art Archives | Baltimore Beat Black-led, Black-controlled news Tue, 17 Jun 2025 17:46:40 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://baltimorebeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/cropped-bb-favicon-32x32.png art Archives | Baltimore Beat 32 32 199459415 Fashion Imitates Art https://baltimorebeat.com/fashion-imitates-art/ Tue, 17 Jun 2025 17:00:20 +0000 https://baltimorebeat.com/?p=21633 A person with brown skin arrives at the 2025 Met Gala wearing a cape.

With the 2025 Met Gala behind us, what better time to examine the deepening, ever-fluid relationship between fashion and fine art? On the magnolia-draped steps of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the interplay was striking as the lines between artist and muse blurred into stylish abstraction.  With the 2025 Met Gala behind us, what better […]

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A person with brown skin arrives at the 2025 Met Gala wearing a cape.

With the 2025 Met Gala behind us, what better time to examine the deepening, ever-fluid relationship between fashion and fine art? On the magnolia-draped steps of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the interplay was striking as the lines between artist and muse blurred into stylish abstraction. 

With the 2025 Met Gala behind us, what better time to examine the deepening, ever-fluid relationship between fashion and fine art?

A person with brown skin arrives at the 2025 Met Gala wearing a cape.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 05: Eric N. Mack attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

Fresh off the opening of his major survey at the Guggenheim and a recent Harper’s Bazaar cover, Rashid Johnson arrived in custom Tory Burch. Baltimore’s own Amy Sherald wore Fear of God, as did Arthur Jafa. Jordan Casteel and Ming Smith, two generations of Black lens-based and painterly brilliance, stunned in Harbison Studio. Torkwase Dyson, who designed the space for this year’s costume exhibition, arrived in a custom JW Anderson ensemble. Maryland’s own multidisciplinary visionary, Eric N. Mack, brought texture and color in Wales Bonner. Henry Taylor, the artist tapped to paint Pharrell for Vogue’s Met issue (a full-circle moment considering their collaboration at Pharrell’s debut Louis Vuitton show), arrived in custom Louis Vuitton. 

This convergence of sartorial brilliance and artistic might culminated in the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” A Barkley Hendricks portrait is next to a kufi, threading together the legacies of Black dandyism through the lenses of designers like Theophilio and iconoclast Dapper Dan, situating art and style in constant, intertwined dialogue.

Of course, the flirtation between fashion and fine art is far from new. Think Elsa Schiaparelli’s surrealist flings with Salvador Dalí; Willi Smith’s pop-infused Keith Haring capsule in the ’80s; Marc Jacobs inviting Richard Prince’s irreverent nurses into the Louis Vuitton fold; or Raf Simons x Sterling Ruby for his first Dior Women collection in 2012. Fashion and fine art have always existed in tandem. But what feels distinct now is how holistic, fluid, and mutual these partnerships have become. The 21st century has only amplified the dialogue between fashion houses and contemporary artists.

It’s not just that fashion is referencing art; it’s embedding artists, their mediums, and even their physical presence into the very framework of runway presentation. Following last year’s Spring/Summer 2025 shows — think Acne Studios’s atmospheric set design by artist Jonathan Lyndon Chase, Simone Rocha’s moody nod to Genieve Figgis, and Off-White’s textural collaboration with Ghanaian artist Nana Danso — this past season doubled down on the intersection of fine art and fashion. Across menswear, couture, and ready-to-wear, brands embraced the gallery as runway and vice versa. At Dior Couture SS25, Maria Grazia Chiuri tapped Mumbai-based artist Rithika Merchant to transform the show space into a hand-painted sanctuary of celestial motifs. 

photograph of the inside of a fashion and art installation
Acne Studios Spring/Summer 2025. Image credit: Getty Images.

For Fall/Winter 2025, British designer and MoMA guest curator Grace Wales Bonner delivered a cerebral, beautifully restrained menswear collaboration with Theaster Gates, built around “The Black Image Corporation,” Gates’s archival excavation of the Ebony and JET photography vaults. Jacquemus staged its SS25 show inside famed architect Auguste Perret’s Paris apartment, with sculptures by Aristide Maillol nestled between minimalist silhouettes. Yohji Yamamoto invited Belgian painter Luc Tuymans to walk the FW25 runway — one of many artist cameos this season, including Rashid Johnson at Rosetta Getty.

In New York, Christopher John Rogers lit up the FW25 schedule with a punchy palette and visual cues pulled from Angela de la Cruz’s crumpled canvases and the Pop gloss of Roy Lichtenstein. Ulla Johnson’s poetic bent manifested in a set designed by French sculptor Julie Hamisky — oversized, surrealist florals blooming between the clothes. In London, Erdem adorned gowns with the romantic brushstrokes of Kaye Donachie, while Roksanda’s vision was steeped in the sculptural language of the late Phyllida Barlow. London-based brand Feben Fall/Winter 25 lookbook was inspired by Lorraine O’Grady’s “Art Is…” series.

A model stands with a gilded frame.
Feben Fall 2025. Image credit: Getty Images.

Meanwhile, in Paris, Issey Miyake incorporated Erwin Wurm’s conceptual play, and Alaïa’s sculptural FW25 collection felt in conversation with Mark Manders’ architectural quietude and Simone Leigh’s commanding femme forms.

Vaquera, ever the cool kids on the schedule, went full Warholian for Fall/Winter 2025 — designers Bryn Taubensee and Patric DiCaprio riffed on ’80s downtown excess with denim emblazoned with Andy Warhol’s iconic “Marilyn Monroe” screen prints in partnership with The Andy Warhol Foundation. Other notable pairings this season included Kenzo and Futura, KidSuper and Daniel Wurtzel, Bianca Saunders and Steven Parrino, advertising, like a Saint Laurent campaign featuring painted interpretations of the FW25 collection by Francesco Clemente — known for his emotional, often erotic portraiture and polarizing collabs with brands like Supreme and the estate of Ernie Barnes.

You can’t discuss the current art-fashion renaissance without citing Jonathan Anderson’s wildly referential tenure at Loewe. Anderson has long used the Spanish house as a vessel for cultural curation, fusing fashion with the work of artists like Lynda Benglis, Maruja Mallo, and Richard Hawkins. His runways are as informed by Frieze as they are by fabric. After last season’s visual references to Vincent Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” and a Manet-printed tee, Anderson’s FW25 collection played like a retrospective: garments in direct conversation with collaborators like Anthea Hamilton and Rachel Harrison, a meditation on texture, tension, and taste.

In today’s hyper-visual culture, where cultural capital is often mediated by what’s worn, where, and by whom, fashion becomes a critical lens through which we can read and interpret the art world — and vice versa. This moment also marks a shift in who gets to frame these narratives.

This larger moment is mirrored in the exhibitions these artists are simultaneously helming. Amy Sherald’s “American Sublime” at the Whitney, her debut New York museum solo, is a masterclass in portraiture and fashion as self-making. Her grayscale figures, often adorned in bold patterns, become avatars of memory, cool, and quiet power. Sherald wore custom Harbison Studio for her opening — a subtle loop between subject, style, and setting. Rashid Johnson’s “A Poem for Deep Thinkers,” up now at the Guggenheim, not only surveys two decades of his deeply textured practice, but also became a stage for Grace Wales Bonner’s activation “Togetherness,” blurring the lines between gallery and runway, installation and invitation. And in today’s hyper-visual culture, where cultural capital is often mediated by what’s worn, where, and by whom, fashion becomes a critical lens through which we can read and interpret the art world — and vice versa. This moment also marks a shift in who gets to frame these narratives.

A woman poses on a blue carpet wearing a black tailored suit
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 05: Amy Sherald attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)
A model walking a runaway wearing a voluminous dress
A model walks the Christopher John Rogers Fall 2025 runway. Image credit: Getty Images. 

Artists like Johnson, Sherald, and Mack aren’t simply collaborating — they’re commanding space in both industries, on their terms. The intersection of art and fashion is being increasingly shaped by Black, brown, and queer creatives who see no need to separate their aesthetics from their politics. Their presence at the Met, on the runway, and in the ateliers isn’t just symbolic — it’s structural. The runway, then, becomes more than a space for debuting collections. It transforms into an exhibition in motion — a place where brushstrokes are translated into silhouettes, where conceptual theory meets commercial aspiration. Whether it’s a sculpture reimagined as a dress or a painting reborn as a print, fashion is increasingly performing the work of art.

Art and fashion have always been in conversation. But right now, they’re speaking louder, more fluently — in bolder colors, on bigger stages, and with a broader vocabulary of collaborators.

