BmoreArt

This week’s news includes: Sankofa Dance Theater celebrates 30 years, new programming at Center Stage, remembering Judith Jamison, BSO’s Katherine Needleman advocates for women in classical music, Baker Artist Portfolio exhibition at The Peale, BOPA parts ways with CEO Rachel Graham and cancels Community Listening Sessions, Stephanie Stebich removed as SAAM director, Japanese women artist exhibition at SAAM, and all the John Waters news that’s fit to print — with reporting from Baltimore Magazine, Baltimore Fishbowl, Baltimore Brew, and other local and independent news sources.

Header Image: “Cry”: Judith Jamison. from National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection Photographer Mitchell, Jack, 1925-2013

The Sankofa Dance Theater Legacy Lives On in Baltimore
by Alanah Nichole Davis
Published November 18 in Baltimore Magazine

Excerpt: In 1989, Kibibi Ajanku fulfilled a calling. As an adolescent, the Baltimore native had fallen in love with the rhythmic movement of West African dance. She eventually joined a professional company that took her around the country and world, deepening her connection to the diasporic art form and clarifying her own place in the global community.

Upon returning home, she wanted to share this gift with others, and Sankofa Dance Theater was born.

What began as a single children’s class quickly evolved to meet the needs of her community. As demand increased, so did the offerings, which included a dedicated performance troupe that would become the premier professional African dance and drum ensemble of Baltimore.

Community remembers the late Judith Jamison’s rippling impact on dancers in and around Baltimore
by Aliza Worthington
Published November 19 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Excerpt: The world lost an ethereal talent on Nov. 9, 2024 when Judith Jamison passed into the next realm. She was Alvin Ailey’s muse and after 15 years of dancing with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) at his personal request, and eventually took over the role of director of AAADT when Ailey died in 1989. Before her years at Ailey, she was invited by Agnes de Mille to perform with the American Ballet Theater (ABT), though the dancing roles were not plentiful for tall, Black ballet dancers in the 1960s.

The Alvin Ailey dancers may understandably be considered quintessentially New York: the company originated there, with its first performance at the 92^nd Street YM-YWHA; Alvin Ailey Place is a street in Manhattan; and The Joan Weill Center for Dance in midtown Manhattan is home to AAADT, Ailey II, The Ailey School, Ailey Extension, and Ailey Arts in Education and Community Programs.

Judith Jamison, however, had considerable and rippling impact on dancers in Baltimore. Some have had the opportunity to study with her, interview her, and benefit from her philosophy and generosity without even having met her.

The Peale opens exhibit featuring work from the Baker Artist Portfolios
by Ed Gunts
Published November 15 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Excerpt: Some of Baltimore’s newest art is getting a show in America’s oldest purpose-built museum, after The Peale this month opened an exhibit of work by artists who participate in the Baker Artist Portfolios program.

“Baker Artist Portfolios: Off the Web at The Peale” is the title of a two-month exhibit that began Nov. 7 at The Peale, 225 Holliday St., and runs through Jan. 19. An opening reception is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 15, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The Baker Artist Portfolios were established by the William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund and are a program of the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance (GBCA). Created to support artists and promote Greater Baltimore as a strong, creative community, the portfolios can be viewed at www.bakerartist.org.

CEO out at BOPA as arts group faces financial peril
by Hallie Miller and Lee O. Sanderlin
Published November 20 in The Baltimore Banner

The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts board of directors and CEO Rachel Graham are parting ways after less than seven months, continuing a monthslong leadership spiral at the arts-focused nonprofit.

The decision to oust Graham, the former head of external relations at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture, came from a dramatically hollowed-out board. BOPA has a 13-member board, but eight members, including its executive chairman, resigned this month after Mayor Brandon Scott’s office chose to cancel the city contract that provides the nonprofit much of its revenue.

Graham’s departure is “effective immediately,” BOPA interim chair and CEO Robyn Murphy said at the close of a special meeting Wednesday. Murphy was temporarily appointed to both roles while the board searches for new leadership.

The vote to part ways with Graham was unanimous, Murphy said after the meeting. Graham wasn’t immediately available for comment.

The arts group, created to support city artists, stage high-profile festivals and events and maintain some Baltimore facilities, revealed in September it had run out of money and would struggle to cover basic expenses such as payroll.

Reeling from the fallout of having its financial troubles made public, the board voted last month to slash enough jobs to save the organization about $35,000 a month — far less than the $1.8 million it asked the city for as its financial problems came into focus. It’s not clear which jobs were eliminated; Graham, at the time, declined to specify positions.

The financial insolvency set off a firestorm that ultimately led to BOPA’s contract cancellation.

