BmoreArt

This Week:  19th CityLit Festival opens, BmoreArt’s Connect+Collect conversation with Ernest Shaw Jr. and BOPA curator Kirk Shannon-Butts, Nanette Carter lecture at Towson University Center for the Arts, Lawrence Burney hosts Baltimore Living Archives at the Parkway, Dr. Tiffany E. Barber, Ayodamola Tanimowo Okunseinde (ayo), Kite, and Jonas Staal in discussion at UMBC CIRCA, First Fridays in Highlandtown, Joan Mitchell Community Day at the BMA — PLUS Baltimore City Artist Recovery Grant Award and other 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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CityLit Festival – Reimagined II: How We Break Free
Tuesday, March 1
Presented by CityLit Project

CityLit Project presents the annual 19th CityLit Festival, a live and virtual, fully reimagined signature event. The celebration for readers and writers extends its partnership with Enoch Pratt Free Library, Maryland Centers for Creative Classrooms, Maryland Humanities, Arts Education in Maryland Schools, Motor House, Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance, Busboys and Poets-Baltimore, and BmoreArt magazine in an ongoing design to elevate the literary arts in this region. How We Break Free: Confronting Hard Truths is the underlying theme of the month-long event that boasts three live gatherings. The Festival begins with a virtual event March 1, 2022, daylong programming on Saturday, March 12, 2022, at the Pratt Central Library, and ending on April 1, 2022, at Busboys and Poets, as a nod and declaration of National Poetry Month.

This year’s Festival highlights creator and Pulitzer Prize-winning, investigative journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones of The 1619 Project: The New Origin Story and Born On The Water, which was introduced in 2019 in a major multimedia initiative in The New York Times Magazine to
commemorate the 400th anniversary of the beginning of slavery. Hannah-Jones brings this national, invigorating conversation about the contributions of Black Americans and how the legacy of slavery informs our lives, to Baltimore with author and historian Martha S. Jones from Johns Hopkins University. This partnership event is designed to engage and bring educators, community leaders, students and creatives into a mission of discovery, embarking on conversations during and beyond the Festival.

Kiese Laymon, author of the novel Long Division, whose work Heavy, NYT named one of the 50 Best Memoirs of the past 50 years, will teach the Master Class “Keeping It In The House,” the art and necessity of exploring virtue and villainy in our writings about home, exploring harms committed and harms caused through readings and writing prompts.

Independent bookseller, The Ivy Bookshop joins us this year with Festival books for purchase online and at two live events.

The Festival theme centers around confronting hard truths throughout the month, signifying ways to break strongholds, to plant seeds of possibility and signal ways we grow to seek change through understanding our behaviors, past and present. What better way to do that than through books, poetry, song and in-depth conversations with you in the room.

 

 

Connect+Collect at Top of the World | with Ernest Shaw Jr. and Kirk Shannon-Butts
Wednesday, March 2 • 6:30pm
Presented by BmoreArt + BOPA

Join BmoreArt’s Jeffrey Kent and Cara Ober for a conversation on Zoom with artist Ernest Shaw Jr. and BOPA curator Kirk Shannon-Butts about the importance of authentic visual storytelling, as well as Shaw’s contributions as a mentor, muralist, and educator in Baltimore.

One of Shaw’s works was recently acquired by the Baltimore Museum of Art and he just opened a new solo exhibit of paintings hosted by Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts (BOPA) at the Top of the World Observation Level in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, “Continuous Line,” up through April 17, curated by Kirk. 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.

Register in advance for this webinar here.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Panelist Biographies:

Artist Ernest Shaw, Jr. was born and has lived most of his life in Baltimore, Maryland. He is a graduate of the Baltimore School for the Arts. He obtained his Bachelors Degree in art from Morgan State University, and his Graduate degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C. Mr. Shaw is now a teacher in Baltimore City, and an adjunct professor at Maryland Institute College of Art.

Currently serving as the Public Art and Curation Manager at BOPA, Kirk Shannon-Butts is a filmmaker, curator and video essayist. The curator holds a bachelor of arts in marketing from the American College, Atlanta, and a master of fine arts in film/TV production from Chapman University, Orange, CA. His works have received critical acclaim and have been screened at the Cannes International Film Festival, the Sundance Film Festival, and The Kennedy Center. Shannon-Butts has been in special features in L’Uomo Vogue, Out magazine and Uptown magazine.

