BmoreArt

This Week: ‘Embodying the Island’ performance at Tola’s Room, Rosa Leff exhibition reception at Alchemy of Art, Artscape 40, Subscape 2024, MICA’s Art Market x Artscape, Baltimore Jewelry Center Graduate exhibition reception, opening reception for Joan Cox at IA&A @ Hillyer, RIVERS artist talk at KCA, Crystal Moll’s 11th Annual Plein Air Show reception, and BLK @ NITE at Eubie Blake — PLUS Garden and Studio Coordinator position at Blue Light Junction and more featured opportunities!

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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< Events >

 

Embodying the Island
Wednesday, July 31 :: 6pm
@ Tola’s Room

Embodying the Island is an immersive theatrical experience starting Maria Luísa Marin with interactive installation art by Ana Paula Teixeira. It derives from their upcoming surreal, experimental short film “The Unraveling” which is an experimental short film written by María Luisa Marín and Ana Paula Teixeira. Contributing to the de-colonization of theatre, we explore the Ritual. Speaking from traumas of childhood caused by misogynistic behavior in our Puerto Rican households, we share the story of “Marina” in her abysmal adulthood seeking answers for her own growth. The piece is bilingual, and it takes place between the river, the dream world, and the idea of home.

 

 

Rosa Leff | Reception
Thursday, August 1
@ Alchemy of Art

Bio

Between painting alongside her grandmother and watching her father build reproduction antique furniture, Rosa Leff grew up seeing no distinction between fine art and craft. What mattered was that things were made by hand and done well. It is with that in mind that she creates her hand cut paper pieces. Each of Leff’s papercuts is cut by hand from a single sheet of paper using a knife. Her cityscapes are based on photos she’s taken in her neighborhood and all over the world. While Leff is best known for her ability to capture thin tangles of powerlines and intricate brickwork, she also enjoys experimenting with novel media such as paper plates and paper towels. Leff delights in bringing a modern, urban perspective to a traditional folk medium.

Leff has served on the board of The Guild of American Papercutters (GAP). In addition to being a GAP member she is a member of The Paper Artist Collective. Leff has exhibited her work throughout the United States, in China, and in Mexico. Her work has been acquired by The Canton Museum of Art (Canton, OH), The Colored Girls Museum (Philadelphia, PA) and The Museum of International Folk Art (Santa Fe, NM). She is the recipient of a 2021 Maryland State Arts Council Independent Artist Award, the 2021 Municipal Art Society of Baltimore City Artist Travel Prize, and the 2023 360 Xochi Quetzal BIPOC Residency. Leff resides in Puerto Rico with her husband and chihuahuas, Chalupa and Refrito.

 

 

Artscape 40
Friday, August 2 – Sunday, August 4

The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA), in collaboration with the City of Baltimore, is thrilled to announce the headliners for Artscape 40. Artscape, the city’s biggest cultural event of the year, returns to the summer, scheduled to kick off on Friday, August 2nd and close out on Sunday, August 4th. The headliners will all perform on the Mt. Royal Station Main Stage at Cathedral St. at Mount Royal Ave.

The “Queen of Funk,” Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, and 10-time Grammy winner Chaka Khan will be the Friday night headliner. Ms. Khan first performed at the city’s biggest cultural event of the year in 1993.

Ms. Khan and Maeta join a musical lineup that includes the incomparable Queen of Percussion Sheila E., whose album, “The Glamorous Life,” debuted 40 years ago. She will perform on Saturday, August 3rd at 8:45 p.m. Other musical acts performing earlier in the day on the Mount Royal Main Stage include Joi Carter (Neo Soul/RnB), Live From The Paradox (House/Hip-Hop), and WhoCamille (Hip-Hop).

