Black & White Party
Jan. 25. When it comes to planning and executing The Pratt Contemporaries’ annual Black & White Party, Alexa McCulloch and Lindsey Stone, co-owners of Union3 Event Productions, jokingly refer to themselves as the “conductors of that crazy symphony.” This year, the duo will orchestrate the two-day overhaul that will transform the Central Library into the iconic land of Oz on January 25. It’s all to honor the fundraiser’s “no place like home” motto that revels in its return to the downtown library following two years of renovations. And while the pair is excited to see their creative takes on the Emerald City and Munchkinland come to life, McCulloch, left, says her favorite part of the event is watching the main hall fill up with guests ready to dance the night away. “The best thing about this event is that it’s a party for party’s sake,” she says. “Watching people let loose on the dance floor and have a good time in support of the library—there’s nothing better.” Enoch Pratt Free Library. 8 p.m.. $175.
—KP

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Polar Bear Plunge
Jan. 23-25. Over the past 23 years, the ice-cold waters of the Chesapeake Bay have become the site of one of Maryland’s most anticipated charity fundraisers, thanks to the Maryland State Police. To become one of the brave souls that throws their near-naked body into the frigid waters at Sandy Point State Park, fundraise ahead of the plunge and help Special Olympics Maryland meet its $3-million goal. Sandy Point State Park, 1100 E. College Pkwy., Annapolis. Times vary. $75.

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Elizabeth Catlett: Artist as Activist
To March 1. If you’ve driven or walked past the Reginald F. Lewis Museum lately, you’ve already seen one of the standout pieces, “Sharecropper,” from this exhibit draped over the side of the downtown museum. Revered as one of the most important artists of the 20th century in both the U.S. and Mexico, Catlett’s portrait of a woman gazing into the distance is one of 20 prints and 14 sculptures on display through the start of spring. Walk through this thought-provoking exhibit to learn how the award-winning artist used her work to confront injustice in 1950s Mexico, with particular attention to the plight of sharecroppers. Reginald F. Lewis Museum. Times vary. Free-$8.

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Baltimore Crankie Fest
Jan. 3-5. Rediscover the art of storytelling through crankies—scrolls that are hand-cranked to show one illustrated scene at a time—during the seventh annual Baltimore Crankie Fest. Head to Creative Alliance for this celebration of the niche visual medium, featuring four performances with handmade crankies accompanied by musical guests. Watch as these hand-drawn stories unfurl before your eyes, and participate in workshops on how to make your own crankie. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. Times vary. $18.

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Baltimore Winter Restaurant Week
Jan. 10-19. Start scouring menus and planning your meal schedule now to prepare for Baltimore Winter Restaurant Week, the biggest buzz in Charm City’s cuisine scene. Brave the icy weather for hot deals at nearly 100 local dining gems, such as two-course lunches for $15 or three-course dinners for $25. Break bread at up-and-coming spots such as Orto and Noona’s, or revisit old haunts like Tio Pepe’s and Alexander’s Tavern. Locations, times and prices vary.

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade
Jan. 20. Honor the icon of the Civil Rights Movement during this 20th-annual parade along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, where thousands of onlookers will gather to commemorate the reverend’s lifelong fight for racial justice. This year, the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts will invite an honorary grand marshal whose work embodies King’s legacy to lead the proceedings. Find a spot along the parade route to watch as floats, marching bands, and community groups trek through the city streets to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King. Location varies. 12 p.m.-2 p.m.. Free.

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Harbor Point Ice Festival
Jan. 11. It’s that time of year when Baltimoreans typically stay inside to avoid the blustering wind and bitter cold, but the Harbor Point Ice Festival gives locals and visitors alike the chance to wrap up, come together, and warm our hearts in this magical winter wonderland. Visit Harbor Point during this one-day affair and spend the day marveling at handmade ice sculptures, enjoying live music and eats from area food vendors, and participating in tons of family-friendly activities. Harbor Point, 1310 Point St.. 12 p.m.-6 p.m.. Free.

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CATS
Jan. 21-Jan. 26. With the live-action adaptation of this award-winning musical now playing in theaters, most audiences are already familiar with the weirdness of a show dedicated to a tribe of cats prowling around at night. Hear iconic songs like “Memory” and “Jellicle Cats” live when the national tour stops at the Hippodrome Theatre this month. Although this set of six shows will feature the original score and costume design from the musical’s first years on Broadway, awe-struck audiences will experience the classic tale with brand-new sound design, choreography, and direction as CATS gets an update for the new generation. The Hippodrome Theatre, 12 N Eautaw St. Times vary. $52-201.