 

 

Lecture | Artist Nanette Carter
Thursday, March 3 • 6:30pm
@ Towson University Center for the Arts

Nanette Carter is best known for her paintings, prints, drawings, and collages. In the past two years she has been working on three series simultaneously that reflect the zeitgeists of our time: “Cantilevered”, “The Weight”, and “Afro Sentinels.” Carter holds an MFA from Pratt Institute of Art, Brooklyn, NY, and is a tenured Adjunct Associate Professor at Pratt Institute of Art. Carter is represented by Berry Campbell Gallery, NYC.

 

 

Laurels Lessons: 100 Years of the Royal
Thursday, March 3 • 7pm
@ SNF Parkway

As part of Baltimore Living Archives, resident artist Lawrence Burney will host a conversation series titles Laurels Lessons that gets to the root of key musical and cultural moments, eras, and events throughout history in the Baltimore area. The conversations will include the voices of scholars/experts as well as former participants on subjects. such as Pennsylvania Avenue’s legacy of jazz, local gospel powerhouses, and literature from Baltimore’s liberation movements in the early 20th century.

We launch the series with the 100 year anniversary celebration of Pennsylvania Ave’s Royal Theater. Lawrence will explore its significance to Baltimore and the wider “Chitlin Circuit” from the 1920s-60s, share archival footage and talk with author and historian Philip J Muriel.

Photo by: I Henry Phillips Sr, courtesy of Webster Phillips

COVID-19 Safety Note

As of Saturday, January 8, 2022, the SNF Parkway requires all participants to be fully vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine that is approved by the World Health Organization to attend screenings. Additionally, all patrons are required to wear masks Webster Phillips of the I Henry Photo Project to help analyze, identify, and discuss archival photographs and materials from  I Henry Phillips Srwhen inside the SNF Parkway building.

Patrons experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms are encouraged to stay home and email [email protected] or call 410-752-8083 to request a refund or exchange. Ticket refunds or exchanges may be issued up to 20 minutes before the start of a film screening.

 

 

Speculative Histories & Futures
Friday, March 4 • 12-1:30pm
Presented by UMBC CIRCA

Four international artists and scholars, Dr. Tiffany E. Barber, Ayodamola Tanimowo Okunseinde (ayo), Kite, and Jonas Staal, will discuss this panel’s titular terms in relation to their own work, expanding the terms however they desire, with moderator Safiyah Cheatam.

The term “speculative” has been applied to numerous fields of thought and action since ancient times. Aristotle and Plato debated the speculative nature of theory, versus the logical nature of praxis. The first 17th-century European settlers on the land we currently occupy in North America engaged in speculative finance to wrest land from its occupants, thereby colonizing it. In the last few decades, the adjective has been applied to more specifically visual fields of research, a development reflecting the term’s Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root “spek” – to observe. From Speculative Design, a term coined in the 1990s by Anthony Dunne, who along with Fiona Raby promoted the practice at the Royal College of Art, to the Black Speculative Art Movement with its roots in Afrofuturism, as described by Reynaldo Anderson in 2016, visual culture ignited the idea of this panel to discuss “Speculative Histories and Futures.”

 

 

Highlandtown First Friday Art Walk: March 2022
Friday, March 4 • 5-9pm
@ Highlandtown Arts District

We’re kicking off a new year of 2022 Highlandtown First Friday Art Walk on Friday, February 4!

Venues feature COVID-safe activities including gallery tours, artist pop-ups, tastings, shopping, dinner and more!

Please follow COVID safety rules. Wear mask above the nose and below the chin, keep 6ft distance from those who don’t live in your household, and follow capacity guidelines at all venues.

 

 

Joan Mitchell Community Day
Sunday, March 6 • 1-5pm
@ The Baltimore Museum of Art

Enjoy a day of celebration inspired by the Joan Mitchell exhibition. Experience live, improvisational music performances produced in partnership with the High Zero Foundation, French pastries crafted by Crust by Mack, a hands-on painting workshop with artist Katie Pumphrey, and free admission to the exhibition.

This event is free and open to all ages. To attend, please reserve a free timed-entry pass on Sunday, March 6 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Plan Your Visit

No additional passes are required to visit Joan Mitchell during this time.

Schedule of Events

1 – 5 p.m.

Free admission to Joan Mitchell
Special Exhibition Gallery

Painting and mark making workshop inspired Joan Mitchell with artist Katie Pumphrey
Classroom

1:30 – 2 p.m.

Live, ambient music experience featuring High Zero Foundation musicians
East Lobby

2-2:20 p.m.

Live, improvisational jazz session featuring High Zero Foundation musicians
Fox Court

2-3:30 p.m.

Choux pastries and coffee from Crust by Mack
Outside of the East Entrance

3-3:20 p.m.