Art and fashion have always been in conversation. But right now, they’re speaking louder, more fluently — in bolder colors, on bigger stages, and with a broader vocabulary of collaborators. The runway is no longer just a platform for clothes; it’s a canvas for cultural storytelling, where brushstrokes, silhouettes, and history all walk in tandem. In 2025, fashion didn’t just imitate art. It became art.

Shelton Boyd-Griffith is a fashion and culture editor based between St. Louis and New York City. His work explores the intersections of fashion, art, and pop culture, with a sharp focus on storytelling and cultural commentary. He is a regular contributor to publications including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Teen Vogue, Complex, BET, Ebony, and Netflix.

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Photostory: The Start of Turnstile Summer https://baltimorebeat.com/photostory-the-start-of-turnstile-summer/ Mon, 12 May 2025 14:17:27 +0000 https://baltimorebeat.com/?p=21010 A group of people jump into a crowd at a hardcore rock concert

“BALTIMORE — FREE SHOW — MAY 10 — RAISING DONATIONS FOR HCH” On May 2, Turnstile, a hardcore punk band that started in Baltimore in 2010, posted this graphic on their social media. The hometown heroes brought a concert to the Wyman Park Dell for free and created an incubator for community, dancing, moshing, stage […]

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A group of people jump into a crowd at a hardcore rock concert

“BALTIMORE — FREE SHOW — MAY 10 — RAISING DONATIONS FOR HCH”

On May 2, Turnstile, a hardcore punk band that started in Baltimore in 2010, posted this graphic on their social media. The hometown heroes brought a concert to the Wyman Park Dell for free and created an incubator for community, dancing, moshing, stage diving, and donations for Healthcare For The Homeless.

For the thousands who converged upon Wyman Park Dell, the opening roar of Turnstile’s new single  “Never Enough” wasn’t just the start of a free concert; it felt like a collective exhale, a vibrant declaration that Turnstile Summer had unequivocally arrived in Baltimore. 

If you’ve followed their rise, this concert felt like a significant milestone. I recall documenting their electrifying energy at the Clifton Park Bandshell in 2021. To witness this band, born and bred in our city’s fervent hardcore scene and now Grammy-nominated, offering such a massive free show feels particularly resonant in these unprecedented and very scary times. In a time when the cost of everything seems to climb relentlessly, this act of generosity underscores their unwavering connection to the roots that nourished their explosive growth. Turnstile and Unregistered Nurse Booking formed a moment that felt like a meticulously curated moment of pure, unadulterated energy. 

From Baltimore basements and DIY spaces to their upcoming June 29 performance at Glastonbury Festival, Turnstile’s trajectory has been nothing short of meteoric. And with even pop visionary Charli XCX proclaiming it a “Turnstile Summer” at Coachella earlier this year, their Wyman Park Dell homecoming felt like a celebratory coronation, a moment to bask in the glow of their well-deserved ascent. 

Turnstile began their performance around 6:50 PM, opening their set late with the live debut of “Never Enough” and concluding with the first live performance of “Seeing Stars/Birds.” The setlist featured energetic performances of popular tracks such as “ALIEN LOVE CALL” and “MYSTERY,” both from their Grammy-nominated album “Glow On.”

The setlist was a journey through Turnstile’s evolution, a seamless blend of the raw intensity of their early work and the expansive, genre-bending sounds of their breakout album “Glow On.”

Their upcoming album, “Never Enough,” scheduled for release on June 6, marks the first album with Turnstile’s new guitarist, Meg Mills, alongside Brendan Yates (singer), Pat McCrory (guitarist), Franz Lyons (bassist), and Daniel Fang (drummer). Baltimore is the first city in which Turnstile performed songs from “Never Enough” live. This will be their first album in six years. 

Through the lens of photographer Jarett Loeffler, this photo essay captures not just a performance, but a moment — a vibrant testament to the enduring bond between Turnstile and Baltimore, a city that rightfully and fiercely calls them their own. (Teri Henderson) 

Turnstile performs on stage while surrounded by thousands of fans. They stand in front of a color-block background.
Meg Mills (guitarist) , Brendan Yates (singer), Pat McCrory (guitarist), Franz Lyons (bassist), and Daniel Fang (drummer) , Turnstile performing at a benefit show for Health Care For The Homeless, May 10 at Wyman Park Dell. Photo credit: Jarett Loeffler.
A black-and-white image of the band performing on stage. The members' backs are to the camera.
Brendan Yates singing as a member of the audience runs by.
A photo of Franz Lyons looking into the crowd.
Franz Lyons, bassist for Turnstile
The band surrounded by a huge crowd of people.

Brendan Yates, Meg Mills, Daniel Fang, and Pat McCrory (clockwise from top left)

The crowd in the mosh pit.
Members of the audience throw themselves into the mosh pit.

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Photostory: A Black Baltimore Archival Christmas https://baltimorebeat.com/photostory-a-black-baltimore-archival-christmas/ Wed, 20 Nov 2024 01:49:44 +0000 https://baltimorebeat.com/?p=19340

In our highly digitized worlds, photographs and archives are tools for us to remain rooted in our past as we move forward through the present. These photos were taken in Baltimore by I. Henry Phillips Sr. circa 1950. They gift us with familiar moments of Black holiday revelry and joy. Going through these images, I […]

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In our highly digitized worlds, photographs and archives are tools for us to remain rooted in our past as we move forward through the present. These photos were taken in Baltimore by I. Henry Phillips Sr. circa 1950. They gift us with familiar moments of Black holiday revelry and joy. Going through these images, I couldn’t help but conjure up in my mind symbols and scenes of holiday celebrations that I experienced growing up. 

The I. Henry Photo Project is a digital archive of images made by three generations of Webster men. This selection of images was curated from a virtual studio visit with the I. Henry Photo Project Archive, facilitated by I.H. Webster III, a visual artist and archivist. Webster started the archive with his father, the late I. Henry Phillips Jr., who was the Baltimore Sun’s first Black news photographer and the son of the late I. Henry Phillips Sr., a photographer at the Baltimore Afro-American Newspaper.   (Teri Henderson) 

Photo by I. Henry Phillips Sr. circa 1950. Image courtesy of the I. Henry Photo Project Archive.
Photo by I. Henry Phillips Sr. circa 1950. Image courtesy of the I. Henry Photo Project Archive.
Photo by I. Henry Phillips Sr. circa 1950. Image courtesy of the I. Henry Photo Project Archive.
Photo by I. Henry Phillips Sr. circa 1950. Image courtesy of the I. Henry Photo Project Archive.
Photo by I. Henry Phillips Sr. circa 1950. Image courtesy of the I. Henry Photo Project Archive.
Photo by I. Henry Phillips Sr. circa 1950. Image courtesy of the I. Henry Photo Project Archive.
Photo by I. Henry Phillips Sr. circa 1950. Image courtesy of the I. Henry Photo Project Archive.
Photo by I. Henry Phillips Sr. circa 1950. Image courtesy of the I. Henry Photo Project Archive.

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Photostory: MICA Grad Show IV https://baltimorebeat.com/photostory-mica-grad-show-iv/ Mon, 22 Jul 2024 15:14:48 +0000 https://baltimorebeat.com/?p=18153

These photos were taken at the opening reception for “Grad Show IV,” which featured the work of graduates from MICA’s MFA in Studio Art Low-Residency (MFAST) program. “Grad Show IV” was on view at MICA from June 18 through July 7, in the Riggs & Leidy Galleries in the Fred Lazarus IV Center on North […]

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These photos were taken at the opening reception for “Grad Show IV,” which featured the work of graduates from MICA’s MFA in Studio Art Low-Residency (MFAST) program. “Grad Show IV” was on view at MICA from June 18 through July 7, in the Riggs & Leidy Galleries in the Fred Lazarus IV Center on North Avenue. It’s located directly next to Nancy By SNAC.

The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) is a private arts institution located in Bolton HIll, with undergraduate, graduate and open studies programs. Every year, the MICA Grad Shows showcase the culminating capstone and thesis projects of 14 residential MA and MFA programs through a series of exhibitions and events. The other three Grad Shows happened earlier this year, showing work by students in MICA’s other graduate programs.

Installation view of MICA Grad Show IV. Photo credit: Izaya Smith.

The MFAST program is a summer intensive that allows students to participate in graduate study while still working, and is designed especially for artists, teachers and art professionals who already have practices to obtain a graduate degree.

Photo credit: Izaya Smith.

According to the website, the four exhibitions presented works by artists, designers, filmmakers, educators and curators who demonstrated how “art disrupts in the most benevolent sense, awakens us to the present moment, and contributes to our shared becoming, that we might imagine things otherwise and become more fully human.” The works ranged from photography to sculpture to installation.

