BmoreArt

This week’s news includes:  How craft is thriving in Baltimore, celebrating Maurice Berger, Pratt workers union reaches wage settlement, community exhibition and holiday sale at Baltimore Jewelry Center, Katherine Tzu-Lan Mann’s installation at VisArts, better call Lou (Catelli), an interview with TU anthropologist Katharine Fernstrom, WYPR’s new ‘Morning Edition’ host Taylor Holbrooks, The Duchess comes to Hampden, December events at BDT Museum, and the BSO’s Holiday line-up — with reporting from Baltimore Magazine, Baltimore Fishbowl, Baltimore Brew, and other local and independent news sources.

Header Image: Brought together by Joyce J. Scott in the textile department at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), Baltimore textile artists—including MICA faculty and members of the African American Quilters of Baltimore—gather and appreciate handcrafted works. Photo by Kelvin Bulluck.

The Scene: Craft in Baltimore
by Cara Ober
Published November 11 in American Craft Magazine

Excerpt: Baltimore is a historic city where American anthems are made, a conundrum of opposing forces that is nearly impossible to define. It’s the birthplace of the “Star-Spangled Banner” flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to pen what is now our national anthem, but it’s also the site of John Waters’s raunchiest experimental films such as Female Trouble and Pink Flamingos. On the Fourth of July, it’s not unusual to see American flags and plastic pink flamingos dotting lawns and front stoops across the city, an entirely unique reflection of who America is today.

Baltimore is a shockingly resilient and elegant city with affordable, structurally sound architecture and easy access to New York City and Washington, DC. It’s a place where creatives can afford to buy properties and start small businesses, and their space to live and work and dream can be decadent and spacious, with the inventive reuse of all kinds of materials the modus operandi. Like the city itself, Baltimore art and craft communities are complex, diverse, and historic. This multidisciplinarity speaks to a rich tradition of innovation and creativity, collaboration, and community.

Contemporary craft in Baltimore includes quilting and fiber arts, jewelry and fashion, ceramics and glass, and traditional and experimental furniture design. These practices exist within their own robust traditions, spaces, and markets, such as the long-running Charm City Craft Mafia fairs. But craft here is also interwoven within fine arts communities and practices. As the editor of BmoreArt, a Baltimore-based art publication, it has been clear to me since our first print journal in 2015 that the deliberate inclusion of stories about fashion, furniture, and jewelry alongside painters, sculptors, and filmmakers is essential in telling a fulsome narrative of our city’s strength, ingenuity, and resiliency.

Carrying On the Legacy of Trailblazing Curator Maurice Berger
by Maya Pontone
Published December 4 in Hyperallergic

Excerpt: “How do you teach the reader racial literacy through visual literacy?” asked the late cultural historian, writer, and curator Maurice Berger in a 2018 interview. A research professor and chief curator at the Center for Art, Design, and Visual Culture (CADVC) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), he posed this query in reference to the mission of his monthly “Race Stories” column for the New York Times’s photojournalism blog Lens, which ran from 2012 to 2019.

Berger, who died in 2020 at the age of 63, was a lifelong advocate for social justice and trailblazing art historian whose influence continues to resonate. This Thursday, December 5, UMBC will commemorate Berger’s life with the official launch of the Maurice Berger CADVC Program Fund, which will continue his work of investigating and researching histories of race and visual culture by supporting relevant publicly accessible projects.

Related Event:

Race Stories: Celebrating Maurice Berger [Registration Required]
Thursday, December 5 :: 3:30-5pm
@ UMBC

Enoch Pratt Library workers reach wage settlement as talks on alleged poor working conditions continue
by Mark Reutter
Published December 4 in Baltimore Brew

Excerpt: Employees at the Enoch Pratt Free Library will share nearly $1.7 million in cost of living (COLA) increases under a side agreement reached between their recently formed union, Pratt Workers United, and library management.

The side agreement is set to be approved today by the Board of Estimates.

A total of $1,264,861 in back pay and $421,620 in new wages will cover the salary increases that other unionized municipal workers received in fiscal years 2024 and 2025 but were not given to Pratt workers, who overwhelmingly voted to unionize in November 2022.

The agreement covers over 240 librarians, library associates, circulation staff, custodians and security officers.

