BmoreArt

This Week:  Chesapeake Art Center’s protest art exhibition, BOOOM by Anthony Grant + curated by Teri Henderson continues at good neighbor, IAM that IAM at Waller Gallery, Ornamenta 2022 kicks off at Baltimore Jewelry Center, Ernest Shaw Jr. opens his solo show “Continuous Line” at the Top of the World, VisArts hosts opening receptions for Safiyah Cheatam, Edgar Reyes, Fargo Tbakhi, and Hannah Brancato, Very Sad Lab Incubator heats up at Transformer DC, an artists reception for Teapots IX at Baltimore Clayworks, and Stoop Storytelling Valentine’s Edition — Plus, Anderson Ranch Center’s Artist in Residence program and more featured Calls for Entry.

 

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]!

 

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Power to…..the art of protest
Ongoing through February 28
@ Chesapeake Arts Center

We look at the rich history of protest art and see how artists use their voice and artistry to promote change and encourage open thinking for the greater good of our community, nation and the world. Join us for the explorative exhibition of demonstration through peaceful, educated art. Selected artworks will be displayed in the Chesapeake Arts Center’s Hal Gomer Gallery from January 5 – February 28, 2022.

Hal Gomer Gallery Hours: Monday-Thursday 10:00am-6:00pm, Saturday 10am-1pm

*Visitors are required to call ahead to reserve a time to view the exhibit. Please call CAC’s main office at 410-636-6597 during our business hours Monday – Thursday, 10:00 am-6:00pm to reserve a date and time. Visitors will be checked in upon arrival and masks are required to enter the gallery and CAC building.

 

 

BOOOM by Anthony Grant | Curated by Teri Henderson
Ongoing through April 30
@ good neighbor

BOOOOOM is a collage installation created by Anthony Grant that is on display at good neighbor in Baltimore, Maryland. The piece contains references to Baltimore’s past and present, iconography typically found in advertising, and figurative Black imagery. The artist invites the viewer to either decode the messages or just simply take in the image.

BOOOOOM, a Black Collagists installation at good neighbor was curated by Teri Henderson. BOOOOOM is viewable entirely outdoors and is the second public art installation at good neighbor.

About the artist:

Anthony Grant is a graphic designer and artist located in the Bay Area, California. He spends his days crafting brands and user interfaces and nights making collages. While his professional work strives for perfection and solutions, his personal artwork finds beauty in imperfection, texture, and introspection. His works has been shown at NIAD (Richmond CA), District (Oakland CA), Themes+Projects (San Francisco CA), Plastik Comb Magazine, and Black Collagists: The Book. Find his work on Instagram @anthony.r.grant or at https://www.argstudios.com/art-work

About Black Collagists:

Founded in August 2020, Black Collagists (@blackcollagists)  is an online platform that highlights and amplifies the work solely of Black artists making collage worldwide. The platform features the work of emerging Black collage artists as well as more established and well known collage artists in order to raise awareness about the history of Black collage art.

In December 2021, Black Collagists: The Book was published by Kanyer Publishing. Written and curated by Teri Henderson, Black Collagists: The Book features over fifty emerging and established Black collage artists from around the world. With over 300 full color images alongside historical context and academic essays, the book establishes a physical archive of the history and the future of Black collage artists. Black Collagists: The Book does not claim to be a complete record, but rather a door that invites others into a conversation about representation in Black collage art, both historically and currently, and challenges others to expand their own research. For more on Black Collagists follow @blackcollagists or visit www.blackcollagists.com

About the curator:

Teri Henderson (b. Fort Worth, TX, 1990) is a Baltimore-based independent curator, a staff writer for BmoreArt, and the Founding Director of Black Collagists. Henderson holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Texas Christian University. She formerly held a curatorial internship at Ghost Gallery in Seattle, Washington. Henderson previously served as the Art Law Clinic Director for Maryland Volunteer Lawyers For The Arts and is currently on their Board of Directors. Her written work has been seen in: BmoreArt, All SHE Makes, Artforum, Justsmile Magazine, Kinfolk Travel, and the St. James Encyclopedia of Hip Hop Culture. Teri Henderson was a curator of private acquisitions of Black collage art for the Doug + Laurie Kanyer Art Collection from 2020 – 2021, as part of her work she created the Black Collagists Arts Incubator, which was underwritten by the Doug + Laurie Kanyer Art Collection through November 2021. Black Collagists: The Book is her first book. Follow her at @teri__henderson.