This class of MFAST students completed parts of their degree while MICA’s campus was closed during the beginning of the global pandemic. The resulting exhibition echoed an exploration of these unprecedented times. (Teri Henderson)

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‘Hit Man’ is equally charming and disturbing https://baltimorebeat.com/hit-man-is-equally-charming-and-disturbing/ Tue, 18 Jun 2024 16:49:45 +0000 https://baltimorebeat.com/?p=17717 A still from a film. Two people are looking into the distance.

Hit men do not exist. Or rather, the “retail”-level contract killer available to middle-class normies that is essentially a construct of movies and television does not exist. This is how the central, seemingly ridiculous premise of Richard Linklater’s new, loosely based-in-truth film “Hit Man” can function.  Hit men do not exist. Or rather, the “retail”-level […]

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A still from a film. Two people are looking into the distance.

Hit men do not exist. Or rather, the “retail”-level contract killer available to middle-class normies that is essentially a construct of movies and television does not exist. This is how the central, seemingly ridiculous premise of Richard Linklater’s new, loosely based-in-truth film “Hit Man” can function. 

Hit men do not exist. Or rather, the “retail”-level contract killer available to middle-class normies that is essentially a construct of movies and television does not exist. This is how the central, seemingly ridiculous premise of Richard Linklater’s new, loosely based-in-truth film “Hit Man” can function. 

In the film, Glen Powell plays Gary Johnson, a psych and philosophy professor who moonlights as a technician for the New Orleans police department. He assists in handling the surveillance side of sting operations where undercover cops pretend to be professional murderers to capture those who would hire them. Early in the film, Jasper (Austin Amelio), the hothead officer who usually plays the hit man role, is suspended after being filmed assaulting some teenagers in the line of duty. On short notice, Gary is called upon to stand in for him. 

Up to this point, Gary, through his voice-over narration and the sight of his bored students rolling their eyes during his lectures on ethics and the nature of the self, seems like the last person who should be doing a dangerous job like this. Aside from Powell’s chiseled good looks, Gary appears as milquetoast a protagonist as can be. In fact, the film’s general tone would also feel middling and unadventurous if one wasn’t already privy to Linklater’s unassuming gifts as a storyteller. But the second he walks into the sting, Gary and the film instantly come alive. He delivers a believably impressive and suitably fearsome performance as a man who makes his living ending lives. 

His police handlers Claudette (Retta) and Phil (Sanjay Rao) are blown away, and he begins to do the role more often in Jasper’s absence. Using his understanding of psychology, he puts an absurd level of effort into tailoring each fictional hit man he portrays to whomever they are trying to catch, allowing Gary a creative outlet to be any number of people more interesting than he seems to be. Perhaps the most entertaining section of the film is the series of stings that most viewers would have been comfortable watching for another hour, if not as a dedicated television series. Whether it’s the ginger Tilda Swinton wig he wears or the pitch-perfect Patrick Bateman impression he employs, Gary, and Powell in portraying him, have an absolute blast.

But the film hinges on one sting, where Gary as “Ron” has a surprising meet-cute with Madison (Adria Arjona), a woman trying to have her abusive husband killed. Taken by her vulnerability, Gary botches the sting and suggests she run away and start a new life. The easy chemistry between the two transcends the horrible predicament for their actual meeting, and “Hit Man” ascends into something special here. 

The film is loosely based on the real-life Gary Johnson who did this exact job, albeit less colorfully and less elaborately. Still, the secret to the movie’s special sauce is Linklater’s script that he co-wrote and developed with Powell. The key change they made from reality and the source material, a 2001 article from Texas Monthly magazine, is what happens after Gary lets an abused woman off the hook. In the film, they meet again and begin to date, with Madison knowingly courting a man she believes holds down a day job eradicating people and making their remains disappear. 

Powell and Arjona are magical together as the most toxic and foreboding romantic pairing on screen since Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike in “Gone Girl,” only Linklater’s vision is so much more laidback and less stylized than David Fincher’s. It becomes a tug of war over what’s worse, pretending to be someone you’re not while pursuing love or falling for someone you think is a literal monster, and what it says about both. The structure mirrors a romantic comedy. First, there’s tension about whether or not Madison will find out Gary’s truth and that “Ron” is a construct. Then, worse still, the real tension becomes about whether that construct is his true self.

In an overt move, much of the film’s drama and comedy are interspersed with scenes from Gary’s collegiate lectures, where he and his students have obvious debates about identity and morality meant to blast the film’s themes as loudly as possible. But that blatant device masks the more complex work being done between Powell and Arjona. In a romantic comedy, when one suitor pretends to be something he’s not, he can come clean, and the object of his affection affirms that all they ever wanted was the real him.

“Hit Man” goes in a much different direction. It suggests that whether or not fundamentally changing who you are is a good or a bad thing, it is, in fact, a possible thing. To achieve what you’ve never accomplished as you are, you may need to become someone you are not. But if you pretend long enough? If you genuinely fake it until you make it, what’s the difference?

“Hit Man” goes in a much different direction. It suggests that whether or not fundamentally changing who you are is a good or a bad thing, it is, in fact, a possible thing. To achieve what you’ve never accomplished as you are, you may need to become someone you are not. But if you pretend long enough? If you genuinely fake it until you make it, what’s the difference?

“Hit Man” is currently streaming exclusively on Netflix.

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‘I Saw the TV Glow’ is transcendent https://baltimorebeat.com/i-saw-the-tv-glow-is-transcendent/ Wed, 05 Jun 2024 01:36:59 +0000 https://baltimorebeat.com/?p=17487

“The Pink Opaque,” the fictional mid-1990s television series at the center of “I Saw the TV Glow,“ will feel instantly recognizable on a visceral level. If you’re the target demographic for this film, you have had some parasocial connection to a piece of popular culture echoed in this effective pastiche. With the visual scanlines calling […]

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“The Pink Opaque,” the fictional mid-1990s television series at the center of “I Saw the TV Glow,“ will feel instantly recognizable on a visceral level. If you’re the target demographic for this film, you have had some parasocial connection to a piece of popular culture echoed in this effective pastiche. With the visual scanlines calling to mind VHS tapes of Nickelodeon’s “Are You Afraid of the Dark?“ and an opening credits font mirroring that of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,“ the show feels like a hazy memory of one’s youth. The outline of an immediately familiar shape, even if the details aren’t quite so clear.

The film centers around teenagers Owen (Justice Smith) and Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) and the friendship they form over their mutual obsession with “The Pink Opaque.“ The show follows Isabel (Helena Howard) and Tara (Lindsey Jordan), two friends who share a psychic connection they use to fight monsters, both in baddie-of-the-week stories and more profound mythology episodes surrounding the show’s big villain, Mr. Melancholy. For Owen, an isolated boy uncomfortable in his skin, and Maddy, a young lesbian with a toxic family life, the show’s protagonists represent strength and resolve neither can find within themselves in daily life.

As the two friends share VHS tapes and printed episode guides, the inner life of the show becomes inextricably bound with their real lives, to the point that Maddy’s eventual disappearance begins to feel as supernatural as the fiction emanating from the bright, striking pre-flat-screen-era televisions that feature in the film so prominently. How much TV is too much?

But there is a crucial moment in the film’s final act some folks seem to be placing too much emphasis on, causing them to miss the deeper portrait being painted. Late in the movie, an adult Owen finds himself revisiting the “The Pink Opaque” as a streaming show which is presented as looking sillier and more childish than it is through the rest of the picture. If earlier, to us, it mirrored “Buffy” and other more “mature” YA bait, here it feels decidedly “Sesame Street”-adjacent.

Out of context, it reads like a pointed, damning critique of the perpetually stunted millennial generation and our borderline concerning addiction to fictional media as a form of medicinal escapism. While this scene, within the context of the larger picture, is gesturing at the truth that there is a hard limit to the efficacy of media consumption as self-care, it is not the fulcrum on which the film’s story rests. For that, one must look much earlier in the film for a more nebulous but no less impactful sequence. 

When we first meet a younger Owen (Ian Foreman) in 7th-grade gym class, he is wandering under the umbrage of one of those giant parachutes teachers would use for easy group activities. While Yeule’s cover of Broken Social Scene’s “Anthems for a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl” plays on the soundtrack, it’s difficult to overlook the parachute’s pattern, which is coded to match the colors of the transgender flag.