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A Beautiful, Terrible Thing
Jan. 23. Calling all local musicians! This month, the Stoop Storytelling Series is partnering with legendary rock club Ottobar to give space to stories about the pitfalls and triumphs of life as an independent artist. Whether you have experiences to speak on or would rather sit back and listen, grab a drink and prepare to hear live retellings of musicians’ best and worst gigs, most meaningful sets, and everything in between. The Ottobar, 2549 N Howard St. 8 p.m. $15.

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Chesapeake Oyster, Wine, & Beer Festival
Jan. 25. What’s the best way to wash down a bushel of world-class oysters? Heavy Seas beer, of course—and the two dozen other wines and spirits you will find at this 13th annual, adults-only seafood extravaganza. Blend briny bivalves and boozy flavors downtown at The Assembly Room, where tickets give you an all-access pass to a shuckin’ good time. The Assembly Room, 318-316 Guilford Ave.. 12 p.m.-4 p.m. $69.

Known for its annual, sold-out Black & White party, the Pratt Contemporaries is more than just an organization that throws a great shindig. The nonprofit, now in its 10th year, has raised more than  $1 million for child and teen literacy programs at the Enoch Pratt Free Library since its inception.

Over a decade ago, library members under the direction of Carla Hayden approached two volunteers, Kate Powell and Chris Espenshade, to create an organization that would bring young donors into the library.

“At the time, I really didn’t know what that was going to look like,” said Powell, who is now the co-founder of Pratt Contemporaries. “We didn’t know each other. We’ve become best friends since, which has been such a perk of this whole thing.”

The two women began the process by forming a committee of 12, including former director of communications Roswell Encina, who was also instrumental in getting the group started. At that first meeting—held at the former Red Maple space in Mt. Vernon—the committee decided that individuals could purchase a membership for just $40, and have access to the library’s events throughout the year.

“The idea behind it was to engage younger people to have them learn about the library,” Powell said. “There’s this huge gap in time when people use the library. So part of the mission was to get people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s to just use the library.”

At this year’s annual meeting, held on June 1, Pratt Contemporaries unveiled its new logo and awarded $180,000 to 12 different literacy and improvement initiatives for the Enoch Pratt Free Library.

But deciding which specific programs to fund is never an easy task, according to board chair Jacob Hodes. The board tasks the librarians at each branch to come up with a list of programs that would be beneficial to the patrons and then Pratt Contemporaries members vote town-hall style.

“It’s like choosing your favorite child—they are all great programs,” Hodes said. “You can’t fund everything, there are a limited amount of dollars in every budget.”

Ned Courtemanche, board vice chair of Pratt Contemporaries, said that no matter what programs are chosen, they are making a tangible impact for the community.

“Personally, I always love STEM program funding,” Courtemanche said. “The second one always surprises me, because it’s so important but you don’t think about, is money for transportation. It’s something that is surprisingly expensive.”

One of the greatest obstacles for the library is actually getting students to the locations. For the 2018 year, $27,500 will be allocated to provide free buses to solve that problem. The STEM program—focusing on science, technology, engineering, and math education—will receive $20,000 for year-round programming, another $25,000 will go towards branch improvements, and a whopping $50,000 is reserved to go towards the renovation campaign of the central branch on Cathedral Street.

“The Pratt Contemporaries mission is to bring people into the library that wouldn’t otherwise come,” Hodes explained. “We want people to really see the benefits, learn about the programs, and really become ambassadors of all the great things that Pratt is doing.”

Over the years, that initial committee of 12 became a board of 18, and the Pratt Contemporaries now has more than 300 members. Members pay dues depending on their level and also get special perks, like first dibs on tickets to the famed Black & White Party every January.

“The party has really been the leader on the membership side. Becoming a member is really the only way to guarantee a ticket,” Hodes said. “We’re lucky that it’s a nimble way that we can raise funds and capital for the library.”

When Powell and Espenshade began this endeavor, they never imagined it would blossom into what it is now. Powell said that she is pleased with the direction the organization has taken and is excited to see what the future holds.

“Chris and I have really stepped back from being a part of the leadership. We are just members now,” Powell said. “The coolest thing about starting something is when you can leave it in really good hands and watch it continue to grow. It’s incredible.”

On July 1, Hodes will pass the baton over to Courtemanche and he will begin his leadership role as board chair. His goal for the group hasn’t wavered from a decade ago—to empower young professionals to get involved with the progression of the city.

“We can always remind people that the library is not just the responsibility of the city,” Courtemanche said. “The people of Baltimore really have to step up and make sure we take care of something that is essential to the growth of Baltimore.”

