore Museum Art, 10 Art Museum Dr.

News

Black Arts District Launches its New Brand

The new Pennsylvania Avenue Black Arts and Entertainment District plans to launch its first branding initiative in style with a party at Shake & Bake Family Fun Center on Feb. 16. Creative Director Tia Newton and her team will be on hand to talk about what’s coming up for the newly minted arts district in addition to plenty of fun events such as dancing, $1 skating and bowling, and themed giveaways.

The Walters Receives $500,000 Endowment from Boshell

The Boshell Foundation, the group responsible for The Walters’ long-running ancient art and architecture lectures, recently announced a $500,000 endowment for the museum to go toward the continuation of the popular series. “We are deeply thankful for their generous endowment gift and look forward to the lectures it will provide in years to come,” Walters Director Julia Marciari-Alexander said in a statement released by the museum. The Boshell Lecture Series was originally launched in 2017, and the newest installment, “How Many Noses Can One Face Have?,” about the evolution of taste when it comes to restoration and repair work, will take place Sunday, April 19.

When it comes to the fight against climate change locally and nationally, young people have been leading the charge. Many students and young adults see an unsettling future ahead of them should immediate action not be taken, and it’s that sense of urgency that has led to a nationally-recognized student climate strike walkout.

Today, students across the country, including in Baltimore City, will make their voices heard surrounding the climate movement. This activism arrives days before the United Nations Climate Summit in New York City.

“It becomes more and more evident that we are running out of time to save our Earth,” says Bryn Mawr School upperclassman Trinity Eimer, a main organizer of the student-led Baltimore Climate Rally, which has several checkpoints ultimately leading to the Inner Harbor and City Hall. “I think that youth protests are definitely a reflection of that urgency. I feel in control of my voice and feel the need to use it. I know that those around me feel strongly about that that now more than ever.”

Eimer says that she and other organizers are heartened by the response of their fellow students. Adults have also reached out asking what they can do to help—a sign that the fight against climate change is often a communal issue.

“When you look at the activism around the climate crisis that is hitting its stride right now, there are really only a few other moments in U.S. history that can compare,” says Owen Silverman Andrews, co-chair of the Baltimore City Green Party. “Young people can see the sun setting on the livability of their communities and they are fighting like hell to make sure that our communities are livable.”

To that end, the climate rally isn’t the only event taking place across the city—events at MICA and Loyola University of Maryland are planned as well. Yael Bloom, coordinating officer of the student-led MICA Organizers and Activists, says that all in the Bolton Hill and Mt. Vernon areas are welcome to attend the rally at Cohen Plaza on campus this afternoon, where she and other campus groups work to lobby the university to divest from fossil fuels and promote the type of university they want to be.

“We’re working for a more sustainable future for our school,” Bloom says. “It makes sense that high school and college-level students are saying that we don’t have time to waste on this, or time to look to other organizations to deal with it.”

Silverman Andrews notes that it is grassroots events like these that can help build networks and serve as a catalyst for further discussion and change. It’s here that a generation known for its willingness to speak up can really make a lasting difference.

“Younger people are the loudest voices,” he says. “They are saying the most important things. The rest of us are taking note and elevating those voices.”

Contemporary abstract artist Liza Hathaway Matthews needn’t look any further than her own backyard for inspiration. Large windows lining the back wall of her home in Woodbrook not only provide the natural light that artists live for, but also overlook a picturesque expanse of Lake Roland. The ever-changing hues of water and sky work their way into her landscapes, seascapes, and abstract floral paintings.

“Do you see that line of blue just above the horizon, under the clouds?” she asks, pointing toward a day-blue swatch just above a pine tree line. She stands in her living room, surrounded by her work—which is not just framed pieces on the walls but throw pillows, linens, and a fabric lampshade. “It’s in my work. I’m influenced every day by what I see outside. And the moon. I literally have the best spot for it. All week, I’ve been watching it.”

Her vibrant, nature-inspired paintings—some of which have been transformed into textiles by Cotton & Quill and Anthropologie—often reflect the loose, organic shapes she sees outside. Her most recent series of paintings was done on leather, but she also works with paper, canvas, and mylar and incorporates oil and acrylic paints, alcohol ink, gold leaf, oils, and other materials to achieve layered effects.

“I don’t like everything to be so predictable. That’s probably why I also love working with so many different mediums,” she says. “I literally put everything and the kitchen sink onto my paintings. One day, I didn’t have any Wesson oil for a piece, and I came running downstairs and grabbed the olive oil, and my husband was like, ‘Oh my God—now you’re using olive oil?!’ And I was like, ‘I need it, and I need it now.’”

Hathaway Matthews was born and raised in Baltimore and, as she puts it, “lived in the woods as a kid,” always exploring the natural world around her.

She grew up in a creative family, with a mother and cousins who dabbled in art and were supportive of her pursuits. “I always loved my art classes in elementary and high school,” she says. “All of that was just so in my wheelhouse.”

She majored in painting and minored in interior design at Maryland Institute College of Art, earning a BFA before joining the workforce at a commercial interior-design company. But that gig was relatively short-lived. She found it too limiting, wanting to focus solely on making her artwork. She then went in a totally different direction and began fundraising for United Way, wanting a reliable salary as she and her husband raised their three children.

As the kids got older and her schedule became more flexible, she found herself painting again. It was mostly just for herself, until a friend, a residential interior designer, began selling some of her work to clients. This morphed into Hathaway Matthews working with other local interior designers and later hiring someone to build her website, getting plugged into social media (Instagram and Pinterest remain her favorite platforms), and launching a business that now draws clients from across the country and Canada.

“I think the social media piece has really opened my world,” she says. It’s often how clients find her, but also how she finds new ideas. “I’m inspired by landscapes I see on social media, but I’m also inspired by home interiors. I love bohemian-looking interiors. I like a mix of things. I like texture and things that are built upon other layers.”

Cotton & Quill, a hand-illustrated textile company, found her work online about five years ago and began collaborating with her to create fabrics and wallpaper based on her work.

Anthropologie was among the companies that found her through Instagram (@lizahathawaymatthews), and she has loved working with them. “They’re very hands-on, but they also want me very involved,” she says. “They’re not taking my design and totally changing it; they’re still keeping my vision of how I painted it.”

They were interested in her floral work, so, after talking with them, she painted a large abstract floral piece in acrylic, oil, and charcoal with a silver background and mailed it to them. Anthropologie was determined to retain a bit of the metallic aspect, which she uses in many of her pieces, when they created a line of her designs titled “Rites of Spring” (released in the fall of 2018), including a lampshade and digitally printed wall mural.

“They’d send me the prototypes to see if I liked it or had any thoughts,” she says. “Everything they’ve done so far, I’ve really loved.”

The finished lampshade almost appears to have been hand-painted by Hathaway Matthews, and it changes drastically depending on whether the light is turned on or off—another detail she appreciates.

A typical day for Hathaway Matthews starts early in the morning in her second-floor studio, as she does some of her best work during those hours and finds it to be her most productive time of day. She might put in a four-hour day, or it might be a 10-hour day, but suffice it to say, she’s constantly working on her craft—whether that means keeping up with commissions, collaborating with clients, or, yes, gazing out her window, taking in the view, and jotting down ideas.

About two years ago, she met Jenny Benscher, founder of Lema J Design, at a holiday gift show at the Baltimore Country Club. Benscher, who grew up in Baltimore and now lives in Florida, makes one-of-a-kind exotic leather cuffs and donates all proceeds to Karma for Cara Foundation, a nonprofit that formed when Benscher’s niece was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 21 and passed away shortly thereafter. Hathaway Matthews loved the cuffs, Benscher loved Hathaway Matthews’ work, and so it was a no-brainer for them to collaborate.

“I just loved her loose strokes and the florals and the colors, and I thought it would translate really well into these cuffs,” Benscher says. “I didn’t want it to look like a pretty little flower on a cuff; I wanted it to look like pieces from an abstract painting. And they do. To me, they look like little paintings.”

They began working together in the spring of 2018, Benscher mailing assorted leather strips up to Baltimore, Hathaway Matthews hand-painting them with acrylic and using a sealant, then mailing them back to Florida, where Benscher crops and cuts them and affixes them to the metal cuffs.

“She sends me the coolest leathers: stingray, python, or a silver or a matte leather,” Hathaway Matthews says. “It’s really fun to come up with ideas for them, and I also just wanted to be involved.”

This collaboration launched Hathaway Matthews’ appreciation of leather as a medium. She was drawn to the added texture it provided, as well as the metallic leathers that give off a reflective glimmer.

She’s created so many paintings on leather over the past year, in fact, that she’s exhibiting them in a solo show, Radiating Nature, that begins this month. Her series of leatherette pieces in various sizes will be shown at Bozzuto Greene Art’s gallery space, Gatehouse at Green Spring Station in Lutherville, with an opening reception on April 3.

Lexie Greene, who co-owns Bozzuto Greene Art with Robin Bozzuto, had been talking with Hathaway Matthews, whom they represent, about an exhibit. They knew a springtime show would be ideal for her work. After all, what better time of year to put these pieces on display than the magical season when the Earth wakes up again and begins showing all its colors?

Says Greene, “Liza’s work is feminine, glamorous, and inspired by nature’s beauty.”

In 1891, Harry T. Pratt became the first African-American student granted admission to attend Maryland Institute College of Art. More than 100 years later, MICA still struggles to equitably reflect the demographics of Baltimore City. Blackives, an exhibition and online database curated by senior photography student Deyane Moses archives the portraits and oral histories of black MICA students and alumni.

When Moses’ review of the school’s nearly 300-page autobiography yielded only one page of information about non-white students, Moses decided to create her own archival project. Armed with her camera and a desire to erect a new monument for underrepresented populations, Moses ventured to photograph every black student she saw on campus. Those random and serendipitous encounters rendered a portfolio of beautifully earnest portraits, candid moments that document students who often feel invisible. The gesture offers a vulnerable bridge to connect with others who may feel a kindred kind of isolation. To be a person of color attending a predominately white institution of higher education can be a solitary experience.

Blackives is a living history developed to affirm black students and instigate shifts in MICA’s established diversity and inclusion policies and practices. The popularity of the exhibition triggered a lengthy response from the school’s president, Samuel Hoi. In the memo, President Hoi acknowledged the segregationist history at MICA and vowed to “strive forward to fulfill its diversity, equity, inclusion, and globalization (DEIG) goals.” As a result, the exhibition was extended through March and reinstalled in the atrium of the school’s Main Building.

Shortly before the opening of Blackives, Moses and other black MICA students staged an intervention to memorialize Robert H. Clark, one of the first African-American students denied admittance because of his race. The intervention, Take Back the Steps, successfully blocked the entrance to the building for 63 minutes, one minute for every year black students were denied enrollment to attend. At the event, Moses issued a statement that contextualized a history of omission that few in the MICA community knew about.

We spoke with Moses and Clyde Johnson, associate dean at the Center for Identity & Inclusion about the exhibition, the community’s response, and their hopes for increased diversity on campus.

Blackives is an exhibition, but it is also an online database?

Deyane Moses: Yes. Maryland Institute Black Archives is the database which houses all the articles I found online, but I’m also collecting oral histories from the students who are currently here. The articles that I found from back in the day, the ways that they described black people, our voices were lost. The Afro supplemented for some of those voices, but they were around in the 1890s. So it was important to retrieve those voices now and to also speak to alumni and faculty. That’s how the project is moving forward, by looking at the past present and moving forward into the future. Many students at MICA don’t feel like they have support and mentorship.

