BmoreArt

BmoreArt’s Picks presents the best weekly art openings, events, and performances happening in Baltimore and surrounding areas. For a more comprehensive perspective, check the BmoreArt Calendar page, which includes ongoing exhibits and performances, and is updated on a daily basis.

To submit your calendar event, email us at [email protected]!

To receive our weekly newsletter with special events and notices, add your address and click submit below.

<><><><><><><><>Parts and Pieces Performance
Tuesday, April 19th : 8pm

EMP Collective
307 West Baltimore Street : Baltimore 21201

Hosted by Noelle Tolbert and Alex D’Agostino. Parts and Pieces is a regular event at EMP organized by members Noelle Tolbert and Alex D’Agostino. The night features movement and dance works from local and visiting artists. Noelle and Alex are performers, movement researchers, and dance explorers. Recent works include: Floweraxe, Atrium, and The Swan. The duo also facilitates a weekly movement class on Sundays at EMP.

<><><><><><><><>

Pulse : Salon
Wednesday, April 19th : 8pm

EMP Collective
307 West Baltimore Street : Baltimore 21201

The award-winning Pulse salon and event series is back after winter break! Join us for drinks, conversation, and new and expanded performance works from: Nicoletta de la Brown, Talbolt Johnson, Mike Smith, and Irina Varina (Philly).

Born in early 2014, Pulse is a salon and event series creating a platform for the discussion, development, and elevation of performance work in Baltimore. Pulse is organized by Carly J. Bales*. The next salon is May 26th. You can sign up here to participate: tinyurl.com/pulsesubmit

<><><><><><><><>Open Circle Read and Response
Wednesday, April 20th : 7:30pm

The Creative Alliance
3134 Eastern Avenue : Baltimore 21224

The inaugural reading event of a new, collaborative series featuring poets Michael Fallon, Ailish Hopper, and Abdul Ali, Jean McGarry, with live music and visual art responses by Creative Alliance residents Paul Rucker, and Christopher Kojzar. This will only happen four times per year, at the Creative Alliance, so don’t miss it!

The mission of the Open Circle Reading Series is to gather the too-often segmented community spheres – academic, grassroots, visual arts, and literary arts – and create one “open circle.” Hosted by Creative Alliance resident fiction writer, Amanda Fiore, future iterations of the reading event will have themes and all will feature different combinations of readers and artistic responses.  The suggested donation of $5 per audience member supports the continuation of the program.  The Open Circle Reading Series is open to all members of the community.

7:30pm | $5 suggested donation

<><><><><><><><>Devin Allen + Kwame Rose : One Year Later
Wednesday, April 20th : 6-10pm

Impact Hub Baltimore
10 East North Avenue : Baltimore 21218

Devin Allen rose to fame when his image of a protestor went viral. The image was shared by major celebrities like Beyonce and Rihanna on their social media accounts which led Devin to gain thousands of followers on his Instagram account, which acts as a diary.Today Allen’s posts garner hundreds of likes. He covers topica varying from everything to violent protests, to local happenings in the Sation North Arts district.

Devin went on to have his image be the cover of Time Magazine. And, has since had exhibitions at The Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore, and in Philadelphia’s Slought gallery. Devin has been featured as one of BET’s 29 People You Should Know, won a Russell Simmons RushCard Keep the Peace grant for a photography workshop, been named as on of 2016’s Ford Men Of Courage, and has been called “the eyes of Baltimore” by CNN. Devin is now a Photographer & Media Designer for Baltimore’s own Under Armour.

Joining Devin onstage will be Kwame Rose, a social activist, and artist who gained notoriety during the Baltimore Uprising for his heroic confrontation with Fox News’ Geraldo Rivera, challenging the media’s inaccurate representation of protestors during the peaceful protests. Since then Kwame has become one of the more visible protesters in Baltimore, which has prompted Law Enforcement to continue to target his efforts. Kwame is a contributing writer for Abernathy Magazine, UrbanCusp.com, and City Paper. Kwame’s passion for public speaking once earned him a full scholarship to the University of Texas at San Antonio as a member of the Debate team. As a student, he advocated for hip-hop infused education as a means to educate the youth and give a voice to the voiceless. After the completion of his freshman year, deteriorating social conditions in his hometown of Baltimore prompted the permanent return of the young activist with a firm commitment to improve and serve his community. […]

During this intimate, no holds barred conversation between the two artists / activists we will hear some of their more intimate thoughts on varying Baltimore centric topics.

This will also act as an opening for the photographs that Devin’s mentees at Ericka Alston’s Kids Safe Zone have taken.

Devin is trying to collect over 200 cameras for the children at Kids Safe Zone, where there is no operating budget. If you have any cameras or camera equipment that you are no longer using please bring it with you to donate to #dvnsyllbx this evening. #devinandkwameIHB

<><><><><><><><>

B’more Shorts
Thursday, April 21st : 7:30pm

The Creative Alliance
3134 Eastern Avenue : Baltimore 21224

A night of short films highlighting Baltimore’s best filmmakers who’ve premiered and screened their short and feature films at the Creative Alliance!

Filmmakers present will include: Kristen Anchor, Ashleigh Coffelt, Margaret Rorison, Skizz Cyzyk, Mike Finazzo, Bryan “Grasshopper” Robinson, and Cathy Cook.

Highlights of this showcase include:

PULL/DRIFT (2014) 16mm to video, b/w and color, dir. Margaret Rorison 9 min

Margaret Rorison is a curator and filmmaker from Baltimore, Maryland. She works with language, sound and imagery to create installations, films and live 16mm projections.  Rorison is the co-founder and curator for the experimental film series, Sight Unseen, which has partnered with various institutions such as The Baltimore Museum of Art, Maryland Institute College of Art, The Goethe Institute, Johns Hopkins University, and Creative Alliance.

Managers Corner (2004) dir. Skizz Cyzyk 2 min

In the 90s, Skizz Cyzyk turned his home, a former funeral home, into a microcinema called “The Mansion Theater,” which hosted screenings by filmmakers from all over the world.  In 1997, he founded the underground film festival, MicroCineFest, dedicated to bringing off-beat, low-budget, psychotronic, films to Baltimore.

Trust Issues (2015) dir. Ashleigh Coffelt, 8 min

After film school, Ashleigh Coffelt established her film production company, Miss Ash Productions and dedicated all her efforts to working on films. In 2015, she was awarded the RAW:Baltimore Filmmaker of the Year. Her award winning short films have screened at film festivals both internationally and nationally.  As a proud Filipino American Director, Ashleigh takes on the responsibility of helping change media portrayals of women and minorities.

7:30pm | $10, $7 | + $2 at the door

<><><><><><><><>Good News Baltimore Presents: What is Progress? Reflections One Year Later 
Thursday, April 21st : 6-9pm

The Walters Art Museum
600 North Charles Street : Baltimore 21201

This April, Good News Baltimore is exploring that question. Good News Baltimore is an online docu-news series creatively highlighting the city’s most pressing issues and practical ways we can effect positive change, everyday. We’re launching our 2nd season of Good News Baltimore with GNBLive, a 3-part engagement series connecting local change makers and sparking possibilities for deeper impact in the city.

<><><><><><><><>Lisi Raskin : Visiting Artist Lecture
Thursday, April 21st : 4:30-5:30pm

UMBC Fine Arts Building
UMBC : Baltimore 21227