 

 

IAM that IAM
Tuesday, February 1 | Ongoing through February 27
@ Waller Gallery

IAM that IAM

I create until nothing is left but my legacy

The Tiny White Wall Gallery presents “IAM that IAM,” a multi-city art show culminating in pieces from an international selection of over 15 black artists exploring the depths of black consciousness, heritage and identity. Poised to carry on the aesthetic values of the likes of Ben Enwonwu “the father of African Modernism”, the Negritude, and the Harlem Renaissance movement, IAM that IAM is a joyous expression of black pride by visual artists ranging from a multitude of mediums and styles from old masters to Neo-Afroism. Born from a trending social call to black artists of all backgrounds and ages, IAM that IAM is now creating open spaces in Baltimore, New York City and Washington D.C. to celebrate the aesthetic value of the black mark.

The show features over 15 contemporary artists and visual influencers, IAM that IAM showcases the versatility and nuances of the modern black arts movement. The thematic expressions that embody these artists’ collections of work include themes of fractured identity, justice —or lack thereof—and beauty within the blackexpression and the specific contexts from which it emerges across the globe.  Noticeable artists showcased include Sanusi Olatunji, a South African fabric collage artist who utilizes and recycles discarded fabric into vibrant, textured portraits of everyday people. He has discovered a love for working in several mediums, but paper and fabric collages have been his most favorite tools as he sees his method of collaging as a form of converting waste into wealth. Also on display is an original mixed media painting by the world-renowned Cuban artist, Wifredo Lam. Lam is celebrated for combining the rich heritage of his Afro-Caribbean origins with his passion for African sculpture making, resulting in an aesthetic language unique to Lam and soon available to a whole new generation through the IAM that IAM show.

The Afro-Diaspora is rising and the future is now. The “now” is a momentous occasion to celebrate artists of African descent as they expand the boundaries of the visual art medium through IAM that IAM’s eclectic palette of bold and vivid works that declare we are here—here to make our mark.

Featuring:

Summer Brown, Wifredo Lam, Sansusi Olatunji, Mlambi Siyabonga, Moses Salihou, Eric Robinson, Daniel Asholasa, Lantei Mills, Damola Adeyemo, Bidias Romaric, Boluwatife Lawal, Aisha Tandiwe Bell, Enoch Chinweuba , Ntate Phakela, Merle A. Davison, Mayowa Esan, Franck Ezan, Ethel Aanyu, Rene Tavares, Samson Toba

Curated by Michael Hyman

The show is free and open to the public, we invite the general public, educators, art collector, and especially student groups.

If you would like more information about this art exhibition, send inquires to [email protected]

 

 

Continuous Line: Ernest Shaw Jr.
Thursday, February 3: 6:00–8:00 pm
@ Top of the World Observation Level

Baltimore native Ernest Shaw Jr. opens his solo show “Continuous Line” at the Top of the World Observation Level on Thursday, February 3, with a celebratory opening reception from 6:00–8:00 p.m. (Please note that the last entry to the Top of the World Observation Level is at 7:30 p.m. In this exhibition, Shaw examines the uninterrupted, unremitting connection between continental African traditional culture and Africans dispersed throughout the diaspora, with a particular lens focused on the United States of America. Through his layered images, Shaw dispels the myth that the Black American has been totally separated and stripped of their name, culture, language, and history.