What has the response been from black students and alumni about their experiences at MICA?

DM: They feel like they are not supported, especially when it comes to critiques. Classes are not that diverse. A lot of times I am the only black student in my photography classes. For the first time in my senior year, there are three other senior photography students in the same class with me. We talked about that. I also went to the black student union and talked to them about the low retention rate of black students at MICA. The show has been well received and everyone wants MICA to do more for black students and to support them.

Why now is the school and President Hoi speaking up about this issue and how will it effect the school’s approach to increase the diversity of its faculty and student body?

Clyde Johnson: We have just ended a nearly three-year president’s task force on diversity, equity, inclusion, and globalization. It entailed auditors looking over policies and programs regarding students of color, our LGBTQIA communities, and every aspect of diversity. We just did that and we’ve created a hopefully powerful document that should now be in implementation phase. These are new policies, new hiring guidelines. We have heard students say that the school does not have enough faculty members of color. So we have hired trainers to learn about implicit bias in the hiring process. I think we are working in tandem with this conversation. What Deyanne’s exhibition has done is reminded us that the work we are doing is urgent. Here’s the history, let’s do the work.

I love that the exhibition looks like a living room and the wall of student portraits feel like members of your family.

DM: The majority of the portraits are of undergrad and graduates and my mentor, Colette Veasey-Cullors. They are my family. Everyone was really supportive. If they had a second, they let me take their portrait. I just asked that they focus and look at me so that, when others saw the wall, there would be a strong presence—they would know that we are here. The wallpaper is inspired by the 1890s, when the first black graduate, Harry T. Pratt, started. I wanted the feeling of home but also an awareness that you were in a museum.

You received some criticism from some students and staff about covering the statues in the Main Building with black curtains.

DM: I love this building, but I always noticed the white sculptures. Black people are not in those histories. I asked that they be covered, out of respect for black history as important by itself, outside of those histories. Some people are really upset about it.

What are your hopes for the exhibition?

DM: I would like it to be a permanent fixture somewhere in MICA and for the database to continue. I hope this is the beginning of other colleges admitting their histories so they can make change there, as well.

A new performance of The Little Match Girl in Baltimore breathes entirely new life into the Hans Christian Andersen story. Baltimore Choral Arts Society (BCAS) director Anthony Blake Clark combines David Lang’s Pulitzer Prize-winning composition The Little Match Girl Passion with Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. Matthew Passion oratorio, which inspired Lang’s piece, to create a whole new production, weaving the story of a young girl living on the streets with the story of Christ’s death. Interspersing both pieces provides context, as pivotal moments of the Bach piece are interspersed throughout the predominately a cappella performance.

But the production, which will be held at Falvey Hall in the Brown Center on February 10, takes this innovation one step further. BCAS partnered with MICA students and faculty to enhance the musical performance with artistic elements that engage nearly all five senses. Billed as an immersive, multi-sensory performance, the show features video projects behind the chorus (comprised of about 30 vocalists).

Each video depicts illustrations and photographs of homelessness and other themes in the story, as well as lyrics to the pieces—some interpreted more broadly rather than straight subtitles. St. Matthew Passion is sung in German and even Lang’s piece in English can be difficult to decipher at times, as the lyrics are often sung abstractly, sometimes extremely long and drawn out, other times extremely staccato. The images and words not only make the story easier to follow but are visually intriguing, essentially act as a multimedia set.

A beautiful moment comes when the chorus begins to strike matches and hold the tiny flames up in the air. The sound of friction and sparks, the image of burning flames and smoke, and the scent of sulphur aids in placing the viewer into the world of the little match girl. And she herself is onstage as well, subtly acting the storyline silently—trying to sell matches on the street—to provide a visual while not detracting from the chorus and moving images overhead. MICA’s interactive arts students had partnered with other groups in the past, including the Towson University theater department and an annual collaboration with Peabody Institute, but The Little Match Girl marks their first collaboration with BCAS.

MICA and BCAS are just down the street from each other so, when Clark wanted to try something new stylistically, he approached James Rouvelle, chair of the Interactive Arts Department at MICA, who got onboard right away.

“I was really interested in it partly because I have a background in musical performance,” Rouvelle says. “I think it was a good experience for everyone involved.”

The cross-pollination concert took months of work from both parties. Clark came to the media performance class at MICA several times during the process. And while it’s unusual for an instructor to participate in the creative process alongside the students, Rouvelle wanted to show his students what a professional experience felt like.

“I encouraged the students to take a risk. We’ve been hired to do something,” he says. “They took a lot of risks. Our hearts are starting to beat faster and faster, the closer we get to the show.”

The music in and of itself is enthralling, chilling at times. At one point, the chorus walks offstage and into the aisles, lining the length of the auditorium to sing a moving piece that fills the space with gorgeous textures in surround-sound. Another time, Canadian composer Stephen Chatman’s “How Sweet and Fair” features a clarinet amid the audience, representing a solo voice in the story. The piece revolves around a flower, symbolizing the fact that we all fade away, and sonically serves as a palate cleanser.

There are a few other surprises that will engage the audience’s five senses, but we don’t want to spoil the show by revealing everything here.

Choosing to work with The Little Match Girl story—both Lang’s and Bach’s pieces—and to make it engaging and provide as much context was very intentional on the part of Clark. The story highlights homeless, poverty, and human suffering, themes he felt important to bring to the forefront through art, issues that still plague our country and certainly Baltimore City. Stories of neglecting the poor and desolate are in the Bible, Hans Christian Andersen’s story, and Lang’s piece, all completely relevant today.

“We have so much work to do in Baltimore particularly. Even the simple act of empathy can help,” Clark says. “I think we put blinders on because things are overwhelming to us. But art has this ability to open us up and break down barriers, so we can become more aware of each other’s lives.”

Looking to add a bit of culture to your afternoon? There is no shortage of great museums around Baltimore. Whether it’s art, science, history, or a particular famous figure you’re interested in, there’s a place nearby to spend your day wandering and learning.

American Visionary Art Museum

This unique museum celebrating outsider art was named by Congress as the country’s official museum for self-taught art. Come for the elaborate sculptures, gorgeous drawings, and interesting assemblage pieces, then stick around to browse Sideshow, the treasure trove of a museum store downstairs. As a bonus, AVAM is free for federal employees (and up to three others) during the 2019 government shutdown with a valid ID.

For more visionary and local art, try: MICA Galleries, Eubie Blake Cultural Center

Baltimore Museum of Art

This free museum houses a collection of 95,000 works, so you’re sure to find something to interest everyone among its vast collection. Lovers of modern art will want to linger in the galleries housing the famed Cone Collection, while those looking for the more non-traditional can usually find something interesting and extraordinary in the Contemporary Wing or special exhibition galleries. Recent shows have included a John Waters retrospective, surreal visions of some of Europe’s great conflicts, and a look back at the BMA’s first exhibit to feature black artists.

For more art and antiques, try: Maryland Art Place, School 33 Art Center

Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African-American History & Culture

The Smithsonian-affiliated Reginald F. Lewis Museum is home to art, photographs, sculptures, military antiques, and ephemera chronicling Maryland’s African-American history from 1784 to the present. Although it’s connected to the Smithsonian, the Lewis Museum remains open throughout the shutdown and is offering free admission to furloughed workers and up to three guests with a valid government I.D.

For more African-American history and culture, try: Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park, National Great Blacks in Wax Museum

The Walters Art Museum

Housed across three buildings (including a historic residence) in Mount Vernon, the Walters features an extensive collection of Asian antiquities and decorative arts. Wander the Chamber of Wonders to experience what a 1600s nobleman might have shown off in his lavish home, or head to the 1 West Mount Vernon Place to see contemporary art placed alongside the preserved architecture of a 19th-century townhouse.

For more historic homes and exhibits, try: The Johns Hopkins Museums, The Star-Spangled Banner Flag House

The Baltimore Museum of Industry

Explore Baltimore’s history as a hub of business and industry at this South Baltimore museum housed in a former cannery. Exhibits include a 1900s garment loft, a recreated soda fountain, a print shop, and a gallery dedicated to how Baltimore fueled the rise of the automobile. Don’t forget to stop by the Baltimore docked outside—she’s the oldest steam-powered tugboat in the United States.

For more transportation and industrial history, try: The B&O Railroad Museum, Baltimore Streetcar Museum

Maryland Historical Society

The MdHS is the state’s oldest, continuously operating cultural institution, having been responsible for documenting Maryland history since 1844. With exhibits featuring figures such as The Catonsville Nine, Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte, and the Peale Family of painters, this collection is comprised of more than seven million items from pre-Colonial times to the present.

For more great figures from Baltimore’s past, try: The Babe Ruth Birthplace & Museum, Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum

Maryland Science Center

With a history going back to 1797 with the Maryland Academy of Sciences, this Inner Harbor spot has evolved into a family-friendly exploration of the natural world, from the smallest cells to history’s largest creatures. Visitors can also take advantage of Davis Planetarium or catch a movie on the IMAX screen, which will reopen in March after theater renovations are complete.

For more hands-on learning, try: Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Historic Ships in Baltimore

National Aquarium

Plan to spend some serious time at this colorful spot. Beyond the normal fish, rays, and other aquatic critters, you’ll find sloths, puffins, crocodiles, and more scattered across the many habitats housed in this multi-level aquarium. An indoor rainforest, a stories-high shark tank, and a living reef featuring Calypso, a rescued sea turtle, are just a few of the highlights in this gem overlooking the Inner Harbor. Book your timed entry ticket online to avoid long lines, and go first thing in the morning or late in the day to avoid the field trip crowd.

For more nature encounters, try: The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, Rawlings Conservatory

Three years ago, artist Jerrell Gibbs was developing a series of acrylic paintings that revised characters from Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts. Gibbs mimicked Schultz’s playful illustrative style, but created nuanced narratives that centered around the life and experiences of Franklin, a silent African-American characterization. His paintings reminded us that—while Franklin’s inclusion was well-meaning—his silence, lack of character development, and nonexistent independent story arc were telling reflections about a culture that normalized banal representations of black identity.

As Gibbs now studies in the rigorous Leroy E. Hoffberger School of Painting M.F.A. program at MICA, the scenes he chooses to visualize reflect broad humanizing narratives about mundane instances in black life: smiling children watching television or swimming, young women posing for prom pictures, mothers and young sons sharing intimate conversations on a couch. In these works, Gibbs engages a mature style that meanders between intricately rendered realist figurations and free-form gestural strokes reminiscent of works by artists like Alice Neal, Henry Taylor or John Sonsini.

Some of his newest paintings are currently on view at Ida B’s Table through January 31, 2019, as part of the restaurant’s monthly rotating exhibit, Necessary Tomorrows. We got a chance to visit Gibbs in his studio to view his latest series of oil work on canvas and discuss how his work has evolved over the years.

What inspired this body of work and the evolution in your work?

School and me challenging myself to be a student of all the things I want to master. I want to do this for the rest of my life. If I continue down this path, I want to evolve and dive into the practice of painting and learn what it is to be a really significant artist. I want to continue to grow, master my craft, and be a student of the game first. I’m taking the time to research a lot of the things I have learned in school and figure out ways to get better. Even if it’s not something that is easily recognizable, I know overtime that it is something that will start to manifest.

