Baltimore just got gifted with its own little (and in some ways massive) slice of the Venice Biennale.

Artist Mark Bradford, who represented the U.S. in the 2017 Venice Biennale, has deconstructed and reinstalled several of his pieces that were exhibited there to create a new iteration of the exhibition at the Baltimore Museum of Art. Mark Bradford: Tomorrow Is Another Day will be on view from September 23 through March 3, 2019.

On Saturday afternoon, as part of a four-hour Community Celebration at the BMA, Bradford will be in conversation with BMA director Christopher Bedford and senior curator Katy Siegel, who co-curated the exhibition here and in Venice. Guests can preview the show before its official opening on Sunday.

In his work and in talking about it, Bradford doesn’t shy away from confronting the complexities he’s experienced while navigating the world as a black man, a gay man, and a tall man (at 6-foot-8, he says he’s constantly aware of his physical body and how it relates to its environment and other people). Through large abstract mixed-media pieces, sculpture, and video, he processes his experiences within the framework of society and its various communities and cultures—especially those that have been marginalized. He often works with found materials, like dyed hair endpapers, that speak to these communities.

Some highlights in the show include the huge, gnarly sculpture Medusa—made from paint, paper, rope, and caulk and reminiscent of Medusa’s snake-like locks but in this case a commentary of sorts on empowered, self-righteous women; the large and solemn pieces made from repetitive rows of the aforementioned endpapers from a hair salon, which achieve a calm, meditative quality and have a tactile, water-like depth; the emotive trilogy of “Cosmic Paintings,” as the BMA describes them, that includes the show’s striking title piece; and his Spoiled Foot installation, which starts off the show and is constructed of canvas, lumber, cut-up road maps, used roofing material, and what Bradford calls merchant posters—signage collected from in-crisis communities that advertise things like “We Pay Cash for Homes,” 24-hour child care, and bed bugs extermination.

That piece hits on Bradford’s overarching theme of expulsion and how to navigate it. People can’t physically get to the center of the gallery where Spoiled Foot is installed because the piece stretches wall to wall and covers the ceiling, obstructing the space—a tangible representation of people who are, or feel they are, cast out of a particular community. Viewers move through that space much in that same way but in a literal, physical sense—ducking and dodging, conscious of the narrow space in which they have to walk through to get to the next gallery.

As Bradford puts it, “The center is not always available to everyone. . . . I wanted people to feel how it feels.”

This of course raises questions: Who owns the “center”? Who can occupy it?

“I became really fascinated by place,” he says.

Following that line of thought, context changes when a show is installed on the other side of the world.

“Bringing it to a city that’s predominately African American—it definitely changes it,” Bradford said on Thursday. “I think it reinvigorates some of the ideas.”

Roughly 380,000 people attended the 2017 Venice Biennale (the largest crowd at the event to date), but Bradford, as well as Bedford and others on the BMA staff, says he thinks the show looks even better here, and he’s excited that it will be interpreted—or misinterpreted—differently here because of its new geographic location.

He’ll present a slideshow during his talk on Saturday, which is something he’s never done. He says he’s doing it specifically because he’s interested in engaging with the Baltimore audience.

While in Baltimore, he’s spent time with the Greenmount West Community Center, a community art space for children and their families. He’s also spearheaded its Greenmount West Power Press program, which allows kids to learn how to screen print. Tote bags and other items are available to purchase at a popup shop at the BMA to help support GWCC.

As Bedford put it, Bradford has one foot firmly planted in the studio and another in the community. He’s known for his passionate care in creating inclusive, safe spaces for youth.

In Venice, he began a partnership with the nonprofit Rio Terà dei Pensieri called called Process Collettivo, which provided inmates the opportunity to create artisanal products to sell and ultimately help with their reintegration upon being released.

In L.A., where he is based, he cofounded Art + Practice, a contemporary art gallery open to the public that doubles as an educational space for youth to develop skills and gain access to housing and employment opportunities.

In some cases, trying to bring people to a museum is backwards, he says. “I think we have to go there. How about us going there and feeling a little bit uncomfortable.”

When speaking about his time at GWCC, he says, “That’s where the hope comes in. You give the kids a safe space and allow them to be them. The world’s gonna be fine,” he adds, not sarcastically. “We just have to do more and more and more of this.”

He goes on to tell the story about his debilitating childhood fear of the dark. He’d look out his window at night at the moon and tell himself a story: that God poked a hole through the sky, and that’s the little window of light shining through, reminding us that the light is still there—that tomorrow is another day.

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.

When curators revitalized a Walters Art Museum wing, unveiled in June as 1 West Mount Vernon Place, they were intentional about making a space that merges past with present—a contemporary palette on the walls of a historic mansion, a digitized collection of illuminated manuscripts on tablets in the decadent library, and ancient art displayed alongside pieces made specifically for the museum’s opening.

Featuring work by Philadelphia-based ceramic artist Roberto Lugo was a no-brainer. His vases (some several feet tall), dinnerware, and sculptures are exhibited throughout the building, depicting such cultural figures as Frederick Douglass, Freddie Gray, Colin Kaepernick, John Brown, and, most site-specific of them all, Sybby Grant, a slave who once worked in the kitchen at 1 West, under its original owners, the Thomas family.

“Here was someone making powerful work that spoke to the past and present at the same time,” says Alexander Jarman, who co-curated the work in 1 West with Eleanor Hughes.

Lugo borrows motifs and techniques from ancient Greece and Rome, as well as 17th-century French pottery—and really anything that strikes his fancy—but viewers don’t have to have a knowledge of art history to appreciate the beauty of his pieces. He sees that familiarity as a way into his work. “People will get a sense of seeing it before,” he says, adding that some—certainly art scholars—understand the context but often don’t relate to the cultural experiences in the work, and for others, the opposite is true.

Lugo grew up in a dangerous area of Philadelphia and first expressed himself artistically through graffiti. He had 57 first cousins, and all the males did graffiti, he says, so it was a way for him to connect with his family.

Wanting to escape a destructive life of drugs and gangs, he went to Orlando, Florida, when he was 20 to start anew—try to hold down a job for more than a few months, take some community college classes, stay out of trouble. He enrolled in art classes rather than something like English literature because he didn’t want to expose that he was poor and from the ghetto, he says.He took to ceramics quickly.

“The ceramics studio was always poppin’—music playing, people working,” he says. “I actually met my wife there.”

One of the first pieces he made was a fire hydrant, which hearkened back to his days growing up, when he and his father would shower in the water from a hydrant outside when their water got shut off.

He went on to earn a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and an MFA from Penn State University, and has since exhibited his work and given lectures throughout the country.

