Wednesday, July 31

West Wednesdays: Hear about the ongoing fight for police accountability in the Tyrone West case and all victims of police misconduct. This event happens every Wednesday. For more information, go to facebook.com/justicefortyronewest.

July Wellness Support for Victims of Police Violence: Wellness support for individuals and families harmed by police brutality. 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Virtual. For more information, go to thesoothecircle.org.

Baltimore City Is Not For Sale: Community learning & panel discussion: Join faith, labor, and community leaders from the Baltimore City Is Not For Sale campaign, along with City Councilmember Odette Ramos, for a panel discussion on right-wing efforts to dismantle Baltimore’s safety net. 7 p.m. at Red Emma’s, 3128 Greenmount Avenue. For more information, call 410-601-3072 or email info@redemmas.org.

Thursday, August 1

Build Your Skills, Build Your Future with HabiCorps! Virtual Info Session: The construction industry remains incredibly diverse, with jobs available in the commercial, industrial and residential sectors. Get the hands-on experience you need to jump-start your career by training with HabiCorps. 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Virtual. For more information, go to habitatchesapeake.org.

Friday, August 2

Baltimore Peace Movement Opening Rally: Baltimore Peace Movement ambassadors and squad invite you to their opening rally. Peace Promise Weekend is Aug. 2-4. 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the intersection of Edmondson and Edgewood. For more information, go to baltimorepeacemovement.com.

World Breastfeeding Week 2024: WIC Breastfeeding/Prenatal Bootcamp Class: An informative and empowering session on breastfeeding and prenatal care. Noon at the Baltimore City WIC Clinic, North Eden Street. For more information, go to healthybabiesbaltimore.com.

Saturday, August 3

Free Housing Symposium Breakfast: Get engaged and network with other housing professionals. 9:30 a.m. to noon at Delta Hotels Baltimore North, 5100 Falls Road. For more information, go to baltimorehealthystart.org.

Metal Detecting 101 with @salvagearc: Learn to discover treasures in your own community’s backyard. All equipment included, no prior experience necessary. 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Enoch Pratt Free Library, Patterson Park Branch, 158 North Linwood Avenue. For more information, go to prattlibrary.org or call 410-396‑5430.

Sunday, August 4

August G.R.O.W Beyond Creative Barriers: A free, independent productivity session in a group setting where you will learn from research-based best practices in a simple format and to gain control of mindless procrastination and the struggle to complete independent tasks. 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. For more information, go to goodneighborshop.com.

Monday, August 5

Community Yoga @Refocused: 1st Sundays: Beginner yoga for all ages. Families are welcome. Free but donations are appreciated. Noon to 1 p.m. at 429 North Eutaw Street. For more information, go to refocusedspace.com.

Mental Mondays in West Baltimore: A fun and safe space where individuals can connect and learn about various wellness practices, from yoga, to art, to meditation and everything in between. Every first and third Monday. 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Bon Secours Resource Center, 31 South Payson Street. For more information, go to namibaltimore.org.

Lost History of Frederick (Bailey) Douglass & the Lloyd Family of Maryland: Learn about the lost history of Frederick (Bailey) Douglass and the influential Lloyd Family of Maryland’s Eastern Shore across generations and geography in this groundbreaking presentation. 8:30 p.m. to 9:10 p.m. Virtual. For more information, email contactus@losthistoryusa.com.

Tuesday, August 6

Leonard Pitts Jr.: “54 Miles”: An evening with Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and novelist Leonard Pitts, Jr. 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Enoch Pratt Free Library, 400 Cathedral Street. For more information, go to prattlibrary.org or call 410-396‑5430.

Wednesday, August 7

East Baltimore NAMI Connection Support Group: A free, peer-led support group for adults 18+ living with a mental health condition or looking for mental health support. 6 p.m. at MorganCARES, 2101 East Biddle Street. For more information, call 410-435-2600. 

Thursday, August 8

Let’s Talk Powermapping: A Youth-Led Training and Conversation: Strong Schools Maryland is partnering with Youth as Resources to host a youth-led training on powermapping to better understand the power structures within Baltimore City and the education system. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at SEIU 1199, 611 North Eutaw Street. For more information, go to strongschoolsmaryland.org.

Saturday, August 10

Vermicomposting 101: Join Filbert Street Garden experts on how you can better your gardening, whilst being sustainable. Registration is required. 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Enoch Pratt Library, 400 Cathedral Street. For more information, go to prattlibrary.org or call 410-396‑5430.

Learn How to Become a Habitat Homebuyer | Virtual Information Sessions: During the session, Habitat for Humanity’s Homebuyer Services team will be highlighting our properties throughout Baltimore City, including Orchard Ridge, Milton-Montford, Sandtown, and Pen Lucy. Virtual. 10 a.m. to Noon. For more information, go to habitatchesapeake.org.

Monday, August 12

Baltimore City Health Department Virtual Naloxone Training: Virtual naloxone training from the Baltimore City Health Department Overdose Prevention Team. 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Virtual. For more information, go to health.baltimorecity.gov/oit.

Tuesday, August 13

Black August: Uplifting the History of Resistance Behind the Walls: Join Baltimore Racial Justice Action to uplift, reflect, and honor the stories of Black political prisoners and resistance from those behind the walls. 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Enoch Pratt Free Library, Central Branch, 400 Cathedral Street. For more information, go to bmoreantiracist.org.