Graham, who said she knew the organization faced financial peril before staging Artscape in July, attempted to shift blame to the mayor’s office earlier this fall and suggested the city wrongly allocated grant money. Scott, having already demanded the organization undergo a forensic audit, responded by directing the city’s spending board to cancel BOPA’s contract, effective January 2025.

With BOPA largely dismantled, the city will now become almost entirely responsible for running arts and culture programming. That includes Artscape, which brings thousands of visitors downtown each year; the New Year’s Eve fireworks show; and the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade. The nonprofit also serves as Baltimore’s film office and arts council.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade will be the last BOPA-produced event.

It’s possible the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, which is helmed by current BOPA board member Tonya Miller Hall, contracts out much of the event planning to another city nonprofit.

Mayor Brandon Scott’s office feud with BOPA began in early 2023, when the organization said it would not stage the MLK Day parade despite being contractually obligated to do so. Scott called for then-CEO Donna Drew Sawyer’s resignation; she stepped down in January of that year, creating a leadership vacuum and kickstarting a national search for her replacement.

After Sawyer’s departure, the mayor’s office began toying with the idea of eliminating BOPA altogether, according to a 2023 memo. It suggested that BOPA suffered from low morale and internal instability, and the memo suggested that the city could redirect all money it gives the nonprofit to a wing of the mayor’s office and other organizations to put on BOPA’s signature events.

Weeks later, the city’s ire grew when the Baltimore Law Department revealed it had fought off a request from BOPA to trademark Artscape, another violation of its contract, under Sawyer’s leadership. At a tense budget hearing that year, interim leadership revealed it had approved a severance payout to Sawyer without the city’s knowledge.

In June the city’s spending board approved a restructured, one-year contract with BOPA. The new deal gave Scott’s office an easy route to cancellation and set up a payment structure that doled out quarterly installments instead of a lump sum as an additional oversight measure.

Recently departed board member Lady Brion said she was disappointed the city did not stick out the one-year agreement, calling it a “missed opportunity.” With a new CEO, a new board and a new energy, the organization was ready to spend the year trying to shore up all the deficiencies Scott’s administration had previously pointed out. Instead, the nonprofit will struggle to keep its footing in the city’s cultural scene.

“There’s a lot of knowledge and history that BOPA has,” Brion, a poet, said. “They’re a big part of the arts and culture ecosystem in this community.”

When Graham joined the organization earlier this year, she said she had hoped to create more financial opportunities for city-based creatives to make careers out of the arts. She also acknowledged the organization’s mistakes and said she felt motivated to push BOPA to reach “the next level.”

“I just love the city. I believe in the transformative power of the arts community, and I believe in BOPA,” Graham said in a February interview. “Pressure makes diamonds, and sometimes you need that to force you out of the box and look at the situation from a new perspective.”

Murphy, BOPA’s interim board chair and CEO, said the board will name a new leader of the arts council, a separate function within BOPA, later this week.

This is a developing story.

This story was republished with permission from The Baltimore Banner. Visit www.thebaltimorebanner.com for more.

See also:

BOPA board ‘parts ways’ with CEO Rachel Graham; appoints Robyn Murphy as new interim chair and CEO at special meeting
by Aliza Worthington
Published November 20 in Baltimore Fishbowl

BOPA’s community listening sessions have been cancelled
by Ed Gunts
Published November 19 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Excerpt: The Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts (BOPA) has cancelled three community listening sessions that were scheduled to begin on Tuesday.

The sessions were announced after city officials voted to terminate BOPA’s contract to serve as Baltimore’s arts council, film office and events producer and eight of its 13 board members resigned.

CEO Rachel Graham scheduled the listening sessions as a way to learn from artists and others how the organization could work with the city’s arts community after BOPA’s contract with the city ends on Jan. 20. The “Community Listening Conversations’ had been scheduled for Nov. 19, Nov. 21 and Dec. 4, at various locations around the city.

See also:

Winding Down: Mayor Brandon Scott and advisors answer questions about city’s decision to cut ties with BOPA and what happens next
by Ed Gunts
Published November 15 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Baltimore Center Stage Announces New Arts Wraparound Programming
Press Release :: November 20

Baltimore Center Stage (BCS) has announced the launch of a series of  transformative new arts education and civic engagement initiatives under the visionary leadership of Artistic Director Stevie Walker-Webb. As the theater continues to rebound from the post-pandemic landscape, with ticket sales on the rise and the successful world premiere of Oh Happy Day! captivating audiences, the theater is poised to significantly expand its impact beyond the stage. These bold new programmatic thrusts aim to empower youth, foster social justice, and deepen BCS’s role in the fabric of Baltimore’s neighborhoods, and throughout the state of Maryland.