Lugo’s introduction to Baltimore came when he worked as an artist in residence at Baltimore Clayworks, where he taught art throughout the city at places like Jubilee Arts Center. He saw numerous connections between Baltimore and Philadelphia, he says, especially during the Freddie Gray protests.

A three-year timeline for the 1 West project allowed Lugo the luxury of talking with curators, seeing the space, and doing independent research to create pieces that engage with the history of the mansion as well as Baltimore.

“There’s a transparency there,” Lugo says. “We’re not hiding the fact that there were servants in the house.”

On one of his jars is the likeness of Freddie Gray. “People assume it’s political, but really what this is about is a person worthy of having an urn in their name,” Lugo says. “When a human being’s life is taken, it becomes really difficult to disagree with that.”

On Thursday, August 9, Lugo will be back at 1 West with artist Ezenwa “Shane” Wosu for an interactive performance event that explores the question, “Who gets a seat at the table?” It will take place in the dining room at a table with place settings made by Lugo—one of several installations within 1 West, which is considered by its creators to be one massive art installation.

“This is an opportunity for local audiences to connect with, and start a conversation about, our own local history,” Jarman says.

Visual Art

First Fridays Free Curatorial Tour: Meleko Mokgosi: Acts of Resistance
As part of a free series at the Baltimore Museum of Art, curators give tours of exhibitions they curated and explain the shows in further detail, providing rich insight into the artists and their work. This month, senior curator of contemporary art and department head Kristen Hileman will lead a group through the much-talked-about show Meleko Mokgosi: Acts of Resistance. Mokgosi explores race and gender through intimate yet larger-than-life portraits and paintings of domestic environments. Curatorial tour from 2-3 p.m. Aug. 3; the show remains up through Nov. 11. Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Drive.

We Are Everywhere: Travels of the African Diaspora
Photographer Schaun Champion will show images from Baltimore and around the world that represent the African diaspora in her exhibit We Are Everywhere: Travels of the African Diaspora at Ida B’s Table, a beloved Southern soul food restaurant in downtown. The show is part of the monthly series Necessary Tomorrows, created by resident curator Sharayna Christmas to feature work that complements the visit and mission of the restaurant. Opening reception and artist talk, 5-8 p.m. Aug. 7. Ida B’s Table, 235 Holliday St.

Counterweight
Sera Boeno, Cevahir Özdoğan, and Noa Heyne examine concrete as a material and as a gender—its cultural and sociological implications and history—in the show Counterweight. Artist talks, a printmaking/archiving workshop with Lebanese archivist and artist Celia Shaheenon (Sept. 9), and an exhibition catalogue release on Sept. 21 will accompany the show. Aug. 10-Sept. 21, opening reception from 7-10 p.m. Aug. 10. The Menial Collection, 243 W. Read St.

Music

Summer in the Squares: Symphony Number One
Pull up a chair (or blanket) for the finale of this season’s Summer in the Squares. Symphony Number One will perform at Mount Vernon Place for the free series of shows that bring the work of emerging composers to the stage alongside beloved pieces by classical greats. During this show, the Baltimore-based chamber orchestra will feature the Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” alongside new works and pop favorites. 7-8:30 p.m. Aug. 29, Mount Vernon Place, 699 Washington Place

Baltimore International Surf Music Showcase
Four instrumental surf acts from around the world will take the Ottobar stage this month for a totally tubular night. Headlining the show will be Surfer Joe, based in Italy and often called the “international surf ambassador.” The legendary California surf band The Volcanics, and Les Agamemnoz (France) will also perform alongside local surf rockers the Flying Faders. 8 p.m. Aug. 15. Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St.

Art/Sound/Now: Suldano Abdiruhman and The Compositions
In collaboration with the High Zero Foundation, The Walters Art Museum will present its annual ART/SOUND/NOW, featuring artists creating soundscapes throughout the museum’s various gallery spaces. This year’s event highlights work by interdisciplinary artist Suldano Abdiruhman, a member of the artist collective BALTI GURLS and cofounder of 4c Gallery. 7-8:30 p.m. Aug. 23. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St.

Film

High Fidelity / Empire Records Double Feature
When a beloved music shop in Baltimore turns 25, a nostalgic screening of two cults classics is in order. The Sound Garden was born in 1993, and shortly thereafter, the films Empire Records and High Fidelity were released—in 1995 and 2000, respectively—both set amid the backdrop of record stores. And if watching these back-to-back on the big screen weren’t nostalgic enough, please note they’ll be screened on 35mm. 7-11 p.m. Aug. 30. The SNF Parkway Theatre, 5 W. North Ave.

Theater

Variations on Sacrifice
Rapid Lemon Productions will present its annual Variations Project this summer with Variations on Sacrifice. Eleven 10-minute plays by local authors will premiere during two weeks, followed by a third week (new this year) of staged readings of eight additional plays. Audiences of 2017’s Variations on Magic voted to select this year’s theme, Sacrifice. Plays, Aug. 3-12; staged readings, Aug. 16-19. Baltimore Theatre Project, 45 W. Preston St.

Literary Arts

‘Sentiments’ by Press Press: Baltimore Book Launch
What could be better than a summertime potluck? A summertime potluck hosted by Press Press, with readings to satiate your palate. The launch of “Sentiments: Expressions of Cultural Passage,” the latest publication by Press Press, will feature readings about creating sanctuary, by Bilphena Yahwon, Rami Karim, and others, beginning at 5 p.m., plus a reading of “Manifesto for Sanctuary-Building & Sanctuary-Keeping.” Bring along a snack or something to grill at this community potluck of Baltimore creatives. 3-7 p.m. Aug. 11. Press Press, 427 N. Eutaw St.

Miscellanea

Comedy, Music and Poetry Showcase with Heda Rose and Guests
A lineup of Baltimore talent will take the Motor House stage for an evening of poetry, standup comedy, and music, headlined by vocalist, songwriter, actress, model, activist, and film producer Heda Rose. The remaining lineup includes comedian Larry Lancaster, comedian Ebony “Miz Jaxxxn” Jackson, comedian Ray Diva, and poet Gradalove. Heda will perform a comedy set and music set with a live band. 8-11 p.m. Aug. 31. The Motor House, 120 W. North Ave.

Fluid Movement’s ‘The Water Ballet’
The Baltimore-based performance art group Fluid Movement channels the master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock for its latest production, “The Water Ballet” at Patterson Park. Take a deep dive into all that horrifies you. Day and night shows, Aug. 3-5. Patterson Park.

With an event as massive as Artscape, stretching across more than a dozen city blocks and playing host to hundreds of artists, deciding what to see can be overwhelming and FOMO can run high.