Wednesday, August 14

Exploring the Soil Food Web: This field day is a combination discussion and hands-on workshop, focused on the microbiome of healthy soil and the ways that healthy soil supports healthy plants and people. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 2159 West Rogers Avenue. For more information, go to farmalliancebaltimore.org.

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In its opening weekend, “Longlegs,” a breakout horror film effectively masquerading itself as a throwback police procedural, broke box office records for its distributor NEON. Using a largely memetic marketing campaign, it has followed in the footsteps of other recent horror flicks, presenting itself as the second coming of “The Exorcist” to a younger audience for whom the horror genre begins and ends with whatever A24 has released this year. So, is its success a fad? 

Well, with regard to maintaining a pervasive and discomfiting sense of dread through much of its runtime, “Longlegs” proves without peer among its contemporaries. But when the final act comes, and all its byzantine mythology must be made plain to the audience, it falls apart in a strangely poetic way. At the end of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 classic “Psycho,” viewers in that time were met with a lengthy exposition dump as a psychiatrist exhaustively cataloged the titular killer’s pathology. All the film’s tension and suspense melted away while the mystery surrounding Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) was directly spelled out.

Sixty years ago, mainstream audiences were not ready for the complex psychology at the film’s heart and needed their hands held lest they walk out of that auditorium bewildered for life. But “Longlegs,” written and directed by Anthony Perkins’ son Osgood, similarly pivots at the last minute to coddling an audience who, unlike the stuffy conservatives Hitchcock traumatized all those years ago, are more than game to put two and two together.

“Longlegs” opens with one of the strongest prologues in recent memory. Using a more confined, boxy aspect ratio, the film’s introductory sequence introduces us to Longlegs (Nicolas Cage), the pasty, androgynous, aging glam rock enthusiast at the heart of the film’s series of peculiar murders. Seen from the perspective of an unnamed little girl, Longlegs’ dusty, white appearance blends into the snowy environment and conjures a palpable fear. His lumbering frame, from the low height of a child, feels otherworldly and frightening, growing only more so when he hunches his body down to her level. For a nearly imperceptible flash, we see a glimpse of his face before a dramatic cut to the title sequence. 

That abstract terror permeates the quieter, more staid proceedings that follow. Jumping forward 20 years to 1993, we’re introduced to Lee Harker (Maika Monroe), a junior FBI agent. Harker possesses preternatural levels of intuition presented as a middle point between potential clairvoyance (should this film devolve into some measure of science fiction) and autistic-coded pattern recognition (far likelier). Her boss, Agent Carter (Blair Underwood), conscripts her into aiding on the long-unsolved “Longlegs” case. Over multiple decades, families are annihilated in unexplainable murder-suicides, where someone leaves letters with coded word puzzles signed only “Longlegs.” But it’s the families themselves combusting inward with bloodshed and torture, so how can an external entity be the culprit?

The investigation and its cinematic execution owe a lot to Jonathan Demme’s “The Silence of the Lambs,” with Monroe’s Harker channeling Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling and Underwood’s Carter capturing a variation of Scott Glenn’s Jack Crawford (later played by Laurence Fishburne on the “Hannibal” television series). It’s easy to get caught up in the plaintive, patient way Perkins lets the narrative unfold. The camera holds carefully on these inviting wide shots where the periphery of the frame feels like an omnipresent threat. While Harker labors over crime scene photos, it constantly feels like the darkness of the case will swallow her whole or that something sinister is lurking from right beyond the reach of her gaze.

Perkins establishes this sense of inevitability as a slow burn, that the moody thriller we’re trudging through is going to collide with the occult-y horror picture Cage’s satanic figure shepherds along. But once the two halves meet, the film falls apart. Up to the final act, the film largely fixates on its mood and its dark energy. There are ideas at play around Satanist iconography, our nation’s history with serial killers, and the omnipresent sense that malice lurks behind the doors of even the most milquetoast, suburban dwellings. But the longer it all unravels, the less it feels likely to be building to a satisfying climax. 

When the film takes a left turn and does try to brute-force a killer ending, it flies in the face of all that’s come before it. The film’s die-hard fans and eagle-eyed Redditors will suggest that repeat viewings and slavish attention to blink-and-you’ll-miss-it easter eggs will reveal an ornate tapestry destined to withstand the test of time. (Perhaps they’re even right!)

But on the first watch, it’s difficult to shake the feeling that we’re watching both a celebratory coming-out party for Perkins as a director and empirical proof that his screenwriting requires more polish. Visually, he paints a compelling and engrossing picture, but the script that supports it has all the characteristics of a term paper rushed the night before a deadline. In another world, another rewrite or two might have brought the film’s many third-act revelations in line with the picture that precedes them.

Instead, we’re left with an intriguing effort with some solid performances from its cast that fails to end in a manner befitting its auspicious beginning.

“Longlegs” is currently playing exclusively in theaters.