In many of your portraits, you use very gestural style that leaves sections blank or less realized than others. Why does this aesthetic recur in this new series?

Me not knowing the individual [in the paintings] forced me to not want to get too involved with every minute detail. I don’t think that was necessarily important. The person wasn’t important. It was the environment, the space, and the reaction—everything that was given besides the actual person. The emotion of the imagery, that was what was important. I’m working on not being bogged down by detail.

For “Studying God’s Word,” in particular, it’s unfinished but so is youth. The whole idea of growing up and continuing to learn and taking what you know and applying it to what and who you are at that moment in your life and continuing to shed other things, layers, adding subtraction. That whole notion of youth, growing, maturing is like a play with that whole dialogue. Also just showing the layers of people. We are all a work in progress and so is this painting.

When you were first playing with allowing underpainting to bleed through, there was something about it that didn’t feel as fully resolved as it does now. There’s something about it that feels like a homage to black memory. Is that your intention?

Absolutely. It’s a way to allow the process to be shown just so it can have a dialogue with what it is to be human, continuing to be vulnerable, being okay with the process, and figuring out a way to allow the undertone to function. To pay homage from where you come from and how you’ve allowed those things to mold and shape you into the being that you are. It’s bigger than just showing it, there is a function, a reason for how it operates within each piece. It’s not necessary for every painting, but when it necessary I know when to incorporate it.

It’s refreshing and very powerful that you focus on the innocence and humanity of black youth.

It’s something that I’ve been working with for years. Even though the body of work had changed, the contexts with which I place these people is strategic. Normalizing us being and existing. Everybody isn’t an entertainer, everybody doesn’t have to be glorified for their contribution to America in its entirety, just being you is enough. I want to acknowledge that and bring that presence to museums, galleries, and people so that they can view these experiences.

“Mr. Van feeds ’em chili peppers,” an older man, chatting up a pair of two-and-a-half-foot-tall macaws, informs a buddy as they wait for a bus outside Pearson’s Florist on the corner of North Charles and North Avenue. “Makes them talk more.”

“It does,” Vander Pearson, the longtime shop owner, confirms later, adding friends “Shiloh” and “Partner” have served as his sidewalk welcoming committee for five and 10 years, respectively. “I got them to keep me company. I take them out of the cage when I bring them inside so they can stretch their wings.” Every few days or so, “Mr. Van” likes to hold the big birds on his lap, careful to mind their beaks as he strokes their bellies.

The soft-spoken, but steadfast Pearson, 59, opened his storefront at the crosshair intersection that divides East and West Baltimore almost four decades ago. A Rite-Aid and a Payless shoe store were across the street back then, as well as a men’s clothing store, which burned to the ground and is now the site of the repurposed Ynot Lot. There was also the bank, the shuttered building where Gov. Larry Hogan stuck his temporary Baltimore reelection office, but not before pasting over a rooftop billboard that read “Whoever Died From a Rough Ride?”—a reminder of Freddie Gray’s death in police custody.

O’Dell’s, a popular, if notorious, disco—one owner was involved in a major heroin ring, and shootings outside the club were not uncommon—let loose a few doors down before closing in 1992. In fact, the cozy flower shop earned its 15 minutes of fame during season two of The Wire, essentially standing in for itself when Bodie came in to buy a funeral arrangement after “co-worker” D’Angelo Barksdale was killed. (On cue, as we’re discussing The Wire filming, a young man enters right before closing and asks for a dozen roses, which he pays for after pulling a baseball-sized roll of $20 and $100 bills from his jacket.) “There was foot traffic the first five years, but it was a little chaotic, especially with O’Dell’s,” says Pearson, who has witnessed the blossoming of Station North, including the renovation of the historic Parkway Theatre directly out his window, from the best possible perch. “Between 1987 and 1992, everything left. But no, never thought of leaving. People kept coming to see me. A scared man can’t win anyhow.”

When the Maryland Institute College of Art bought the old Jos. A. Bank building and transformed it into a graduate center, Pearson noticed a turn. College kids with drawing assignments began showing up to buy day-old flowers, which he gladly gave away.

Pearson got his start in the flower trade at 12, unloading deliveries at Crip’s Family Florist in West Baltimore. After moving to the east side, he began working at wholesale florist Claymore C. Sieck. In 1981, with Easter and Mother’s Day falling close together, he scraped together as much cash as he could, bought as many roses as he could from his employer, and sold them himself at the corner of North Avenue and Harford Road. He netted $6,000 those holiday Sundays and spotted a “for rent” sign in the window of his now-back room.

For years, he pulled his early shift at Sieck’s before opening his own shop in the afternoon. A lifelong bachelor, he still arranges every order personally and occasionally spends nights at the shop when orders keep him swamped.

“I learned from Mr. Crip. I’d add a flower or two to an arrangement he’d been working on,” Pearson says, referring to Clarence Crip, the late respected West Baltimore flower man. “He let me know if he didn’t like it, which hurt my feelings, but I learned. He told me to think of a bouquet as a canvas and you’re making a painting. That stuck with me.”

Recently, with his 60th birthday upcoming this March, Pearson got his first passport. Having seen it all, he wants to see something else.

“I watch the Travel Channel,” he says. “I’ve put a little money aside. After prom season, I plan to take a cruise to see the Alaskan glaciers. Then, I want to hike the Alps and visit Rome.” Working late hours and living alone all these years—dinner has often meant a sandwich or bowl of cereal before bed—he also intends to visit Paris. “I watch the Food Channel, too.”

Sometime in between Thanksgiving and the first week of December is when that first wave of gift-giving panic typically hits. What do you do when you’re determined to find the most thoughtful, personalized presents for your loved ones, but want to do it without breaking the bank?

Luckily, the Charm City craft scene has your back with a plethora of pop-up markets happening throughout the holiday season. Mark your calendar for these local bazaars, which feature tons of regionally made gifts that will make you the talk of this year’s celebration.

11/17: Baltimore Vintage Expo
Swing by this Best of Baltimore-winning market for rare and retro finds. Equipped with its original art deco architecture and design, the renovated Ideal Arts Space in Hampden is a fitting venue for the showcase. This time around, organizers are offering early-bird tickets for shoppers hoping to get a first look at all of the vintage clothing, accessories, furniture, and decor. 905 W. 36th St. Free-$12. 443-529-5937. 11 a.m.- 6 p.m.

11/22-12/24: Christmas Village in Baltimore
Modeled after traditional German Christmas markets that date back to the Middle Ages, this Inner Harbor fête is not one to be missed. Enjoy the vast display of handmade ornaments and nutcrackers while sipping hot chocolate and sampling fresh-baked apple strudel. The Christmas Village is hosting a special preview weekend November 17-18 this year for locals looking to get a jumpstart on their shopping. West Shore Park. 501 Light St. Free.

11/23: Shop Black @ Open Works, a Black Friday Pop-Up Shop
Forget waiting in line at Best Buy. If you’re hoping to score killer gifts while strengthening our local economy, look no further. This Black Friday, support local makers of color and check out the second annual Shop Black Pop-Up, hosted by Open Works. 1400 Greenmount Ave. Free. 410-862-0424. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

11/23-24: BAZAART Holiday Art Market
Make the most of Black Friday and #SmallBusinessSaturday by checking out the American Visionary Art Museum’s annual holiday art market. Regional artists, makers, and craftspeople will come together to transform the museum’s Jim Rouse Visionary Center into a mecca of creative gift giving. 800 Key Highway. Free. 410-244-1900. Times vary

11/24: Small Business Saturday Pop-Up Party at Get Shredded Vintage
Celebrate Small Business Saturday in style at this all day pop-up party hosted by Get Shredded Vintage in Charles Village. There will be snacks and drinks galore, tarot card readings, unique clothing and accessories from local designers, and even a DJ spinning from 4-7 p.m. There’s no better way to work off a lingering, Thanksgiving-dinner food baby than by dancing from rack to rack and shopping along the way. 3101 St. Paul St. 443-717-1826. 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

11/29: Holiday Artisan Market
Now in its 14th year, this holiday tradition hosted by The Park School features locally produced paintings, photography, jewelry, ceramics, furniture, and sculpture work, as well as homemade pantry products like honey and granola. There will even be a caricature artist on-site to keep the kiddos busy while you browse all of the handmade wares. Park School of Baltimore, Davidson Lobby, 2425 Old Court Rd. 410-339-7070. 3:30-6:30 p.m.

12/1-2 & 12/8-9: Star Bright Farm’s Barn Market
Infuse your gift giving with authentic Chesapeake charm by shopping Star Bright Farm’s two-weekend holiday market. Natural home, kitchen, and body products available for purchase are made from the very crops grown on the farm. Other local artisans join in for the fun, and cookbook author Nancy Baggett will be leading three sessions on cooking with lavender for those looking to impress their families with something new this holiday season. Star Bright Farm, 2950 Garrett Rd, White Hall. Free. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. each day

12/6–12/9: MICA Art Market
More than 250 MICA students are preparing their pieces for this yearly sale, which invites shoppers to discover work by emerging and established artists alike. Wander around the showcase to browse jewelry, illustrations, prints, posters, mosaics, stationary, clothing, toys, wrapping paper, and more while chatting with each of the artists about their designs. 1300 W. Mt Royal Ave. 410-669-9200

12/8: Holiday Makers Market 2018
Green Spring Station is a shopping destination in its own right, but for one Saturday only, the retail haven will take things up a notch and give us even more to love. More than 20 local vendors will be showcasing their goods at the marketplace, including our faves Wight Tea Company and Knits, Soy & Metal. Don’t miss DIY workshops from the likes of organic skincare pros Deep Leaf Organics. 10751 Falls Road, Lutherville. 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.

12/8: Makers Alley
Coffee from Park and Perk will be on hand to banish the sleep from your eyes as you check out the unique gifts available at this Saturday-morning market, which is returning to Local Color Flowers for its sixth year. Look out for one-of-a-kind gifts like floral salt-and-pepper blends by Juniper Culinary Apothecary, original designs from Pangea Printing Co., and more. 3100 Brentwood Ave. 410-262-1494. 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

12/8: Towson Town Center Local Makers Event
The Towson Town Center becomes a one-stop-shop on December 8, when local artists and makers flock to the Level 3 Center Rotunda to set up shop. The pop-up event makes it easy to find the perfect gifts under one roof for everyone on your list, from techy teens to funky aunts. 825 Dulaney Valley Road, Towson. 410-494-8800. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

12/11: Women’s Unity Artisan Market
As the holidays draw closer, “spare time” on the weekends to search for gifts can be hard to come by. The answer for anyone looking for unique gifts and running short on time? This second-annual market held in Mary Gardella’s Clipper Mill photography studio on a Tuesday evening. Gather together to browse creations from local female artisans, and sample signature beverages from Lyon Distilling Company and Le Monade. 3500 Parkdale Ave., Ste. 5. Free. 5-9 p.m.

12/14:Under $500 Sixth Annual Affordable Art Sale
Collectors of all kinds will unite at Maryland Art Place for this aptly named holiday exhibit that offers affordable artworks priced at $500 or less. Mingle with other enthusiasts over beer, wine, and light bites while perusing all of the pieces for sale on a first-come, first-served basis. 218 W. Saratoga St. 410-962-8565. $25. 7-10 p.m.