Baltimore Jewelry Center brings In the Making: A Community Archiving Project, a participatory exhibition creating a community-generated history to its gallery in Station North from December 6, 2024 through January 24, 2025. Coinciding with the exhibition, the BJC will host their annual holiday sale featuring hand-crafted jewelry made by local artists.
Press Release :: December 3

In honour of their 10th anniversary the Baltimore Jewelry Center (BJC) will host In the Making: A Community Archiving Project, a participatory exhibition that invites community members near and far to share artwork, personal artifacts (sketches, notes, images), and stories related to their engagement with the BJC. Exhibited artworks, artifacts, and stories will help capture a community-sourced history and launch a new digital archive project. In the Making: A Community Archiving Project will be on view in the BJC’s gallery in Baltimore’s Station North Arts & Entertainment District (10 E. North Ave.) from December 6, 2024 until January 24, 2025 with an opening reception on Friday, December 6th from 5 to 8pm and a closing reception from 5 to 8pm on Friday, January 24, 2025. Both the opening and closing receptions are free and open to the public.

Every fall the Baltimore Jewelry Center hosts a symposium, featuring free workshops, demonstrations, and a speaker series, all related to a designated theme. This year’s focus was on the role of memory and archiving in the processes artists and makers use to source inspiration, conduct research, create work, and document their projects. In lieu of their traditional community exhibition, where participants are asked to create something new based on this year’s theme, community members have been charged with helping the BJC reflect and capture an organizational history through sharing their own experiences. This project is also utilizing a new approach in the gallery, starting the exhibition with sparsely populated walls that will grow, change, and continue to fill out as participants add new work over the course of the 6-week installation. Objects, artworks, and stories shared as part of the exhibition will be documented and serve as the foundation for the BJC’s digital archive, while also helping capture a community-sourced history of the BJC. Collected stories will also become a part of the BJC’s archive and digital history for use by future generations of artists and craftspeople.

In addition to, In the Making: A Community Archiving Project, the BJC will host its annual holiday sale, kicking off Friday, December 6th and running through Sunday, December 8th, with select pieces available online through December 16th. The BJC hosts a limited number of sales each year that provide opportunities for jewelry artists working in the studio to sell their work and patrons a chance to buy handmade jewelry while directly engaging with makers. Artists in the sale consist of instructors who teach at the BJC, working artists who utilize the BJC’s studio, students of the BJC’s educational programs, and other local jewelry artists. This is a juried sale and each artist will present a unique line of work. Included jewelry pieces are made of sterling silver, steel, brass, copper, gemstones, and alternative materials. The sale will take place at the BJC studio from 5-8pm on Friday, December 6th and from 12-6pm on both Saturday, December 7th and Sunday, December 8th. Entry to the sale is free and open to the public.

Artists participating in this year’s holiday sale include: Allison Gulick, Anna Morse, Caitlin Duckwall, Cory Glasgow, Elliot Keeley, J Taran Diamond, Jeni Fairman, Laura Thul Penza, Marcy Feeney, Mark Oteiza, Mercury Swift, Molly Shulman, Pat Baker, Sara Baustista, Sarah Parker, Stevie Pniewski, and Zach Mellman-Carsey.

Founded in June 2014, the Baltimore Jewelry Center is the successor organization to the MICA Jewelry Center, which had served the metalsmithing and art jewelry community in the Baltimore area for twenty-two years. Today, the nonprofit is providing a rigorous academic program and robust studio access program for metal and jewelry artists.

“The Baltimore Jewelry Center features one of a handful of art jewelry galleries in the Mid-Atlantic. Our exhibition program exposes the larger public to contemporary and traditional metal arts, and acts as a platform to promote and sell the work of local artists and national artists in the metalsmithing field. This year we’re particularly excited to be able to reflect on our 10 years as an organization and the chance to be able to share the artwork, artifacts, and stories of our community with Baltimore and the surrounding area. We hope you’ll visit the BJC this weekend! It’s a great way to support local artists through our holiday sale and an opportunity to see our story through the eyes of our community members in this unique exhibition,” said Shane Prada, Director.

ABOUT THE BALTIMORE JEWELRY CENTER:

Founded in June 2014, the Baltimore Jewelry Center is the successor organization to the MICA Jewelry Center. Located in Baltimore’s Station North Arts & Entertainment District, the 501c3 educational nonprofit is dedicated to building a vibrant creative community for the study and practice of metalworking for new and established artists, offering classes, workshops, and studio space access. The Baltimore Jewelry Center’s offerings are open to anyone regardless of educational or artistic background, and the program provides affordable educational opportunities by subsidizing class, workshop, and studio rental costs. In addition to its education program, the Baltimore Jewelry Center helps metal and jewelry artists grow sustainable business practices by offering professional development, sales opportunities, and a promotional platform. For more information, visit baltimorejewelrycenter.org.