Live, improvisational jazz session featuring High Zero Foundation musicians
Fox Court

3:30-4 p.m.

Live, ambient music experience featuring High Zero Foundation musicians
East Lobby

4-4:20 p.m.

Live, experimental jazz session with High Zero Foundation musicians
Fox Court

 

 

Dolly Parton & James Patterson – RUN, ROSE, RUN Indie Launch Event
Sunday, March 6 • 7:30pm
sponsored by The Ivy Bookshop

Join Dolly Parton and James Patterson for the exclusive RUN, ROSE, RUN Virtual Book Launch on Sunday, March 6 at 7:30 ET, live on YouTube (link will be sent out on Friday, March 4). Your ticket includes admission to the exclusive event, a pre-order of a hardcover copy of Run, Rose, Run ($30 retail price, book releases on March 7), as well as sales tax, shipping, and handling (if applicable). We can’t wait to see you there!

Click here to pre-order your copy of Run,Rose,Run and to register for the event!

From America’s most beloved superstar and its greatest storyteller — a thriller about a young singer-songwriter on the rise and on the run, and determined to do whatever it takes to survive.

Every song tells a story.

She’s a star on the rise, singing about the hard life behind her.

She’s also on the run. Find a future, lose a past.

Nashville is where she’s come to claim her destiny. It’s also where the darkness she’s fled might find her.

And destroy her.

Run, Rose, Run is a novel glittering with danger and desire — a story that only America’s #1 beloved entertainer and its #1 bestselling author could have created.

Dolly Parton is a singer, songwriter, actress, producer, businesswoman, and philanthropist. The composer of more than 3,000 songs, she has sold over 100 million records worldwide, and has given away millions of books to children through her nonprofit, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

James Patterson is the world’s bestselling author. The creator of Alex Cross, he has produced more enduring fictional heroes than any other novelist alive. He lives in Florida with his family.

 

Calls for Entry // Opportunities

 

 

Baltimore City Artist Recovery Grant (ARG)
deadline March 18
sponsored by BOPA

Baltimore City Artist Recovery Grant Award (ARG), administered by Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA) on behalf of the city, supports Individual Artists impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Background
Baltimore City, a recipient of federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), requested proposals to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic’s negative impacts on the City and citizens of Baltimore City.

As the City’s Arts Council, the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts will serve as the fiducial agent of ARPA for individual artists in Baltimore City. Baltimore City approved a grant of $500,000 to fund the Baltimore City Artist Recovery Grant, or ARG. The ARG will provide direct economic relief by providing grants to individual professional artists whose lives and livelihoods were demonstrably impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic.  BOPA will engage the members of the Baltimore arts community to assist in local outreach and grant evaluation efforts, in collaboration with arts and cultural leaders as well as individual working artists within Baltimore City.

Purpose
The City aims to provide grant funding to support individual professional artists that were in practice at the onset of the pandemic and who were impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency. The ARG is open to individual artists at least 18 years old, living in the City of Baltimore. Funds will be administered based on need to artists/creatives that have a demonstrated high need of support.

Grant Timeline
January 31, 2022 – Applications Open
March 18, 2022 – Applications Close
March 28 – April 28, 2022 – Panel Review Process
May – June 2022 – Grantees Notified/Awarded

 

 

The Arts Club of DC | 2023 Call for Entries
deadline March 18

Two-dimensional works in all media, styles, and techniques are acceptable. Overly delicate, large, or heavy hanging works may be accepted at the discretion of the Exhibitions Committee chair. A limited number of small-scale sculptures that can be displayed on a mantle may be accepted as part of the body of works exhibited. Images submitted should be representative of the proposed exhibit (size, medium, subject matter, etc.).

Gallery Space

The Arts Club of Washington features three formal galleries for exhibition use. The curator, in conjunction with the Exhibitions Committee, will determine in which gallery to display each exhibition. Two or three artists per month are generally accepted, although this is subject to change.

Curator

The club invites a panel of several independent art professionals to make selections for the year and to curate the exhibits. Curators are often associated with the National Gallery of Art, Phillips Gallery, Kreeger Museum, and other area museums and galleries.