12/15: Holiday Heap
Charm City Craft Mafia is back at it with a stellar lineup for its recurring holiday hangout. Beneath the strung lights at St. John’s Church, browse goods from the likes of veteran vendors like Annie Howe Papercuts and The Broken Plate, as well as newbies Genevieve Williamson Jewelry, Dorpare Tea, La Loupe Design, Vesta’s Natural Apothecary, and Yinibini Baby. Coffee and treats from Bird in Hand will be available with early-bird admission, which also includes a swag bag full of goodies from participating makers. 2640 St. Paul St. Free-$25. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

12/16: For the Greater Goods Market
Grab some lunch at R. House to fuel up for what’s sure to be an epic day of holiday shopping. Every month, this market takes over the garage of the Remington food hall to showcase local vendors and raise money for a charitable cause. December’s market boasts more than 70 local vendors, selling everything from handmade ceramics and home goods to unique clothing and jewelry. 301 W. 29th St. Free. 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

It’s hard to miss the large, bright, swirling mural at Union Collective when traveling southbound on the JFX. The vibrant colors on the wall pop, almost looking animated. That was the idea that the Baltimore-based art duo Jessie Unterhalter and Katey Truhn had in mind when they were commissioned to create what is now the ID tag of the newest space in Hampden.

Although they are both originally from New York, the MICA graduates have made Baltimore their home. They have become known for transforming public spaces into vibrant experiences both locally and internationally. Their most recent work, a multimedia mural at MICA’s newDolphin Design Center, was one that they were most excited to complete as it brought them back to the place where they met.

We caught up with the duo to find out what inspires their work, new projects, and what it’s like to work as a team.

How did you two get to this point after meeting at MICA nearly 20 years ago?
Jessie Untherhalter: We were 18 when we met and we hit it off. We were best friends and started making work alongside each other at MICA. We were both pretty inspired by the city of Baltimore.

Katey Truhn: Both of us had other jobs, and we knew we really wanted to get back into art. Making public work seemed to make sense because we were always really inspired by the environment we were in. We really wanted to do something that involved other people and affected other people outside of the art world.

What was your first project together outside of school?
JU: I guess the first actual project, that we got funding for, was an open call through BOPA [Baltimore Office of Promotion and Arts]—it was a mural on Harford Road. By the time the open call came around, we had made the decision that we wanted to go for this career move and we scoured the internet for open calls and applied for every single one.

Visual art is traditionally very independent. How do you make it work together?
KT: It’s actually so great. Basically having someone to work with and bounce stuff off of and come up with new ideas is amazing. Just for logistics of painting huge walls like Union and MICA, doing that by yourself would be really hard—it’s already challenging with two people, like holy shit. It’s really nice. I think being an artist is a pretty solitary career in a way, so it’s really nice to have someone to do it with.

Has there ever been an instance where it seems like there are “too many cooks in the kitchen?”
JU: We’re collaborative every step of the way. Usually we are really hands on so we draw everything first and draw out the buildings to scale on a piece of paper. We usually have a bunch of different designs going for one space and we just pass the paper back and forth. We keep revising it and then we pick which one we like and use Photoshop to color it in.

When we’re designing, we always account for every window, every door and try to play with all the elements that are in the space because that kind of informs our design. It’s a challenge every time that makes it a little more exciting.

How much flexibility do you have in coming up with the designs?
JU: It depends on who’s commissioning it. With Union, they really wanted us to use our style to tell the beer story. But with MICA, they were really open to whatever we designed.

KT: I think that if you’re working with a company that is selling a brand or product, you have to work within their product lines. But if you’re just making art for art’s sake, we get to do whatever we want.

How long, start to finish, did it take for you to complete the mural at Union Collective?
JU: It was like three weeks for the first part and then two weeks for the second part.

KT: Yea, that was a really big wall [laughs]. The bricks were super old and I guess had never been painted before—they absorbed so much paint. It was very hard to work on that surface, which was really surprising to us, but we used so much paint. We had a couple of assistants here and there, but for the most part, it was just the two of us. It was really crazy, our bodies were rock hard after [laughs].

What was it like to work on the mural at your alma mater?
JU: We actually just finished yesterday, woo hoo! We thought it would be fun doing a project at MICA since we went there, reflecting on that time it was really experimental for our growth as artist.

It was a great opportunity to explore this new incorporation of materials that we’ve been wanting to do. It’s cool because you can see it from so far down the block and it’s already really high in the air so it’s something that people can experience from far away. I think we wanted to make it really loud in a way—the recycled cans catch the light and they reflect so it’s really bright and at some points in the day it looks like lights on the wall. And the recycled colored bags that we used wave and you can see that from a distance so it becomes this sort of live action. We just wanted to try something wacky and new and figured Baltimore would appreciate that.

Do you feel like the bright, bold murals is your signature style?
JU: I didn’t think the MICA mural was that similar to the Union one, but so many people have come up to us asking if we did the Union one also. So I guess so, our signature style is in there somewhere.

KT: You want these murals to be big celebratory statements that you want people to enjoy, so it just makes the most sense for us because that’s what we are drawn to. Bright colors, excitement, and high contrast—it really draws people in.

Of all the places in the country you have done murals, why did you decide to stay in Baltimore?
KT: We both really like it here and I think for now this feels like home—we have roots here.

JU: It’s also been a really great community that has fostered our art-making. It’s one of those places where you can experiment and it’s totally accepted. I feel like before we started working together, we were involved in so many community projects—whether it was big theater projects or painting for friends—there was a lot of collaboration in the city and that makes you think you can do and try anything and you’ve got the support behind you. That is empowering as an artist and it makes you think you can go for it with no judgment.

Visual Art

Perspectives: Annual Highlandtown Arts District Exhibition
Head to the Amalie Rothschild Gallery at Creative Alliance to view this showcase featuring artists who live and work in the Highlandtown Arts District. Entrants into the annual competition were asked to submit works that display their personal perspective on the world around us, and the winner will earn their own solo exhibition at the gallery in 2020. Kick off the annual celebration of Highlandtown’s artistic community with a reception on Oct. 19 from 6-8 p.m. Reception from 6-8 p.m. Oct. 19; show on view during gallery hours through Nov. 10. Amalie Rothschild Gallery at Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.

Atomic Banana: Emotion and Heirospliffics Exhibition
Where language fails, symbols fill in the blanks and bring people together. Artist Gerry Mak knows that better than most, and his new exhibition at the Waller Gallery seeks to explore the significance of symbols in the information overload of modern life. Need some help with interpretation? Not to worry, Mak will be on hand on several occasions throughout the exhibition’s six-week run for artist talks and tours. Opening and artist tour from 6-9 p.m. Oct. 20; Make Studio Panel from 3-5 p.m. Oct. 27; Closing cocktails and artist talk from 7-10 p.m. Dec. 1. Waller Gallery, 2420 N. Calvert St.

The Necessity of Tomorrow(s): Hank Willis Thomas
The latest installment of this free BMA series exploring the relationships between art, race, and social justice hosts Hank Willis Thomas, cofounder of For Freedoms, a platform for creative civic engagement, discourse, and action. This year For Freedoms launched the 50 States Initiative, a nationwide public art project to place provocative artist-designed billboards in every state (plus Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.) during the 2018 midterm elections and the largest creative collaboration in U.S. history. The billboards are now up throughout the country, and the group hopes to foster civil discourse and engagement through their installations and artist and institution partnerships, including those with MICA and the BMA. Reception at 5 p.m.; Doors at 5:30; Artist talk begins at 6 p.m. Oct. 17, Falvey Hall at MICA, 1301 W. Mt. Royal Ave.

Music

WTMD Towson Rock Block
Grab the whole family and spend your Saturday celebrating one of Baltimore’s favorite radio stations. As part of their 15th Birthday Celebration WTMD is closing down the block for a full day of music, food, drinks, and art. Hear from Brooklyn psychedelic rockers Sunflower Bean, John Brodeur’s Bird Streets, and German indie-pop duo HAERTS as you wander the Art Village and grab good eats from local spots such as Cunningham’s, The Point, and Burger Bros. 4-9 p.m. Oct. 20, 1 Olympic Pl.

Theater

A Chaste Maid in Cheapside
Follow Moll Yellowhammer as she sets out to marry her true love in this 1613 comedy presented by The Baltimore Shakespeare Factory. Don’t miss your chance to see Thomas Middleton’s scandalous romp through London (performed by an all-female cast in this production). This masterpiece of Jacobean city comedy is rarely staged. Oct. 26 through Nov. 18, The Great Hall Theater at St. Mary’s Community Center, 3900 Roland Ave.

Sweat
If last year’s performance of Lynn Nottage’s Intimate Apparel is anything to go by, this staging of the playwright’s Sweat is sure to be a hit. Everyman Theatre’s Dawn Ursula and Deborah Hazlett star in this tale of two working-class friends, their tight-knit community, and the unpleasant realities that could force them apart, which won Nottage the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Oct. 23 through Nov. 25, Everyman Theatre, 315 W. Fayette St.

Evil Dead: The Musical
Want to mix up your Halloween season with a theater experience beyond Rocky Horror? Look no further than Motor House, where Deer in the Spotlight Productions is bringing Evil Dead to the stage with music, comedy, and a bloody splash zone. If it’s been a while since you’ve seen the cult classics, you may want to binge beforehand. This show covers Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, and Army of Darkness. And we shouldn’t have to say it, but maybe leave the kiddos at home for this one. The show is recommended for ages 16-plus due to violence, language, sexual situations, and gore. 8 p.m. Oct. 19-20 and Oct. 26-27, Motor House, 120 W. North Ave.

Film

The Art of Style
Join professional skaters Joey Jett, Mike Vallely, and Ron Allen for this demonstration, art show, and screening of Jett’s film The Dream to benefit Jake’s Skate Park and Sharp Dressed Man. The 20-year-old Jett, a Baltimore native, directed, edited, and stars in the film showcasing original skate tricks performed all over the world. At this final premiere of The Dream before it’s released Oct. 22 viewers can also snack on local bites, sip on beers from Key Brewing, and catch a live set by local rockers To The Moon. 7-9:30 p.m. Oct. 20, Coppermine Field House at Du Burns Arena, 3100 Boston St.

Literary Arts

The Art of Making Books
Ever wonder how those beautiful tomes on antiquarian shelves came to be? Join Ink Press Productions founder Amanda McCormick to learn about bookbinding and printmaking, as well as how the way a book is made helps tell its story. Attendees will be learn about the process using tools, supplies, and reference materials supplied by the workshop, which is part of a five-event series presented by Greedy Reads and D.C.-based arts/literature programming group MoonLit. 6:30 p.m. Oct. 25, Greedy Reads, 1744 Aliceanna St.

After an inaugural festival that brought Japanese art, culture, food, and film to Station North over the course of three spring days, the Baltimore Japan Art Festival is back Sept. 28-29 with new partners and a bigger profile. While it’s now spread over just a Friday night and full Saturday, the fest will pack in more events, more family-friendly activities, and multiple opportunities to appreciate the visit from acclaimed illustrator and featured guest Yusuke Nakamura.