Katherine Tzu-Lan Mann Seed Float at VisArts
by Claudia Rousseau, Ph.D.
Published November 27 in East City Art

Excerpt: Stretched across a length of seventy feet, at a height of six, Katherine Tzu-Lan Mann’s monumental Seed Float is visible to all who pass by VisArt’s 355 POD Space Gallery, a long and narrow vitrine facing Hungerford Drive in downtown Rockville. Illuminated at night, the work can be appreciated at any time of day, but because of a lack of daytime reflections, it may actually be better viewed at night.

As described by the artist, the title refers to a “common gardening seed viability test”.[1] This entails floating seeds in a bowl of water to determine if they are viable. Viable seeds should sink, while seeds that are not will float. “The seed float is an unreliable test for knowing what plants will germinate”, she continued, “but it is a broad way of imagining a future landscape”.

Mann views this, and all her recent work, as a “combination of exploring our physical landscape and environment, referencing landscape picture making in art history, and creating new environments: seeds for future…worlds”. In the middle of that sentence is a key idea: landscape painting in art history, and I would add, specifically referencing the important place of landscape in American art.

The Dish: Opening a restaurant? Call the man in shorty shorts
by Christina Tkacik
Published December 4 in The Baltimore Banner

As a former TV producer who started making toffee as a side business, Kathy Nelson was relatively new to the food world when she set out to open a candy shop in Little Italy. She’d heard horror stories of entrepreneurs whose openings had been delayed months and even years by permitting issues, and wanted to avoid a similar fate.

On the recommendation of her building’s landlord, she hired Lou Catelli.

People who know Baltimore know Catelli. Or maybe they know his legs. He’s famous for wearing short shorts even in the dead of winter — one of many sartorial eccentricities. And maybe they know his real name is William Bauer; longtime friends call him Will. He’s often spotted in Hampden, where he’s sometimes called the unofficial mayor, a label he rejects. He once ran for actual mayor.

But what they might not know is that behind the wacky façade and pseudonym (derived from a brand of Italian cheese) is Baltimore’s most prolific permit expediter and go-to-guy for opening a business. He can navigate the city’s Kafkaesque licensing processes with the same ease with which he rides through the streets in his adult tricycle. In Hampden alone, he’s worked with around 60 businesses, and hundreds more across Baltimore. Catelli estimated he “was in charge of 80 different liquor licenses” during last year’s renewal season.

He’s become so indispensable that even a quasi-governmental institution like the Baltimore Public Markets Corporation relies on him to get things done. At a ceremony in September celebrating the relaunch of the city-owned Hollins Market, the then-head of the public market system gave him a shoutout for his work expediting the permitting process. Right now, Catelli is working with the public markets on new stalls coming to Northeast Market.

Catelli began his career working at Di Pasquale’s in Highlandtown — he’s second cousins with the owners — before breaking out on his own as a restaurant consultant. It was around 2010 or 2011 that his business evolved to focus on one facet of the restaurant industry: permitting and licenses.

“There are so many hiccups that can happen,” he said. “If you don’t know the system it can get really jammed up.” Established operators facing costly delays sometimes call him in to save the day when they hit a last-minute snag ahead of opening.

Business owners frequently gripe about how long it takes to get their permits in Baltimore, but Catelli often finds they’re held up by their own mistakes. A missing certification here, another document there. The sheer number of agencies and inspections are a lot for the uninitiated to keep track of. Want to add on outdoor seating to an existing restaurant? There are about six different city departments that you need to go through — and they don’t always know what the others are doing. “Knowing which door to knock on,” he said, “it’s a huge help.”

While Catelli is fluent in the language of zoning and codes, his superpower may be his ability to remain calm and cordial when facing the tedium of paperwork and bureaucracy, the kind of things that make laypeople tear their hair out. Business owners who try to do their permits on their own might argue if they get some pushback from a city worker behind the counter, which is a “big no-no,” Catelli says. They might start yelling. “That’s horrifying to see.”