The post ‘Longlegs’ is a strong effort held back from being an instant classic appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

Last month, a new Marvel title hit shelves courtesy of Tiffany D. Jackson. The author of “Grown,” “What Happened to Monday,” and “The Weight of Blood” brings a young Ororo Munroe — the child who will become the superhero Storm — to life in “Storm: Dawn of a Goddess.” Jackson’s latest release is a delightful YA novel grounded in Storm’s East African origins and the hardships of teenage girlhood. “Dawn of a Goddess” is equal parts fantasy and coming-of-age, proving to be a great fiction pick for children and adults to read together this summer.

In this new origin story, Jackson builds a fast-paced fantasy world infused with teenage angst, powerful mutants, tense combat, and lessons on belonging. She writes each layer of the nearly 300-page voyage with finesse. The most apparent strength of Jackson’s adaptation is her skill for writing young characters at pivotal crossroads. 

Ororo Munroe is a thunderous mystery and an exhausted teenage girl. The story begins with a young Ororo, at age 6, and continues as she grows into a 15-year-old. Her age is a core distinction from other adaptations of her story. Many comics, television and film adaptations tell stories of Storm as an adult already tasked with leading the X-Men with her mastery of nature’s elements. This YA entry into Storm’s canon affords audiences an earlier introduction with a chance to understand the talented mutant’s journey in Africa before she meets Professor Charles Xavier.

Writing from the perspective of teenage leads is the heart of Jackson’s literary wheelhouse. Jackson shapes Storm’s origins with attention to the motivations and limitations of a teenage protagonist. My introduction to Jackson’s storytelling was in 2020, when I finished her novel “Grown” in one day. Her attention to detail when fashioning a child’s point of view is impressive. In “Grown,” as with “Storm: Dawn of a Goddess,” Jackson delivers engaging conflict about the material and emotional costs of coming of age. Both novels depend on readers’ willingness to peer deeper at the impact of class and adultification — a harmful process of perceiving children as older or more mature — on children.

In nearly all her published work, Jackson prompts readers to consider the power imbalance between childhood and adulthood with high stakes — her fiction holds a magnifying glass to American myths about freedom and innocence. The adults in Jackson’s novels inhabit worlds full of fear about homelessness, unemployment, and safety and so do the young people at the center of her stories. Her authorial choices invite audiences to challenge assumptions about childhood innocence and question the impact of power imbalances on young Black children. The relationships between adults and children, workers and bosses, and tourists and locals are examples of where Jackson explores power in her novels. 

Through it all, young protagonists fight for a sense of self. An example of Jackson’s prowess for writing these costly tensions comes early in “Grown.” In a conversation with her father, Enchanted, the novel’s central character, broaches a familiar situation: she is a teenager asking for her first car. Her pitch is simple: “We can lease a car for two hundred and twenty-eight dollars a month. I’ll be able to help with the Littles. Take Shea and me to school.” Enchanted’s ask, however, comes at a difficult time. Her father’s union is preparing to strike. 

A conversation that starts with Enchanted’s want for a car quickly burrows deeper into one about economic anxiety and labor organizing. In the end, Enchanted is left to wonder about the looming strike: “I’ve heard Mommy and Daddy talk about it. A union strike would mean no pay, and strikes can go on for months, maybe years.” By the end of the scene, the economic anxiety plaguing both characters — parent and child — is on full display. In Jackson’s fiction, children are not excused from the psychological and emotional impact of economic exploitation, and readers contend with that perspective.

With “Storm: Dawn of a Goddess,” Jackson’s talent for magnifying the toll of exploitation on children takes shape in a new genre. Even in fantasy, Jackson commits to the stakes that Ororo is still a young girl growing up in the souks of Cairo. Ororo must contend with classism, imperialism, and child neglect to figure out who she is. In the process, she (and other vulnerable children) try to survive starvation without being jailed or killed by adults in power. Jackson’s skill for careful world-building is evident in her handling of Indigenous African spirituality, PTSD and child poverty, even within the conventions of fantasy. 

The quest to outwit the Shadow King, a terrifying psychic mutant with the power to possess the bodies of others, is only one obstacle in Ororo’s way. Jackson composes a fantasy novel with a satisfying balance between the fight scenes that Storm fans expect and intimate moments of introspection that fans new to her writing will enjoy. Overall, Jackson pens a world of magic and mutants that remains grounded in the histories of colonialism in which we, the audience, live each day. 

Ororo’s journey from Egypt to Kenya also shatters the familiar idea that the superhero epic is only as good as its final battle. Jackson’s multilayered narrative brings waves of conflict that blow away the fantasy trope of one looming villain (usually known as “the big bad”). In discovering her talent for weather manipulation, she embarks on a path far more personal than any single fight with the traditional big, bad Marvel villain can hold. Jackson crafts a true heroine’s tale to captivate fans of all ages. And beyond Ororo, Jackson rounds out the narrative with a full cast of friends, foes and familiar faces (like T’Challa, the young crown prince of Wakanda). Every relationship invites Ororo to question herself and where her powers come from to discover who she is. 

After reading “Storm: Dawn of a Goddess,” my initial skepticism about Marvel’s ability to handle Storm’s origin subsided. Jackson’s talent for writing heartwarming teen leads with compelling motivations is a major benefit to Marvel. The choice to hire her as the newest steward of Storm’s source material saves Ororo Munroe from falling victim to the uninspired direction of recent Marvel cinematic products. This latest adaptation makes the most out of the Marvel superhero pantheon. Jackson delivers an exciting young adult novel that encourages readers to imagine the world of Storm without fully succumbing to the limitations of Marvel’s Africa. 