Co-founders Michael Young and Rob Perry have swapped roles this year, with Perry taking over as chairman from BJAF 2018. Perry, who has been a fan of the artist for the past 12 years, will also moderate the lecture and Q&A with Nakamura on the topic of “Art for the Masses.”

“To our knowledge, BJAF will be the first event outside of Japan to host an exhibition of his work and honor him as the featured speaker,” Perry says. “Mr. Nakamura has given lectures to many different audiences but selected this topic for BJAF in order to appeal to both students and the general public as opposed to solely focusing on technique and other topics that are geared specifically towards artists. I have been told that he is planning to show examples of Japanese art, including his own, and discuss their cultural significance and specifically how color is used.”

Nakamura rose to prominence in Japan in the 2000s, first as an illustrator of album artwork and then for his work on novels and magazines. In addition to print illustrations, he now also works in animation. Festival attendees can get a taste of his work on film at a showing of Night Is Short, Walk On Girl, for which he served as the original character designer, at The Charles on Friday.

“Since announcing the event, a significant amount of people have contacted us directly to express their interest and pre-existing admiration for Mr. Nakamura’s work. While my own appreciation of his art was enough to take on the task of organizing this festival in the first place, hearing from these people has truly touched my heart,” Perry says. “Being a self-proclaimed ‘Japanophile’ for nearly 20 years has intrinsically relegated me to the outer rims of mainstream American culture. What I look forward to most is the chance to meet people whom I share interests with, and, more importantly, see them meet and interact with Mr. Nakamura.”

In addition to the film screening and lecture, the festival will feature the exhibition Blue / Now / New: Yusuke Nakamura, on display at MICA’s Rosenberg Gallery. For those with children in tow, Saturday’s Aki Matsuri at the Ynot Lot will bring the festivities outdoors for food, games, and hours of kid-friendly cultural workshops on calligraphy, origami, and onigiri. Local Taiko drummers and a DJ spinning Japanese music will also perform throughout the afternoon.

Wrap up the two-day event with a night of selected screenings from New York Japan CineFest, as well as shorts from MICA Film & Video students inspired by the lineup. While free to attend, both the films and Nakamura’s lecture at MICA’s Falvey Hall require an RSVP for guaranteed seating.

Visual Art

Maren Hassinger: The Spirit of Things
Maren Hassinger’s four-decade career in art is rooted in sculpture and dance. A selection of her sculptures, made with wire rope, plastic bags, and newspapers, are on exhibit in the Contemporary Wing of the Baltimore Museum of Art in the solo show The Spirit of Things. Some have been reconfigured for this exhibition, which also contains video installations of her performance art and dance. She’s also known for her role at the Maryland Institute College of Art as director of the Rinehart School of Sculpture, which she has served since 1997. July 18-Nov. 25, performance and conversation with the artist at 3 p.m. Sept. 8. BMA, 10 Art Museum Drive.

ISLA: Regarding Paradise
Ironically, the etymology of the word “paradise” goes back to its Greek and Old Iranian roots meaning “walled enclosure.” In this group exhibit at Towson University, curated by Baltimore artist Jackie Milad, contemporary artists working in an array of mediums examine the figurative and literal walls that enclose the pristine beach images of the Caribbean islands, a place that has worked toward political autonomy and environmental justice. Sept.7-Oct. 20. Reception on Sept. 6. Center for the Arts Gallery at Towson University, 8000 York Rd., Towson.

DOS-à-DOS
Baltimore artists L. Nef’fahtiti Partlow-Myrick and Jenny O’Grady met as students in the Creative Writing and Publishing Arts master’s program at the University of Baltimore and will now exhibit the fruits of their labor: a collection of art books, made from a variety of materials both traditional and unorthodox (paper—but also metal and beans, for example). 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. Sept. 7-30. Hamilton Gallery, 5502 Harford Road.

Baker Artist Awards 2017 & 2018
Recent Baker Awards awardees—Abraham Burickson (interdisciplinary, 2018), Sara Dittrich (interdisciplinary, 2017), David Marion (visual art, 2017), and Amy Sherald (visual art, 2018)—will show work in an exhibit at the Baltimore Museum of Art. Included in the show will be Burickson’s “The Odyssey Works Box,” an archival box filled with books, photographs, and other ephemera, accompanied by a video tour of the history of the arts collective Odyssey Works; Dittrich’s wall sculptures, arranged with hundreds of clay ears; Marion’s multimedia sculptures “Extinction Event” and “Fracking,” which explore violence perpetrated on the natural environment; and two portraits by Sherald. Sept. 12-Oct. 14, with a free opening event with performances on Sept. 13. Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Drive.

Balancing Act
Joseph Paul Cassar has been working in Baltimore for 13 years as a visual artist and art historian, and is a professor at the University of Maryland University College. He’s shown his work around the world, and this month will exhibit in our city, when Y:ART Gallery in Highlandtown shows his recent work in Balancing Act—drawings in ink and pastel, paper cut-outs, collage, and acrylic on canvas. Sept. 12-Oct. 20, opening reception from 6-9 p.m. Sept. 15, artist talk from 4-6 p.m. Oct. 13. Y:Art Gallery, 3402 Gough St.

Mark Bradford: Tomorrow is Another Day
Renowned contemporary artist Mark Bradford represented the U.S. at the 2017 Venice Biennale and will bring that work to Baltimore for the exhibit Tomorrow is Another Day, accompanied by a new site-specific installation, at the Baltimore Museum of Art. Bradford explores themes from his personal life, black identity, Greek mythology, and the universe through mixed-media pieces, paintings, and video. Sept. 23, 2018-March 3, 2019; opening celebration, 1-5 p.m. Sept. 23. Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Drive.

What Makes Us (Us)
Gina Pierleoni exhibits some 200 paintings and mixed-media portraits of people encountered over a 25-year period in Baltimore and beyond. She’ll lead a coinciding workshop which will include live music to help to dig deeper into questions of place and perception. Aug. 25-Sept. 29; workshop, 6-7:30 p.m. Sept. 15. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.

AfriCOBRA: The Evolution of a Movement
This group exhibit at Galerie Myrtis celebrates artists in AfriCOBRA, aka African Commune for Bad Relevant Artists, a coalition that was born from the black arts movement that began in the 1960s and is now celebrating its 50th anniversary. The aesthetic of these artists emerged from activism and aims to speak to black people specifically. The show will display paintings, photographs, prints, and 3-D pieces by the group’s earliest and most recent members, including Akili Ron Anderson, Kevin Cole, Adger Cowans, Michael D. Harris, Napoleon Jones-Henderson (founding member), James Phillips, Frank Smith, Nelson Stevens (founding member), and Renee Stout. Coinciding programming will include Tea with Myrtis (as in, founding director of Galerie Myrtis, Myrtis Bedolla) and an art salon with AfriCOBRA members who will talk about their artwork and its impact on the black arts movement. Sept. 15-Oct. 17, with an opening reception from 5-7 p.m. Sept. 15. Galerie Myrtis Fine Art, 2224 N. Charles St.

Music

Taste of Tuva
Celebrated artist Joyce Scott will host this special evening featuring the music, art, and food of Asia. Alash Ensemble, a trio of throat singers from the Central Asian state of Tuva, will bring both their music and culinary specialties, while collaborating with Baltimore musicians Shodekeh and J Pope. The event supports the Asian Arts & Culture Center at Towson University. 6-9 p.m. Sept. 15. TU South Campus Pavilion at Towson University, 8000 York Rd.

Abdu Ali’s Last Show of 2018
Baltimore music artist Abdu Ali will perform their last live show of the year this month at Metro Gallery, joined by Kotic Couture (hip-hop with pop, Baltimore club, and underground art influences), Pamela_ and her sons (the solo music project of Alessandra Hoshor), and W00dy (Philadelphia-based experimental pop artist). 8 p.m. Sept. 5. Metro Gallery, 1700 N. Charles St.

BeatClub at the Lewis
Over the years, Bmore BeatClub has met regularly inside clubs, bars, and initially a record shop to celebrate hip-hop and beats. Novice artists rap alongside experts at these gatherings, and this month’s event will be extra special, as Bmore BeatClub will bring hip-hop, spoken word, and poetry to the Reginald F. Lewis Museum. 7 p.m. Sept. 28. Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St.

Theater

Fades and Fellowship Barbershop Stories
Barbershops are places of conversation and camaraderie—and from this idea came the production Barbershop Stories by Baltimore-based theater troupe Fades & Fellowship. A cast of real barbers will perform the stories overheard in the shop—and then give actual haircuts to selected audience members. Sept. 28. The Motor House, 120 W. North Ave.

Literary Arts

CityLit Swing: A Special Celebration Honoring Kwame Alexander
CityLit will honor poet, educator and New York Times bestselling children’s author Kwame Alexander with its Chic Dambach Award for Service to the Literary Arts during a celebratory evening at The Motor House. Sliding-Scale tickets are available for this CityLit fundraiser, which will include lite fare, libations, jazz, and a reading by Alexander. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 13. The Motor House, 120 W. North Ave.

Small Press Expo
The annual Small Press Expo celebrates indie cartooning and comic arts, bringing more than 4,000 creatives to Bethesda for readings, workshops, and to meet with one another. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sept. 15 and noon-6 p.m. Sept. 16. Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, 5701 Marinelli Road, North Bethesda

Miscellanea

Mortified: Share the Shame
Everyday adults share their most mortifying moments via teenage diary entries, poems, love letters, lyrics, and locker notes in this popular show. 6 and 8 p.m. Sept. 22. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.

Mono Practice
Founding director Ruri Yi is opening a new contemporary art gallery, Mono Practice, in Station North this month, with a focus on abstract and reductive art. The inaugural exhibit, Pointing To The Sun | An Exercise In Abstraction, is curated by Rod Malin and will feature work by Baltimore-based artists David Brown, Zoë Charlton, Ariel Cavalcante Foster, Terence Hannum, Stephen Hendee, Bill Schmidt, and Yi. Sept. 6-Oct. 13, with an opening reception from 6-9 p.m. Sept. 6. Mono Practice, 212 McAllister St.

It might seem like Stephen Towns got his lucky break this year, landing a solo exhibition of story quilts at the Baltimore Museum of Art and being named a Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize finalist. But for those who know him, this recognition was a long time coming.

The 38-year-old has made art all his life, since his childhood growing up in Lincolnville, South Carolina, the youngest of 11 kids, and he’s been at it professionally for nearly 20 years, having earned a BFA in fine arts from the University of South Carolina. With a day job with MICA’s Office of Community Engagement and a studio inside Area 405, Towns is first and foremost a painter, but he may become best known for his fiber art.

It’s a new direction and one that’s gotten him a plethora of national attention, with a shoutout from The New York Times and props from internationally known artist Mark Bradford, who says Towns has created a new genre entirely, a hybrid of figurative painting and story quilts.

How has living in Baltimore informed your work?
I grew up in the South, and I would take field trips to plantations. Everything in Charleston is sort of beautiful and idyllic. Baltimore was a wakeup call, seeing these economic and racial disparities. In the South, everybody is nice, but behind people’s niceties, there’s a hidden thing that’s not hidden here in the North. I had always made stuff about history and explored it, but not as intensely as I explored it here. I wanted to know why things are the way they are. That’s why I go back to antebellum slavery and the psychology of that time period in my work.