Writer/director Jane Schoenbrun is nonbinary (as is Lundy-Paine), but the film’s depiction of gender dysphoria seems to be going over some cis viewers’ heads mainly because the film artfully refrains from making its exploration of trans epiphany within the more explicit language viewers might expect from modern, queer cinema. Owen never comes out and claims any gender identity. The tells are sporadic, from the brief image of a repressed memory involving Owen presenting femme, to his stepfather (Fred Durst), refusing to let him stay up late to watch “The Pink Opaque,“ by asking if it’s for girls. But there’s no broadly telegraphed scene where he tearfully pours his guts out to a friend or loved one and spells it out.

Writer/director Jane Schoenbrun is nonbinary (as is Lundy-Paine), but the film’s depiction of gender dysphoria seems to be going over some cis viewers’ heads mainly because the film artfully refrains from making its exploration of trans epiphany within the more explicit language viewers might expect from modern, queer cinema.

“I Saw the TV Glow” is a heavy rumination on an element of being trans that ought to speak to plenty of cis folks, too: having the sense that something about your life is very wrong, but being trapped at the precipice of doing anything about it. 

Few films in recent memory house visuals that express this specific a sense of unsettling wrongness to the world it captures. Schoenbrun and cinematographer Eric K. Yue name-check “Batman Forever” as an aesthetic inspiration to present a haunted, neon-inflected mid-’90s, something that calls that era to mind, but diffused through disquieting layers of fog and implied malice. Coupled with a powerfully curated soundtrack full of original songs inspired by the film,

everything about this picture captures a unique vibe that feels entirely unto itself, despite the influences it shows freely on its sleeve. (The stars of Nickelodeon’s “The Adventures of Pete & Pete” both make cameos, as does Amber Benson from “Buffy.”)

The film’s emotional climax is one of the most startling and transgressive developments. After Maddy has reappeared into an adult Owen’s life, her explanation of where she has been is terrifying from a horror movie perspective but strangely comforting within the confines of this narrative and Owen’s predicament. Without spoiling the particulars, it poses a quandary that tickles the hero’s journey, which viewers will cry for throughout such an experimental and challengingly paced picture. In the moment, it collapses a film’s worth of difficult thematic ideas into a straightforward solution. But the “easy out” the film offers is anything but. In the film, as in life, real change has a cost, and the choices it requires can be too much for some. The final act trudges on as Owen and the audience have to wrestle with these revelations. At this point, a happy ending seems so unlikely that they’re left to ponder whether one is even possible.

Though the film ends on a down note, there is a lingering image that cuts through the dirge. It’s not coincidentally the first image in the film’s official trailer. It’s the chalk graffiti outside of Owen’s house, big and bold in bright pastel lettering: “there is still time.” 


Though the film ends on a down note, there is a lingering image that cuts through the dirge. It’s not coincidentally the first image in the film’s official trailer. It’s the chalk graffiti outside of Owen’s house, big and bold in bright pastel lettering: “there is still time.“

“I Saw the TV Glow” plays exclusively in theaters but will be available onVOD next month.

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Baltimore Arts and Culture Events 5/8/24-5/22/24 https://baltimorebeat.com/baltimore-arts-and-culture-events-5-8-24-5-22-24/ Tue, 07 May 2024 22:05:48 +0000 https://baltimorebeat.com/?p=17111

Wednesday, May 8 Black Folx Book Club March: “Lakewood” by Megan Giddings: Join Greedy Reads bookseller Leela Chantrelle for the Black Folx Book Club, a reading space for Black women and Black queers reading works by Black women and Black queers. The May book pick is “Lakewood.” 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Greedy Reads […]

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Black Folx Book Club March: “Lakewood” by Megan Giddings: Join Greedy Reads bookseller Leela Chantrelle for the Black Folx Book Club, a reading space for Black women and Black queers reading works by Black women and Black queers. The May book pick is “Lakewood.” 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Greedy Reads Remington, 320 West 29th Street. For more information, go to: greedyreads.com.

Wine Village in Baltimore: Enjoy a wine and food market in addition to local and international wines as well as European delicacies, summer appetizers and desserts. May 9-27 at West Shore Park, Inner Harbor, 501 Light Street. For more information, go to baltimore-wine.com.

Blockbuster Film Classics: From “Lawrence of Arabia” to “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” and “Superman,” Damon Gupton conducts an all-orchestral program with classic film scores from the Golden Age of Cinema to the present day. ($15-$92) May 11-12 at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral Street. For more information, go to bsomusic.org or call 410-783-8000. 

First Date Friday: Bring your first date here to get a lovers’ special on drinks. 4 p.m. at Bird in Hand Coffee & Books, 11 East 33rd Street. For more information, go to birdinhandcafe.com/events.

Party on the Porch: A Market Day Preview: For “plant-a-holics” who want first pick of Market Day merchandise! Plants, crafts, and gifts from local and regional vendors. Food trucks on site to purchase dinner. ($50-$60) 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Cylburn Arboretum, 4915 Greenspring Avenue. For more information, go to cylburn.org or call 410-367-2217.

Station North Art Walk: An evening of simultaneous exhibits, performances, and special events in the Station North Arts District. (Free; registration recommended). 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at various locations. For more information, go to stationnorth.org.

Crosscurrence: Happy Accidents: A night of readings, performances, and music curated by Andrew Shenker. ($12-$20, or pay what you can) 6 p.m. at Current Space, Garden Bar, 421 Tyson Street. For more information, go to currentspace.com or email info@currentspace.com.

King & Queen of Baltimore PRIDE Pageant 2024: Do you have what it takes to lead PRIDE’s Royal Court? ($15-$20) 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Downtown Cultural Arts Center, 401 North Howard Street. For more information, go to pridecentermd.org.

Block Party! Baltimore’s Best Black Improv Comedy: Block Party is a monthly showcase of Baltimore’s Best Black improv. ($12-$15) 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Blakwater House, 218 West Saratoga Street. For more information, email highwireimprov@gmail.com. 

Deem N’ Bass Release Event: A night of club, ghetto tech, miami bass, and more. Featuring sounds by flotussin, Tromac, Jayswann, and Cadeem LaMarr. Ages 18+. ($10 – $15) 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Phlote, 300 West Pratt Street. For more information, go to phlote.xyz. 

Sun Dress vs Freak Em Dress Pre Mothers Day Brunch  Celebrate all the hardworking mamas out there with a delicious brunch and some much-needed fun. Sounds by DJ Menace & DJ Elmo. Ages 21+. ($20) Noon to 6 p.m. at Safari Club, 5625 O’ Donnell Street. For more information, email partyatsafari@gmail.com, or call 410-624-5662. 

2024 AAPI Festival: Third annual free celebration, with live performances, food trucks, and vendors all showcasing the diversity of AAPI cultures. Noon to 5 p.m. at The Chrysalis, Merriweather Park, at Symphony Woods, 10431 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia. For more information, go to innerarbortrust.org, email info@innerarbortrust.org, or call 443-832-3223. 

In Our Mothers Garden Film Screening and Discussion: Film screening followed by a post-film conversation with filmmaker Shantrelle Lewis and author Marita Golden. Light refreshments will be served. ($9-$12, free for children under 6) 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 East Pratt Street. For more information, go to lewismuseum.org or call 443-263-1800.

The Art of Journal Binding: Join Alisa Brock of Drama MaMa Bookshop for a guided journal binding workshop that will unlock new insights and revitalize your ideas at each stage of the process. (Free) 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at BMA Lexington Market, 112 North Eutaw Street. For more information, go to artbma.org.

I Will Always Love My Momma Comedy Show & After Party: A night of great comedy, poetry, music. Open bar and food included. ($40) 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., at Downtown Cultural Arts Center, 401 North Howard Street. For more information, contact Beadman at 443-993-1090. 

RENAIDDANCE : Beyoncé Celebration: Dance and celebrate the ballroom, country, disco, and techno scenes that inspired Beyonce’s latest albums. Expect to hear all of your favorite songs from Beyoncé and more. ($12-$15) 9 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at Mobtown Ballroom, 30 West North Avenue. For more information, go to: whatthedance.com.

Dyke Nite: Dance party featuring sounds by DJs Hissyfit and Hykes. Masks encouraged. Ages 21+. ($10) 10 p.m. at Ottobar, 2549 North Howard Street. Please email dykenitebaltimore@gmail.com to inquire about Pay It Forward ticket availability or accessibility concerns. For more information, go to theottobar.com or call 410-662-0069. 

Mother’s Day in the garden at good neighbor: Your reservation includes reserved seating, a handmade cake, and tableside service. ($35; reservations required) 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at good neighbor, 3827 Falls Road. For more information, go to goodneighborshop.com.

