BmoreArt

This week’s news includes: Derrick Adams, Jerrell Gibbs, Joyce J. Scott among the artists in a new BmoreArt partner exhibition at JHU’s Frary Gallery, Baker Artist Awards exhibition to open at the BMA and finalists annoucned, a NGA video on LaToya Hobbs woodblock print process, remembering Frank Cicero of Globe Poster Printing, ‘Inviting Light’ details, Ainsley Burrows profiled on BOPA’s ‘When Creatives Thrive’ podcast, Ky Vassor interviewed by Tom Hall on their Govans Presbyterian Church project, Baltimorons on the big screen,  TSU MFA show at Hamilton Gallery, Larry Unger and John Waters to be honored at MD International Film Festival, and Zach Mills of True Chesapeake wins Maryland Chef of the Year — with reporting from Baltimore Magazine, Baltimore Fishbowl, The Baltimore Banner, and other local and independent news sources.

Header Image: A new salt box design featuring Derik Queen’s quote “I’m from Baltimore. That’s why” appeared in Hampden following the Terps’ win on Sunday.

Derrick Adams, Jerrell Gibbs, Joyce J. Scott, and more On View in D.C. Exhibition Celebrating Significant Baltimore Contemporary Artists Advancing the Global Creative Community
Press Release :: March 14

This spring, Derrick Adams, Jerrell Gibbs, Joyce J. Scott, and other contemporary Baltimore artists shaping the national and global arts landscape will be featured in Strong, Bright, Useful & True: Recent Acquisitions and Contemporary Art from Baltimore at the Irene and Richard Frary Gallery at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C. Strong, Bright, Useful & True features a selection of new acquisitions made through the Johns Hopkins University Art Collecting Committee, which includes faculty, staff and students, in collaboration with BmoreArt Connect + Collect. These new acquisitions will be shown alongside works from the campus collection at Hopkins. On view April 15 through September 6, 2025, the exhibition illustrates the vibrancy of Baltimore’s contemporary art scene and the University’s longstanding commitment to elevating creative culture in and around the region, including through its acquisition efforts.

Showcasing a broad spectrum of media—including painting, sculpture, time-based media, and photography—Strong, Bright, Useful & True includes works by globally recognized and emergent artists such as Adams, Gibbs, and Scott, as well as Nakeya Brown, Se Jong Cho, Brandon Donahue-Shipp, Oletha DeVane, Erin Fostel, Phaan Howng, Kei Ito, Linling Lu, Edgar Reyes, Soledad Salamé, Bria Sterling-Wilson, and René Treviño. The exhibition’s title is inspired by the inaugural address of the first Johns Hopkins University president Daniel Gilman, who in 1876 proclaimed Hopkins’ simple aim “… to make scholars strong, bright, useful, and true.”

“This exhibition represents our mission at Johns Hopkins to build bridges between the broader Baltimore and Washington, D.C. communities through programming at the nexus of art, culture and policy,” said Cybele Bjorklund, executive director of the Hopkins Bloomberg Center. “The Hopkins Bloomberg Center provides a phenomenal platform to amplify the contributions of Baltimore artists to the country through their thought-provoking work.”

“Visitors to the exhibition will experience works from today’s leading artists who work and live in Baltimore, as well as opportunities to discover the city’s emerging artists who are already starting to be represented by blue chip galleries and within the collections of major art institutions worldwide,” said Caitlin Berry, director of the Irene and Richard Frary Gallery. “Johns Hopkins’ stewardship of Baltimore artists across a broad range of perspectives, artistic traditions, and disciplines tells a multigenerational story about one of the most vital and energetic artistic communities in the country. The exhibition expands upon this narrative by revealing the profound impact the city has as a major incubator of innovation and creative expression on the national and international stage.”

Exhibition highlights include Derrick Adams’ Interior Life (Woman) and Interior Life (Man) (2019), part of his 2019 series “Deconstruction Workers”; Brandon Donahue-Shipp’s Basketball Bloom (Spectrum) (2024), which emphasizes community and place, two themes that are central to the exhibition; and Phaan Howng’s Monstera Mash (2024), which focuses on ecological stewardship.