On Sunday, August 4th, Artscape attendees can enjoy the sounds of Navasha Daya (Jazz/Funk/World) and the Trinidad & Tobago Steel Drum Orchestra (Caribbean). At 3:00 p.m., the legendary band The Original Wailers, featuring Al Anderson, lead guitarist for Bob Marley & The Wailers, will hit the Main Stage to close out this year’s celebration. The reggae supergroup continues the legacy of the music legend and includes Chet Samuel (Lead Vocals/Guitar), Omar Lopez (Bass Guitar), Paapa Nyarkoh (Drums), and Adrian AK Cisneros (Keyboard/Organ).

 

 

Subscape 2024
Friday, August 2 – Sunday, August 4
@ The Metro + The Crown

Subscape is a FREE, ALL AGES celebration of the subversive elements fueling Baltimore’s bleeding-edge underground. 3 Days, 3 Stages, 50+ Bands, all at Metro and The Crown, all during Artscape.

8/2 from 6PM-2AM
8/3 from 11:30AM-2AM
8/4 from 11:30AM-5PM

Line up:

D.O.A., War On Women, Black Celebration, Blightbeast, Cannibal Boom, Chiaroscuro, Choking Boys, Cora Sone, Darker Than, Deletions, Dick Girl, Dicqbeats, D.O.V.E., Haze Mage, Infinite Pizza, Jenn Taiga, JRDN and the Switchblades, Knub, Krime Slugs, Luxury Teeth, Mast Year, Microkingdom, Mondrary, Mowder Oyal, Multicult, Natural Velvet, Ninth Realm, Nixil, P111ar, Pluot, Post Community, Powerwasher, Problem Solver, Ragdollz, Sickle Cell, Silk Leash, Sleep Talk, Slot, Switchblade Porter, Tear Sponsor, The Arm, The Lushpockets, The Expanding Man, Turd Merlin, +MORE!

 

 

Art Market x Artscape
Friday, August 2 – Sunday, August 4
@ MICA Brown Center

Friday, 5-9pm, Saturday, 11 – 9pm, Sunday, 11 – 5pm

Art Market x Artscape features work by alumni, faculty, and staff and takes place during Artscape weekend. It is a great opportunity to visit MICA’s campus, enjoy a curated selection of art, craft, and artisan-made goods in the comfort of climate control. Take a break from the August/Artscape heat and treat yourself to something special! This event is open to the public, so please spread the word and bring a friend!

 

 

Baltimore Jewelry Center 2024 Graduate Exhibition | Opening Reception
Friday, August 2 :: 5-8pm
@ Baltimore Jewelry Center

The Baltimore Jewelry Center is excited to present its inaugural Graduate Exhibition. The exhibition captures the work of emerging jewelers and metalsmiths who have recently completed their formal education. This new, annual exhibition highlights the depth and breadth of what is currently being created in the field by young graduating jewelers and metalsmiths.

The artists in this inaugural exhibition represent both national and international programs and were selected by the BJC’s 10-person exhibitions committee. Participating artists include Ashley Wingo, Chelsea Nanfelt Rowe, Dorota Wilde, Grace Wallstead, Hana Foo, Jeannette Knigge, John Gyimesi, Mackenzie Pearl Reid, Megan Kerr, Megan Obenaus, Meichan Yuan, Michael Bair, Michal Schwab, Seville Marina Meyn Partida, Vanessa Shum, and Yifei Kong.

Exhibition Dates: August 2 – September 27, 2024 with an exhibition opening August 2, 5-8pm.

 

 

Joan Cox: Sapphic Gaze | Opening Reception
Friday, August 2 :: 6-8pm
@ IA&A at Hillyer

Sapphic Gaze presents a compelling series of vibrant, life-size portraits that delve into the intimate lives of women-loving women. Drawing from her 23-year relationship and the experiences of lesbian couples in her community, Joan Cox crafts visual narratives that champion intense, celebratory, and nuanced relationships. By reimagining historical art compositions with personal narratives and lush, symbolic imagery, Joan challenges the historical absence of lesbian representation in Western art. Her paintings are a canvas of affirmation, celebrating the dynamic and complex intimacies between women, which have long been overlooked or taboo. Through this exhibition, Joan showcases the beauty and complexity of sapphic love and aims to affirm these relationships, recognizing them for their intrinsic value and significant place in contemporary society.