“Baltimore is a cultural catalyst on the East Coast, and we are committed to expanding our  impact throughout the region,” said Walker-Webb. “These initiatives reflect our belief that theater is not just a mirror to society, but a tool to actively shape a brighter, more just future for our community.”

The launch of these groundbreaking initiatives is made possible by The Next Act Campaign, a $1 million fundraising effort aimed at supporting BCS’s expanded vision for its future. UWalker-Webb’s leadership, BCS is building a theater for everyone, one that serves as an ambassador for the state and a beacon of light for Baltimore’s diverse communities.

Empowering Youth & Combating Recidivism Through Art

Already underway is the Juvenile Justice Theater Program, a cornerstone initiative, launched October 28, 2024, at the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center. This year-long program, in partnership with the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services,  provides creative workshops to incarcerated youth, empowering them through storytelling to reframe their personal narratives from victims to heroes. “We believe that art can be a powerful counter-narrative to the ‘get tough on crime’ approach. Through this program, we are planting seeds of transformation for the youth who need it most,” said Walker-Webb.

The mission of the program is to support Maryland’s Department of Juvenile Services in combating the rising crime rate among young people in Baltimore by addressing the root causes of recidivism and preparing participants for reentry into society. “We believe that every young person deserves the chance to write their own story,” said Shauntia Lindsay, Program Services Coordinator at DJS. “Our partnership with BCS brings creativity and hope to justice-involved youth, empowering young people to see themselves as positive forces for change in their lives and communities.”

In addition, Baltimore Center Stage will begin taking applications this spring for Workforce Development Apprenticeships. Building on the theater’s history of training theater workers from carpenters to marketers to playwrights, this program will open annual, paid positions that create economic opportunity for those who need it most. Special attention will go to alumni of the Juvenile Justice Theater Program, with the goal of creating long-term community and career pathways.

Legislative Forum Festival: A Platform for Civic Engagement

In Spring 2025, BCS will host the Legislative Forum Festival, a free event that brings together Baltimore residents and invited elected officials to discuss pressing issues such as housing insecurity and the city’s efforts to reduce the number of vacant properties. The festival, focusing in its first year on local issues of housing and equitable development, will provide a platform for participants to express their concerns and be in communication with legislators and policymakers.  “Theatre provides an opportunity, unlike any other, to build deep connection across an audience and community,” said Baltimore City Council President-elect Zeke Cohen, a lead supporter of the initiative.  “It allows us to connect with and give voice to issues that otherwise seem insurmountable.” The forum will use the power of performance to amplify local voices, engage activists and audiences, and advocate for social change, making theater a catalyst for community-driven solutions.

Investing in Local Talent: Lab 410 and Young Playwrights Festival

BCS is also deepening its commitment to local artists with the inaugural Lab 410, a program designed to nurture emerging Baltimore-area playwrights. With 99 applicants in its first year, the Lab 410 offers professional development opportunities and connects participants to national theater networks, ensuring that Baltimore’s creative voices have a place on the Main Stage, in our communities, and across the country.

Additionally, the Young Playwrights Festival (YPF) celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2025, making it the oldest free playwriting program of its kind in the nation. “We are thankful to Center Stage for once again opening up the Young Playwrights program to our students. They will have the opportunity to see their words come alive when professionally produced on the stage,” said Tom Culotta, President of The Community School, one of the Festival’s partner schools. This season, YPF will serve hundreds of students across 13 Baltimore City schools, with a special focus on underfunded Title 1 schools. To mark the anniversary, BCS has plans to host a massive celebratory block party on Calvert Street featuring performances of seven new plays by local young playwrights.  A kick-off reception will be held in the theater’s Eddie and Sylvia Brown Education Center.

Shared Space Initiative

Now in its third season, The BCS Shared Space Initiative transforms our building into a civic and cultural hub for Baltimore and Maryland, offering theaters, lobbies, meeting rooms, staff expertise, and community connections to values-aligned artists and organizations. At its heart, this initiative is a cohort model where core partners commit to mutual support, sharing resources, knowledge, and networks throughout their time together. This collaboration deepens relationships, promotes interdependence, and embodies our land acknowledgment by welcoming all of Baltimore into a shared communal space. Partners include Black Equity, the Black Arts District, Crushing Colonialism, the Baltimore American Indian Center, Native American Lifelines, and Emmy Award-winning John Tyler Sounds (Love Groove Festival).