When coming to city agencies in person, Catelli said it pays to get there early. “Line up like it’s a Star Wars movie. 8:25 a.m., wait outside when the door opens up.” Don’t wait until closer to lunch, when workers start to get hangry. And don’t bother coming in after. “Once you come in and the ship’s going in one direction, it’s hard to move the ship.” Under the umbrella of his own small business, Genco Pura Ltd., Catelli has some help in Jack Stinglash, an assistant he refers to as his “body man,” and intern Jonny Zheng.

He’s learned from his mistakes, too.

Seven years ago, he was working on Fadensonnen, Lane Harlan and Matthew Pierce’s Old Goucher wine bar, when he dropped the ball on an important piece of paperwork that led to a monthslong delay in opening. Catelli took it personally. “I took a week off from life because I was so embarrassed and upset,” he said. (For her part, Harlan said she had no memory of Catelli’s supposed missteps and that multiple factors pushed back the opening.)

The permitting process tends to run pretty smoothly once business owners have all their documents in order, but Catelli has noticed one bottleneck at the fire department. He thinks there are only two or three inspectors who review the plans for sprinkler systems and alarm systems, which means business owners are waiting three or four months to get a review. A spokesman for the department did not respond to a request for comment.

Catelli said his job could be obsolete in the future as city agencies work together on updating their online systems to streamline the permitting process for new business owners and residents alike. In the meantime, though, he’s keeping busy.

For Nelson’s toffee store, opening inside the former Da Mimmo restaurant, Catelli not only secured the needed permits but shared advice and connections on topics like her food safety plan and commercial-grade flooring. He made sure MFG had everything in place before bringing inspectors in.

“As we’re putting this whole place together, I kept saying, ‘Are we ready? Are we ready? Are we ready?’” Nelson said. “Then one day he just walked in and said, ‘Now. We’re ready.’”

During a recent weekday morning, Catelli guided a fire inspector through MFG Toffee, showing him the business’ exit signs, floodlights and fire extinguishers. Soon, Nelson will be officially ready to open the doors to her candy shop. There were many people who’d played a role in bringing her to this point, including neighboring restaurateurs who’d offered advice and support, but “Lou was really the person that got us in the door.”

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

Katharine Fernstrom on the joy, lessons of working with Indigenous art
by Allyyah Aali
Published in TU Newsroom November 25

Excerpt: In her research on Native North American and Pacific Island art, professor Katharine Fernstrom keeps a close eye on the fine line between cultural appreciation and appropriation.

The anthropologist, independent curator and professor in TU’s College of Liberal Arts and College of Fine Arts and Communication has dedicated her career to uncovering and preserving the cultural narratives within Indigenous art. Here, Fernstrom discusses her academic journey, the complex sociopolitical dimensions of Indigenous art and the ethical challenges involved in curating cultural heritage.

Taylor Holbrooks takes the reins as WYPR’s ‘Morning Edition’ host
by Aliza Worthington
Published December 3 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Excerpt: WYPR 88.1 FM and Baltimore Public Media have announced that Taylor Holbrooks will take over as “Morning Edition” host, with her first on-air appearance set for later this month.

Holbrooks’ tenure began officially at WYPR on Dec. 2. She has a long career in public radio, starting with college broadcasting, where she hosted and produced live radio programs. Her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in media and journalism from the University of North Carolina laid the foundation for a focus on reporting with impact and community engagement.

Prior to this appointment, Holbrooks was a reporter and on-air host at NPR member station Public Radio East in eastern North Carolina. There, she produced local news stories that mixed in-depth coverage with digital content. She also has experience producing podcasts, hosting long-form discussions, and heading up programs that reach audiences on a personal level.

Tony Foreman’s The Duchess Set to Open in Hampden Next Week
by Jane Marion
Published November 28 in Baltimore Magazine

Excerpt: With the opening of The Duchess on The Avenue in Hampden on December 6 (a ticketed grand opening celebration December 4-5 will benefit B’more for Healthy Babies), restaurateur Tony Foreman makes his first foray to the Western Pacific Rim, bringing Baltimore the bold flavors of the tropics.

It’s a definite departure for Foreman—half of the duo behind Charleston, Cinghiale, Petit Louis Bistro, The Milton Inn, and Johnny’s—who is known for exploring classical European cuisine.

The vibe is that of an “authentically styled English pub,” says Foreman, though the menu will feature the cuisine of the Mariana Islands—which includes Guam, the birthplace of executive chef/partner Kiko Fejarang, previously of Johnny’s in Roland Park.

Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum Hosts Inspiring December Events: Voices for Change, Kwanzaa Celebration, and Civil Rights Exhibition
Press Release :: December 4

The Banneker-Douglass Tubman Museum (BDTM) announces a lineup of thought-provoking and culturally enriching events this December. From a powerful virtual discussion on juvenile justice reform to a vibrant Kwanzaa celebration, the museum invites the public to join in these important dialogues and celebrations, while also exploring history through art and exhibitions.

The December 2024 series includes the virtual event “Voices for Change: Juvenile Justice Reform”, the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial Dedication Reception, and the Kwanzaa Celebration and Sacred Spaces Exhibit Artmaking Workshop (led by artist Jabari Jefferson). All events are free and open to the public.

PROGRAMS

Voices for Change: Juvenile Justice Reform
Wednesday, December 11, 2024 | 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Virtual
Register: https://bit.ly/JuvenileJusticeReform

In recognition of the ongoing struggle for juvenile justice reform in Maryland, the museum will host a virtual event, Voices for Change: Juvenile Justice Reform. This program will bring together Maryland’s thought leaders to discuss the history and current state of juvenile justice reform, with a particular focus on its impact on Black youth in the state. Key topics will include systemic challenges, ongoing initiatives, and potential solutions to improve outcomes for young Black individuals.

The discussion will be moderated by Chanel Johnson, Executive Director of BDTM, and feature a distinguished panel of speakers including Chris Haley, Maryland State Archives; Dayvon Love, Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle; Maya Davis, Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and Eric N. Ford, Commission on Juvenile Justice Reform & Emerging & Best Practices.

Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial Dedication Ceremony & Reception
Monday, December 9, 2024 | Ceremony 1:00pm | Reception 3:00 – 5:00pm
Ceremony Location: Annapolis City Dock | Annapolis, MD
Reception Location: Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum | 84 Franklin Street, Annapolis, MD 21401 *SOLD OUT*

This event is a great opportunity to honor the legacy of Alex Haley and the group of dedicated men and women, led by the late Leonard Blackshear, who spearheaded and raised money for the Memorial at the Annapolis City Dock.

Special guests include Lady Brion, Poet Laureate of Maryland; Michael W. Twitty, Award Winning Author & Chef; Dr. David O. Fakunle, Ph.D., Chair, Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission; and others to be announced. For more information, visit https://kintehaley.org.

Kwanzaa Celebration & Sacred Spaces Exhibit Artmaking Workshop
Saturday, December 14, 2024 | 10:00am – 4:00pm
Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum | 84 Franklin Street, Annapolis, MD 21401
Register: https://bit.ly/KwanzaaSacredSpaces<

Join us for our annual Kwanzaa Celebration, which will feature our Sacred Spaces exhibit artmaking workshop into the festivities. The workshop, led by Sacred Spaces exhibit featured artist Jabari Jefferson, offers community members the opportunity to actively engage in the art-making process for the upcoming exhibit. Don’t miss the  Sacred Spaces exhibit opening reception on Feb. 8th. This exhibit features art and new technology, exploring Maryland African American spirituality and history.<

This Kwanzaa celebration will also include a local vendor marketplace, cultural foods, family-friendly activities, and a special performance by Ni Dembaya African Drum & Dance Ensemble!

EXHIBITIONS

REVISIT / REIMAGINE: The Civil Rights Era in Maryland and Parallels of Today
Closing soon! On display through January 4, 2025
Guest curated by Thomas James, REVISIT / REIMAGINE: The Civil Rights Era in Maryland and Parallels of Today emulates an interior home space with books, records, and other objects scattered throughout. In collaboration with Afro Charities, images of nationally and locally recognized civil rights leaders from the AFRO American Newspapers archives will be on display accompanied by the work of contemporary artists living and working in the Maryland area. This layout serves as a visual representation of intergenerational relationships and how the issues of civil rights have transformed, progressed, and regressed throughout the 60 years between the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and our current existence today. Learn more about current exhibitions here: https://bdmuseum.maryland.gov/exhibitions/ . Catalog now on sale and available through Baltimore Read Aloud: https://online.baltimorereadaloud.shop/item/aAQrhYLzGskf7yfHM9Y-JA .

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Concert Lineup Provides Festive Favorites and Family Fun this December
Press Release :: December 4

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) invites audiences to embrace the spirit of the season with BSO Holiday Magic, a spectacular series of performances from December 6, 2024 through January 5, 2025. From timeless Baroque masterpieces and exhilarating Cirque performances to cherished holiday films with live orchestra, this festive lineup offers a variety of experiences to delight every audience.