The post Book Review: Tiffany D. Jackson’s ‘Storm: Dawn of a Goddess’ appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

2023, in a chlorified water.

A glitch blue hue taste bleachful.

A sea a baby can’t stand.

With a hue that blinds

The blue egg of thirst: say hello

2016 in a saltified water.

A dark blue-brown hue tasted… salty.

A sea one can not drink.

With a hue that makes a fish a home.

The blue egg of thirst: say hello

2011, once more in chlorine.

The puddle tasted bleachy.

The puddle tasted salty.

Like the first warning.

Don’t drink the water.

The blue egg of thirst: say hello

The beauty of sea and water.

Of salt or chlorine, ironically.

Both are the same water,

Because neither you can drink.

NaCL 

         NCL

The green eagle of breath says hello.

The post CL See appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

Earlier this month — in partnership with the Baltimore Office of Promotion and The Arts (BOPA), the Maryland State Arts Council and M&T Bank — Mount Vernon’s Walters Art Museum unveiled the works of this year’s Janet and Walter Sondheim Prize finalists with a new exhibit. 

Now on view in the museum’s Centre Street building through September 8, the exhibition features the creations of ceramist Sam Mack, weaver Hellen Ascoli, and local mixed-media artist Amy Boone-McCreesh, each of whom currently live and work in Baltimore.

The exhibit marks the 19th iteration of BOPA’s annual Janet and Walter Sondheim Art Prize, named in honor of the celebrated late Baltimore couple (a trailblazing dancer and civil rights leader, respectively) and their lasting impact on the city’s arts landscape. 

This year, the distinguished competition, which was created to provide artists in Baltimore with resources to flourish, will conclude on August 22 with a ceremony and reception at the WaltersArt Museum. Each artist will receive the M&T Bank Finalist Award of $2,500 to assist with exhibit costs. One artist will win a coveted studio residency at the Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower, and after a series of final reviews, a jury of historians and curators will choose one lucky winner to receive the top prize: a $30,000 fellowship to help them further their career.

During a preview event for the exhibit on July 16, Boone-McCreesh said it was “incredible” to be named a finalist and showcase her pieces at the Walters.  Her color-rich portfolio includes sculpted and paper-based creations.

“Baltimore is such an incredible art city, [but] it flies under the radar a little bit. Of course, every city has its issues, but I’m just so excited to be recognized as a part of the art community here,” she said.

Complex and effervescent just like Baltimore, Boone-McCreesh’s maximalist works — often including paper, fabric, and found objects — encourage dialogue surrounding beauty, taste, and class disparities. 

 “I think something we don’t think about a lot is having access to beautiful spaces,” Boone-McCreesh said.

“That really is a luxury — like having a view out your window. Or think about how if you rent an apartment or book a hotel room, you’re paying the premium for the view.”

The same applies to indoor creature comforts: being able (or unable) to afford the latest, trendiest, interior decor, and what that says about one’s finances. Perhaps the concept of access to beauty is most evident through Boone-McCreesh’s “Hostile Seating (Ottomans),” in which two lavish ottomans are caged off using steel fencing — designed to mimic window bars seen often here in Baltimore and throughout Boone-McCreesh’s works — to prevent access to seating. The artist also customized the ottomans with handbag-style charms, much like those sold by high-end brands like Louis Vuitton to illustrate the idea that wealth shows itself in many different ways. 

With only three months to prepare for the exhibit, Boone-McCreesh said she enjoyed the challenge of choosing which works made the final cut.

“It was interesting to think about what artwork I had available, and what I could do in the time remaining. It forced me to kind of step back from my work and think about the bigger picture,” she said.

Like Boone-McCreesh, Mack, who was also in attendance on July 16, enjoyed collaborating with the Walters’s team to bring some of their most impactful works to one iconic space. Mack, who is transgender and uses they/he pronouns, is known for art that centers evolution. Their sculptures utilize ceramic, metal, clay, and myriad found objects to explore issues related to transgender life, particularly in the South and Midwest. 

Mack’s portfolio is meant to be a work in progress, they said. Flaws serve a purpose in pieces such as “Historical Present” and “A Practice in Immediacy,” both of which feature the use of ceramic and carpet tile.

“The individual vessels are constructed to crack and break. I’ll build a form of clay and then we’ll fire it, take fresh clay and build it onto that,” said Mack, explaining that creations in their final formats illustrate the journey of a body in transition in a way they hope makes sense to viewers.

While Mack’s  pieces — not unlike those of Boone-McCreesh and Ascoli, whose woven creations encompass themes including oral history and poetry — revolve around serious, personal matters, they hope viewers take note of light-hearted details, like puns, as they take in the works on display.

“There’s so much that’s gone into the exhibit — so much care and attention,” Mack said, 

adding that they’re grateful to have been part of the process. “It’s been very, very, exciting.”

Learn more about the works of this year’s finalists by visiting thewalters.org.

The post The Walters Art Museum Reveals This Year’s Janet and Walter Sondheim Prize Finalists With New Showcase appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

Rachel D. Graham, the CEO of the Baltimore Office of Promotion and Arts, also known as BOPA, wants you to know that the organization is not a mess. 