Between catching your favorite musical acts and snacking on local eats and drinks, be sure not to miss these visual art masterpieces:

Trash-Scape
Part civic duty and part performance art, Thick Air Studios will grace the streets of Artscape as the Department of Beauty Maintenance, collecting litter, educating festival-goers, and ultimately constructing a sculpture of recyclable material in the shape of a mandala, which will evolve as materials are collected. Where to find: The Charles Street Bridge North of Penn Station, and watch it grow.

Circulation Newspaper Box Upcycling Exhibit
Kristy Knowles and Sophie Carey worked with Baltimore youth at a School 33 summer camp to convert 25 old newspaper boxes into miniature sidewalk libraries and pantries. Post-festival, the boxes will be placed throughout the community. Where to find: Along the median of the 1200 block of Mount Royal Avenue

Drinking Water
Build your own poem though an interactive project hosted by Stevie Dissinger. Objects act as prompts to guide participants to create a work of literature. Where to find: The Charles Street Theater Parking Lot at 1704 N. Charles Street

Screen-Print Station
Baltimore Youth Arts will host a free public screen-printing station where visitors can experiment with the art by printing messages about youth advocacy and justice onto fabric and paper. Traditionally, the art has been used as a medium to get the word out and effect change. Attendees are welcome (and encouraged) to bring their own materials to print on. Where to find: By The Metro Gallery at 1700 N. Charles Street

Each year, an artist in the Baltimore area is recognized for his or her outstanding work by way of the Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize, which awards a $25,000 fellowship.

Those curious to learn more about the artists and see their work can catch a group exhibit at the Baltimore Museum of Art, which has been on view since June, showcasing a sampling of work by each finalist.

Mediums and styles cross the spectrum—photography, painting, fiber art, video installation, and sculpture—but one thing is certain: Work by this year’s group of Sondheim finalists addressed hard-hitting issues faced by America, such as racial and gender inequality, immigration, and slavery.

Past winners of the prestigious award have included artistic duo Wickerham and Lomax (2015) and musical instrument creator and innovator Neil Feather (2014).

A crowd gathered for the awards ceremony last night at the BMA coinciding with Artscape next weekend. Among the finalists this year were Erick Antonio Benitez, Nakeya Brown, Sutton Demlong, Nate Larson, Eunice Park, and Stephen Towns.

Erick Antonio Benitez, a Salvadorean-American artist, whose work focuses on the refugee and migrant experience, won the 2018 Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize.

“This work is very timely and important to me,” Benitez said at the ceremony. “I wanted to create something that would highlight true realities.”

The 30-year-old MICA grad said that he plans to spend the $25,000 prize to help fund more trips to the U.S.-Mexico border to collect more objects for future installations. The remaining artists received $2,500 each.

The Sondheim Artscape Prize exhibition of work by all seven finalists will remain on view at the BMA through August 5.

Can an artistic preoccupation with a subject matter be reduced to a troubling personal one?

Isn’t part of what distinguishes artists the way they transcend their personal preoccupations by making aesthetic order out of the inner disorder that is our common human lot?

How does one read their own subjectivity and how does that drive and motivate what one does?

How can representations of ourselves complicate how we see ourselves. Can one be over represented?

These and other questions will serve as prompts to generate community discussions at the latest Wickerham and Lomax exhibit, which opens tonight at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum.

Malcolm Lomax and Daniel Wickerham, aka 2015 Sondheim prize winners as artistic duo Wickerham and Lomax, are known for pushing the boundaries of art and conversation through their collaborative work. They met as students at MICA and began producing work together in 2009.

In their newest installation, Channel Heal: The Writer’s Room, they visually depict the messiness of creative work and the thought processes behind it in an installation inside the Refections gallery at the Lewis, the final show to be held in the space under its Reflections name and mission to bring contemporary art to the Lewis. It runs from July 12 through Aug. 1.

Wall-to-wall murals line the installation—printed material, hand-drawn images, white boards, and other elements are used to depict indoor and outdoor spaces that evoke a fluid and open atmosphere—the kind of magical place where creative work happens.

The show hinges upon two Channel Heal events, open to the public, to stimulate conversation around four topics: transcendence, physicality, ego, and mysticism.

The duo invited people in the Baltimore community for each discussion.

“Everyone serves as a panel host,” Wickerham says.

“People are like prompts,” adds Lomax, who is also a poet.

They’re interested in how art and the creative process relate to healing, as they’ve seen creatives navigating these four areas to improve their lives. Through the roundtable discussions, they want to externalize some of the thoughts and feelings that have resulted from conflict and trauma.

Wickerham & Lomax will serve as the show-runners, as the installation is part of a larger body of work that will live online and examines in a part-fictional, part-nonfictional way, TV.

The show opens tonight with a reception from 6-8 p.m.

Channel Heal work sessions, to generate dialogue will be on July 18 (exploring physicality and mysticality) and Aug. 1 (transcendence and egotism).

“The conversations we want to have here are conversations we have with friends all the time, out drinking or whatever,” Lomax says. “These are things that have fallen to the side that we have pulled back up.”

In TV-speak, he’s referring to all the drafts and ideas that have been on the back burner and maybe fell out of consciousness completely.

Some thoughts and questions generated from the dialogues will be thrown into a large net suspended from the ceiling; others will be placed into 8-foot-tall fabricated coffins, serving as burial grounds of sorts, a repository for ideas. The front of each coffin will be clear, however, so visitors can see inside and read the written ideas.

“What is normally hidden will remain in the physical space,” Wickerham says.

Wickerham and Lomax essentially lift props, characters, and other elements they’d created in a digital space and move them into a physical space. And then ultimately, elements created as a result of the show will move back into the digital realm onto a future website project titled Channel Heal. The stories that they help people to tell will eventually become interactive and extend beyond Baltimore. Some might even be scripted and turned into movies.

“When you do an installation, you’re like—what are you left with?” Wickerham says, standing in an empty Reflections gallery just weeks before their show went live.

“I love ideas, I like seeing ideas put into form, but installations are laborious. They’re labor intensive,” Lomax says, then adds, “With poetry, I just snatch it and put it down and I’m on my way.”

Through Channel Heal online, their hope is that the installation will live on and continue to evolve in new ways—in the Baltimore community and the creative community worldwide—as it continues to ask what it means to be an artist, and what it means to be whole.

Visual Art

Young Blood
Art has the power to reflect the culture in which it was made, often expressing ideas that cannot be articulated as effectively through words alone. In the case of the exhibit Young Blood at Maryland Art Place, we see—through painting, sculpture, installation, photography, and animation—what inspires and stimulates the minds of our local creative youth culture. Each year, MAP celebrates recent Baltimore-area masters of fine art grads with an exhibit of their work.