Talk about the Catholic iconography in your work. I’m thinking mostly of the figures with gold-leaf halos who appear to be modern-day saints.
I think the halos are a response to my growing up a Jehovah’s Witness with the idea that God is above everything and humans are sinners. I adopted Catholic iconography to say that we all are beautiful people. I wanted to focus specifically on people of color, because it’s hard to tell someone they’re a terrible person when they have this iridescent golden halo behind them. . . . My teacher at the University of South Carolina was the person who introduced me to medieval and Byzantine art. We’d have to paint reproductions of some of these paintings, and that’s not something I would’ve been able to explore as a Jehovah’s Witness because all of that stuff is looked at as stuff you should not be participating in. So college was a way for me to explore that.

What of your religious upbringing remains with you?
I am continually searching for my own inner self goodness and inner beauty. I listen to a lot of spiritual books and podcasts, and I’ve gone to a lot of different churches. I’ve gone beyond the stage of finding sanctuary in a physical space and have found a sanctuary in my own artwork. It’s just that: seeing that me being human is good enough.

Tell me about the recurring butterflies in your work.
Butterflies represent spirituality and also the idea of metamorphosis and migration. People look at them as these fragile beings that you can break with your hands, but they’re resilient in their path and making their way to their destination. I mirrored that when I think of black Americans, who have survived being captured, the transatlantic slave trade, American slavery, and the Civil Rights movement. That’s a powerful lineage.

You’ve recently moved from painting to fiber art. How has it felt, process-wise, to be quilting?
I realized how challenging it is, how meticulous it is, how physically painful it is on your hands—your fingers being stuck with needles and bleeding. It really put me in the mind of labor. Paintings are a laborious process, but making quilts are an even more laborious process. So the idea of labor goes along with slavery, cotton, and fabric—all these ideas are layered into the work.

On that note, congrats on your solo show of story quilts at the BMA—that is huge!
Thank you.

Has it been overwhelming for you at all, getting so much attention?
It’s been good because I feel like I’ve been working really hard for the past 18 years, trying to make work and have people look at it and talk about it. Now I’ve finally been afforded that opportunity. It is a bit overwhelming—the emails and navigating the art world—but if I want to continue making the work, [this is] part of the process. . . . It’s also been really exciting to see what [BMA director] Christopher Bedford has done with the BMA and seeing some of the artists he’s brought in. It feels like a totally different space. Even the idea of bringing my body of work into the American wing was a really brave decision.

As opposed to the contemporary wing?
Yeah. I am around these structures and furniture and old paintings, and the reason all of this stuff exists is because of slavery. So this story [told through his exhibit Rumination and a Reckoning] creates context for everything else that’s shown in that space.

Your most recent pieces, some of which will be shown in the Sondheim Artscape finalist exhibit at the BMA, are the first to incorporate both painting and quilting. Are you working with a theme?
This series is based on my reading and listening to books about slave ships. The figures with the quilt attached to the painting are in the shape of a slave ship. In my head, some of these people have survived and some have not survived the Middle Passage. In each of the works, you see a [quilted] reflection in the water representative of how people’s futures were uncertain. There were rumors like the white men were going to eat them. People were being taken to a new place, having to learn a new language . . . things I hadn’t taken into consideration.

Is it important to you to bring these stories forth through your work? Does it matter whether viewers know the history?
I realize that some people just have to look at artwork and appreciate it as a pretty picture. For me as the artist, I know what they’re about. When my work is in the right context, then people understand it. Without that, people make up their own stories—which is why, I think, the work was taken down at Goucher [College in 2017]. The work [paintings depicting people with nooses around their necks] meant something else to somebody else . . . and it took on a whole different life. But in the end, there were conversations with students, staff, and faculty; there was an artist talk; and it was refreshing to hear people speak up. So really, the work did its work, being taken down in the space.

Weren’t those pieces later shown in a group exhibit of censored work at the Motor House?
Yeah, Leslie King Hammond wanted to put together different artists whose work has been censored, and I was a part of that.

That’s like a rite of passage, right?
Yes [laughs].

On a tree-lined block of Bolton Hill’s Park Avenue reminiscent of Brooklyn Heights, old brick rowhomes built in the 1800s share a storied history. F. Scott Fitzgerald lived on the street after Zelda died, as did renowned classicist and author Edith Hamilton. And the late artist Les Harris raised his three daughters there with his wife, Sally, hosting dinner parties and transforming his house into a work of beauty and a small mecca for creatives.

Harris flocked to the neighborhood along with other artists and teachers in the 1960s because it was affordable (he paid $14,000 for his rowhome) and in close proximity to several schools, where he taught and studied—Maryland Institute College of Art, Johns Hopkins University, and the Schuler School of Fine Arts (he also taught art and theatrical design at the Park School, and Stevenson University). After Harris’ death in 2008, his wife continued to live in the three-story brick home at 1323 Park Ave., built in 1885, but she recently put it on the market.

Harris was a Baltimore icon and a Renaissance man, full of magic and mystique. He and his wife were active across multiple artistic disciplines. They met when she hired him as a choreographer and set designer at her theater, The Gateway Playhouse, in Long Island, New York, where she grew up.

“It was a totally artistic household,” says his daughter Holly Harris, who spent the past two years boxing up the house. There was always someone playing the piano—which is still in the house—or painting or gardening.

Harris became known for his maximalist paintings exploring all manner of metaphysical thought, and much of his work is housed at his Amaranthine Museum in Clipper Mill, a space that reopened to the public in November.

But his house was a work of art, too. He designed and executed many renovations and decorative details: a brick basement that leads out onto a patio, a rooftop garden, a marble kitchen counter in the shape of a grand piano, a wrought iron railing running up a rear stairwell, coffered ceilings in three of rooms. Local artisans installed stained glass above the front doorway and above the handcrafted cabinetry in the dining room. His most obvious addition stylistically might be the long mural that wraps around the front hallway and stairwell, painted for the wedding reception of one of his daughters following a ceremony in the Brown Memorial Park Avenue Church across the street.

“The house is so filled with love,” says Holly, who was 1 when her parents moved there in 1962. “We had so many good times in there.”

His studio was in the basement, but when his paintings became larger in scale, he grew out of that space in 1976 and moved to a studio at Clipper Mill, which he also used as a museum to show his body of work, which he refrained from selling. When Clipper Mill sold in 2005, the museum relocated within the community and just last year relocated once again to a much smaller space. The family intends to sell his work, as they believe it will reach a wider audience.

To understand—or at least get a sense of—the man who said things like “matter is a superstition”—you must first go to Amaranthine, the legacy he left behind. Floor to ceiling paintings and sculptural work (including pieces hung from the ceiling) move through time and explore metaphysics through the lens of art—numerology, astrology, cathedrals from various eras—going from modern times all the way back to the origin of consciousness, as he understood it (the paintings are heavy with sacred geometry and hieroglyphics), perhaps developing his own cosmology along the way.

“He was gonna find God through the eyes of artists,” Holly says. “His search was for the divine in everything.”

Through the Age of Aquarius, the Age of Pisces, the Age of Romance and the Age of Reason—they all have their place among the work.

“Once he was inspired, he’d paint so fast,” Holly says. “Nothing here has two coats of paint.”

She also recalls how the rooms of the Park Avenue house changed often, each time her father got a new vision that “he had to fulfill” and would move things around and redecorate to realize his ideas. Sections of the house went under complete renovations repeatedly.

Antithetical to what is done today, he would paint the grand 12-foot ceilings in a darker hue to create more intimacy in the large rooms.

Growing up, Holly was surrounded by national and international artists and actors, she says. Her parents would habitually host people when they were in town for gigs.

They bought another house in Virginia in 1992, where his artistic eye went into landscape architecture, as he transformed nearly two lakefront acres into their second paradise.

“He was always all over the place,” says Holly. “Mom and Dad never looked back; they just kept going, kept building.”

The Baltimore Museum of Industry is a stunning tribute to bygone eras with its displays of a massive canning machine, antique cars, archaic medicinal products, once-upon-a-time printing presses, and countless other artifacts from our country’s past.

But a contemporary exhibit opens this weekend in a small BMI gallery space and focuses instead on the personal side of industry—the people who went to work each day to make these products and provide these services, and the people today who continue in these roles, even as time has changed them.

Why We Work, chiefly curated by Johns Hopkins University and Maryland Institute College of Art students, asks just that: Why do we work? What is our work? How does it shape us?

The exhibit is twofold. One wall combines spellbinding black-and-white historical photos alongside recent images by Baltimore contributing photographer Christopher Myers that show locals past and present in their working environments: A Baltimore Gas and Electric engineer at his desk in 1966, a streetcar car conductor in 1943, a bartender in Remington in 2013, a Hampden mortician in 2014.

The second component of the show involves you. Guests are invited to answer three multiple-choice questions by placing a colored dot sticker beside their answers. Each color corresponds to a career field: finance, hospitality, education, and so on (“retired” and “other” are also options). In the resulting art pieces, which will change over time as more visitors engage with the piece, show trends in the workforce—from both the general public and specific career fields. For instance, under the “What motivates you at work?” question, several  blue—i.e., healthcare—dots fill the “service” box, while the “creativity” motivator is dense with the lime-green dots of the culture/creative workforce.

Museum Lab, a course that the BMI director of interpretation Beth Maloney teaches at JHU, was the impetus for the project. Students were asked how they might enhance visitor interaction. They wanted to create a contemporary piece, Maloney says. Part of the process involved students going to BMI and surveying visitors about their jobs. Those responses were used to compile the prompts and the response option.

As the last leg of the conceptual portion of the process, JHU teamed up with Jeremy Hoffman’s graphic design students at MICA, who prepared nine exhibit proposals for those in Museum Lab to consider.

Several people involved in the making of the show—including Myers, Maloney, Hoffman, and BMI director Anita Kassof—will be at its opening at Saturday, May 19 at 11 a.m. Museum entrance is free that day as a celebration to kick off the 10th season of the BMI farmers’ market. The show will remain on view through April 14, 2019.

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.

Painter and former MICA artist in residence Mequitta Ahuja is now one of the 2018 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellowship. Awarded to fewer than 200 people every year, the honor has been helping professionals expand on their art for nearly a century.

Ahuja’s artwork over the past 15 years has been an evolution of the typical self-portrait and this most recent recognition will help further her work to shift the self-portrait of a woman of color away from a conversation about identity and instead use it to show her expertise in painting.

What made you apply for the Guggenheim fellowship?
For a lot of artists, we apply for something and get our hearts set on it because we think it’s in our lane. Other times, we apply for some things just as exercises to kind of keep putting our work out there just to throw our hat in the ring. So, I applied to the Guggenheim more as an exercise honestly.

So, were you shocked that you were actually selected?
It was right near April Fool’s Day, on April 4, so I was like, ‘Wait, really?’ I was surprised bordering on disbelief, then once it settled in, I was just extremely proud, humbled, and excited. I think as artists we all learn how to make our work when money, support, and recognition is in short supply. But then when you finally get those things, it really is a confidence booster that makes it easier to do your work and to feel good doing it—it’s validation.

How long have you been painting?
It’s really the only thing I’ve ever pursued. My earliest memories are of wanting to be an artist. Of course, my ideas of what that means have grown and shifted over time, but it is what I studied in both undergraduate and graduate school. I’ve had a number of jobs over the years, but my main job has long been being an artist.

