3/11-10/25. MATISSE AT THE BMA
Exhibitions. One of the major draws at the Baltimore Museum of Art has long been its Cone Collection’s coveted artworks by Henri Matisse. This month, a curated selection of works, drawing from both the museum’s vast collection and other collections around the world, comes together for three new exhibitions.

Starting on March 11, Fratino and Matisse: To See This Light Again displays the works of the French painter alongside Annapolis’ own Louis Fratino, who considers Matisse a key inspiration. Then on March 29, Matisse and Martinique: Portraits and Poetry displays a rare series of book illustrations, as well as Matisse in Vence: The Stations of the Cross, co-organized with the Musée Matisse in Nice, France, and featuring never-before-exhibited sketches and photographs related to one of the artist’s large-scale murals. The collection contains approximately 80 sketches and photographs amassed in preparation to design Matisse’s large-scale mural depicting Christ’s journey to Cavalry, some of which have never before been exhibited.

This stellar triad of shows captures the lasting influence of this turn-of-the-last-century artist, who happened to be close friends with Baltimore arts patrons like the Cone sisters and Getrude Stein.

3/1. TRANSMISSION
Music. Ann Everton was a brilliant musician, visual artist, and filmmaker from Baltimore, best known for her and her husband’s Darsombra band. After her death last year, celebrate the life, legacy, and contagious spirit of this local creative with live performances by top acts like War On Women, Celebratiom, and Marian McLaughlin. The Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. 2 p.m. $30-50.

3/4, 6 & 8. LUCREZIA BORGIA
Theater. Gaetano Donizetti’s captivating opera follows the fiery Lucrezia in Renaissance Italy, whose long-lost son gets caught between her enemies, inciting a tempest of heartbreak. Engineers Club, 11 W Mt. Vernon Pl. Wed. & Fri. 7:30 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m. $15-83.35.

3/5. DOWN RIVER: POETS REMEMBERING BALTIMORE’S SLAVE TRADE
Performance. As part of the Association of Writers and Writers Program (AWP) conference, contemporary poets like Abdu Mongo Ali and scholars like Lawrence Brown share readings and history that honor the thousands impacted by the region’s slave trade. Enoch Pratt Free Library, 400 Cathedral St. 5:30 p.m. Free. 

3/5-8. BSA EXPRESSIONS
Exhibitions. Under this year’s theme of “wonder and awe,” Baltimore School for the Arts students across multiple disciplines showcase their work to benefit their intuition’s programming. Baltimore School for the Arts, 712 Cathedral St. Times vary. $83.47-164.59. 

3/5-15. NO MEAN CITY: BALTIMORE 1966
Theater. Legendary local columnist Dan Rodricks presents the final act of his theatrical trilogy about Baltimore. Set in 1966, this original play tackles the tangled politics and championship Orioles fandom that swept the city during a tumultous moment in history. The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. Wed.-Sun. Times vary. $35.

3/6-7. CYRUS CHESTNUT
Music. For one evening, this Baltimore-born pianist brings his Affirmation band to Harbor East for a night of legendary gospel- and bop-infused jazz. Keystone Korner Baltimore, 1350 Lancaster St. 6 & 8:30 p.m. $35-45.

3/7. BELIEVABLE FICTIONS: A POETRY & PROSE READING AFTERNOON
Performance. In homage to the Fantastic Realities exhibition, writers from near and far explore the surreal and share readings of works inspired by the adage that “truth is stranger than fiction.” American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. 1 p.m. Free-$20. 

TO 3/15. TRINITY
Theater. Emmy Award–winning writer and producer Lena Waithe presents her playwriting debut about three women acting the fantasies they are too afraid to live out in reality, with their role-play transforming into an existential adventure of emotion and connection. Baltimore Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St. Times vary. $10-60. 

3/10. JUNG YUN
Lectures & Classes. This acclaimed Baltimore author discusses her new novel, “All The World Can Hold,” following three distinct passengers who set sail on a cruise ship shortly after 9/11 and the drama that unfolds on international waters, causing characters to face their own regrets. Enoch Pratt Free Library, 400 Cathedral St. 7 p.m. Free.

3/12-29. REALLY QUITE A LOT OF MECHANISMS
Theater. In a world of chaos, this darkly comedic puppet show finds solace in the unwavering dependability of the world’s mechanisms—think pulley, lever, wheel—with characters finding comfort in these unchanging contraptions. Theatre Project, 35 W. Preston St. Thurs.-Fri. 7:30 p.m., Sat. 3 & 7:30 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m. $15-25. 