This year’s Young Blood showcases pieces by graduates of Maryland Institute College of Art; University of Maryland, College Park; University of Maryland, Baltimore County; and Towson University, including Caroline Hatfield, Mollye Bendell, Mitchell Noah, Madeline Stratton, Ryan Lytle, and Sara Kaltwasser. Through Aug. 25, with an opening reception from 6-9 p.m. July 11 and an artist talk at 1 p.m. Aug. 18 at MAP, 218 W. Saratoga St.

Sondheim Artscape Prize exhibition
From sculpture to photography to painting, fiber art, and video installation, work by this year’s Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize finalists is visually spellbinding, and the artists don’t shy away from exploring such issues as spirituality, race, gender, and immigration. Baltimore-area visual artist finalists Erick Antonio Benitez, Nakeya Brown, Sutton Demlong, Nate Larson, Eunice Park, and Stephen Towns are each exhibiting selected works at the Baltimore Museum of Art through August 5. The winner will be announced during a ceremony at 7 p.m. July 14 and awarded a $25,000 fellowship. Exhibit runs through Aug. 5, awards ceremony at 7 p.m. July 14 at the BMA, 10 Art Museum Drive.

Summer ’18
The current show at C. Grimaldis Gallery in Mount Vernon revisits the exhibitions shown over the past year while giving a little preview of what’s to come. This survey exhibition features pieces by British sculptor Anthony Caro, abstract expressionist Grace Hartigan, and Korean light artist Chul Hyun Ahn. It also debuts work by 2018 Guggenheim Fellow Rania Matar, Colin Van Winkle, and 2017 Rome Prize recipient Beverly McIver. Through Aug. 18 at C. Grimaldis Gallery, 523 N. Charles St.

Intimate Women
Intimate Women, currently on view at Full Circle Gallery, explores the relationship between women’s minds and bodies through photography-based collage and sculpture by women artists. Their inner worlds are revealed through stories of culture, gender roles, and sexuality. As curator JiaJia Chen puts it in a statement about the show, “Every work in the exhibition is an adjective, presenting personal but universal subject matter from different perspectives.” Artists include Asha Holmes, Jianan Liu, Layla Choi, Michelle Cuevas, and Rachel Hartman. Through Aug. 4 at Full Circle Gallery, 33 E. 21st St.

Music

Jack Novotny Sextet
The Jack Novotny Sextet will bring their original music, composed in the spirit of the great jazz masters, to An die Musik. They’ve studied the nuances, style, and flavor of works by icons such as John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Wayne Shorter, Charles Mingus, and Ornette Coleman, and expand upon and integrate those ideas into their own pieces, rather than duplicate the originals or even replicate improvs.

“Performing new material that has never been heard is exhilarating for our group,” says Jack Novotny, saxist in the group. The sextet also includes bassist Juini Booth, pianist Benito Gonzalez, trumpeter Marlon Jordan, tenor saxophonist Edwin Bayard, and Baltimore drummer Nasar Abadey as a guest, filling in for regular drummer Mark Lomax II. Novotny will play tenor/soprano saxophone and flute. 8:30 and 10 p.m. July 12 at An die Musik, 409 N. Charles St,.

Literary Arts

John Lingan
Rockville-based John Lingan, who has written for the Oxford American, New York Times Magazine, and others, brings us his debut book, Homeplace: A Southern Town, a Country Legend, and the Last Days of a Mountaintop Honky-Tonk. Lignan spent four years researching the early-American town of Winchester, VA, in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He first went there to seek out Jim McCoy, a honky-tonk owner and the DJ who first gave Patsy Cline airtime. What he uncovered though was a story about a town facing an identity crisis. He’ll launch his book tour this month with a reading and signing at Bird in Hand. 7 p.m. July 17 at Bird in Hand, 11 E. 33rd St.

Miscellanea

Cirque du Soleil Crystal
Cirque du Soleil’s show Crystal explores the artistic limits of ice through jaw-dropping acrobatics on the ice and in the air—synchronized skating and adrenaline-pounding extreme skating will be performed alongside traditional circus arts like trapeze. This dreamlike world is brought to life with visual projections and an original score. July 5-8 at Royal Farms Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St.

Artscape
Our beloved Artscape returns this month, taking over 16 blocks of Baltimore and boasting three outdoor stages, 11 indoor venues, over 200 concerts, an artist market with more than 150 vendors and craftspeople, plus large-scale projects showcasing visual and performing arts, visual art exhibitions, film, street theater, and youth-focused entertainment. Performances include theater, dance, comedy, and more. And all of the above is free. It’s a great way to celebrate the city and all the arts in one fell swoop. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. July 20 and 21, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. July 22 at Mount Royal Avenue & Cathedral Street, Charles Street, Bolton Hill, and Station North Arts & Entertainment District neighborhoods.

Ratscape
After a two-year hiatus, the wonderfully bizarre Ratscape will return this year in conjunction with Artscape. A lineup of more than 40 local bands spanning rock, rap, punk, experimental, hardcore, and more will perform free shows at the Ynot Lot, an outdoors venue in Station North, throughout the weekend: JPEGMAFIA, Jeff Carey, and Bound by the Grave on Friday; Butch Dawson, Joe Bidan, and Homosuperior on Saturday; Wume, Sneaks, and HexGirlfriends Sunday. The grassroots festival is produced by Baltimore Music Preservation, aka Joshua Christy Schuelpner, Mike Franklin, and Caroline Devereaux. 2 to 10 p.m. July 20-22 at the Ynot Lot,1904 N. Charles St.

While most of the 21 sculptures that will line the Inner Harbor for the Light City Art Walk this weekend are flashy, multicolored installations, Baltimore’s Post Typography team chose to be more minimalistic in their approach—so much so, that passersby might not even notice the piece if they’re not paying attention.

Spearheaded by Post Typography cofounder Bruce Willen, artists at the Baltimore-based design agency veered slightly from their traditional medium of graphic design to create a light installation for the event, something the team had wanted to do since the festival started in Baltimore three years ago.

Two hundred light bulbs will be completely submerged in the harbor at various depths for their piece, “Some Thing in the Water,” which measures roughly 33,000 square feet.

“Once the lights are four to five feet down, you don’t even see them anymore,” Willen points out, also noting that the water quality varies from day to day, which will alter the piece along with it.

They used the murky water to their advantage.

Diffused blue lights, strung together with about six miles of wire, will glow from beneath the surface, giving the work an organic feel, as if it were a mysterious underwater creature—perhaps a giant luminescent jellyfish, Willen suggests, that appears to be breathing. The lights are programmed to blink, dim, and brighten so that at times they appear more energetic and frenzied, and at times there are quieter, more contemplative periods, like a symphony’s movements.