Mother’s Day Vin Doux Brunch & Wine Pairing: Celebrate Mother’s Day with a waterside exquisite brunch paired with sweet wines. ($25 – $65) 11 a.m. to  2 p.m. at V-No Wine Bar, 905 South Ann Street. For more information, go to v-no.com or call 410-342-8466

Mother’s Day Gospel Brunch: Celebrate Mother’s Day with the annual Soul II Soul Mother’s Day Brunch. Hosted by Miss Erikca J, with performances by Y’Anna Crawley, Eryka Edmund, and more. ($30-$400) 1 p.m to 4 p.m. at La Familia Soundstage 836 Guilford Avenue. For more information, go to soul2soulentertainment.com or email soul2soulsundays@gmail.com.

The Hot L Poetry Series: Enjoy this open mic event with two featured poets. Bring a poem if you’d like to perform. 4 p.m. at The Ivy Bookshop, Back Patio, 5928 Falls Road. For more information, go to theivybookshop.com or call 410-377-2966.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Pay What You Choose Sunday: Inspired by the timeless desire to feed our youthful spirits, director Noah Himmelstein has brought together 12 talented performers to explore a different take on ‘young love.’ ($20) 7 p.m. at Everyman Theatre, 315 West Fayette Street. For more information, go to everymantheatre.org or call 410-752-2208.

Trivia & Karaoke Night: Ottobar trivia (and karaoke). Play as a team or solo. Ages 21+. (Free) 7 p.m. Upstairs at the Ottobar, 2549 North Howard Street. For more information, go to theottobar.com or call 410-662-0069.

The Set List: Monthly music series highlights Baltimore’s most vibrant musical acts. This month’s event features Shonay K, SilverSity, and Chad Grey. ($10) 7 p.m. at the Motor House, 120 West North Avenue. For more information, go to motorhousebaltimore.com. 

Art x The Beat: A Baltimore Beat Fundraiser A musical and visual art fundraiser for the Baltimore Beat. It will be an energetic evening of art, drinks, and dancing, with performances by popular local musicians Outcalls, DJ Ducky Dynamo, Glorian and more. With visual art displayed by Micah E. Wood, James C. Waller and more. Produced by students in the Arts Production & Management program at the University of Baltimore. ($15 suggested donation) 8 p.m. at The Compound, 2239 Kirk Avenue. For more information about this event, please reach out to University of Baltimore Arts Professor Ian Power at ipower@ubalt.edu.

Bmore Hip Hop Karaoke: Ellen Gee, Eze Jackson, and DJ Harvey Dent curate a turntable spin on traditional karaoke. Come early to sign up to perform. Ages 21+. ($10) 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at La Familia Soundstage, 836 Guilford Avenue. For more information, go to lafamiliasoundstage.com, call 410-446-8997, or email bmorehiphopkaraoke@gmail.com.

1920s Speakeasy Murder Mystery: Get ready to solve this “whodunnit” mystery at this murder mystery party open to all. ($40) 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Ministry of Brewing, 1900 East Lombard Street. For more information, go to ministryofbrewing.com or call 410-624-5623.

Waves Film Screening: An enlightening afternoon dedicated to mental health awareness through a film screening. ($25) 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Impact Hub, 10 East North Avenue. For more information, go to baltimore.impacthub.net. 

Black Women Genius Conversations Art & Healing: Roundtable conversation exploring Black women’s identity through the contemporary works of fiber artists Aliana Grace Bailey, Murjoni Merriweather, and Nastassja Swift. ($9-$12, free for children under 6) 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 East Pratt Street. For more information, go to lewismuseum.org or call 443-263-1800.

YG Teck, YBS Skola, Roddy Rackzz, NASG Chaz & Friends: Rap concert featuring YG Teck and friends. Ages 21+ ($20-$40) 4 p.m to 8 p.m. Euphoria Night Club, 1301 Ponca Street. For more information, call 443-554-8585 or 410-205-9299, or text 202-441-6877.

Baltimore Vintage Spring Expo: A highly curated event celebrating the thriving community of exclusively vintage and antique sellers. ($20) 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Union Craft Brewing, 1700 West 41st Street, #420. For more information, go to baltimorevintageexpo.com or email baltimorevintageexpo@gmail.com

The Black Mall: Two floors of Black Baltimore excellence in a day of fun, networking, and community. 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 6 East Lafayette Avenue. For more information, go to thebaltimorescene.org or email thebaltimorescene@gmail.com.

Dutch Courage Gin Fling: Gin tasting with complimentary oysters, music, and more. ($50) 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Dutch Courage, 2229 North Charles Street. For more information, go to dutchcouragebar.com, or call 667-309-7167. 

Ultra Naté’s Deep Sugar Rooftop Jam: Celebrate the return of the summer house music series. Extended DJ set by Ultra Naté. ($28.55) 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Lord Baltimore Hotel, LB Sky Bar, 20 West Baltimore Street. For more information, go to: lordbaltimorehotel.com, email deepsugarmusic.com, or call 410-539-8400. 

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2023 New Year’s Eve Weekend Events https://baltimorebeat.com/2023-new-years-eve-weekend-events/ Thu, 28 Dec 2023 17:23:18 +0000 https://baltimorebeat.com/?p=16120

Here are some traditional and not-so-traditional ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve weekend in Baltimore. Many of these will sell out, so we recommend buying your tickets now.  Thursday, Dec. 28 Tromac, S.DOT, and JaySwann: Start your New Year’s Eve weekend at this dance party featuring sounds by DJs Tromac, S.DOT, and JaySwann. (21+, Free) […]

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Here are some traditional and not-so-traditional ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve weekend in Baltimore. Many of these will sell out, so we recommend buying your tickets now. 

Tromac, S.DOT, and JaySwann: Start your New Year’s Eve weekend at this dance party featuring sounds by DJs Tromac, S.DOT, and JaySwann. (21+, Free) 10 p.m. at Ottobar, 2549 North Howard Street. For more information, go to theottobar.com or call 410-662-0069.

Ducky’s Dungeon 2023 Finale: Celebrate two years of Ducky’s Dungeon and close out 2023 by letting loose and celebrating the burgeoning underground community and culture that gives Baltimore its charm. Featuring sounds by resident DJs Ducky Dynamo, Ayymelo, and special guest K-Deucez. (21+, $10) 9:30 p.m. at The Crown Baltimore, 1910 North Charles Street. For more information, go to thecrownbaltimore.com or call 410-625-4848.

Dyke Nite Baltimore’s Fourth Birthday:  Celebrate Dyke Nite’s fourth birthday as well as the dawn of the New Year. Hit the dance floor downstairs with DJs Jacq Jill, Rox Reed and Pancakes. Featuring midnight birthday cake from Butterscream Baby, latex vending by Allure Bond, and resident bootblack Bird will be on duty. Don’t forget to bring cash tributes for the entertainers. Please wear a mask. ($15, 21+) 10 p.m. at Ottobar, 2549 North Howard Street. For more information, go to theottobar.com or call 410-662-0069.

Flier featuring a photograph of a cake, and text describing Dyke Nyte Birthday party.

New Year’s Retributions: A Double Feature Evening of Evil: Watch a thrilling double feature screening of “New Year’s Evil” and “Terror Train.” Presented by Vintage View Cinema. (21+, Free/Donations) 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Peabody Heights Brewery, 401 East 30th Street. For more information, go to peabodyheightsbrewery.com, vintageviewcinemas.com, or call 410-467-7837.

Ultra Nate’s DEEP SUGAR “Night Before” NYE: Celebrate the end of an epic year of underground house music with the Deep Sugar family. A night dedicated to lovers of house music, with original speakers brought in from the legendary Paradox. Featuring sounds by selectors Wayne Davis and Mookie Brock. Cash bar until 1:30 a.m. (21+, $20 Adv.) 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. at Factory 17, 1722 North Charles Street. For more information, email: deepsugarparty@gmail.com, or call: 410-547-8423.

flyer for a Deep Sugar New Years Eve Event, Night Before NYE, Dec 30

3AM GANG SH!T: Continue your New Year’s Eve warmup with sets by DJs JaySwann, Tromac, CASH.LISS, DJ-SUN, and Cadeem Lamarr. (18+, $16 – $20) 10 p.m. to late, Studio 10 Warehouse. Address will be provided to ticket holders. Contact organizers for more information.

Flier for NYE Eve event.

The Charmery’s 10th Kiddie Scoop Ball Drop: Bring your family to experience the joy of a New Year’s Eve ball drop a little bit earlier. Featuring glitter tattoos, New Year’s ice cream flavors, Union Craft Brewing beer, and DJ Sir Scoops-A-Lot spinning killer tunes to ring in the New Year. The event’s highlight is the much-anticipated ball drop, scheduled for 8 p.m. (Free, all ages, with ice cream treats available for purchase) 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at The Charmery Ice Cream Factory, 1700 West 41st Street #400. For more information, go to: thecharmery.com, or call: 443-759-4905.