“BOPA is probably no more messy than a lot of organizations in the city,” she told me as we sat together at BOPA’s downtown Baltimore offices. “It’s just our mess was all over the front page.”

Graham took over the job in early February after the fraught departure of former CEO Donna Drew Sawyer. 

“Some of the mess, I will say in some cases, is manufactured, and is conversations of folks who have never stepped foot in this office, and probably have never had a real conversation with anyone on this staff. Are there challenges? Absolutely. But again, I’ll say we’re probably no messier than any other entity. Just like I said, our mess has been on full view.”  

Not everyone knows exactly what BOPA does — that’s a problem Graham says she is working to fix. But nearly everyone is familiar with Artscape. Putting that festival together is one of the organization’s biggest tasks.

They also oversee other events in the city, including New Year’s Eve and July 4 celebrations, and the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade. The group helps manage some culturally significant sites in Baltimore, including the Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower, the Top of the World Observation Level at the Inner Harbor, and the Cloisters. They provide funding through grants to city artists and cultural events here. They also manage the Baltimore Film Office. 

The front-page headlines Graham refers to are from the beginning of 2023, when the organization, with Sawyer at the helm, announced that there would be no Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade that year. The move drew the ire of many local politicians, including Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott.

“It has become clear that BOPA is not meeting the expectations of the city and is causing significant disappointment and frustration for the residents of Baltimore,” Scott wrote in a letter that called for Sawyer’s removal. If it didn’t happen, he threatened, the city would withhold funding for the next fiscal year. 

BOPA is a nonprofit, but receives funding from the city, which is used to put on city events. 

“The letter came after a series of gaffes, flubs and missteps that Sawyer has made over the past year, including failure to produce the city’s Artscape festival for the third year in a row and then scheduling next year’s event to coincide with Rosh Hashanah, one of the most sacred holidays on the Jewish calendar,” wrote Ed Gunts in Baltimore Fishbowl.

In the end, Sawyer resigned, and, after a tense budget hearing, the Baltimore City Council voted in June 2023 to withhold $1.7 million from the organization.

That budget was the one Graham inherited when she came on board. She said mending the relationship between BOPA and city government was one of her first tasks.

“One of the first things I did, even before I actually took the seat, was start meeting with city council members and asking the question, ‘So what’s really the problem? What has your challenge been?’” she told me.

Clearly, she has already made some headway. 

At a June 7 press conference held at City Hall to announce this year’s Artscape headliners, Scott said it has been “lovely” working with Graham, both because he’d partnered with her before when she served as the director of external relations for the Reginald F. Lewis Museum and because, he said, both are committed to working to make arts and culture better in the city.

“I’m very excited to work with you,” Councilman Mark Conway told her when she represented BOPA at their city council budget hearing in May. “In my district, we don’t have any arts events and maybe we should,” he said.

In June, the Baltimore Board of Estimates approved a one-year contract with BOPA.

“The new contract changes the way BOPA is administered to bring the once-independent, quasi-governmental agency partly under city control,” the Baltimore Sun wrote.

While she has already tackled important conversations with people in power, Graham says she hasn’t even begun the conversations that she really needs to have — and those are with the people of Baltimore. 

“I have an idea. I have some things that I know are important. But none of that has been vetted or tested with community,” she told me.

She said that because she started the job so quickly (she was just in her tenth week when she went before City Council), she hasn’t had the conversations that she really needs to have.

“I talked to the same people everybody else has been talking to about arts and culture in the city. If I articulated a vision right now with any specificity, it would look exactly like what we’ve had in the past. And I don’t want that.”

“We are responsible for serving artists, but we are also responsible to community to kind of rip the veil between art and community,” she said. 

Graham told me that one of the first things she told her staff was how important it is to remember that they work for the people of Baltimore.

“When I came in the door, the conversation I had with our staff was, yes, we report contractually to the mayor, but the citizens of Baltimore City, that’s your boss.”

Both in my conversation with Graham and in remarks she gave before the city council, Graham spoke forcefully about the importance of supporting artists — especially poor and working-class artists. 

“The arts have the ability to save lives,” she told city council members. “The lack of access to arts as an outlet, or as a vocation, or as a support of the educational framework can almost assuredly contribute to adverse outcomes for some of the most vulnerable populations in our city.”

That means a conversation about supporting all artists isn’t just about art — it’s about transportation, income, access to food, and access to housing. She pointed out that the center of the city, where lots of cultural events take place, is often more expensive than East and West Baltimore. That means artists have to travel to get there. 

“The perspective that I bring to this role is looking at artists as the whole person. So us providing travel prizes… the prize money that we provide in the exhibitions is important. But there’s so much more that needs to be addressed with artists,” she told me. That means “communities needing access to quality, affordable housing, access to transportation, access to healthcare services, access to fresh and affordable food.”

She said she hopes to leverage the power that comes with the BOPA CEO position to establish community partnerships that can create better, more sustainable ways to support artists. 

“We could always use more dollars, but we’re trying to figure out how to intelligently utilize the dollars that we currently have.”