TO 3/13. 405 DAILY
Exhibitions. Curated by Joyce Liang, Area 405’s debut tenant showcase features 17 former and current artists who worked in the building and Station North Tool Library, documenting the day-to-day lives of these creatives like a newspaper, highlighting how headlines shape public perception. Area 405, 405 E Oliver St. Thurs.-Sat. 1-4 p.m. Free.

3/14. TRACING MARYLAND’S CULINARY HISTORY
Lectures & Classes. It’s no secret that Maryland has a catalog of regional recipes. But how did Old Bay, crab cakes, and oysters become the stars of menus and kitchens across the state? During this lunch-time lecture, award-winning culinary historian Michael Twitty connects local favorites to global flavors. Maryland Center for History & Culture, 610 Park Ave. 11 a.m. $30.

3/14-5/9. BALTIMORE WATERCOLOR SOCIETY’S MEMBERS’ EXHIBIT
Exhibitions. At the Manor Mill Gallery, works by Baltimore Watercolor Society artists will be on display, depict local flora and familiar imagery that speak to the North Baltimore area. Manor Mill Gallery, 2029 Monkton Rd., Monkton. Wed.-Sun. 12-6 p.m. Free.

3/15. ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE
Festivals. Every spring, thousands flood the streets in green as this festive procession marches from the Washington Monument to the Inner Harbor. Start with the Shamrock 5K race, then stop to watch the mummers, Irish dancers, Irish wolfhounds, floats, and more. N. Charles St. 1 p.m. Free.  

3/21. SPRING FLING: QUEER DANCE
Dance. Members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community are invited to this fun, festive dance party, also equipped with arts and crafts, tarot reading, a drag show, and the crowning of a prom-style King and Queen. Mobtown Ballroom, 30 W. North Ave. 7 p.m. $10. 

3/22. BALTIMORE RECORD BAZAAR
Food & Drink. Every other month, spend your Sunday digging through vinyl bins, grooving to DJs, and tossing back a curated selection of local brews during this family-friendly festival. Peabody Heights Brewery, 401 E. 30th St. 12-6 p.m. Free.

3/22-4/19. VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE
Theater. In this Tony Award-winning comedy, the humdrum of life in rural Pennsylvania comes to a halt for middle-aged siblings Vanya and Sonia when their superstar sister Masha returns home with her scrumptious boyfriend Spike, reflecting the complexities of family dynamics. Everyman Theatre, 315 W. Fayette St. Times vary. $5-79.

3/24. DREAM BIG 2026
Exhibitions. This annual competition features Baltimore City and Baltimore County students from fifth to twelfth grade performing original poems, essays, music, as well as displaying videos and artwork, all centered on the theme of a better world, for the chance to win awards and cash prizes. Lyric Baltimore, 140 W. Mt. Royal Ave. 7 p.m. Free.

3/26. ORIOLES OPENING DAY
Sports. Our beloved birds return to the diamond in a match against the Minnesota Twins. Flock to Camden Yards to kick off the season and cheer on our home team. Oriole Park at Camden Yards, 333 W. Camden St. 3:05 p.m. $112+. 

3/28. SALUD! BEVERAGES FROM PAST TO PRESENT
Lectures & Classes. Clavel chef-owner Carlos Raba joins Antonio Soto of Mexico City’s Museo del Objeto del Objeto for a conversation about the Latin origin of ingredients and ancient beverages. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St. 3 p.m. Free.

3/28-9/30. KEY BRIDGE: BUILDING A BALTIMORE LANDMARK
Exhibitions. This new exhibit explores the construction, history, collapse, and impact of the former Francis Scott Key Bridge. On opening night, expect free entrance and community activities with Bienvenidos Al Museo. The Baltimore Museum of Industry, 1415 Key Hwy. Tues.-Sun. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Free-$15.

3/29. PERCIVAL EVERETT
Lectures & Classes. Learn about the creative process of this 2025 Pulitzer Prize-winning author, whose fiction—including the best-selling novel James—tackles race, identity, and the human experience. Goucher College, 1021 Dulaney Valley Rd., Towson. 2 p.m. Registration required. Free.

TO 8/23. RARE AIR: ENDANGERED BIRDS, BATS, BUTTERFLIES, & BEES
Exhibitions. Birds, bats, and bees, oh my! The Evergreen Museum pairs rare books and artworks from its collection with illustrations by contemporary artist Sarah Kaizar, whose detailed pen-and-ink drawings feature biologically accurate winged species, bringing awareness to the nation’s threatened and endangered animals. Evergreen Museum & Library, 4545 N. Charles St. Tues.-Sun. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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