Can you explain why you chose self-portraiture as a focus for your art?
Working from oneself as a subject matter, we’re there as ready models. So, in some ways there’s this early convenience to it and I think the self and the expression of the self is a really basic and universal feeling.

As an adolescent, like most, I did a lot of self-portraits and as I got older, self-portraiture was not always the element of the work. Then it came back full force when I was in graduate school, initially again for convenience, I wanted to make figurative paintings. I started taking photographs of myself and working from those photographs. Then it has continued, I would say the meaning has changed. I’ve moved from thinking about self-portraiture being about my personal identity to moving to thinking about the genre of self-portraiture—it’s not just about picturing something about my identity.

In your artist statement you said you want to “turn the artist self-portrait into a discourse on picture making.” How does this reflect in your paintings?
There’s multiple layers of subject matter—some has to do with American history and some is dealing with a more domestic space. I want there to be multiple entry points for developing a relationship with the viewer and the painting. But I also don’t think I have control over that, so what a person gets from the painting is always an unknown factor in terms of how I may think about it. They may have a very different relationship with it.  

As you said, this is a reflection of your most recent work which differs from your past work. What caused that transition?
Going back to adolescence, my story is that I have a relatively unique cultural heritage—my mother is African-American, and my father is from India. I think in the conversation about race, it’s always black and white. If somebody is mixed-race, we assume they’re mixed black and white, not Indian and African-American or two non-white ethnic groups. For a long time, that was the subject of my work, having that cultural heritage.

Growing older changes the degree in which those things matter. There was always a feeling I had that I didn’t fully fit into either of my heritage groups or just fit people’s expectations of me. When you get older, you just don’t care anymore [Laughs]. You don’t need to fulfill somebody else’s expectations and, as some of those concerns just became less prevailing in my experiences in the world and my identity, other things came forward. I was able to take self-portraiture and make it about the genre itself, about art history, about painting, and about what it means to position a maker of the work within the work.

How do your travels impact your artwork?
My paintings travel more than I travel. This month I had work in Hong Kong—a place I’ve never been to. I have one right now in London—a place I have been to but not since I was a kid. A lot of times I actually don’t travel with my work or to the shows. I’m really a homebody. Most recently I did a residency in Siena, Italy which had a big impact on me. For me, it’s an unalloyed good to have the work travel all over the world because it’s a way in which I can be a global citizen from the small area of land in Baltimore.

You aren’t originally from Baltimore. What made you settle here?
I was born in Grand Rapids actually and I’ve lived a lot of places. We left Michigan before I can remember. I spent my childhood in a couple of different towns in Connecticut and then I went to Massachusetts for undergrad and Chicago for grad school. Then Houston, New York, and then Baltimore.

The Maryland Institute College of Art invited me in 2011 as an artist in residence, that’s what brought me here. I met my husband the first week I was in Baltimore, at the time he was working on his PhD at Johns Hopkins—now he’s a scientist at Hopkins.

What do you think of Baltimore’s art scene?
I was just talking with some folks about what Baltimore needs and how we can promote Baltimore and lift each other up as artists in the city. There’s a lot of energy here, there’s a lot of support in terms of the social artist scene. There’s less support when it comes to gallery infrastructure and collector groups. I think a lot of us have to go outside of Baltimore to find that kind of support. I think that there are ways to build that kind of infrastructure here.   

What’s your favorite thing to do in Baltimore?
I feel like this is boring, but I love going to the art museums. I really love the Walters, it’s one of my favorites out of anywhere. I also really love the Baltimore Museum of Art. I also recently discovered ice skating. It’s not about being good at it, half the fun is being bad at it [Laughs].

Now that you are a Guggenheim fellow, what’s next?
I’m working right now on a body of work for a fall show in Milan at a gallery called Brand New Gallery—that’s the actual name of the gallery. That’s what’s now. I will be leaving Baltimore for a month to do an artist residency this summer at the Marin Headlands in California. I’m really excited to continue with my work.

The Reginald F. Lewis Museum is known for its extensive collection of African-American historical and cultural artifacts. But a new gallery space, Reflections, on the building’s second floor, showcases work by contemporary artists who are sure to ignite conversation and influence the future of Baltimore’s diverse culture.

The most recent exhibit in the space, Reflections of Baltimore: We, Too, Are MICA, opens tonight with a reception at 5:30 p.m. and runs through May 4. It features work by six MICA undergrads (sophomores through seniors), from paper cuttings to paintings to fiber arts. The selected artists are all people of color.

“MICA artists are mostly seen as coming from a white-privelegely point of view,” says Joseph M. Giordano, who co-curated the show. “People of color kind of fade into the background.”

The stigma is not all that surprising, given the school’s somewhat dicey past. In the exhibit’s opening text, Clyde Johnson, associate dean of the Center for Identity and Inclusion at MICA, writes about Harry T. Pratt, who enrolled as MICA’s first black student in 1891 and was met with protests, with a reportedly 100 students dropping out because of his being a student there. After Pratt graduated, black students were prohibited from enrolling from 1895 to 1954.

Tony Shore, chair of the painting department at MICA; Giordano, photography teacher at Baltimore School for the Arts; and Johnson curated the show with a specific aim to highlight a diverse group of artists.

Destiny Belgrave, a Caribbean American, explores race, spirituality, and femininity through intricate black-and-white paper cuttings. Her piece “Done Wid” depicts a reimagined “Birth of Venus”—one wherein a black woman is the central figure.

Tyler Ballon’s “Deposition” painting shows a fallen black man on the street, surrounded by friends, echoing the Deposition of Christ. His piece “Crowning of Thorns” parallels a black man’s getting a gang color with Jesus’ crown of thorns.

Moses Jeune is a queer black man of Haitian descent who uses LGBTQ and Catholic iconography in his paintings to explore race, gender, and religion.

Work by Mark Fleuridor, Drew Gray, and Monica Ikegwu is also exhibited in the show.

Visual Art

Odyssey: Jack Whitten Sculpture
The Baltimore Museum of Art will introduce to the world 40 sculptures by Jack Whitten (1963-2018), the renowned artist who influenced the next generation of painters and passed away in January. As he was known primarily for his paintings and mixed-media work, this show, co-organized with The Metropolitan Museum of Art, marks the first of its kind. Sculpture mediums include wood, marble, copper, and bone, and the collection also features personal mementos, as well as Whitten’s Black Monoliths series, which reveals how sculpture influenced his paintings. April 22 through July 29 at the BMA, 10 Art Museum Drive. Free Opening Celebration, 1 to 5 p.m. April 22.

Bonnie Crawford Kotula
Baltimore-based artist Bonnie Crawford will show a series of drawings and sculptural works around the theme of sleep—and more specifically, insomnia—in an exhibit at Montpelier Arts Center. The body of work was inspired by Louise Bourgeois’ Insomnia Drawings. At an artist talk, there will be blankets and tea. April 7 to May 27 at Montpelier Arts Center, 9652 Muirkirk Road, Laurel. Opening reception from 2 to 4 p.m. April 8; artist talk at 3 p.m. April 28.

Music

Negative Gemini, Amy Reid
The Metro Gallery will host a night of electronica with a packed lineup of local and national acts. Negative Gemini will headline with her indie dream-pop dance beats. Also on the bill: George Clanton and two Baltimore-based artists, Amy Reid and Giddeon Gallows (Drew Scott). It’s a good excuse to dance and shake off those winter blues. 9 p.m. April 11 at Metro Gallery, 1700 N. Charles St.

Snakes album release show
Frontman George Cessna eases through each of Snakes’ dark and twangy rockabilly rides, creating a lo-fi sound while crooning out lyrics that have a timeless quality about them. The five-piece, which essentially started as a backup band for Cessna, released its second full-length record, No More Songs About Wildflowers, in March (with a cassette option, per tradition), and they’ll play their album release show this month at EMP Collective. Catch them before they hit the road this summer for an extended tour. 9 p.m. April 13 at EMP Collective, 307 W. Baltimore St.

Theater

Peter Pan, an original stage adaptation
Playwright Joshua Conkel (Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events) re-imagines the classic story of Peter Pan for a 21st-century audience in Single Carrot Theatre’s world premiere of Peter Pan. As part of its community outreach, the theater partners with people in Baltimore each year to create an original production. This one borrows stories and inspiration from local LGBTQ residents to present a Peter and Wendy who grapple with questions of gender and sexuality in Neverland. 8 p.m. on Thursdays through Saturdays and 3 p.m. on Sundays from April 27 through May 20. Pay-What-You-Can Previews on April 25 and 26. Single Carrot Theatre, 2600 N. Howard St.

Literary Arts

CityLit Festival
In its 15th year, CityLit Festival returns with a lineup so packed, it’s probably best to clear your whole day on April 14. The event includes workshops, readings, lectures, and panel discussions spanning multiple genres and local and international talent. The keynote author is New Yorker staff writer Philip Gourevitch, Yrsa Daley-Ward will give a master class, plus Elizabeth Acevedo and Joanne Gabbin will be speakers, among many more. Most events at the festival are free, but some require registration and/or small fees. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 14 at William H. Thumel Sr. Business Center at the University of Baltimore, 11 W. Mount Royal Ave.

Fashion

MICA’s experimental fashion shows
Avant-garde and experimental fashion by MICA students will be highlighted during two shows this month. First, designs by 20 students in fiber, painting, illustration, fine arts, graphic design, sculpture, and other programs at the school will make their debut at Authenticity, the annual benefit show in its 25th year. Artists explore personality, social class, and cultural heritage through their work, reflecting on their individual as well as collective identities. Several garments will be auctioned off at the event. The second event, MEZZO: An Experimental Fashion Event, is by the Fiber Department’s Multi Media Event class and encompasses costumes, performance, puppetry, and sculpture by 12 designers. Authenticity is at 9 p.m. April 13 and 8 p.m. April 14 at MICA’s Falvey Hall, 1301 W. Mount Royal Ave., and MEZZO is at 5 and 8 p.m. April 21 at the Baltimore War Memorial, 101 N. Gay St.

Miscellanea

Refugee and Immigrant Arts Feast
Mera Kitchen Collective’s inaugural Refugee and Immigrants Arts Feast celebrates cultures from around the world through food, art, crafts, and music. The all-day event is free and family-friendly. 11:30 a.m. to  4p.m. April 28 at 2640 Space, 2640 St. Paul St.

#RiseBmore
April 19 marks the third anniversary of Freddie Gray’s death while in police custody. In commemoration, several artists will present a free event, #RiseBmore2018, that evening at Union Baptist Church. The lineup: Words by Abdu Ali, Erricka Wonder Voice Bridgeford, Brittani McNeill, Tariq Touré, and Shannon Lo Wallace, and music by Judah Adashi, Akua Allrich, Japheth Clark, Mark G. Meadows, Joy Postell, Letitia VanSant (leh-tih-sha), and Voices Rise: A Baltimore Choir of Hope.

On Drugs: Stories about dependence, destruction, and salvation
As the Stoop Storytelling Series so aptly puts it, elixirs have the power to both heal and destroy us. In a night of stories around this central theme of drugs, storytellers include a poet, a family medicine doctor, an independent drug researcher, a retired state police captain, and others. 8 p.m. April 19 at the Senator Theatre, 5904 York Road.

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.