 

 

RIVERS | Artist Talk
Saturday, August 3 :: 1pm
@ Kent Cultural Alliance

On June 22, 2024, the Kent Cultural Alliance will welcome its second class of resident artists for the SFW Residency Program at the Raimond Cultural Center. These four artists will work with KCA’s partner, ShoreRivers. The SFW Residency uses the arts to provide a new lens through which Kent County residents can see and understand issues that impact our daily lives. In the spring, KCA partnered with Kent County 4H, FFA at Kent County High School, and Harborview Farms on the theme of LAND. This summer our artists will work with ShoreRivers’ river keepers and educational staff to shine a creative light on the importance of the health of our waterways.

We are grateful to ShoreRivers (www.shorerivers.org) river keepers and all of their staff as they work with us to provide information, education, and access to our artists during their visit. And we look forward to sharing the work of the artists as the residency progresses and with our culminating exhibit.

Thank you to the SFW Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, The Maryland State Arts Council, The Maryland Heritage Area Authority/Stories of the Chesapeake, The Hedgelawn Foundation, and the Mid-Shore Community Foundation. Special thanks to our community partners for this residency, ShoreRivers.

 

 

11th Annual Summer Plein Air Show | Reception
Saturday, August 3 :: 3-5pm
@ Crystal Moll Gallery

It’s our favorite time of the year!  

Soft Opening Reception / Highlandtown Art Walk ~ Friday, July 5th from 5-8pm

Artist Opening Reception with Vlad Duchev Demo and Wet Paint Sale ~ Saturday, August 3rd from 3-5pm

 

 

BLK @ NITE: ARTSCAPE 40
Saturday, August 3 :: 5-11pm
@ Eubie Blake Cultural Center

BLK ASS FLEA MKT DOES ARTSCAPE [40]!

Come shop + vibe with us for our FIRST ever Artscape activation at Eubie Blake!

BLK ASS [NITE] MKT

BLK ASS VENDORS

HOUSE MUSIC

DJ SETS

WORKSHOPS

COCKTAILS + VIBES

Tell all the Cousins!

 

 

< Featured Opportunities >

 

Help Us Celebrate The Legacy of Sankofa Dance Theater!

Greetings Family,

I am excited to share updates about a project that I have been working on for the last year documenting the history of Sankofa Dance Theater, a Baltimore-based cultural institution founded in 1989 by educator and artist, Kibibi Ajanku to create West African art and dance experiences for communities in and beyond our beautiful city.

“Sankofa,” loosely translates to, “learn from the past in an effort to build for the future”, or “go back and fetch it”. When the organization was in operation, it led a powerful cultural movement that raised a generation of critical thought leaders who continue to use art and education for broader societal change including scholar writer, Ta-Nehisi Coates, activist poet Olufunmike “Butterfly” Woods, educator drummer Menes Yahudah, educator activist, King Salim Ajanku, among many others. Sankofa taught thousands of adults and children and saved countless lives.

In collaboration with Mama Kibibi, we were able to raise over $20k from the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation to cover print costs for, Sankofa Dance Theater: 30 Years of Music Movement and Folkways, a limited edition hardcover, 250 page coffee table book that chronicles Sankofa’s history and impact. The book features contributions from Historian, Dr. Leslie King-Hammond, writer and scholar, Dr. Kokahvah “Moma Koko” Zauditu-Selassie, Mama Kibibi Ajanku and me. We culled thousands of images documenting performances all over the world and worked with talented designers to tell a beautiful story about an unsung revolutionary group.

We are reaching out to our community to request support to raise an additional $7k to cover shipping costs, and two (2) reunion Harvest Festival performances by the Company at the Baltimore Museum of Art on November 17th and November 24th.

Will you help us immortalize the legacy of Sankofa Dance Theater?

Please Donate Today!