RSVP Here. “Continuous Line” runs through Sunday, April 17, 2022. Visitors to Top of the World Observation Level can view this exhibition at no additional cost. Top of the World Observation Level is open Thursdays from 10am-6pm, Fridays & Saturdays from 10am-7pm, and Sundays from 11am-6pm. All visitors to Top of the World must provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test taken within 24 hours of the event.

Top of the World Observation Level
401 East Pratt Street
#27th floor
Baltimore, MD 21202

 

 

Ornamenta 2022
Friday, February 4 | Ongoing through February 19
presented by Baltimore Jewelry Center

Every winter, the Baltimore Jewelry Center hosts Ornamenta, a fundraiser that provides us the opportunity to raise much needed funds while exposing a larger community to the work we do.

Historically, it has been a night of celebration that includes dining, dancing, a silent auction and much more. From February 4th – 19th we are offering 2 online events and one intimate in-person event with exclusive meals, special guests, and a curated silent auction.

Throughout the month of February, Ornamenta will find its way onto your screens and into your homes.  Together we will dine, learn, and explore jewelry, metalsmithing.

Friday, February 4th

Saturday, February 5th

Friday, February 11th

Sunday, February 13th

Saturday, February 19th

 

 

Opening Receptions
Friday, February 4 • 7-9pm
@ VisArts

Starting Febuary 1st, VisArts is requiring everyone attending an onsite program to upload an image of their vaccination card when registering.

RSVP to our in person reception on Friday, February 4th to stop in and see solo exhibitions from the 2021 VisArts Bresler Resident Artists, Safiyah Cheatam, Edgar Reyes and Fargo Tbakhi, a solo exhibition and interactive project by the 2021 VisArts Fellow, Hannah Brancato, and the 2022 VisArts Faculty Exhibition.

This event is free and open to the public. VisArts requires all onsite visitors to be masked and vaccinated.

 

 

Very Sad Lab: The Incubator | The Incubator Opening
Saturday, February 5 • 12-4pm | Ongoing through March 19
@ Transformer DC

The annual season of groundwork is upon us, and winter is the perfect time to prepare for new plant parenthood. Join Very Sad Lab’s plant Incubator at Transformer for a living, growing site-specific installation, resource lab, and series of pre-plant-parent programs for what to expect when you’re expecting.

Proceeding from an intersection of art, science, ecology, and horticulture, Very Sad Lab seeks to create a greener DC by connecting people to nature through plants. Through ongoing plant rehabilitation and research, Very Sad Lab is building long term relationships between plants and people that are rooted in intentional practices of attention and care of plants.

For the duration of six weeks, plants will grow inside The Incubator exhibition at Transformer, as both plants and prospective plant parents prepare for life together. Through the installation of an indoor nursery and creation of a resource lab, Very Sad Lab artists will create a space for plant human connection. Providing accessible opportunities to understand plant human relationships, Very Sad Lab will also host a series of preparatory online plant workshops and create guided resources on new plant care. At the close of the exhibition on March 19, 2022, Incubator plants will be adopted out to new plant parents throughout DC, creating a network of connections across the city.

 

 

Teapots IX | Artists Reception
Saturday, February 5 • 6-8pm | Ongoing through February 26
@ Baltimore Clayworks

Teapots are evocative, they imply hearth and home, cozy days sipping hot elixirs poured from an elegant vessel. They are also a complex challenge for the artist, balancing  form and function. Each element compliments the other like a symphony of shape, volume and ergonomics. Functional wares come alive through their use and aesthetic appreciation.

Baltimore Clayworks is proud to have the keen eye of Jen Allen as our juror selecting this exhibition’s offerings. She is a studio artist and ceramic educator, well-versed in the teapot’s history, making and use.  Her family believes “tea tastes better when steeped in a ceramic vessel” and she loves the focus needed to make a utilitarian teapot. “The process of fashioning a teapot out of clay takes patience, perseverance and contemplation. As a juror, whether your teapot is utilitarian or sculptural, hand-pinched or 3D-printed, traditional or contemporary, I look for works that give me pause. I look for works that spark my curiosity; works I  need  to experience in person.”