Multicolored flier for Kiddie Scoop Ball Drop, features a cartoon ice cream cone

New Year’s Eve at Melba’s Place: Enjoy free parking, a light buffet, and a complimentary champagne toast. Featuring sounds by DJs Greg Dahamma, Marty Mar, Fella, and Nitro. (21+, $25) 8 p.m. at Melba’s Place, 3126 Greenmount Avenue. For more information, go to melbasplacebaltimore.com, or call 410-366-6536.

NYE23: Drone Show & Fireworks: Ring in the new year with Baltimore’s traditional fireworks display – with a twist. The skies will dazzle at midnight with a custom drone display alongside fireworks. The Inner Harbor Ice Rink will be open. Featuring music by DJ Curtis of C.James Experience and performances by Soul Cannon. (All ages, Free) 8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. at The Inner Harbor Amphitheatre, Light Street and Pratt Street. For more information, go to: promotionandarts.org, or call 410-752-8632.

Flier for NYE Event with drone show and fireworks.

Royal Blue NYE: Uncle Quincy & Chris Brooks:  Dance into the new year with music from  Chris Brooks and DJ Quincy. Drink specials (21+, $10) 9 p.m. to close at The Royal Blue, 1733 Maryland Avenue. For more information, go to: royalbluebar.com or call 443-869-6111.

Heels & Ties: A Queer New Year’s Eve Surprise: Dress to the nines for an unforgettable LGBTQIA+ New Year’s Eve party! Sip your favorite cocktails and enjoy small bites while dancing the night away. Featuring sounds by DJ Rosie and DJ Missy. Appetizer buffet until 11 p.m. and champagne toast at midnight. Presented by The Queers Upstairs. (21+, $30 – $75) 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. at Aliceanna Social Club, 1603 Aliceanna Street. For more information, go to: aliceannasocialclub.com, or call 410-864-6397.  

REFLEXIONS: A NYE Party featuring DJ SWISHA: The Compound x Break-A-Leg invites you to dance and bring in the New Year with two rooms offering club, house, and techno. Featuring sounds by DJ SWISHA (Juke Bounce Werk/NYC), Syd, Jacq Jill, Kade Young x JiaLing, and more. (18+, $22.85) 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. at The Compound, 2239 Kirk Avenue (22nd Street). For more information, contact info@compound.org. 

Flier for NYE party REFLEXIONS.

NEW YEARS EVE! 2003 v. 2023: It’s an epic music battle royale featuring the future classics of 2023 vs 2003 classics. Featuring DJ Mills and DJ Amsies . Ring in the new year with your fellow freaks and geeks and a free champagne toast at midnight. (21+, Free) 10 p.m. at Ottobar, Upstairs, 2549 North Howard Street. For more information, go to theottobar.com or call 410-662-0069.

Sweet Spot New Year’s Eve Dance Party:  Celebrate New Year’s Eve with this iconic dance party featuring your favorite pop anthems. Featuring sounds by DJ Sweet Spot and hosted by Baby. Advance tickets are $15 for entry and include a champagne toast at midnight, a balloon drop, and party favors. (21+, $15) 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. at Metro Gallery, 1700 North Charles Street. For more information, go to metrobmore.com, sweetspotbmore.com, or call 443-425-5139.

Flyer for a NYE event, Sweet Spot New Year's Eve.

New Year’s Eve Dopo Style: A night filled with delightful drinks and a vibrant atmosphere designed to captivate. Open bar and DJ. (21+, $125) 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Prima Dopo Cucina & Cocktail House, 1724 Thames Street. For more information, go to primadopobaltimore.com, or call: (443) 449-5605.

VERSION: A Queer Dance Party | NYE: Celebrate New Year’s Eve at VERSION, a dance party and space carved out for queer and trans people, by queer and trans people. Featuring sounds by resident DJ Trillnatured, hosted by Kotic Couture, and photographs by Sydney Allen. If you need a hand with cover this month email: letsversion@gmail.com (21+, $15 – $20) 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. at The Crown Baltimore, 1910 North Charles Street. For more information, go to: www.thecrownbaltimore.com or call: 410-625-4848.

Flyer for NYE Event, Version. NYE 24 12/31/23 9pm The Crown

It’s New Years, Again. The Sequel: Come dance and ring in the New Year again at this curated affair that will create memories to take with you all year long. This event will feature champagne, burritos, cocktails, and beer. Sounds by Chipleh, Mr. Doc, High Tension, Brian Murphy, and CheekyWillie. (21+, $20 – $55) 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. at Zo Gallery Studio, 3510 Ash Street. Contact organizers for more information. 


UZUMAKI: A sophisticated lo-fi New Year’s Eve celebration with vinyl records from DJ Graham Hatke. 10 p.m. at Fadensonnen, Upstairs Tavern, 3 West 23rd Street. For more information, go to: fadensonnen.com.

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Baltimore Arts and Culture Events 10/04/23-10/18/23 https://baltimorebeat.com/baltimore-arts-and-culture-events-10-04-23-10-18-23/ Tue, 03 Oct 2023 20:55:10 +0000 https://baltimorebeat.com/?p=15585 calendar graphic with check mark

Wednesday, October 4 Wellness Wednesday Kemetic Yoga: An evening of Kemetic Yoga with Michele Blu. ($20) 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Quench Juice Bar, 32 South Calvert Street. For more info, go to quenchjuicebar.com, micheleblu.yoga, or call 443-813-5042.  “Get Out” Screening: Watch Jordan Peele’s 2017 thriller. 7 p.m. at Warehouse Cinemas, 727 West 40th […]

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Wednesday, October 4

Wellness Wednesday Kemetic Yoga: An evening of Kemetic Yoga with Michele Blu. ($20) 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Quench Juice Bar, 32 South Calvert Street. For more info, go to quenchjuicebar.com, micheleblu.yoga, or call 443-813-5042. 

Get Out” Screening: Watch Jordan Peele’s 2017 thriller. 7 p.m. at Warehouse Cinemas, 727 West 40th Street. For more information, go to rotunda.warehousecinemas.com.

Thursday, October 5 

Chocolate Covered Rocky Horror: This racy rendition of the iconic movie that debuted in 1975 encourages unity and reminds us all that we have greater enemies as a people. Since 2015, Chocolate Covered Rocky Horror has been a tribute to the queer experience while showcasing and exposing minorities to liberating art forms.  ($32-$35) Oct. 5-7 at Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Avenue. For more information, go to creativealliance.org or call: 410-276-1651.

Sweaty Eyeballs Animation Festival: ​The 2023 festival will include four international shorts programs, a Baltimore showcase program, a Young Audiences program, a Guest Animator Retrospective, independent feature films, workshops, and more. Oct. 5-8 at various locations. For more information, go to sweatyeyeballs.com.

Jazzy Summer Nights: Featuring a performance by Joi Carter, food trucks, retail vendors, and more. ($25+) 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 101 West Cromwell Street. For more information, go to thefinngroup.net/jazzy-summer-nights.

Friday, October 6

Charm City Blues Festival: This special night of emotive lyrics and guitar-driven accompaniment features performances by King George, Calvin Richardson, Lenny Williams, Theodis Ealey and Pokey Bear. ($59-$175) 8 p.m. at The Lyric Baltimore,140 West Mount Royal Avenue. For more information, go to lyricbaltimore.com

Saturday, October 7

Pindrop: A blend of Baltimore club, electro, and EDM sounds. ($10) 2 a.m. to 7 a.m., location to be announced. For more information, go to ra.co/events/1772506.

Vision & Spirit African-American Art Workshop for Kids with Charles Mason III: A fun and interactive artwork workshop, dabbling with drawing and mixed media materials. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 East Pratt Street. For more information, go to lewismuseum.org or call: 443-263-1800.

BLKYARD BOOGIE MKT: Hand-crafted drinks, amazing music, and some of the dopest BLK creatives and makers to shop with. Noon to 5 p.m. at Good Neighbor, 3827 Falls Road. For more information, call: 443-627-8919 or go to goodneighborshop.com.

Free Congolese Dance Class with Andoche Loubaki: Learn Congolese dance moves. 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Cahill Recreation Center, 4001 Clifton Avenue. For more information, call 410-396-0259.

Jason Reynolds, “There Was a Party for Langston”: Award-winning author Jason Reynolds will share his debut picture book that celebrates the life and legacy of Langston Hughes. He will be joined in conversation by bestselling author D. Watkins. 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Enoch Pratt Free Library, 400 Cathedral Street. For more information, go to: prattlibrary.org.