On that note, the piece will be set to an ambient soundtrack, created by Willen, who is also one half of the instrumental duo Peals.

Post Typography collaborated with PI.KL Studio architects for the project, and Figure 53 provided technical assistance, both of which are based in Baltimore.

Find “Some Thing in the Water,” stop No. 35 on the tour map, near the Pier 5 Hotel Baltimore, across from the National Aquarium. Listen to an audio tour of their piece by dialing 410-934-7821 and entering art installation code 14.

“A lot of the other pieces are more about the lights themselves,” Willen says. “We wanted to activate a space in the harbor—to actually activate the water itself as a medium. We wanted to take the harbor—the reason Baltimore exists—and use that as the canvas for the viewers’ imaginations.”

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.

Last August, visual artist Stephen Towns traveled to his home state of South Carolina and joined millions of Americans when he stood in the path of totality and witnessed a total solar eclipse.

“It is something that is indescribable,” he tells a crowd gathered to see his exhibit at the Baltimore Museum of Art. “You know there is something bigger than you.”

The same celestial forces played prominently in the story of Nat Turner, who led a rebellion of slaves and free black people in 1831, a story that the Baltimore-based Towns had been studying and using as the impetus for his latest body of work, a series of quilts that explore how slavery has impacted modern life. After seeing a solar eclipse in his time, Turner, a minister and deeply spiritual man, believed it was a sign from God to move forward with his revolt against slave owners, which he did, though it would ultimately bring him to his death when he was convicted.

“And about this time I had a vision—and I saw white spirits and black spirits engaged in battle, and the sun was darkened,” he writes in the book The Confessions of Nat Turner. 

The glowing moon and beaming sun against shimmering, starry skies play prominently throughout Towns’ pieces, which are are on exhibit in the solo show Rumination and a Reckoning at the BMA from March 7 through Sept. 2. The work is in the textile gallery space of the American wing of the museum and marks Towns’ first museum show.

Towns and internationally renowned artist Mark Bradford will be in conversation with BMA director Christopher Bedford on March 7 to discuss their work and chosen mediums. The event is free to the public and begins at 7 p.m.

Towns is trained as a painter but moved to fiber arts in 2014 when he made the large-scale quilt “Birth of Nation,” a Madonna and Child of sorts, depicting a black woman wet-nursing a white baby, set against the historical 13-star American flag.

“I tried through painting, I tried through drawing, but it wasn’t working,” he says about starting the. When he turned to fiber arts to convey Turner’s story, “something about the materiality of the fabric” lent itself to the work. The self-taught seamstress says he learned a lot watching YouTube tutorials—which is fascinating, given the meticulous detail of the pieces that combine metallic thread, glass beads, buttons, tulle, and, in some cases, acrylic paint.

The quilts aren’t particularly large, averaging about 30 to 35 inches. Towns says that’s partly because he’s a creature of habit—and this size is similar to the canvases he once painted. He also says, “They’re like windows into that past time period.”

He brought to quilting his knowledge of, and interest in, sacred art, portraiture, and 19th-century photography.

In addition to his “Birth of a Nation” piece, seven smaller story quilts tell Turner’s story—from a child learning to read, through his work as a minister, and finally to his hanging as a martyr for enslaved people. Turner as prophet is depicted with a yellow, beaming sun around his head in some pieces, reminiscent of Towns’ older series of paintings, inspired by medieval altarpieces, that showed modern-day men and women with metallic golden halos. Two quilted portraits of Nat and Cherry Turner, believed to be his wife, complete the show.

Aside from those two portraits, the figures in Towns’ series are intentionally faceless, appearing as black cutouts, silhouettes. He wants them to be representative of all of us, he says.

He also chose to not show blatantly violent images, in part because he’s heard from friends that they’re tired of seeing films about slavery that contain graphic depictions of the old South. Instead, Towns focused on the positive frames of the story, and much is told abstractly through symbolism. A red scarf-like ribbon, for example, runs through several pieces, representing the blood and sacrifice of slaves. The heavens, too, serve as a metaphor, “a place beyond that is always there,” as Towns put it, “that you don’t always have the wherewithal to get to.”

Visual Art

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

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

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

Music

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

Theater

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

Film

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

Kékszakállú

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

Literary Arts

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

The Baltimore Museum of Art’s Fox Court, a rather solemn room with its towering, stately columns and echoing acoustics, just got a little warmer under the soft, golden glow of Spencer Finch’s much-anticipated Moon Dust (Apollo 17). The installation—417 light bulbs suspended in air between floor and ceiling—went on view on Feb. 21 and will remain a fixture in the space until the fall of 2024.

Anne Mannix-Brown, senior director of communications and marketing at the BMA, says she noticed a lot of foot traffic throughout opening day, and notes that you can see the installation from the street through a large window.

The piece spans 45 feet and represents the molecular structure of the moon dust that was collected during NASA’s Apollo 17 space mission. Bulbs in four sizes are meticulously arranged into their molecular structure, much like the three-dimensional models of colored atoms we studied in school science classes as children but on a much grander scale.

In 2012, Finch, based in Brooklyn, New York, put on view a more-permanent large-scale piece in Baltimore: a curtain wall made of glass that stretches across Johns Hopkins Hospital building, with blue and green hues reminiscent of Claude Monet’s work.

Joanne Gold, who with her husband Andy Stern loaned Moon Dust to the BMA, says she fell in love with the piece and jokes that she’d install it in her home if she had the space. “It’s a masterpiece . . . it’s so exquisite,” she tells a crowd of museum donors during an opening-night reception. After seeing it exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 2009, she purchased it in memory of her mother.

That year also marked the 400th anniversary of the beginning of Galileo’s detailed observations of the moon through a strong telescope he’d made—not a coincidence, as this anniversary got Finch thinking about the moon as subject.

Finch says he has a “conceptual interest in representing the world,” which is evidenced in his pieces that examine the Great Salt Lake, bee flight patterns, the Milky Way, pollen, and clouds.

He admits that it’s, as he puts it, “terrifying to put up a piece that’s so permanent”—especially when you don’t know exactly what it will look like until it’s completely installed and lit. But he likes its new home. “It’s very exciting to see it today . . . I feel like it works in this space,” he tells the audience that has gathered under its light. “You can feel like you’re sort of in this galaxy.”

As the artist points out, the piece is at once a microcosmic and macrocosmic abstract depiction of the cosmos, as it suggests the molecular structure of moon dust as viewed under a microscope but also fills the space overhead much like a vast, starry sky. He hopes it engages a sense of wonder, regardless of how it’s perceived.