Three years after locals Kate Powell and Chris Espenshade founded the Pratt Contemporaries—an organization for young professionals with a passion for literacy that benefits the Enoch Pratt Free Library—the duo decided to take their fundraising efforts to the next level.

“They thought we should really have a party,” says Shelly Terranova, Enoch Pratt’s deputy director of institutional advancement. “The idea was to create a throwback to Truman Capote’s black and white ball in the ’60s.”

But the inaugural celebration, with an expected attendance upwards of 200 people, didn’t come without its hurdles. On the night of the soiree in January 2010, Charm City was dumped with nearly six inches of snow.

“There’s was this panic where they really didn’t know if anyone was going to come,” Terranova says. “But sure enough, everyone trudged in with their coats and their mittens and boots.”

As it has evolved throughout the past six years, both in size and community support, locals have continued to show up for the Pratt Contemporaries annual Black & White party—which returns to Enoch Pratt’s Central Library on January 28.

“It’s pretty amazing how much it’s grown,” Terranova says of the fundraiser, which is expected to host more than 900 attendees this year. “It all started with two women with one big goal who were just reaching out to their friends.”

Lauded as one of the hottest social events in the city (tickets for this year’s gala sold out in six minutes), the themed celebration features live music and eats and drinks from local vendors, all to benefit the library system’s programs for children and teens.

This time around, organizers have decided to work with an Alice in Wonderland motif: “We’re going with more of a grown-up interpretation,” Terranova says. “It’s going to be a little less storybook and a little more Tim Burton with a more fantastical touch.”

In keeping with the theme, the party will highlight tea-inspired fare from Copper Kitchen, and a slew of whimsical cocktails including a “MADhatten” made with Sagamore Spirit Rye, “The Blue Caterpillar” mixed with Blackwater Distilling’s Sloop Betty vodka, and the “Drink Me Potion” which will showcase The Baltimore Whiskey Company’s Shot Tower gin.

There will also be live music spun by DJ Kopec, shucks from The Local Oyster, a Pixilated photobooth, and plenty of teacup and flower-focused décor. Though specific details are still under wraps, Terranova assures that the party’s signature grand centerpiece (predecessors include tents with aerial performers and a massive Eiffel Tower) will be sure to impress.

This year, the organization has set a goal of raking in $150,000 to support library efforts including training teens in mixed-media programming, scheduling readings with nationally recognized authors (and providing transportation for youth to attend), and diversifying the young adult collections at various branches. Says Terranova: “We want to make sure that they see kids like themselves in the books that they read.”

The event comes at a particularly transformative time for the library, which recently saw the departures of longtime CEO Carla Hayden and director of communications Roswell Encina, who both moved on to serve at the Library of Congress last year.

In addition, with a multi-million dollar construction project slated to get underway at the Central Library later in 2017, the gala will be forced to move to a new venue in the coming years.

“It’s definitely bittersweet,” Terranova says. “But we’re going to work hard to find a [temporary] space that accommodates our guests.”

Remodeling plans for the 84-year-old Cathedral Street landmark include energy-efficient electric systems, a revamped auditorium and career center, additional computers with the latest sound and video editing software, and an entire study wing dedicated to young adults. Renovations are slated to be complete in 2020.

Though the library is in the midst of some major changes, Terranova says that organizers remain enthusiastic about the ever-popular party, which kicks off the Pratt Contemporaries’ 10th anniversary year.

“It’s really affirming to see how this little party has grown into such a place to be,” she says. “Our hope is that folks continue to engage with us year round to deepen their connections to the library.”

PRATT CONTEMPORARIES BLACK & WHITE PARTY
Jan. 30. Enoch Pratt Free Library, 400 Cathedral St. 8 p.m. $100. 410-396-5430. Don’t miss the party of all parties when the Pratt Contemporaries annual Black & White Party returns to the local library this month. This year, at the central Mt. Vernon location, guests will head out of the winter cold and into the warm forest of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Dress up in your finest fairy-queen garb, mingle with Chesapeake Shakespeare Company performers, and sip on beer from The Brewer’s Art. Like Puck’s love potion, this soirée will surely leave you enchanted by the end of the night.

