BmoreArt

This week’s news includes: Cover girl Amy Sherald and her Whitney show, Malcolm Peacock at the BMA, Farmers’ Market concerns, Lisa Gail Collins awarded literature prize from The Driskell Center, local craft stores, Neighborhood Design Center’s 2025 Placemaking Forum, the women of the Black press in Baltimore, Trump removes NEH Chair Shelly C. Lowe, changes at the Kennedy Center, the art of prosthetics at JHU, and time to cast your vote for The Art of Racing — with reporting from Baltimore Magazine, Baltimore Fishbowl, The Baltimore Banner, and other local and independent news sources.

Header Image: Amy Sherald. Top L-R: “A single man in possession of a good fortune” (2019); “The girl next door” (2019); “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be (Self-imagined atlas)” (2018); and “There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart” (2019)

Amy Sherald: The queen of grace and power takes on the Whitney Museum
by Avalon Ashley Bellos
Published March 13 in The Villager

Excerpt: There are few artists alive today who command the canvas with the precision of a poet and the authority of a queen. Amy Sherald is one of them.

The artist who painted Michelle Obama into the annals of history with that ethereal, sky-hued gown and steely, soft-eyed gaze is back—and this time, she’s stepping into The Whitney Museum of American Art, a modern temple of cultural reckoning, to demand our undivided attention.

Sherald’s upcoming exhibition at The Whitney is anticipated to be not only a show but a coronation. This is a moment to witness the transformation of a contemporary master into an undeniable legend, an artist whose very brushstrokes alter the way we see Black identity, American history, and the interplay of dignity and defiance.

Cover Story: Amy Sherald’s “Miss Everything (Unsuppressed Deliverance)”
by Françoise Mouly / Art by Amy Sherald
Published March 17 in The New Yorker

The artist Amy Sherald is known for her stirring portraits of First Lady Michelle Obama and Breonna Taylor, and often uses grayscale to complicate representations of race in portraiture. In Sherald’s first cover for the magazine, for the March 24, 2025, issue, the woman is rendered in Sherald’s signature style but the viewer’s eye is initially drawn to a large tea cup in the foreground. Sherald also likes to incorporate props and costumes to expand her narratives into fantastical territories; she cites Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” as her source of inspiration for this piece. “American Sublime,” her first solo museum exhibition in New York, will open at the Whitney on April 9th.

BMA Presents Malcolm Peacock: a signal, a sprout
Press Release :: March 19

The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) today announced the opening of Malcolm Peacock: a signal, a sprout as part of its Turn Again to the Earth initiative exploring the relationships between art and the environment across time and geography. This exhibition features a monumental installation by the New York-based artist and long-distance runner, who spent his formative years in Baltimore, Maryland. The 8-foot tall and wide tree-like form is inspired by the giant, ancient redwood trees Peacock encountered while training for marathons in the Pacific Northwest and is covered with thousands of strands of hand-braided synthetic hair—the creation of which was itself an act of endurance and deep care. The exhibition is on view from March 19 through August 2025.

“Malcolm’s installation is a thought-provoking meditation on the emotional, spiritual, and physical power of nature. It also offers a critical pathway to dialogue about who has rights and access to nature as a universal and healing space,” said Asma Naeem, the BMA’s Dorothy Wagner Wallis Director. “I’m delighted to share this extraordinary work with our audiences, and to celebrate an artist with both roots in Baltimore and childhood ties to the BMA. We are honored to be able to offer a platform to talented artists who have been shaped, in part, by our city’s cultural fabric.”

This is the artist’s first solo museum exhibition and the second time Peacock’s work has been shown at the BMA. A watercolor painting created while he was a student at Summit Park Elementary School in Baltimore was presented at the BMA in 2003 as part of Art is for Everyone, the annual Baltimore County Public School student exhibition. […]

The Dish: It’s almost time for the Baltimore Farmers’ Market. People are worried.
by Christina Tkacik
Published March 12 in The Baltimore Banner

Excerpt: For Neopol Smokery, the start of the Baltimore Farmers’ Market each April is more than just an opportunity to sell its smoked fish and other goodies to hungry city residents below the Jones Falls Expressway.

It’s a sign of hope — that after the business has made it through the lean winter months, it’ll start to make money again, said Dorian Brown, who owns Neopol Smokery with his mom. There’s the chance to gain new customers and catch up with old ones. And it’s just plain fun. “I think it stands up against any farmers market” on the East Coast, he said.

But this year, Brown and other vendors say they’re worried about the market’s future. Others said they’re questioning whether the event, which dates to 1977, is still a priority for city officials. “We’re obviously concerned,” Brown said.

… this story continues. Read the rest at The Baltimore Banner: The Dish: It’s almost time for the Baltimore Farmers’ Market. People are worried.

Craft lovers, don’t worry — explore these local alternatives to Joann
by Abby Zimmardi
Published March 16 in The Baltimore Banner

The Baltimore crafting community is bracing for the loss of Joann, the popular craft and fabric store that is preparing to close all of its 800 stores across the country.