When asked why his work is often specific to time and place, Finch says, “I find in that deep observation an opportunity for poetry,” and acknowledges 19th-century scientists alongside Emily Dickinson as inspirations. “Emily Dickinson looks at the natural world with an incredible intensity,” he says, “opening it up to something poetic and beautiful.”

With the theme “More Lights, More Love,” Light City Baltimore will expand from two to three weekends this year. The art and music festival presented by the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts (BOPA) is held primarily on Baltimore’s waterfront and highlights social innovation by way of the arts—large-scale art installations that light up the evenings, alongside live music and pop-up performances.

“This is a unique festival in the sense that the art is supposed to elucidate and illuminate social issues,” says Verna Myers, representing the Light City leadership council at a press conference today. “Art is awesome because it helps us to see things differently.”

The three-part event kicks off with Neighborhood Lights from April 6-8, continues with the Light City art and music festival from April 14-21, and concludes with Labs@LightCity from April 18-21.

Perhaps the most obvious signal that the event is in full swing will be the BGE Light Art Walk along the Inner Harbor’s promenade, showcasing 21 light-based installations made by artists from across the world. Tom Dekyvere’s glowing Elantica will be an off-the-grid sculpture replica of Earth, made from solar panels and electronic waste. Another piece will explore human relationships by way of interactive light and sound. Another will serve to illustrate—through a moving, patterned surface on the ground—that color is made up in our minds.

Beyond the Inner Harbor, Neighborhood Lights showcases various cultural pockets in the city during its own weekend this year. The collaborative artist-in-residence program has grown from five communities in its first year to eight in its second and now 14: Belair-Edison, Bromo Tower Arts and Entertainment District, Darley Park, Federal Hill, Baybrook (Brooklyn and Curtis Bay), Remington, Hamilton-Lauraville, Highlandtown, Hollins Roundhouse/Southwest Baltimore, Little Italy, Locust Point, Patterson Park, Pigtown, and Waverly. Artists are paired with community organizers to create site-specific work that reflects the personality of Baltimore’s neighborhoods.

New this year, self-guided audio tours of the BGE Light Art Walk and Neighborhood Lights installations will be available through a quick phone call.

Also new, the Labs@LightCity conference at IMET Columbus Center will be pay-what-you-can. The “labs”—HealthLab, GreenLab, EduLab, SocialLab, ArtLab, MakerLab, and FoodLab—put local voices alongside nationally known ones to discuss ideas and innovations that will take our world forward into the future. These guided conversations will explore focused themes, such as the role of education in society, greening our cities, and how art can create change. Speakers include Art Smith, DeRay Mckesson, Aaron Maybin, Sonja Sohn, Shanti Das, and many more.

Music performances at the Inner Harbor Amphitheater and Kaufman Pavilion by Rash Field, as well as pop-up performances—illuminated hula hooping, stilt-walking, caroling, dance, and puppets—will round out the event. Acts will include DJ Grandmaster Flash, G. Love and Special Sauce, Trillnatured, and Outcalls.

Also not to be missed: A drone race will bring drone league racers from across the U.S. to compete in a light installation that doubles as an obstacle course.

At a ceremony this morning, a portrait of Michelle Obama by Baltimore artist Amy Sherald was unveiled at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. She was joined onstage with Michelle Obama and former President Barack Obama, as well as New York artist Kehinde Wiley, who was commissioned to paint the official portrait of Barack Obama.

After winning the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition at the National Portrait Gallery in 2016, Sherald was selected by the gallery to paint its official portrait of Michelle Obama. The piece—which shows a seated Michelle in a long, flowing dress, in Sherald’s trademark style—will remain on display at the gallery through early November.Wiley’s portrait depicts Barack Obama seated amid a flurry of greenery, with vibrant flowers poking through.

In this New York Times article, Holland Cotter says that this unveiling is historically significant, as its the first in a long series of presidential portraiture that depicts two African Americans, and both artists are African American as well. “Ms. Sherald’s image of Mrs. Obama overemphasizes an element of couturial spectacle,” he writes, “but also projects a rock-solid cool.”

Tawanda T. Epps, a fan on Facebook, notes that the skirt in the portrait reflects the patterns of the Gee’s Bend Quilt-makers. On Twitter, Ava DuVernay says the portraits remind her to hope:

Sherald formerly held studio space at the Creative Alliance in Baltimore and now works out of Motor House, a hub for artists and arts groups in Station North. She was also recently selected by High Museum of Art as its 2018 David C. Driskell Prize winner, which recognizes contributions to African-American art.

While incarcerated for six years on drug charges, Jesse Krimes made art—through very limited means—to transcend his environment and ultimately find a sort of freedom. The first pieces the Philadelphia artist constructed behind bars were newspaper mugshots of offenders transferred onto prison-issued bars of soap. He made them during the full year he spent in solitary confinement, awaiting trial, and called the series Purgatory.

Once sentenced and moved to a prison in North Carolina, he smuggled bedsheets into his cell and transferred images from The New York Times onto them with hair gel and a spoon, often using the same mugshot imagery but substituting criminals’ faces with those of politicians and other social icons, with the mindset that “we’re all offenders,” as he puts it. He mailed home each completed sheet (quite an undertaking, as he was not supposed to have them and had to disguise the parcels), with the intention to combine them all into one massive mural upon his release in 2013—which he did.

The resulting piece spans 15 by 40 feet, with three long horizontal rows of sheets pinned together. He calls it Apokaluptein:16389067 and has shown a scaled-down replica of it in a handful of galleries since his release. It’s currently at Julio Fine Arts Gallery at Loyola University Maryland through February 28. Though he includes other work in the Baltimore show, the title piece is perhaps his most impressive, spanning the length of one wall of the gallery and busier and more colorful than the other work.

Though the aesthetics, execution, and details are worth hours of viewing pleasure in and of themselves—Krimes earned a BA in studio art from Millersville University just prior to his arrest—the images are also layered heavy with meaning, worthy of many more hours of viewing and thought. Krimes doesn’t shy away from symbolism and the use of popular culture, political icons, and the historical events that took place while he was behind bars to shed light on the issues at play in modern times and his perspective on them. He considers himself a conceptual artist, first and foremost, and notes that he pays close attention to the materials he uses and the language that’s invested in them.

As much as Apokaluptein:16389067 appears to be a statement on American culture, it can also be interpreted as the image of a human’s internal workings—a mental or spiritual landscape. It could also be read as a modern retelling of Hieronymus Bosch’s famous “Garden of Earthly Delights” triptych. But rather than showing a sequence of time in linear fashion, as Bosch did, Krimes’ narrative arc appears to be a vertical path—either dropping down into consumerism and false projection of self or rising toward a pure reflection of the self as seen in its natural state. The images are much lighter on the top row, almost as if this row above is an angelic realm whose small, flying women, affixed with rectangular mugshot heads, are colored a sharp white. Below them, in the middle layer, similar female figures drawn by Krimes are colored a fleshy peach, and in the bottom panel, they are faceless line drawings.