Exhibiting Artists
Elka Adomowicz, Dyan Akkouche, Jen Allen, Kait Arndt, Osa Atoe, Posey Bacopoulos, Hayne Bayless, Anne Bowen, Samantha Breigel, Wes Brown, Timothy Carr, Horacio Casillas, Cynthia Deitch, Beverly Fetterman, Heidi Frank, Yoshi Fujii, Lisa Guiliani, Eunkyung Han, Jason Hess, Steve Hilton, Mike Jabbur, Catherine Joanny, Shika Joshi, Huey Hyuk Lee, Anne Maraviglia, Taylor Mezo, Michael Poness, Constance Rankin, David Smith, Amy Song, T.R. Steiner, Mike Tavares, Leathia West, & Jean Wrathal

 

 

Real Life Rom-Coms: True Stories about Meet Cutes and Bad Breaks
Monday, February 7 • 7pm
@ Baltimore Center Stage

Kick off your Valentine’s Day celebrations (or commiserations) with The Stoop as we ride the roller coaster of romance and its wreckage.

Come to laugh. Come to cry. Come to share your own real life rom-com tale.

And….come to DANCE to songs about love and breakups! DJ Jessica Henkin in the HOUSE!!!!!!

Real Life Rom-Coms: True Stories about Meet Cutes and Bad Breaks
Monday, Feb. 7, 2022
630p  Drinks and Dancing
730p  Stories
LIVE and IN-PERSON
Baltimore Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert Street, 21202

General Admission tickets, $25
Student Tickets, $15

Proof of vaccination is required and must be shown at the door.
Masks are required and may only be removed in designated eating and drinking areas.

Please contact us with questions or concerns at [email protected].

All tickets General Admission. Pick your seats when you arrive!

Presented in partnership with Baltimore Center Stage, Baltimore Magazine, and WYPR-FM.

 

 

 

Calls for Entry // Opportunities

 

 

Grit Fund | Call for 2022 Jurors
deadline February 14
sponsored by The Peale + The Warhol Foundation

Grit Fund supports projects that add to the vibrancy and development of Baltimore’s arts and culture. We focus on funding projects that bring artists and community members together to explore a sense of place and shared space. We are searching for jurors to be part of our team that reviews the grant applications and decides who will be our Grit Fund 2022 Project Grant Recipients. The deadline for applying to be a juror is February 14th, 11:59 pm EST.

Jurors Role and Responsibility

• Review applications within 3 weeks
• Attend 3 meetings: February 24, March 31, final date TBD
• Each juror will receive a stipend of $400 when the review process is finished.

Eligibility Requirements

• You must live in Baltimore City or Baltimore County to be a juror.
• You can’t apply for the Grit Fund Project Grants or be part of any Grit Gund projects if you are selected as a juror.

 

 

Saltonstall x Circus Culture | Juried Residency for Individual Circus Artists
deadline February 15

The Saltonstall x Circus Culture residency is designed to provide a generous and spacious environment for the development of the circus arts in NY State and/or Indian Nations based therein. It does this by giving individual circus artists from the region time and space with an idea or project of their choosing that they want to develop, polish, investigate, or work on.

There are six residency spaces open to individual artists during this round.

Artists must be 21 or older.

We define a circus artist as anyone involved in any aspect of art making, creative problem solving, or innovation within the circus arts. This may include designers, dramaturges, choreographers, directors, circademics, writers, photographers, riggers, performers, teaching artists, and more.

Duos who are comfortable sharing a single accommodation are welcome to apply as a unit if working on the same project (please submit a single application noting that you are a duo). Groups and ensembles are not eligible at this time, but a representative from a group or ensemble may apply to work on a project related to that group or ensemble.