The post Ripping the Veil appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

Wednesday, July 31

Jersey Boys 2024 – Toby’s Diner Theatre: The fascinating evolution of four blue-collar kids who became one of the greatest successes in pop-music history, Jersey Boys takes you behind the music of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. ($60-$79) 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Toby’s Diner Theatre, 5900 Symphony Woods Road, Columbia. For more information call 410-730-8311 or 1-800-88-TOBYS or go to tobysdinnertheatre.com

The Poetry Party Open Mic: Come meet Baltimore’s first and only collaboration of incredible poetry and an unforgettable party. ($12) 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at The Poetry Party, 836 Guilford Avenue. For more information go to thepoetryparty.com

Bye, Bye July! Sip, Puff n Paint!: Come out and have a great time! All art supplies provided. BYOB, and Fo’twenty Friendly! 21+ ($40) 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at The Gallery About Nothing, 805 East Baltimore Street. For more information call 410-504 – 9249. 

Thursday, August 1

Marylanders Cry Freedom: Civil Rights At Home and Abroad: This exhibition commemorates the 40th anniversary of Maryland’s divestment from apartheid-era South Africa and honors the pivotal role of Marylanders in the global fight for civil rights. 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Baltimore City Hall, 100 North Holliday Street. For more information go to americasvoicesagainstapartheid.com 

Jazzy Summer Nights 8: This event features a performance from The Bella Dona Band 21+ (Free) 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Baltimore Peninsula, 101 West Cromwell Street. For more information call, 410-962-1500, contact info@magpartners.com, or go to thefinngroup.net.

First Thursdays – Make and Mingle: Make art and mingle in this drop-in program designed for adults to get creative and socialize. A selection of food and drink from local vendors will be available for purchase. 18+ (Free) 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at The Walters Art Museum, 600 North Charles Street. For more information go to  410-547-9000 or go to thewalters.org/events. 

Friday, August 2

Artscape 40: Artscape, the city’s biggest cultural event of the year, returns to the summer. August 2-4. (Free) at Cathedral Street and Mount Royal Avenue. For more information call 410-752-8632, contact BOPACommunications@promotionandarts.org, or go to artscape.org

BlackScape: A group art exhibit of black creative vision, power, and unapologetic excellence kicked off by honoring James Baldwin on his 100th birthday. August 2-4 at 2103 N. Charles Street. 

DISCO TROPICO: Artscape Escape:  Enjoy deep cuts of Disco, Cumbia, Italo, Funk, House, Tropicalia and more from resident DJs James Nasty, Emily Rabbit, Mateyo and Sweet Spot. Tropical Attire Encouraged. 21+ ($10) 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Metro Baltimore, 1700 North Charles Street. For more information go to metrobmore.com

The Basement 90’s/00’s RNB Party: The East Coast’s number one R&B dance party. 21+ ($15) 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Baltimore Soundstage, 124 Market Place. For more information go to baltimoresoundstage.com.

Mischief & Deception Magic Show: Come take part in an interactive and intimate two hour experience with a magic and comedy show featuring world-renowned magician, Spencer Horsman while enjoying some craft cocktails from their extensive menu and bar. 13+ ($60) 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Illusions Bar and Theater, 1025 South Charles Street. For more information call 410-727-5811 or go to illusionsmagicbar.com.

Saturday, August 3

Summer Lovin’ — A Burlesque and Variety Show: A two-day event that will include performances, classes, lectures, and panels celebrating the history, art, and people of the region’s wonderful, weird, and diverse burlesque and variety performing arts. 18+ ($15-$30) 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Charm City Meadworks, 400 East Biddle Street. For more information call 443-961-1072.

Eze Jackson’s Artscape Afterparty:  DJ Sets from DJ Keebee, Mighty Mark, and Petty Penguin Live Performances from Nature Boi and Eze Jackson. Hosted By Larry Whaddup (21+) $10. 8 p.m. at Metro Baltimore, 1700 North Charles Street. For more information, go to https://metrobmore.com.

Sunday, August 4

Dana Claxton: Spark: Dana Claxton (Wood Mountain Lakota First Nations) presents a solo exhibition of her large-scale, backlit, color transparency photography, which she terms “fireboxes.” All Ages (Free) 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Drive. For more information go to artbma.org/exhibitions.

Monday, August 5

FlowerPoetry + Noah Lehrman: FlowPoetry is the originator of Lyrical Jam Poetry; musically inflected spoken word poetry that is performative, sophisticated and gripping. 18+ ($19) 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The 8×10, 10 East Cross Street. For more information go to noahlehrman.com/flowpoetry.

2024 Baltimore Improv Festival: The annual Baltimore Improv Festival is one of the largest improv festivals on the East Coast and brings hundreds of performers, top-tier instructors, and a variety of local, regional, and nationally-known improv comedy teams to Baltimore City for workshops and shows! All Ages ($10-100) 7 pm. to 10 p.m. at the BIG Theatre, 1727 North Charles Street. For more information email andy@bigimprov.org or go to bigimprov.org

Tuesday, August 6

Anessa Strings: Jazz concert featuring creative thought leader, singer-songwriter, performer, influencer, music director, professor and composer Aneesa Strings. All Ages ($15-35) 7 p.m. at Keystone Korner Baltimore, 1350 Lancaster Street. For more information, go to keystonekornerbaltimore.com.