In its totality, Apokaluptein:16389067 (its title is the Greek origin of the word apocalypse, followed by Krimes’ Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate identification number) contains nearly every historical event from 2010 through 2013, when it was made. Reading the Times “was the only way to experience the world,” Krimes says. “I think what really saved me was the [art]work and reading.”

Along with the Times, he was reading The Kingdom and the Glory by Giorgio Agamben and Michel Foucault’s Discipline and Punish, the latter of which worked its way into his pieces in a very literal sense. He hand-transferred digital prints of pages of text from Foucault’s book—marked up with his annotations made while incarcerated—onto prison bedsheets dyed with coffee, giving them an old book quality.

Nearly all the pieces include his trademark treatment of mugshots: rectangular cutouts of politician and celebrity headshots (there are quite a few of Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton, who were in the news a lot at the time) layered onto other bodies. Krimes uses this specific treatment to convey a message. Instead of the government showcasing its power through public beheadings, they now put mugshots in newspapers, he points out. A head against a solid backdrop gives no context, while the text surrounding that image describes a person during one specific moment in time and often says little about who they really are—or who they were or who they’ll become.

Since his release, he’s worked, primarily through art, to bring awareness about mass incarceration and the injustices faced by prisoners. It should be noted here that Krimes saw firsthand how charges can be manipulated. He was caught with 140 grams of cocaine, but the drug weight—and therefore his charge—was increased to 50 kilos when he wouldn’t “cooperate,” he says, and rat out others involved. The weight increase was based on hearsay. He was sent to a maximum security prison, where the nonviolent offender shared space with serial killers.

“Everyone has been touched by this [mass incarceration] in some way . . . but people don’t talk about it,” he says.

He’s exhibited his work and given talks at multiple galleries while continuing to make more pieces and experiment with different mediums (his work is in the group show Prison Nation at Aperture Gallery in New York through March 7). He gave a TEDx Talk in 2015 in Philadelphia about prison. In 2017, he was named an Artist as Activist Fellow through the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation.

As part of his fellowship, he’s bringing art to rural places around Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to expose people who might not normally attend an exhibit. For an upcoming project, he’ll install art in a barn inside a corn maze. And that art will in turn become a catalyst for talking about our federal prison system, which is, as he sees it, a microcosm of American society.

“Incarceration is more common than you’d think, but I go into communities that have no clue about it. . . . You think slavery’s over? It’s not.” Instead of picking cotton, he says, inmates are paid ridiculously low wages to make desks and chairs and bed sheets.

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.

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

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

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

Performing Art

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

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

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

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

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

Events

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

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

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

News

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

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

In a high-ceilinged art gallery at Maryland Art Place in downtown Baltimore, among sculptures and mixed-media works, a crowd forms around a man who has a certain undeniable magnetism. Partly, he stands out because of what he is wearing—the collar is popped on his trench coat, which is open to reveal a baby-pink dress shirt and perfectly pressed slacks.

This preppy attire separates him from the artists and creative types surrounding him, who favor dark colors, army boots, even an ostentatious fur coat. It’s also the man’s demeanor. He holds himself slightly guardedly, as if he’s observing an exhibit in a zoo or some strange foreign ritual. But he does seem to be enjoying himself—an impish, boyish smile often crosses his lips as more people press forward to shake his hand, murmuring continually, “It’s so nice to meet you,” and, “What do you think of Baltimore so far?”

This night in October marks a little more than two months since this man, Christopher Bedford, has become the director of The Baltimore Museum of Art, and the 40-year-old rising star of the art world is just settling in as head of one of Baltimore’s most storied artistic institutions. His new position carries with it a prominence and significance that few others hold in this city, and Bedford seems aware that his mere presence brings a certain level of gravitas to any event he attends. Which could explain why, when he is handed a microphone at this “meet and greet” sponsored by the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance, he doesn’t hesitate to get right to the point.

“I’m asked a lot about why I came to Baltimore, why this job, and why now,” says Bedford, in the slightly posh tones that are a result of his British upbringing. “When I was going through the recruitment process, I asked the chair of the search committee, ‘What do you want to say to Baltimore through art?’ Usually, when I ask something like this, nothing follows in response. But in this case, the board chair said, ‘I want the BMA to be the most dynamic, socially engaged museum in the U.S.’ . . . There’s a real willingness on the part of the museum to pursue that course, and on the other hand, an incredible appetite among you all for change on that scale.”

Bedford appears to understand that getting this room of arts administrators, curators, and artists excited about his vision is key to his success here. So when he is asked about how he plans to get audiences more engaged, he jumps right in with vigor.

“One thing that we’re going to do—and this is really going out on a limb, and I hope no one’s recording this,” he says, with a smile, “we are going to consider and pursue a major satellite location for the BMA.” This kind of full-steam-ahead leadership is characteristic of Bedford, who undertook a similar mission at his prior job as director of The Rose Art Museum in Waltham, Massachusetts. There, he explains, “We couldn’t get the part of the city that we wanted to come to the museum. So, we just decided to relocate it. My feeling at the BMA is that we face a similar obstacle. Young people from every socioeconomic bracket, every race, should understand that the museum is free and open to the public. And I’m not sure we can expect them to know that unless we take it to them.”

“I’d rather make a mistake going a million miles an hour than do nothing.”

A hush settles over the room, and the attendees seem to be weighing this groundbreaking possibility. It’s as if everyone is thinking, “Is what he’s saying possible?”

Since that night, Bedford has doubled down on his ambitious agenda for the 103-year-old BMA, one he hopes will improve the museum’s accessibility and burnish its credentials nationally and internationally. Along with the satellite location (the Lexington Market area has been discussed), the institution plans to hold a series of conversations this fall between renowned artists and writers speaking about social justice-related topics in various locations around the city, and Bedford is aiming to renovate the museum’s second-floor special exhibition galleries. Plus, in a bit of serendipitous timing, the BMA is heading to the prestigious Venice Biennale this spring. While at the Rose museum in Waltham, Bedford was chosen to organize the United States’ pavilion at the world’s preeminent art show, but since he’s here now, the BMA staff has been helping to put together the work of Bedford’s long-time collaborator, California artist Mark Bradford.

It’s quite an enterprising list for someone who has been at his position for eight months—and has never headed up a collection as large as the BMA’s, which holds 95,000 works of art and has a budget of $13.5 million. (In contrast, The Rose Art Museum has a more than 8,000-object collection and a $1.8 million budget.) And Bedford’s pace can be hard to match.