Whether looking for a heartwarming family outing or an escape from the winter chill, the BSO’s holiday offerings promise to deliver unforgettable experiences that embody the magic of the season. Holiday 2024 highlights include:

Love Actually in Concert

Friday, December 6, 7:30 PM | Meyerhoff

Artist

Lucas Waldin, conductor

Experience the holiday cult-classic “Love Actually” with the BSO performing its heartwarming soundtrack live-to-film. Rated PG-13 © 2003 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Spirit of the Season: Bach, Corelli & Vivaldi

Saturday, December 7, 8 PM | Strathmore

Sunday, December 8, 3 PM | Meyerhoff

Artists

Nicholas McGegan, conductor
Sherezade Panthaki, soprano
Diana Moore, mezzo-soprano
Thomas Cooley, tenor
Enrico Lagasca, bass
Handel Choir of Baltimore

Brian Bartoldus, artistic director

Nicholas McGegan leads an all-star ensemble, including the Handel Choir of Baltimore, in a performance of Baroque treasures, featuring excerpts from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and Vivaldi’s Gloria.

Holiday Brass

Wednesday, December 11, 7:30 PM | Meyerhoff

Artists

William Langley, conductor

Members of the BSO brass and percussion sections

Members of the BSO brass and percussion sections usher in the holidays with fanfare, performing beloved classics and seasonal favorites like O Tannenbaum and Christmas Time is Here.

Cirque Nutcracker

Friday, December 13, 7:30 PM | Strathmore

Saturday, December 14, 3 PM | Meyerhoff

Sunday, December 15, 3 PM | Meyerhoff

Artists

William Langley, conductor
Troupe Vertigo

The sensational Troupe Vertigo returns with dazzling acrobatics and choreography set to Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker for a high-flying holiday spectacular.

Baltimore’s Holiday Spectacular

Friday, December 20, 7:30 PM | Meyerhoff

Saturday, December 21, 1:30 PM & 7:30 PM | Meyerhoff

Artists

Stuart Chafetz, conductor
Dee Donasco, vocalist
Baltimore Choral Arts Society
Anthony Blake Clark, music director
Centre Pointe Performing Arts, tap dancers

Join Stuart Chafetz, the Baltimore Choral Arts Society, and the ever-popular tap-dancing Santas for a festive celebration filled with audience singalongs and special guest artists.

The Princess Bride in Concert

Friday, January 3, 7:30 PM | Strathmore

Saturday, January 4, 7:30 PM | Meyerhoff

Sunday, January 5, 3 PM | Meyerhoff

Artist

Jack Everly, conductor

Relive the magic of “The Princess Bride” as Jack Everly returns to conduct the live score. © The Princess Bride Limited. All Rights Reserved.

“The BSO’s holiday season is a celebration of connection, creativity, and community,” said BSO President and CEO, Mark C. Hanson. “These performances are designed to bring audiences together to share in the warmth and wonder of the season, creating memories that last long after the final note.”

The BSO is excited to partner once again with the Kennedy Krieger Institute to make the season magical for pediatric patients and their families. Concertgoers are encouraged to donate unwrapped toys, craft kits, or books (no stuffed animals or plush toys) at any BSO holiday performance. Donors receive a complimentary ticket voucher — good for two tickets to a 2025 BSO concert.

For tickets and additional information, visit BSOmusic.org.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall |1212 Cathedral Street| Baltimore, MD 21201
The Music Center at Strathmore | 5301 Tuckerman Lane | North Bethesda, MD 20852

About the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra 

For over a century, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) has been recognized as one of America’s leading orchestras and one of Maryland’s most significant cultural institutions. The orchestra is internationally renowned and locally admired for its innovation, performances, recordings, and educational outreach initiatives including OrchKids.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra performs annually for more than 275,000 people throughout the State of Maryland. Since 1982, the BSO has performed at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore, and since 2005, with the opening of The Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda, MD, the BSO became the nation’s first orchestra performing its full season of classical and pops concerts in two metropolitan areas.

In September 2023, Jonathon Heyward officially launched his tenure as Music Director, bringing fresh energy and vision to the BSO. His appointment marked a historic moment as he became the first African American to lead the orchestra, following Music Director Laureate and OrchKids Founder Marin Alsop. The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is a proud member of the League of American Orchestras.

More information about the BSO can be found at BSOmusic.org.