Wednesday, August 7

The Art of Comedy Open Mic: Join comedian Ivan Martin, Dark Mark Rules and Alejandro Labroda along with some of Baltimore’s funniest comedians for an evening of laughs. 18+ (Free) 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Motor House, 120 West North Avenue. For more information go to motorhousebaltimore.com.

Thursday, August 8

Rhythm & Reels: Rhythm & Reels inspires Baltimoreans to celebrate community, culture and diversity through free, family-friendly programming in city parks. Come see this screening of the “Barbie” movie! All ages (Free) 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Leakin Park, 4921 Windsor Mill Road, Gwynn Oak. For more information contact specialevents2@baltimorecity.gov or go to bcrp.baltimorecity.gov/rhythm-and-reels.

Friday, August 9

Musical Performance: “Lion King Jr.”: Enjoy your favorite songs, marvel at the stunning costumes, and watch talented young performers bring this beloved story to life. All ages ($18) 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 North Eutaw Street. For more information go to france-merrickpac.com.

Rhythm & Reels: Film screening of “Wish” by Disney. All ages (Free) 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Eager Park, 929 North Wolfe Street. For more information contact specialevents2@baltimorecity.gov or go to bcrp.baltimorecity.gov/rhythm-and-reels.

Block Party! Baltimore’s Best Improv Black Improv Comedy: Blue Cavell-Allette, Desi Rawlerson and Tashika Campbell are your hosts and producers, and your party MCs — there will be music, jokes, comedy, games, interviews, sitcom tropes, audience participation and nonstop laughs. All ages ($12-$15) 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the BlakWater House, 218 West Saratoga Street. For more information go to highwireimprov.com.

Saturday, August 10

Graphic Novel Festival: This event will include workshops, panels, signings and an Artist Alley, all celebrating the art and storytelling medium of graphic novels. All ages (Free) 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Dreamers & Make-Believers, 400 South Highland Avenue. For more information contact info@graphicnovelfest.com, call 410-624-5624, or go to graphicnovelfest.com. 

DIVIRI Summer Fashion Gala: See new styles from DIVIRI, win free DIVIRI merchandise, vote on the best looks of the evening and more. All ages (Free virtual, or $50 in person) 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at DIVIRI Studio Warehouse and Bar, 2202 Hammonds Ferry Road, Halethorpe. For more information go to diviri.com.

Baltimore Square Dance at Mobtown Ballroom Dust off your dancing shoes and head to Mobtown Ballroom in Station North for a hilariously fun evening of square dancing, live music and plentiful silliness. No experience or partner is needed. All ages ($15-$20, kids 12 and under free) 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Mobtown Ballroom & Café, 30 West North Avenue. For more information go to mobtownballroom.com.

Murder Mystery Dinner Theater Show: Put your sleuthing skills to the test as you examine clues and mingle with suspects, all while enjoying a delectable three-course meal. 18+ recommended ($64) 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Little Grove Deli & Carryout, 705 North Hammonds Ferry Road, Linthicum Heights. For more information call 888-643-2583 or go to murdermysterydinnerbaltimore.com.

Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds with Daddy Long Legs and PLRLS: Presented by Savage Party. All ages ($15) 7 p.m. at Metro Baltimore, 1700 North Charles Street. For more information contact ericmach@themetrogallery.net or go to metrobmore.com.

Sunday, August 11

4th Annual Haitian Caribbean Festival: Komite Ayiti, Inc. in collaboration with the Friends of Patterson Park is having its fourth-annual Haitian Caribbean Festival. Enjoy Haitian and Caribbean culture. All ages (Free) 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Patterson Park, South Patterson Park Avenue and East Pratt Street. For more information call 443-402-5449, contact info@komiteayiti.org, or go to komiteayiti.org.

Monday, August 12

Baltimore Fashion Week: The 17th season of Baltimore Fashion Week showcases cutting-edge fashion from August 12 to 17, highlighting the creativity and diversity of the fashion industry, featuring runway shows from established designers and emerging talent. All ages ($30-$45) 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Baltimore Center Stage, 700 North Calvert Street. For more information go to baltimorefw.com.

Tuesday, August 13

Frank McComb & Special Guests: Live Recording Session: Celebrate an evening of special occasions with Frank McComb and special guests. Todd Barkan turns 78, Craig Alston turns 50 and Frank McComb’s third album “Straight From the Vault” turns 20. All ages ($15-$35) 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Keystone Korner Baltimore, 1350 Lancaster Street. For more information go to keystonekornerbaltimore.com.

Wednesday, August 14

Art Night: Bring your own supplies, and we’ll also have some to share. Let’s paint, draw and craft unforgettable moments. All ages (Free) 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Open Works, 1400 Greenmount Avenue. For more information call 410-862-0424, contact frontdesk@openworksbmore.com, or go to openworksbmore.org.

Krallice w/ Vaelastrasz: Presented by Ripping Headaches Promotions. All ages ($20) 7 p.m. at Metro Baltimore, 1700 North Charles Street. For more information contact ericmach@themetrogallery.net or go to metrobmore.com.

The post Baltimore Arts and Culture Events 7/31/24-8/14/24 appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

In a small office inside the Baltimore Office of Promotion of Arts’ downtown base, there’s a treasure trove of images and artifacts from decades’ worth of Artscape celebrations. In boxes and folders, stacked up in piles, there are photos of large art pieces, of past mayors, and of generations of families strolling through the festival. 