About Saltonstall:

The Constance Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts supports the development of the arts through residencies at its 200 acre retreat center in Ithaca, NY for artists based in New York State and/or Indian Nations based therein.

About Circus Culture:

Circus Culture is Ithaca’s very own circus school based in downtown Ithaca, NY. We engage in developing circus access and opportunities through education, performance, production, and support for emerging and professional artists.

 

 

Anderson Ranch Arts Center | Artist in Residence Program
deadline February 15

Anderson Ranch’s Artists-in-Residence Program fosters creative, intellectual and professional growth for emerging and established visual artists. Residents have access to world-class facilities and studio time, free from everyday pressures. Residents can pursue interdisciplinary projects among a community of working artists, and gain feedback from prominent Visiting Artists and Critics. The Ranch setting is specifically crafted to aid artists in the production of their work. The residency is designed to allow artists to take risks and pursue new projects and ideas. Residents will be provided housing, studio space and meals. Residencies are offered in ceramics, new media, photography, furniture design, woodworking, painting, drawing, printmaking and sculpture. Fall residents pay a fee of $1,500 for the 10 weeks at the Ranch. Spring residents pay a fee of $750 for the five weeks at the Ranch. A select group of the 32 residencies are fully funded fellowships awarded by the jury panel. Residencies are offered during Spring and Fall terms each year.

 

 

Mother’s Milk International Artist & Writer Residency
deadline February 15

Mother’s Milk is a 2-6 week interdisciplinary residency, designed to support three or four visual artists, sound artists, or creative writers, who are pursuing innovative work in their field. There is a $25 application fee.

Residents will be exceptional creative practitioners – including emerging, mid-career a​nd established artists – who desire time and space to work on their projects. Residencies will be awarded based on excellence and merit of project proposal, and the applicant’s interest in and ability to work independently. Residents cannot be currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program, must be at least 21 years old, and must reside on-site for the duration of the program. International applicants will need to show proof of English language skills and will be responsible for acquiring appropriate visas if accepted.

 

 

Lower East Side Printshop | Keyholder Residency
Deadline March 1

The Keyholder Residency Program offers emerging artists free 24-hour access to printmaking facilities to develop new work and foster their artistic careers. Residencies are free and one year long, starting on April 1st and October 1st each year, and they take place in the shared Artists’ Studio, including the solvent/etching area and the darkroom.

Keyholders work independently, in a productive atmosphere alongside other contemporary artists. Artists from all disciplines are eligible to apply; printmaking skills are not required, but some familiarity with the medium is recommended. Basic instruction in printmaking techniques is available for new Keyholders. Technical assistance is not included in the program, but is available at additional cost.

Participation is competitive. Applications are evaluated by a rotating committee of artists, critics, curators, and art professionals based on the quality of submitted artwork. A total of 8 artists are awarded the residency annually. Artists based in the New York City area and without access to a studio space are encouraged to apply.

 

 

THE EPHEMERAL AND THE EVANESCENCE PERCEPTION | Call for Exhibition
deadline March 7
sponsored by LOOSEN ART

Since the Paleolithic age, man, in leaving a mark and trace of himself on a support, has always shown an interest in grasping from the experience of life what he believes to have an important meaning, attributing to it a particular value. This anthropological behavior is well testified by the history of art, behavior which, with the evolution of man, reflects that greater awareness of the concept of transience, changeability and the ephemeral state of existence of things.

It is above all to the concept of “beauty” and “good” that modern man attributes the absolute values of his existence, concepts that are still conveyed today by every medium dedicated to art, from painting to photography, from video to digital media etc ..
The very nature of many new technologies of art demonstrate, in their production process, a purpose that has to do with the evanescent physicality of things of our reality, as photography demonstrates, with its retaining on the surface what passes through an evanescent and impalpable “writing of light”.

It is quite often precisely the ephemeral state of things and the evanescent perception of them that arouse in us a passionate participation with them, useful to feed our being and to reactivate our senses.