Creating Art, Creating Change: Art as a Tool for Social Justice: An evening of art and storytelling to explore the connections between racism, anti-Semitism, and the transformative power of art and stories to counter hate and build a thriving democracy. 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Highway. For more information, go to: avam.org or call 410-244-1900.

The ReUnion: Morgan State Homecoming Party: Music from DJ Flow, DJ KI, DJ C-Stylez, DJ Reem, and more. 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Ikonic Live, 318-316 Guilford Avenue. For more information, go to mvemnt.com.

Beatitude One Year Anniversary: Featuring sounds by livwutang, Coco Bryce, Beautiful Swimmers, CalvoMusic, Babypufff, flotussin, and Black Grealish. ($20 – $30) 10 p.m., location to be announced. For more information, go to ra.co/events/1777158.

Sunday, October 8

Free Animation Workshop for Kids: Participants ages seven to 12 can learn stop-motion animation using sand, drawing, and puppets. 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at MICA’s Fox Building, 1305 West Mount Royal Avenue. For more information, go to sweatyeyeballs.com.

Deep Sugar Rooftop: Dance like nobody is watching to grooves across the spectrum of house music. Sounds by selectors Ultra Naté, DJ Oji, DJ Scoob, and DJ Cel. ($27) 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Lord Baltimore Hotel, 20 West Baltimore Street. For more information, go to: lordbaltimorehotel.com, or call 410-539-8400. 

Hip-Hop & Soul Cafe’: Special guest DJs spinning classic 80s & 90s hip-hop, R&B, classic soul samples and more. Sundays. 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Nola Seafood & Spirits, 36 East Cross Street. For more information, go to nolaseafoodandspirits.com.

Astroknot Collective presents: Pride in Black w/ Kotic Cotoure, Neru Thee Fourth Fugee, D.T., Berkolover, and more: Baltimore’s month-long celebration of Black LGBTQ Pride happens every October. This year, Blaq Equity Baltimore partners with the Black Arts District and various local artists and organizations to promote and produce events throughout the month. ($10-$15) 9 p.m. at The Crown Baltimore, 1910 North Charles Street. For more information, go to thecrownbaltimore.com.

Black Celebration: DJs Jerrod Bronson & Hell O’Kitty play goth, industrial, post-punk, new wave and beyond. A dark dance night created by POC, where all are welcome. 9 p.m. at Ottobar, 2549 North Howard Street. For more information, go to: theottobar.com or call 410- 662-0069.

Monday, October 9

Kizomba Mondays: Kizomba/Semba classes and social dancing. Mondays, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.at The Point In Fells, 1738 Thames Street. For more information, go to thepointfells.com.

Tuesday, October 10

Sing-Along Tuesday: Weekly karaoke. 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Melba’s Place, 3126 Greenmount Avenue. For more information, call 410-366-6536 

Thursday, October 12

Baltimore Blaq Pride 2023: Opening Reception: Enjoyy happy hour snacks, drinks, and more to celebrate Black LGBTQIA Pride Month. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Lord Baltimore Hotel, 20 West Baltimore StreetFor more information, go to baltimoreblaqpride.org.

Halle Hill Presents “Good Women”: Author Halle Hill discusses her new short story collection. 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Greedy Reads Remington, 320 West 29th Street. For more information, go to greedyreads.com.

The Vibe Check: Musicians from all over the city come here to jam, vibe, and connect with Love Harris. Featuring “The Storage Unit” fusion collective. Bring your instrument, your voice, and your energy. 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Motor House, 120 West North Avenue. For more information, go to motorhousebaltimore.com.

Friday, October 13

Bry Reed Presents “Surviving the Future: Abolitionist Queer Strategies: “Surviving the Future” is a collection of the most current ideas in radical queer movement work and revolutionary queer theory. 7 p.m. at Red Emma’s, 3128 Greenmount Avenue. For more information, go to: redemmas.org or call 410-601-3072.

TWUK (Vol. 5) Tricks & Treats: This event features DJ Zephyr and special guest Vosh, as well as performers Letty, Scarlet, Pixie, Sativa, Kiley, Nikki, Eden and Royal. Tricks & Treats is goth-themed, and costumes are encouraged. ($15-$100) 8 p.m. at Metro Gallery, 1700 North Charles Street. For more information, go to metrobmore.com or email: ericmach@themetrogallery.net.

Art After Hours: Hear DJ Pangelica spin a mix of deep house with classical influences and female vocals. Enjoy European-inspired appetizers and cocktails by H3irloom Food Group, and don’t miss a pop-up performance by genre-spanning violinist Melissa Hullman and hands-on paper quilling with artist Kim Rice. ($25-$30) 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Drive. For more information, go to artbma.org or call 443-573-1700.

Joy Postell  DJ Shay Alienood: Ages 18 and up. ($15-$20) 9 p.m. at Ottobar, 2549 North Howard Street. For more information, go to: theottobar.com or call 410- 662-0069.

Saturday, October 14

Black Canni Conference: This event celebrates Black entrepreneurs and leaders in the cannabis industry. Oct. 14-15 at Baltimore Unity Hall, 1505 Eutaw Place. For more information, email admin@livewellbemore.com or call 410-212-5953. 

Sensory-Friendly Morning: A sensory-friendly hour of The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited. The multi-media exhibition will be modified to provide a low-sensory experience with dimmed lighting and lower, consistent volumes of its installations. Free with $17-$19 museum admission. 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at The Maryland Center for History and Culture, 610 Park Avenue. For more information, go to https://www.mdhistory.org/ or call 410-685-3750.

Fela Kuti Birthday Celebration 2023: Kalakuta Speakeasy Style: Fela vinyl set courtesy of DJ Natty KooL and African art and fashion courtesy of Umri Siki and Gallery Denkyem Ase. Please RSVP. 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Baltimore Spirits Company Cocktail Gallery, 1700 West 41st Street. For more information, go to baltimorespiritsco.com or call: 443-687-9099.

Monday, October 16

Seven Deadly Sips at Black Acres Roastery: Join Yelp Baltimore and Black Acres Roastery for a complimentary coffee tasting and home brewing workshop. RSVP required. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Black Acres Roastery, 1400 Greenmount Avenue. For more information, go to blackacrescoffee.com

Tuesday, October 17

Public Art Panel Discussion: A night of discussion on public art. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at NoMüNoMü, 709 North Howard Street. For more information, go to brushmuralfest.com

Wednesday, October 18 

Jada Pinkett Smith: “Worthy”: Jada Pinkett Smith’s new unconventional memoir “Worthy” is an invitation to join her adventure in search of love and self-worth. During this special event, Jada will recount her story in an intimate conversation with readers. 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Enoch Pratt Free Library, 400 Cathedral Street. For more information, go to https://www.prattlibrary.org or call 410-396‑5430. 

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Baltimore Arts and Culture Events 09/06/23 – 09/20/23 https://baltimorebeat.com/baltimore-arts-and-culture-events-09-06-23-09-20-23/ Wed, 06 Sep 2023 02:10:30 +0000 https://baltimorebeat.com/?p=15413 calendar graphic with check mark

Thursday, September 7 Jazzy Summer Nights: Featuring a performance by house music legend Lady Alma, food trucks, retail vendors, curated activations and more. ($25+) 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at 101 West Cromwell Street. For more information, go to: thefinngroup.net/jazzy-summer-nights. Gridiron Gals NFL Kickoff Party: Grab your friends and come on down to the Gridiron […]

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Thursday, September 7

Jazzy Summer Nights: Featuring a performance by house music legend Lady Alma, food trucks, retail vendors, curated activations and more. ($25+) 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at 101 West Cromwell Street. For more information, go to: thefinngroup.net/jazzy-summer-nights.

Gridiron Gals NFL Kickoff Party: Grab your friends and come on down to the Gridiron Gals NFL Kickoff Party for an unforgettable night of football festivities. Music by DJ Kleena until kickoff. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. / Game at 8:20 p.m. at Mansion Baltimore, 401 West Baltimore Street. 

The Lighthouse Writer’s Workshop: This workshop creates a space for participants of all levels and genres of writing to create new pieces and workshop any existing ones. 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Motor House, 120 West North Avenue. For more information, go to: motorhousebaltimore.com. 

Artistry Unveiled: Hoesy Corona: Step into the imaginative realm of Enoch Pratt’s newest Artist-In-Resident Hoesy Corona as he shares insights into his artistic journey. Free. 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Current Space Garden Bar, 421 Tyson Street. For more information, go to: currentspace.com or email: info@currentspace.com.