In Solidarity,
Angela N Carroll
Kibibi Ajanku

 

 

Exhibitions Open Call: 2025-2027 True F. Luck Gallery Exhibitions at Visual Arts Center of Richmond
deadline August 5
posted by Visual Arts Center of Richmond

The True F. Luck Gallery is centrally located in the Visual Arts Center of Richmond and hosts eight exhibitions annually with related educational programming, all free-of-charge to the public. Two of these annual exhibitions are selected by artist-led, community review panels from proposals submitted in an annual open call. The goal of our exhibition programming at VisArts is to focus on contemporary artists who are utilizing and innovating the media we teach within our programs in our facility. We strive to prioritize historically marginalized voices and support artists at all stages of their creative careers in order to cultivate a growing community of artists. Our gallery at VisArts engages 20,000+ viewers each year and exhibits international, national and regional artists with established or rising careers. For information about past exhibits, visit the Exhibitions page on our website.

Applications for the 2025-2027 True F. Luck Gallery open call proposals are open now and due on Monday August 5th at 11:59 p.m. We ask applicants to choose between a Fall or Winter exhibition on the applications, and final dates will be solidified during the review and acceptance process.

 

 

New Visionary Magazine Issue 12 | Call for Submissions
deadline August 18

New Visionary Magazine, a publication by Visionary Art Collective, features contemporary artists, exclusive interviews with art world professionals, and valuable art career resources. Based in New York City, Visionary Art Collective aims to uplift artists through magazine features, virtual exhibitions, podcast interviews, and mentorship programs.

We are seeking artists of all experience levels to highlight in our upcoming issue. Selected artists will receive a 2-page spread, along with a custom article about their work written by our head writer.

Issue 12 will be curated by the New Visionary Magazine Team, which includes Victoria J. Fry, Emma Hapner, Veronica Petty, Valerie Auersperg, and Blair Beusman.

To learn more and submit your work, please visit: visionaryartcollective.submittable.com/submit

Deadline: Sunday August 18th, 2024 at midnight ET

 

 

Blue Light Junction | Garden + Studio Coordinator
deadline August 23

Blue Light Junction is hiring: We are excited to extend the opportunity to be part of the BLJ Team! We have a lot of happenings coming up in the Fall and are looking for a part time Studio/Garden Coordinator to both lead and hold space for our community and events. If you love gardening, fiber, natural dyes, craft this could be the place for you.

Please send a Cover Letter and Resume as a single PDF along with one professional and one personal reference to [email protected] with the subject “BLJ Studio and Garden Coordinator Application”

Applications are open through 11:59pm ET on August 23, 2024.

More info at https://www.bluelightjunction.com/bljopenposition

This is an onsite position located in Baltimore City.

 

 

Arts Capital Grant Applications Now Open
deadline August 23
posted by Maryland State Arts Council

The Arts Capital program reopens its grant application window for FY 2025 funding this week! This grant provides eligible organizations with access to state capital funds to support the expansion, renovation or major repairs to the infrastructure of a facility delivering arts-based education or experiences to the public. MSAC encourages applications for projects that increase access to facilities, expand access to a greater audience or prioritize using energy-efficient building methods and technologies.

In FY 2025, Arts Capital grant awards will range from $50,000 to $500,000. No match is required.

 

 

Annual Call for Proposals 2025
deadline August 30
posted by IA&A @ Hillyer

Hillyer is currently accepting proposals for solo and curated exhibitions that will take place at Hillyer’s contemporary art space between February 2025 and January 2026. Proposals are open to local, regional, national, and international artists.

The Selection Process

All proposals that meet Hillyer’s criteria will be reviewed by Hillyer’s Advisory Committee, which is composed of established artists, curators, and arts professionals, and chaired by Hillyer director, Tim Brown. Through a competitive selection process that will take place over a 4–5 week period, 25 to 35 emerging and accomplished artists and curators will be selected. Those who are selected will receive the following:

One of Hillyer’s three gallery spaces
$400 stipend
Exhibition opening and reception
Assistance with installations
Assistance with labels and didactics
Marketing and press releases
Public programs
Digital content material and online publicity
Mentoring from one of Hillyer’s Advisory Committee members