Joann was open seven days a week and for much later hours than many small businesses, said Jenni Engleman, owner of Handcraft Happy Hour, a Baltimore shop that sells fabric and craft kits and holds classes.

Engleman, who just celebrated her store’s one-year anniversary, said Joann also offered supplies at a much lower price than local competitors.

Despite the loss of Joann, the crafting community will be OK, Engleman said, with the support of the numerous small businesses in the area.

“I have a free shelf in my shop, too, a ‘take it or leave it’ shelf, because I don’t think that art should be regulated by your pocketbook,” Engleman said.

Here’s a quick list of local craft and fabric stores in the Baltimore region. In addition to supplies, some also offer classes, craft kits and a studio spaces.

* Handcraft Happy Hour | 3600 Clipper Mill Road, Baltimore | The store is open Tuesday and Thursday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., and Wednesday, 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m.

* Lovely Yarns | 3610 Falls Road, Baltimore | The store is open Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

* Domesticity: Fabric Shop and Sewing Studio | 4313 Harford Road, Baltimore | The store is open Monday-Sunday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

* SCRAP Creative Reuse | 913 W. Barre St., Baltimore | The store is open Wednesday-Friday, 12-6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Sunday, noon-5 p.m.

* Aunt Hazel’s Witchcraft Project LLC | 4708 Harford Road, Baltimore | The store is open Tuesday-Thursday, 3:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. and Friday-Sunday, noon-7 p.m.

* The Craft Castle | 831 W. 36th St., Baltimore | Crafters can reserve time slots on the website’s calendar. The Craft Castle Club meets on Thursdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m., and the Journal Club meets on Mondays, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

* Cloverhill Yarn Shop | 77 Mellor Ave., Catonsville | The store is open Monday-Wednesday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; and Sunday noon-4 p.m.

* SO Original Yarn Shop | 6655 Dobbin Road, Columbia | The store is open Tuesday, noon-6 p.m.; Wednesday, noon-8 p.m.; Thursday, 10a.m.-6 p.m.; Friday noon-8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sunday by appointment.

* Knits and Pieces | 626 Admiral Drive, Suite J, Annapolis | The store is open Tuesday, noon-7 p.m., and Wednesday-Sunday, noon-5 p.m.

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

Neighborhood Design Center Announces Regional Placemaking Forum June 5-6 at Joe’s Movement Emporium
Press Release :: March 19

The Neighborhood Design Center (NDC) is pleased to announce The Vision Is Yours: A Transformative Regional Placemaking Forum, slated for June 5-6, 2025, at Joe’s Movement Emporium in Mount Rainier, Maryland. This multi-day gathering will unite urban planners, community leaders, designers, artists, and public officials from across Maryland, Washington, D.C., and beyond to explore innovative strategies for creating thriving public spaces that reflect and uplift local voices.

Building on last year’s sold-out International Placemaking Week in Baltimore, this year’s forum will feature immersive workshops, guided community-led walks, a collaborative “build day,” and lively networking opportunities. Attendees will learn hands-on approaches to address challenges such as equitable engagement, funding, measuring impact, and sustaining the momentum of place-based work after projects officially launch.

“This forum is about more than design—it’s about communities shaping public spaces that reflect their identity, history, and future,” said Jennifer Goold, Executive Director of the Neighborhood Design Center. “We believe that inclusive, collaborative placemaking can spark lasting transformation, and we’re eager to bring together leaders, creators, and community advocates to drive that change forward. As Maryland’s community design center, we are deeply invested in building and enhancing the culture of community-centered design in our region.”

Registration is open, and early-bird registration rates are available through April 4, 2025. Practitioners, community advocates, and artists are also encouraged to submit proposals for sessions, case studies, and workshops that showcase strategies for creative placemaking, cultural stewardship, and long-term community partnership. The deadline for proposal submissions is Monday, March 31, 2025.

With attendance at last year’s Placemaking Week reaching 600 participants, demand for collaboration and knowledge exchange continues to grow. In a recent survey of International Placemaking Week participants and other local constituents, 70 percent expressed that networking and peer connections hold high potential to advance their work. The Vision Is Yours Placemaking Forum aims to meet this need by fostering a diverse, influential network of individuals who understand that creating equitable public spaces requires broad-based action and shared expertise.

For more information on registration, sponsorship opportunities, or proposal submissions, please visit https://ndc-md.org/vision.

The Driskell Center Announces the 2025 James A. Porter & David C. Driskell Book Award in African American Art History
Press Release :: March 14

The David C. Driskell Center at the University of Maryland, College Park announces Lisa Gail Collins, PhD, as this year’s James A. Porter & David C. Driskell Book Award in African American Art History, for her book, Stitching Love and Loss: A Gee’s Bend Quilt (University of Washington Press, 2023).