Friday, September 8 

Baltimore’s Hard Histories: Conversations, Community, and Change: Baltimore’s hard history practitioners discuss their work surrounding a reckoning with their institutions’ pasts of slavery and racism. Various times. At the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture, 830 East Pratt Street. For more information, go to: lewismuseum.org, or call: 443-263-1800. 

Outdoor Movie Nights: Fast 5: Part of a series of outdoor movie screenings in partnership with @charmcitytable and Little Havana. Enjoy refreshing drinks and delicious food before the show. (All ages, Free) 6:00 p.m. Adjacent to Rye Street Market in Baltimore Peninsula, 301 Mission Boulevard. For more information, go to: baltimorepeninsula.com/whats-happening/fast-5.

Cousin Cookout:  Featuring sounds by DJ Clutch and Food by Our Time Kitchen. Entry includes one drink ticket. (21+, $20) 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at Our Time Kitchen,  117 West 24th Street. For more information, go to: ourtimekitchen.com or email: ourtimekitchen@gmail.com.

B_X_R_N_X_R_D’s Funh0use: A night of curious delights for those willing to go exploring in the night. With special performances by King Molasses, Hennessey, div0i, B_X_R_N_X_R_D. Sounds by DVONNE, Cybersyn, S.DOT and Jett. (21+, $20) 10:00 p.m. at The Owl Room, 2007 14th Street Northwest, Washington, D.C. For more information, go to: theowlroomdc.com.

Celebration: A Musical Revue: Come celebrate the opening of Arena Players Incorporated’s 70th Season with a revival of “Celebration,” written by Arena Players’ resident playwright and director, Randolph Smith. ($30-$35) Various Times/Dates at Arena Players, 801 McCulloh Street. For more information, go to: .arenaplayersinc.com, or call: 410- 728-6500,

Saturday, September 9

Vintemporary: Shop vintage, high-end archives, toys, furniture and more. 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at good neighbor, 3827 Falls Road. For more information, go to: goodneighborshop.com or call 443- 627-8919. 

Baltimore Rhythm Festival 2023: Featuring two stages, workshops, children’s activities, open mic, vendors and festival drum jams that are like no other. Bring your drum if you have one. (All ages, Free). 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at 1600 Guilford Avenue. For more information go to: baltimorerhythmfestival.org,or email: baltimorerhythmfestival@gmail.com

Sunday, September 10

Wine on the Water: A day of indulgence with the finest selection of wines and a stunning waterfront view. Sample wine from local vineyards. With sounds by Secret Society, Dj Tanz and Dj Hott Tidy, featuring Davon “The Percussionist.” Hosted by April Sampé. ($35-$550) 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., at 3301 Waterview Avenue. For more information, go to: fruitsoflifeevents.com or email info@fruitsoflifeevents.com.

50th Annual Abell Community Street Fair: With Abell Avenue’s brightly-painted row houses as a backdrop, the Street Fair features live music, great food, local artisan vendors, a silent auction and kids’ activities. 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at 3100 Abell Avenue. For more information, go to: abellimprovement.org/50th-street-fair

Punk Black Baltimore: A showcase of Black-led punk and hardcore bands. Featuring performances by Terrain, Being Hvman, Rauli V, PEARL, Keep Your Secrets, BLK VAPOR, The Missing Peace, The Rack and Nightlife. ($12) 3:00 p.m. at Metro Gallery, 1700 North Charles Street. For more information, go to: themetrogallery.net or call: 443-425-5139. 

Tuesday, September 12

Crown Karaoke: Come sing all of your favorite hits. (21+, Free). 9:00 p.m. at The Crown Baltimore, 1910 North Charles Street. For more information, go to: thecrownbaltimore.com, or call 410-625-4848.

Wednesday, September 13

Hidden Palace: A monthly reading and storytelling event by poets and writers. Come for a drink and hear readings from Richard Chiem, Jackson Frons, Tania James and Shy Watson. Hosted by Joseph Grantham in collaboration with Greedy Reads. 7:00 p.m. upstairs at Fadensonnen, 3 West 23rd Street. For more information, go to: fadensonnen.com, greedyreads.com, call: 410-878-0184, or email: info@greedyreads.com.

Thursday, September 14

Panel Discussion: When Histories Collide:  An  evening of connection and conversation with artists Jackie Milad, Fred Wilson, and Nekisha Durrett prompted by Histories Collide, an exhibition that features new work by Durrett and Milad created in dialogue with Fred Wilson’s sculpture Artemis/Bast (1992) following an open call to artists. 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Drive. For more information, go to: artbma.org or call: 443-573-1700.

Open Mic Night: An electrifying evening of creativity and music hosted by Jay Konsciouz. Immerse yourself in soulful R&B, enchanting jazz and captivating poetry. Happy hour food and drinks specials. (Free) 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at Noir Restaurant & Lounge, 5716 York Road. For more information, go to:  noirbaltimore.com, or call: 443-708-7081.

Friday, September 15

Y2K Forever: Y2K forever is back! 2000’s jams all night long, 2000’s attire encouraged.  Featuring sounds by DJ-SUN, DJ AAVE, Matt Hurd and Notcharles. All Ages. ($10 adv./ $12) 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. at Ottobar, 549 North Howard Street. For more information, go to: theottobar.com or call: 410-662-0069.

Black Improv Block Party:  A showcase of Baltimore’s best Black improv comedians, this show will feature short-form comedy games, long-form sitcom-style shows, interviews and more. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. Presented by Highwire Improv. ($12 in advance, $15 at the door) 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at BlakWater House, 218 West Saratoga Street 5th Floor. For more information, go to: baltimore.org/event/block-party-a-showcase-of-baltimores-best-black-improv/, or email:  highwireimprov@gmail.com

Saturday, September 16

Love Groove Festival: The seventh edition of the art and music festival curated by John Tyler features live performances, vendors and food trucks. In collaboration with BLK ASS FLEA MKT, Little Amal and the Black Arts District. (All ages, Free) 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at Robert C. Marshall Park, 1201 Pennsylvania Avenue. For more information, go to: lovegroovefestival.com or email: contact@lovegroovefestival.com

Sunday, September 17

Alicia D. Kennedy presents “No Meat Required”: Celebrate the release of Alicia D. Kennedy’s book, which explores a culinary and cultural history of plant-based eating in the U.S. that delves into the subcultures and politics that have defined alternative food. 3:00 p.m. at Red Emma’s Bookstore Coffeehouse, 3128 Greenmount Avenue. For more information, go to: redemmas.org or call: 410-601-3072.

Resilience Unveiled Art Exhibit Opening Reception: An art exhibit that explores the profound connections between Frederick Douglass, Isaac Myers and Kujichagulia. Curated by Kibibi Ajanku and The Black Art Today Foundation. 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at Douglass-Myers Museum, Bearman Gallery, 1417 Thames Street. For more information, visit blackarttoday.com.

Ultra Naté’s Deep Sugar Rooftop 11: Dance like nobody is watching to grooves across the spectrum of house music. With sounds by selectors Ultra Naté, DJ Spen and The Elders. ($27) 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. LB SkyBar is located on the 19th floor of the Lord Baltimore Hotel, 20 West Baltimore Street. For more information, go to: lordbaltimorehotel.com, or call: 410-539-8400. 

Monday, September 18

Alejandro Varela in conversation with Danielle Evans: Alejandro Varela, National Book Award finalist author of “The Town of Babylon” will discuss his new short story collection, “The People Who Report More Stress.” Varela will be in conversation with Baltimore author Danielle Evans. 7:00 p.m – 8:30 p.m.at Greedy Reads Remington, 320 West 29th Street. For more information, go to: greedyreads.com.

Tuesday, September 19

Tanisia Moore: “I Am My Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams:: Join author Tanisia Moore to celebrate the release of “I Am My Ancestors’ Wildest Dream,” with an in-person reading at the Orleans Street Branch. Participants will receive a free copy of the book. All ages. 10:30 a.m. Enoch Pratt Free Library, Orleans Street Branch, 1303 Orleans Street. For more information, go to: prattlibrary.org or call: 410-396‑5430.

Wednesday, September 20

Big Queer Book Party: Celebrate the release of “Tea Leaves,” by Jacob Bundez. With additional readings by Sylvia Jones and Tonee Moll. Musical performances by DJ Amsies, Alex D’Agostino, Molesuit Choir and Tarot by Soleil. ($10 suggested donation) 7:00 p.m. at Current Space Garden Bar, 421 Tyson Street. For more information, go to: currentspace.com or email: info@currentspace.com.

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