Entry Requirements

To enter please submit the following application requirements to: Christina Perry at

[email protected]

 

 

Call for Artists & Photographers – $550.00 Innovate Grants
deadline March 24
sponsored by Innovate Artist Grants

WINTER 2022 OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS — Innovate Grant  awards (2) $550.00 grants each quarter, to one Visual Artist and one Photographer. In addition, (4) honorable mentions (2 in art and 2 in photo), will be featured and recognized on our website and join a growing community of vibrant and talented artists. Innovate Grant’s commitment extends beyond the grant cycle by promoting the work of selected winners and honorable mentions into the future. For more information and to apply visit https://innovateartistgrants.org

Explore the work of ALL Past Innovate Grant recipients and read their interviews at https://innovateartistgrants.org

 

 

BROS Pitch Party
March 24

Local theater community The Baltimore Rock Opera Society (BROS) is accepting original pitch ideas for a future stage production through their website. Submitted pitches will be considered by the organization’s Artistic Council and chosen ideas will be presented and then put to a vote during the Pitch Party open community event at The Crown on March 24th at 7 PM.

BROS productions – known for their rock soundtracks, over-the-top visuals, and general commitment to excess – are exclusively chosen through pitch ideas that are solicited from the local community. Pitches are sought on an annual basis and then, following a democratic selection process, typically put into production within two years. BROS is seeking ideas from all local creative visionaries with an idea they wish to see brought to life on the stage until submissions close on February 28th.

This will be the first time BROS has sought pitch submissions in several years due to production delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Their show premiering this spring, “Glitterus: Dragon Rising”, was chosen back in 2017, and the 2018 submission “Love & Roar” will hit the stage this fall. BROS Executive Director Aran Keating is looking forward to seeing what the future of the company will hold.

“We’ve had a long time to work on these upcoming stories, and that has been fantastic and will surely make for some incredible shows, but we are very excited to see what crazy ideas we’ve got to look forward to,” said Keating. “Our community never disappoints in presenting us with things we want to make.”

Creatives seeking to submit an original pitch and find more information about the pitching process can do so at baltimorerockopera.org/pitchparty. The Pitch Party on March 24th where pitches will be presented and voted on is free and open to the public. For more information, visit baltimorerockopera.org.

About Baltimore Rock Opera Society

The Baltimore Rock Opera Society is a passionate community of artists who create unforgettable experiences through live original rock theater. BROS was founded by a small group of friends sitting in a basement dreaming of an impossibly enormous story that would be told through the awesome power of rock. That dream eventually became Gründlehämmer, the first BROS production that premiered in 2009 to rave reviews and sold-out crowds. BROS continued to chase that success, and over the last ten years have produced original shows annually that have drawn an audience of over 20,000 people. Composed of a highly energetic group of actors, writers, designers, builders, musicians, and artists with the mission of producing original, live rock musicals, BROS has become a powerhouse of Baltimore’s cultural landscape as the city’s most collaborative, creative production troupe. For more information please visit www.baltimorerockopera.org.

Pitch Party 2022 Promo Video: https://youtu.be/FoG9uCkgfRw

 

 

MINI-GRANTS Available for Kent County Artists
deadline March 25
sponsored by The Kent Cultural Alliance

The Kent Cultural Alliance announces grants for artists in Kent County.  These are one-time grants for $500 and are open to any artist who is a resident of Kent County.  This will be a one-time cash grant, made possible by emergency funding from the Maryland State Arts Council that requires a simple application which does not include any financial information.  The application process will open on Friday, February 25, 2022, and closes on March 25, or when all funds have been awarded.

This grant is open to all artists who live in Kent County and are over the age of 18.  It is not a requirement of this grant that art is your primary source of income.  The funds from this grant can be used to purchase supplies, go towards a studio rental, marketing costs, equipment repairs, or anything else that is directly related to your art. (Funds may not be used for travel)

The Kent Cultural Alliance serves the residents of Kent County supporting and creating inclusive artistic and cultural experiences designed to connect communities through shared conversations.  This fund can support up to 30 Kent County artists and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis for all qualified applicants.  It is the goal of this grant to allow artists the ability to take a ‘next step’ in their art; to purchase a piece of equipment they’ve been putting off, to rent studio time to finish an album, to frame several canvases for sale, or any other number of possibilities.

A link for an online application and a downloadable PDF can be found HERE.  To receive a physical copy of the application, or for any questions, please call the KCA at 410-778-3700 or email the Deputy Director, Hester Sachse at [email protected]

 

 

Creative Alliance Teen Council | Call for Applications
deadlines March 25 Complete Creative Alliance form + April 1 Complete Youth Works

Applications are now open for the Creative Alliance Teen Council! Teens are invited to join a group of young innovators to explore various facets of art, activism, and leadership through fun, engaging, collaborative arts-based projects.

Dates: JUL 5-AUG 5 | Monday-Friday
Age Rages: Ages 14-21 are invited to apply

Complete the Creative Alliance interest form and complete a Youth Works application. Once you complete your interest form, we will contact you to set up an interview. Interviews will take place between the end of February and March.