Lisa Gail Collins is Professor of Art on the Sarah Gibson Blanding Chair and Director of the American Studies Program at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY. She is author of The Art of History: African American Women Artists Engage the Past (Rutgers University Press, 2002), Art by African-American Artists: Selections from the 20th Century (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2003), and Arts, Artifacts, and African Americans: Context and Criticism (Michigan State University, 2007). She is coeditor, with Margo Natalie Crawford, of New Thoughts on the Black Arts Movement (Rutgers University Press, 2006) and coauthor of African-American Artists, 1929-1945: Prints, Drawings, and Paintings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2003).

Her most recent book, Stitching Love and Loss, published in 2023, analyzes perseverance and creativity of the African American women quilters in this rural Black Belt community.

The award includes an honorarium and will be presented at the 2025 Annual David C. Driskell Distinguished Lecture on Thursday, April 3, 2025. […]

Three newsrooms, one purpose: The women defining Black Press in Baltimore
by Megan Sayles
Published March 16 in The AFRO

Excerpt: At the helm of Baltimore’s three Black news organizations are women who have sought to sustain the delivery of accurate and essential information to Black communities.

Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper leads the AFRO, founded by her great-grandfather, John H. Murphy Sr., in 1892. Paris Brown heads The Baltimore Times, a paper created by Publisher Emeritus Joy Bramble in 1986. Lisa Snowden steers content for the Baltimore Beat, a nonprofit media outlet she co-founded in 2017.

Each of the organizations differ in the coverage they produce. But, a common thread rests in their mission to carry on the legacy of the Black Press, an objective that’s become increasingly vital in the face of attacks against African Americans.

“The Black Press is the one communication that stays consistent. We are trusted by the community,” said Brown. “Now more than ever, our role is important.”

Trump Pushes Out First Native Chair of National Endowment for the Humanities
by Isa Farfan
Published March 13 in Hyperallergic

Excerpt: National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Chair Shelly C. Lowe, the first Native American and second woman to hold the agency’s highest-ranking post, has stepped down from the role “at the direction of President Trump,” an NEH spokesperson told Hyperallergic.

Lowe, a citizen of the Navajo Nation, was nominated to head the agency — which is the largest public funder of humanities in the United States — in 2021 by then-President Joe Biden. The agency funds museums, libraries, scholars, nonprofits, and other research institutions through 47 separate grant programs. Prior to Lowe’s NEH leadership, she was appointed by former President Barack Obama to serve on the National Council on the Humanities in 2015, an NEH advisory body which she remained a part of until her 2022 Senate confirmation.

Among her priorities as NEH chair was helping small and lesser-known organizations, tribal communities, and educational institutions thrive, as she expressed during a roundtable discussion at the Albuquerque Press Club in 2022. “My vision is really simple,” Lowe said. “Why don’t we fund these smaller places?”

Trump visits the Kennedy Center as he puts his mark on the national arts institution
by Chris Megerian, Associated Press
Published March 17 in The Baltimore Banner

Excerpt: President Donald Trump on Monday visited the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where he took a tour and chaired a meeting of its board of directors.

It was his first time at the marquee arts institution since he began remaking it at the start of his second term in office.

Trump fired the previous board of the Kennedy Center, writing on social media that they “do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture.” The board included chair David Rubenstein, owner and control person of the Orioles.

Trump replaced them with loyalists, including White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Usha Vance, the wife of Vice President JD Vance, and installed himself as chairman.

… this story continues. Read the rest at The Baltimore Banner: Trump visits the Kennedy Center as he puts his mark on the national arts institution

Crafting Hope: The Life-Changing Art and Science of Prosthetics at JHU School of Medicine
by Jane Marion / Photography by Justin Tsucalas
Published in Baltimore Magazine

Excerpt: ON A CRISP FALL DAY in October, Juan García rolls a black utility trunk down the well-lit corridors of the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center past the Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics. But García, who is neither an ob-gyn nor even a doctor, is making a different sort of delivery. Inside the case, along with tinted silicone pigments, paintbrushes, a palette, wax molds, and photo references, there’s a silicone ear nestled in a bed of gauze. It’s the culmination of a multistage process that began several months back.

Today, known as “delivery day,” the ear will go to its rightful recipient.

MaryAnne, a 68-year-old woman from Northern Virginia, lost her right ear in an accident. In the aftermath, there was hope that the amputated ear could be reattached, but it proved too challenging.

“They were going to try plastic surgery but there were no blood vessels,” says MaryAnne (who prefers not to use her last name). “At my age, it was just too iffy, and there were a lot of surgeries. They weren’t even sure reconstruction would work.”

Vote for your favorite Preakness 150 art in The Art of Racing!
by Aliza Worthington
Published March 17 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Excerpt: Public voting has begun for The Art of Racing, the Preakness-inspired art contest in its fourth year. Submissions are on display for public viewing and voting at this link.

After voting has been open for two weeks, the top 10 artworks will advance to the finalist category. A panel of judges will then select the winner. The judges will represent the artistic, business, equine philanthropic, and political communities that support Park Heights’s role as the home of Preakness 150.

The online gallery showcases art by artists who have been enthralled by Thoroughbred horse racing on and off the track. Viewers can see descriptions and insights from the artists themselves to garner a deeper understanding of their creative processes and inspirations.