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TEDXBALTIMORE
Jan. 14. Morgan State University. 2201 Argonne Dr. 8 a.m.-7 p.m. $60. 410-982-0799.
The annual TEDxBaltimore event will provide the perfect opportunity to clear out the cobwebs that may have gathered in your brain during the holidays. Modeled after the popular TED talks, the symposium will see 18 movers, shakers, and thinkers distill their messages into 18-minute multimedia presentations around this year’s theme of “Outliers.” In addition, speakers will address hot-button issues such as mental illness, the future of higher education, prison reform, reproductive rights, and African-American-led social justice movements. In between the talks, there will be time for refreshments and networking. We’re sure attendees will have no shortage of conversation material. —AM

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AS YOU LIKE IT
Jan. 15-Feb. 14. Towson University, Mainstage Theatre, 1 Fine Arts Dr., Towson. Times vary. $10-69. 410-332-0033. On the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, Center Stage kicks off the new year with a classic Bard comedy. Traditionally performed by an all-male cast, this new production lends the spotlight to the ladies with an all-female troupe. While its Mt. Vernon digs undergo renovations, the theater company sets up shop at Towson University to perform this entangled tale about love, politics, and gender roles.

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LOWER DENS
Jan. 15-16. Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. 9 p.m. $13. 410-662-0069. It’s been a big year for Lower Dens. The local indie-pop quartet dropped a heavily heralded album, Escape From Evil, embarked on a European tour, and made national news with frontwoman Jana Hunter discussing topics like politics, race, and gender with big-name outlets like CNN, BBC, Pitchfork, and Cosmopolitan. As the band embarks on a new North American tour, hear its ambient, ’80s-tinged rock for two nights in Remington this month, with fellow locals like Abdu Ali, Microkingdom, and Chiffon.

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DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. PARADE
Jan. 18. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Eutaw St. 12 p.m. Free. 410-752-8632. It was more than 50 years ago that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. took the national stage to champion racial equality, nonviolence, freedom, and peace. Today, his words are more relevant than ever, and in light of recent social unrest and urgent calls for justice around the country, there’s no better time to honor his important civil rights legacy at this 15th annual parade featuring dance squads, school bands, handmade floats, and community organizations.

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UNDER THE SKIN
Jan. 20-Feb. 21. Everyman Theatre, 315 W. Fayette St. Times vary. $10-60. 410-752-2208. After a sold-out world premiere in Philadelphia, this new play makes its way to Everyman to join the local theater’s already-stellar season. The funny, moving, yet somewhat dark work by Michael Hollinger (also of award-winning drama Opus and spy spoof Red Herring) examines family dynamics, complicated relationships, and unexpected love. Follow a sick father, his estranged daughter, and a kidney-donating stranger in this tangled love story that explores what it means to give part of yourself to someone else.

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GARTH BROOKS
Jan. 22-23 & 29-30. Royal Farms Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St. Times vary. Sold out. 410-347-2020. Since 1989, Garth Brooks has won multiple Grammys, dozens of CMAs, and sold more than 100 million records, making him the best-selling solo artist of all time (outdoing even Mr. Presley himself). The Oklahoman country legend cemented himself in music history with top 10 hits like “The Dance,” “The Thunder Rolls,” and the ultimate drunken bar song, “Friends in Low Places.” This month, he comes to the RoFo Arena for five sold-out performances with his wife of 10 years and a superstar in her own right, the one-and-only Trisha Yearwood.

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THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
Jan. 27-Feb. 7. Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 N. Eutaw St. Times vary. $27.25-147. 41å0-837-7400. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s dark romantic masterpiece has been a Broadway bastion for nearly 30 years, with its timeless story, iconic half-mask, and organ-riddled theme song haunting us long after the curtain falls. Now helmed by musical producer Cameron Mackintosh (also of Cats, Les Misérables, and Mary Poppins fame), the smash-hit show comes to Baltimore bigger and better than ever, with an all-new production featuring fresh sets, choreography, costumes, special effects, and a 52-member cast and orchestra.

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FETTY WAP
Jan. 28. Towson University, SECU Arena, 8000 York Rd., Towson. 8 p.m. $20-30. 855-888-4437. This young rapper skyrocketed to stardom last year after his breakout hit “Trap Queen” met the masses and went viral. Within no time, the debut single became the hands-down song of summer 2015, racing up the Billboard Hot 100, racking up 300 million views on YouTube alone, and inspiring every mom to awkwardly ask her kids, “What’s a trap queen?” It solidified itself in pop and sports culture, too, as a trivia answer on Jeopardy! and a post-game prank, when the Kansas City Royals confused reporters by repeatedly slipping its lyrics into interviews during their World Series run this past fall. That kind of fame might be hard to follow up, but with his wobbly verses, infectious beats, and subsequent singles featuring the likes of meme-dream Drake, it’s safe to say the 2015 VMA Artist to Watch will have our attention for some time to come.