“He certainly hit the ground running, and sometimes I come home quite exhausted from being with him, because he’s got a lot of ideas, a lot of energy,” says Clair Zamoiski Segal, who chairs the BMA’s board of trustees. “It’s a thrill, but I do think, ‘Oh my God, how am I ever going to keep up with someone this smart?’” She laughs. “But it’s been a great pleasure—our partnership has been very rewarding to me, and I really do treasure it.”

Bedford will need that energy. He has big shoes to fill—his predecessor, Doreen Bolger, was the BMA’s director for 17 years, and, in that time, championed free admission, spurred the re-opening of the museum’s historic entrance to the public, and oversaw an unprecedented $28 million renovation. But Bedford is nothing if not confident. “I came [to Baltimore] anticipating considerable rapidity, and I had some assurance from the staff and board that there was a desire to roll up our collective sleeves and imagine a new future for the museum rather quickly,” he says. “I’d rather make a mistake going a million miles an hour than do nothing. Which is not to suggest or anticipate failure—it’s that I’m willing to absorb that to achieve a higher goal.”

And Bedford has a track record of fast success. He essentially turned around the Rose museum—which is affiliated with Brandeis University, also boasts free admission, and at the time was thought of as sleepy and financially unstable—in four years. “He took a leap of faith and came to the Rose at a very turbulent period of time,” says Lisa Lynch, Brandeis’ provost, who worked closely with Bedford. In 2009, at the height of the economic crisis, the university had discussed selling off the art collection as it struggled with finances. Bedford arrived in 2012 and started acquiring and commissioning new art—including an outdoor sculpture by contemporary artist Chris Burden that greets visitors when they arrive—and added a key Boston arts philanthropist to the board. Attendance during his tenure increased by more than 50 percent, and he established an enhanced reputation nationally and in nearby Boston, both for the Rose and for himself. He’s been covered in The New York Times and The Washington Post, and was even named one of 2014’s most stylish Bostonians by The Boston Globe.

“I don’t think the future of museums is going to be written in New York or Los Angeles.”

In particular, Lynch credits Bedford’s establishment of the satellite gallery with making significant inroads. Appropriately called Rosebud, it occupies a storefront in downtown Waltham and showcases part of the Rose’s video art collection while also providing an arts space for use by city residents and college students. “Chris made sure that the museum was actively part of the community. He was constantly looking for ways to break down walls and barriers to access,” Lynch says. “Every time we would have an opening at the museum, it was the hippest, most fun event on campus. You’d have students, people from Boston, and [patrons] from outside areas. You couldn’t go through an exhibition and not be enthusiastic or curious. . . . It was a way of bringing the community together.”

Bedford also highlighted the work of 20th-century African-American artists who had long gone unrecognized—abstract painter and sculptor Jack Whitten and sculptor Melvin Edwards, for example. He intends to continue that emphasis at the BMA, which will present the first major exhibition of Whitten’s sculptures in 2018. Whitten is not only a “tremendous artist,” Bedford says, “but I venture to say, being a novice in this city, that his art will be very useful for social discourse here.” And, as Whitten’s art addresses systemic racism and civil rights, the planned exhibit fits in perfectly with Bedford’s drive for social justice. “There’s a reason why I do this that’s entirely personal,” he says.

Bedford knows now that there was a deeper reason he attended Oberlin College. It goes beyond him discovering his passion for art there—the Ohio institution also helped instill in him a passion for social justice. That aspiration is shared across the campus—Oberlin was the first college in the United States to admit African-American students, and the city of Oberlin was a stop on the Underground Railroad. “I don’t think I realized at the time how formative Oberlin was. It changed everything for me,” Bedford says. “I graduated in 2000, and there was a T-shirt that we made then. It was black with a picture of the world and it said, ‘Think one person can change the world? So do we.’ I still believe that.”

He entered Oberlin intending to study English literature. But that was before he enrolled in an art history class that would change his life. Growing up in Scotland and England—before his family moved to the U.S. when he was 17—his mother took him to museums in London. There he developed a fascination for the impressionists. But that had not prepared him for the lush dexterity that he saw in Saint Sebastian Tended by Irene, a 17th-century painting by Dutch master Hendrick ter Brugghen. And he found the accompanying lecture by professor Bill Hood just as engrossing.

“It was Bill who uttered those fateful words, ‘All art was once contemporary,’” Bedford says. “The light bulb went off. This painting at one point was painted for a civic population, and, I thought, ‘How thrilling would it be to be involved in that process of production and interpretation?’ My progress through the museum field was dictated by those words.”

He worked to incorporate social justice into the art world in positions at The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles and the Wexner Center for the Arts at The Ohio State University, but this drive emerged most strongly at the Rose. It was one of the things the BMA search committee found most appealing about Bedford, says search committee member James Thornton, who also serves on the museum’s board of trustees. “We are in a community that is majority African-American and people of color. If we look out over the years to come, it’s important for the museum to find creative ways to connect with that community. I’m a person of color,” he continues, “and I’ve always noticed that there are people who don’t look like me who are very much committed and are beneficial to moving the equality conversation forward. Chris is one of those people. I think he’s trying to set the record straight.”

Though Bedford has become a visible presence for the museum in Baltimore—he joined the board of directors of the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance, for example—he says he would like to make further inroads with the artistic community. But he has met with one artist whom he particularly admires, whose work is known for its social commentary—Joyce Scott, a 2016 recipient of a MacArthur “genius grant.” Says Bedford: “I’m excited to integrate her art into the exhibition space. She’s sincere, she’s soulful, she’s brilliant, she’s very connected to the city, and her work is extraordinary.”

Scott says she hopes he brings recognition to local artists (as well as those from farther flung destinations). “That is one thing I hope there would be more of—local artists on display in a real show,” she says. “It’s not like we don’t have them—Baltimore is a hotbed of artists.”

Eight months into the job, Bedford’s day begins early and ends late. When asked if he enjoyed a recent art community get-together, he replies, “Which one?” Still, he is settling into life in Baltimore with his wife, Jennifer, an art historian, and their three children. And his desire to bring about change in Baltimore by making the BMA more open to everyone is as fervent as when he first arrived.

“I’ve said many times that I don’t think the future of museums in the 21st century is going to be written in New York or Los Angeles. It’s going to be written in a city like Baltimore, where we’re going to reconstitute our relationship with our audience through exhibitions, programs, and outreach. Otherwise, we risk irrelevance,” Bedford says. “My ambition is to make Baltimore known to the world and to bring the world to Baltimore.”