Barbara Hauck, BOPA’s communications manager, estimates that they have thousands of images in various formats.

“The ’80s are mostly 35mm slides — we have multiple binders full of them. For the ’90s, we have about 207 sheets each with [about] five strips of negatives. Each strip has 5-6 pictures. Ballpark that’s over 5,000 images.” 

The organization doesn’t yet have a count for how much of the other Artscape paraphernalia they are in possession of — that includes things like programs, postcards, staff badges, and more. 

This year marks Baltimore’s 40th Artscape celebration. The festival will be held August 2-4 and feature performances from Sheila E. and Chaka Khan, fashion shows, film screenings, and more.

Hauck said that she began thinking about the cache of memorabilia when she realized that this year would be a milestone celebration. She hopes to eventually have everything digitized and made accessible to the public.

“When I realized this was the 40th Artscape, I started poking around to see what I could find for the newsletter. It was the public art pieces that got me. It occurred to me that these photos are the only evidence that these incredible creations ever existed and that lit a fire,” she said. 

“I think preserving and protecting our cultural history are super important. Besides, this history doesn’t belong to BOPA, it belongs to Baltimore.”

1982

1985

1989

1994

1995

1996

1998

2002

2016

The post Photostory: Artscape through the years appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

Earlier this year, I got the chance to visit the people at the Baltimore Office of Promotion and Arts and talk for a bit. I told them that I think my job is to let my readers know about all of the resources available to them as residents in this city — and that includes knowing about the various grants and programs that BOPA offers. I also told them that I think a lot about local artists, many of whom took serious financial hits when the lockdown stage of the COVID-19 pandemic happened. I know that many still haven’t recovered. 

I hope as Baltimore Beat continues to grow we can offer more resources to local artists, just as we offer things like tax help, housing support help, and more on our community resources page.

While I was there, BOPA’s staff also showed me their collection of  images and paraphernalia from decades of Artscapes past. I saw pictures of a younger former Mayor Kurt Schmoke, invitations to then-Mayor Martin O’Malley’s Artscape kickoff party, Aretha Franklin surrounded by adoring fans, and more. I also saw the two young boys on our cover. That photo is from 1985.  I knew I wanted to figure out how to get them into the paper to share with all of Baltimore. I thought it was perfect timing, since the city will soon be holding its 40th Artscape celebration. Find the photos and images in our photostory pages in this issue.

I wasn’t able to speak with BOPA’s new leader, Rachel D. Graham, on that visit, but I did get that chance to do a few months later, at the end of May. Graham took the helm of the arts and culture-centered organization at a time when they had experienced a succession of very public missteps that culminated in a war of words with Mayor Brandon Scott. Graham told me she hopes to build new bridges between BOPA and city leaders. But she also wants to make sure that it becomes known as a place that benefits everyone. She says she doesn’t yet have the answers, but she’s ready to listen to all of you.

Also in this issue, journalist Grace Hebron writes about this year’s Janet and Walter Sondheim Prize Finalists. 

“The exhibit marks the 19th iteration of BOPA’s annual Janet and Walter Sondheim Art Prize, named in honor of the celebrated late Baltimore couple (a trailblazing dancer and civil rights leader, respectively) and their lasting impact on the city’s arts landscape,” she wrote.

The Janet & Walter Sondheim Art Prize Semi-Finalist Exhibition will be on display during Artscape at the Maryland Institute College of Art. 

Bry Reed reviews Tiffany D. Jackson’s “Storm: Dawn of a Goddess.” She says Jackson is adept at taking us into the mind of a teenager tasked with navigating a very scary world. Dominic Griffin reviews the horror film “Longlegs” and says it stops just short of being an instant classic. The poem for this issue is titled “CL See,” and was written by Jaden Lemessy.

We are taking a break after this issue. During that break, we’ll be resting, but we’ll also be thinking about the work we are doing and how to serve you better. I think of Baltimore Beat as a work in progress and also an outlet for the future. That means that reflection is as important as reporting.

Thank you so much for your support and for reading. See you on September 11!

The post Letter from the editor- Issue 45 appeared first on Baltimore Beat.

Artscape is Baltimore’s premiere arts and culture celebration, punctuating our city’s summers yearly. It is a captivating showcase of what the city’s creative communities are capable of. 

I. Henry Phillips Sr. was known for his work preserving and extending the history of the African American community with his impressive catalog of photographs in the “I. Henry Photo Project,”  The I. Henry Photo Project is a digital archive of images made by three generations of Webster men. The archive contains tens of thousands of scanned images and is still being updated.

Irving Henry Webster Phillips Jr., the Baltimore Sun’s first Black news photographer, was the son of the late I. Henry Phillips Sr., a newspaper photographer at the Baltimore Afro-American Newspaper. He started the I. Henry Photo Project Archive with his son I.H Webster III, a visual artist and archivist. 

These photos show how photography can bring an event to life for an audience, not in attendance. 

All photos courtesy of the I. Henry Photo Project.

The post Photostory: Artscape Images from the I. Henry Photo Project Archive appeared first on Baltimore Beat.