MICA professors, mixed media filmmakers, and seriously cute married couple Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata got some lovely news on Tuesday when their short animated film, Negative Space, was nominated for an Oscar. They even managed to capture the happy moment on Instagram (see below). We caught up with the (still slightly overwhelmed) couple via email, shortly after the nomination.
 

I saw that you filmed your reaction to the nom on Instagram. It was adorable. How’d you come up with that idea?

Max: To be honest, I usually prefer to be behind the camera, rather than the front. We were advised by an Academy affiliated distributor to film our reaction and Ru made me do it.
 

Ru: I was very happy we filmed it because I’ve never seen Max react like this in the 11 years we’ve been married. 
 

Did you get any sleep the night before the nominations?
Ru: Max rarely sleeps before anything important. I always sleep 7-8 hours, no matter what.   

What’s today been like for you? Phone ringing off the hook?
Max: It’s been a moving experience to get messages from family, friends and people who have been following our work for years.  

Ru: I’ve been on the phone/Skype/email with Japanese press for a full two days. I wasn’t expecting this and it came as a big surprise. I’ve been getting messages from Japan that people keep seeing my face and name on the morning news and evening news. I’ve always been inspired by Japanese people “making it” abroad, and this was the moment that I realized I became one of them. I’m beaming with pride!  

Other than possibly winning, what are you most anticipating about the show?
Ru: Both of us are excited that Agnès Varda is nominated [for her whimsical documentary Faces Places]. She’s an artist who has been true to herself for so many years and we both admire her courage.   

How does it feel to be in the same category as Kobe Bryant, whose short film Dear Basketball was also nominated?
Max: Animation (making) and basketball (watching) are my two favorite things. I’m excited that I might get to meet Glen Keane, the legendary animator who directed the film. It’s strange to see Kobe Bryant’s film advertised on basketball websites and talk shows, but I hope this will bring more attention to the animation arts.  

How can people see your movie?

Max: In Baltimore, Negative Space will be playing at the Parkway Theater on January 30th as part of the Sweaty Eyeballs Presents: Best of Ottawa International Animation Festival program. Starting in early February, the film will be in theaters all over the country with other nominees.

Negative Space was made possible through French production companies Ikki Films and Manuel Cam Studio, with the generosity of French funding. You can check out some of Max and Ru’s work over at TinyInventions.com

Incoming generations are often left to clean up—or at the very least make sense of—whatever messes were left behind by the generations that came before, though it’s not always done by way of art. 

The effects of the Hiroshima bombing can never be completely erased, no matter how much time passes or what measures are taken, but two Baltimore artists with a unique context to the event through their own family histories have come together to make manifest a reconciliation of sorts.

In what one might call fate, Kei Ito and Andrew Paul Keiper met as potential roommates while students at MICA, only to learn during an initial conversation that they had something powerful in common. Ito’s grandfather witnessed the atomic-bomb explosion at Hiroshima, which killed his entire family and left its radioactive imprint on his own body. 

Keiper’s grandfather was an engineer who worked for the top-secret Manhattan Project that developed the A-bomb. As artists (who did become housemates), Ito and Keiper knew they needed to collaborate on a project together to explore this inheritance and bridge together two personal histories that are so extremely at odds with one another. The result is Afterimage Requiem, a large-scale installation on view at the Baltimore War Memorial through January 31. (As an aside, theirs is the first art exhibit to ever be shown in the building.)

Even without knowing the story behind the Afterimage Requiem, the piece is distinctly chilling. More than 100 life-sized photograms of Ito’s body (made by lying directly on light-sensitive photographic paper) lay flat on the floor, weighted down by smooth stones, in long rows. Spaces between each image allow you to walk through the installation, looking earthward to view the work. One dramatic light beams down in the otherwise dark space—a blinding presence that connotes the bomb itself. 

Ambient industrial and natural sounds manufactured by Keiper are projected from four tall speakers, one in each corner of the room. As you walk through the piece, the human figures lying in various positions underneath you might not immediately evoke Hiroshima, but they surely suggest a war or mass shooting or mass burial—i.e., the remains of some disaster.

It’s a profound statement on the aftermath of a tragedy, but it’s not meant to be seen purely as a reflection of a historical event. The purpose of art is to “use these personal, historical events to talk about contemporary issues,” Ito says in an artist talk on opening night. “This nuclear crisis . . . we think it’s a past history. It’s not.”

Just days before the show opened, in fact, the false missile alert in Hawaii made headlines. And President Trump’s continual threats of nuclear war on North Korea have caused an undercurrent of anxiety.

Ito was just 9 when his grandfather died, so he never got the chance to ask about Hiroshima, which he regrets now. But he remembers his grandfather describing the bomb as being like “a hundred suns lighting the sky,” and that image stayed with Ito. In his photograms, he uses his body as the camera, and as he sees it, his grandfather’s body acted as a camera, too, recording the light of the A-bomb and passing it on through his altered DNA, ultimately to Ito.

The sounds emitted in the space are split into four channels: two of industrial noises, meant to conjure up the processes used to build the A-bomb, and two of natural sounds, symbolizing the bomb’s effect on the natural world. The artists collected field recordings from such sites as Los Alamos, New Mexico, where the bombs were developed. In essence, Keiper’s portion of the installation represents his family’s contribution that led to the event, while Ito’s work represents the event’s aftermath as experienced by his family.

Though daunting, Ito made 108 photograms of his body, a recurring number in his work that is not without reason. At the end of each year, per tradition in Japan, each Buddhist temple sounds its bells 108 times to symbolize the cleansing of the 108 evil desires we have as humans, to face the new year with a clean slate. “You can hear it everywhere,” Ito says of the bells. In continuing that thought, he adds that through his work, he tries to find hope. “I think that’s my ultimate goal.”

Visual Art

Scott Pennington’s Two-Minute Joys
Scott Pennington’s art is nothing if not fun. He draws from his experience as a furniture maker to craft large-scale, interactive artwork. Through several light-based installations and wall pieces, his latest show, Two-Minute Joys, explores a tradition Pennington grew up with: the carnivals that make their rounds from town to town, bringing people together among their bright lights, rich colors, and the sweet scent of carnival food. It’s what the artist refers to as the “carnival aesthetic,” prevalent throughout his work. Indulge in a carnival trip of the mind at Maryland Art Place, courtesy of Pennington. Jan. 18 through March 10, MAP, 218 W. Saratoga St. Reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Jan. 18.

Curatorial tour of Beyond Flight: Birds in African Art
The Baltimore Museum of Art exhibit Beyond Flight: Birds in African Art shows the many uses of birds in sub-Saharan art. See the dramatic masks worn during rituals, herbalists’ staffs, and household objects embellished with bird imagery while meditating on how these winged creatures have piqued our curiosity over the centuries. As BMA associate curator of African art Kevin Tervala pointed out, birds make up less than one percent of living things and yet are used extensively throughout all artistic genres. Through June 10, BMA, 10 Art Museum Drive; curatorial tour from 2 to 3 p.m. Jan. 5.

Art talk with longtime MICA instructor James Hennessey
As a decades-long painting instructor at Maryland Institute College of Art, James Hennessey influenced the work of thousands of Baltimore artists. His retrospective exhibit at the Creative Alliance, Enduring Concerns, celebrates him with a survey of his paintings done over the years that he’s worked in the city. Through Jan. 13, with an artist talk at 7 p.m. Jan. 6, Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.

Dance

King of What: Bboy/Bgirl Jam
Motor House will play host to breakers from across the U.S. and Canada during its five-hour King of What, which kicks off with a cypher that will allow hundreds of dancers to showcase their skills before a selected few move into one-on-one competition—i.e., before things get real. One lucky break-boy or -girl will be named the best and take home $1,000 (and someone else will win a $100 prize for having the flyest getup). And if five hours isn’t enough, there’s an after party. 5 to 10 p.m. Jan. 20 at Motor House, 120 W. North Ave.

Music

Hirsute live
The only thing better than an album listening party is an album performed live in its entirety. Amy Reid will provide us with this gift at the performance of her 2017 release Hirsute at the Motor House. She’ll be joined by a band to combine electronica, vocals, and live instrumentation. Plus, guest artists  Infinity Knives & Randi will perform, and Hanna Olivegren (of Zomes) and Noelle Tolbert will explore movement and sound. 9 p.m. Jan. 6 at the Motor House, 120 W. North Ave.

Off The Cuff: Impressionist Masterworks
For a tasty music and art pairing, try the January installment of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s Off the Cuff series, where the music of Debussy and Ravel will be performed alongside projected images of Impressionist art by Monet, Degas, Cézanne, and others, and you’ll learn how Impressionism influenced composers of the day. In collaboration with the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Impressionist Masterworks short-format concert includes commentary from BSO music director Marin Alsop and BMA senior curator of European painting and sculpture Katy Rothkopf, who will provide context to enrich the experience. An after party, Ravel on the Rocks, will extend the night with live gypsy jazz by Orchester Prazevica and food from Dooby’s. 7 p.m. Jan. 13, Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St.

Literary Arts

Red Emma’s Mother Earth Poetry Vibe
The gift of poetry is its ability to inspire us. With that idea in mind, Red Emma’s Mother Earth Poetry Vibe is an open mic that focuses on work that engages conscious thought, spirituality, justice, equality, and, in short, raises the vibration of our collective consciousness. All are welcome to share, while Philadelphia-based lyricist, author, educator, and voiceover artist Lyrispect will be the featured guest of the evening. 6:30 to 9 p.m. Feb. 3 at Red Emma’s Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave.

Miscellanea

Edgar Allan Poe: Evermore
Raise your glass for a toast to the macabre poet Baltimore claims as its own, Edgar Allan Poe, who would have been 209 on Jan. 19, had he not died of . . . well, either alcohol, brain congestion, cholera, drugs, heart disease, rabies, tuberculosis, or suicide (don’t worry, folks, you’ll just be drinking nonalcoholic apple cider, courtesy of Poe Baltimore). 6 to 6:30 p.m. Jan. 19 at Westminster Hall and Burying Ground, 519 W. Fayette St.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade
“We’ve got some difficult days ahead,” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said to a crowd in Memphis, Tennessee, less than 24 hours before he was assassinated. “But it really doesn’t matter with me now because I’ve been to the mountaintop. . . . I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land.” Baltimore will celebrate the legendary Civil Rights activist on his birthday with a parade down Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Noon to 2 p.m. Jan. 15.

Moonifestations of Ancestor Earth closing
What do you get when you combine meditation with January’s waxing moon? One guess is Moonifestations. Xander Dumas and Elliot Moonstone, better known as The Dandy Vagabonds, will close out their fiber-art installation Moonifestations of Ancestor Earth: a voyage of expansion at the Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower with a guided meditation. Through the use of astrology and gemstones, they’ll help the group to “moonifest” individual and collective intentions. Come dressed in the likeness of your favorite element, stone, or planet, and bring a journal. Noon to 2 p.m. Jan. 27, Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower Galleries, 21 S. Eutaw St.

News

Resort, a new contemporary art gallery
Resort, a new gallery in Baltimore exhibiting contemporary art, will hold its inaugural show this month. A Big Toe Touches a Green Tomato will showcase the work of former artistic director of The Contemporary Ginevra Shay and Philadelphia-based artist and self-described “plant person” Roxana Azar. Jan. 20 through March 3; opening reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Jan. 20, Resort, 235 Park Ave.