Support the Future of BCS: The Next Act Fundraising Campaign

Under the visionary leadership of new Artistic Director Stevie Walker-Webb, Baltimore Center Stage is ushering in a new era, the theater’s “Next Act,” using the unique power of theater to work directly to improve lives within the Greater Baltimore community. Through the support of individuals and organizations across the region, Baltimore Center Stage will accelerate into a new generation of vibrant service to come.

“Our theater is more than a place for storytelling—it’s a tool for change,” said Walker-Webb. “With the support of our community, these programs will not only entertain but also have a tangible, lasting impact  in the lives of Baltimore’s residents.”

**Join us in supporting the Next Act and help ensure the success of these vital programs. Every donation brings us one step closer to realizing our vision of a more equitable, empowered, and vibrant Baltimore.**

BSO’s top oboist leads the charge in classical music’s #MeToo fight
by Rebecca Ritzel
Published November 20 in The Baltimore Banner

Excerpt: When bad news hits the world of classical music, the source thousands of musicians turn to for details is the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s principal oboe player.

Whether it’s about the arrest of a once-beloved Pennsylvania violinist, an all-male judging controversy at a tuba competition in South Korea, or allegations of “neverending” sexual abuse at a prominent conservatory, Katherine Needleman is guaranteed to have the scoop.

Locally, Needleman is best known as the BSO musician who went public with accusations of sexual harassment against concertmaster Jonathan Carney in 2018. She subsequently filed an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission discrimination complaint against the Baltimore orchestra after it declined to suspend or remove Carney.

“What I wanted was for them [the orchestra] to deal with the problem,” Needleman said. She also wanted “a [expletive] apology.”

… this story continues. Read the rest at The Baltimore Banner: BSO’s top oboist leads the charge in classical music’s #MeToo fight

Smithsonian American Art Museum Director Reportedly Removed Over Staff Complaints
by Isa Farfan
Published November 18 in Hyperallergic

Excerpt: The Smithsonian Institution removed the director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) in Washington, DC, following years of staff complaints of tumultuous leadership, according to a Washington Post report published today, November 18.

Stephanie Stebich vacated her role as director of the museum in September, leaving a position she’d held since April 2017 after informing staff in July that she would be taking indefinite medical leave, the Washington Post reported. According to her LinkedIn profile, she is now a senior advisor to the Under Secretary for Museums and Culture at the Smithsonian Institution. SAAM, which claims to house the nation’s first collection of American art, announced the appointment of Jane Carpenter-Rock as acting director on September 3. It did not publicize Stebich’s departure or her new position.

Now Open! “Pictures of Belonging” Presents the Lives and Work of Three Trailblazing Japanese American Women Artists
Newsletter :: November 15

Returning three American women of Japanese descent to their rightful place in the story of modernism.

Now open at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Pictures of Belonging: Miki Hayakawa, Hisako Hibi, and Miné Okubo presents an unprecedented examination of three trailblazing women artists.

Miki Hayakawa (1899-1953), Hisako Hibi (1907-1991), and Miné Okubo (1912-2001) were three of the most active and critically acclaimed American artists of Japanese descent in the years leading up to World War II. Their careers spanned eight decades and four US states, yet the full extent of their contributions remain underrecognized within twentieth-century American art history.

By tracing their artistic development before, during, and after the mass incarceration and displacement of Japanese Americans during World War II, Pictures of Belonging offers a nuanced view of how these women continued to explore and experiment with new artistic expression throughout their lives. Created during tumultuous decades in modern US history, their paintings, along with their stories of resilience, remind us of art’s power in the face of adversity and challenge.

College credit for watching John Waters movies? There’s a class next spring, and a book in the works. He’s also getting a prestigious award this week.
by Ed Gunts
Published November 20 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Excerpt: College credit for watching the films of John Waters? That’s what some students will receive next spring, if they sign up for an English class at The College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

Waters, 78, is scheduled to teach a masterclass on filmmaking as the highlight of a semester-long course, ENGLI 2234: Film Directors and Authorship. Led by English professor (and Waters fan) Michelle Moore, the class will meet once a week to screen and discuss Waters’ work as well as other movies and books that have influenced him. Available only for the Spring of 2025, the class will run from Jan. 27 to March 23 at the public community college. Waters is helping to prepare the syllabus and will come to campus to host his masterclass with the students in March.

“We will be covering all of his films, including his early ones that are not his completed films,” Moore said in an interview with The Courier, a college publication. “We will also be watching films that provide the context for the kind of work he is doing. We will also be thinking about Waters against the commercial popular culture he was lampooning in the ‘80s and ‘90s. He is an icon in the LGBTQ world. There are so many people who have said that he’s saved their lives by presenting a place where outsiders are on top. That legacy continues to this day.”