Strong, Bright, Useful & True is the first presentation of contemporary artwork at the Irene and Richard Frary Gallery, which was inaugurated in October 2024. While advance reservations are requested, admission to the gallery is free and open to the public.

The Irene and Richard Frary Gallery presents free, rotating exhibitions drawn from the University’s collections and special exhibitions in partnership with leading museums and collections. Under the leadership of Inaugural Director Caitlin Berry, the jewel box gallery’s exhibitions and programs provide a platform for creative expression across a broad range of viewpoints, artistic traditions, and disciplines, showcasing the work of both contemporary and historically significant artists. Complementing the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center’s mission to bring together the brightest minds in policy, business, academics, and nonprofits to find solutions to global challenges, the Gallery illuminates the integral role that the arts and artists play in shaping global conversations by both responding to and reflecting the world around them.

For more information about the Hopkins Bloomberg Center and for a full list of upcoming events, visit https://washingtondc.jhu.edu/bloomberg-center/. For more information about the Irene and Richard Frary Gallery, including timed entry, visit https://washingtondc.jhu.edu/arts-culture/irene-and-richard-frary-gallery/.

Baker Artist Awards Exhibition Opens April 27
Press Release :: March 24

The BMA today announced an upcoming exhibition featuring 20 works by five recipients of the prestigious Baker Artist Awards. The featured artists are Selin Balci (interdisciplinary, 2019); Kelley Bell (interdisciplinary, 2024); Oletha DeVane (interdisciplinary, 2023); Jordan Tierney (visual arts, 2023); and Stephen Towns (visual arts, 2024). Each of these artists was awarded based on their demonstrated mastery of craft, depth of artistic exploration, and unique vision. A description of each artist’s work is listed below. The Baker Artist Awards exhibition is on view at the BMA from April 27 to July 27, 2025.

The BMA is hosting two events in conjunction with the exhibition. The Baker Artist Awards Celebration celebrating the 2023 and 2024 awardees will take place on Saturday, April 26, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Meet the visual and interdisciplinary artists featured in the exhibition, catch presentations from awardees in other disciplines in the auditorium, and enjoy late-night access to the galleries, free hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, and a live DJ set by Pangelica at this free event. Registration is required.

Baker Artist Awards Live: An Afternoon of Artistic Excellence is held on Saturday, May 3 at 2 p.m. Presented by Contemporary Arts, Inc., this ticketed event is emceed by Kristin Putchinski (interdisciplinary, 2011 & 2021) with performances, music, and films from a lively roster of previous awardees, including Judah Adashi (music, 2024); Ruby Fulton (music, 2013); Lafayette Gilchrist (music, 2018); Todd Marcus (music, 2013 & 2014); Peter Minkler (music, 2010); Margaret Rorison (film/video, 2018 & 2023); Bashi Rose (interdisciplinary, 2011); Vincent Thomas (performance, 2021); and Von Vargas (music, 2021).

Finalists announced for 2025 Baker Artist Awards
by Marcus Dieterle
Published March 26 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Excerpt: Thirty-six finalists were announced this week for the 2025 Baker Artist Awards, demonstrating excellence in visual, literary, interdisciplinary, film/ video, performance, and music arts.

An anonymous jury examined more than 800 portfolios and ultimately selected six finalists in each of the six artistic disciplines.

“The work of this year’s finalist pool exemplifies the myriad creativity of the artists in the Baltimore region,” said Connie Imboden, president of the William G. Baker Jr. Memorial Fund, in a statement.

See a Master Printmaker Create a Stunning Elizabeth Catlett Inspired Woodblock Print, Step-by-Step [Video]
Posted by the National Gallery of Art on YouTube

Master printmaker LaToya Hobbs creates a woodblock print portrait of Naima Mora, referencing the sculpture “Naima” created by Elizabeth Catlett, using traditional woodblock printmaking techniques over the course of two months. How does Hobbs go from a pencil sketch to a gigantic portrait based on one of Elizabeth Catlett’s most famous sculptures of her granddaughter? Watch this behind-the-scenes time lapse of a wood block printing process featuring the former America’s Next to Model winner, Naima, to find out! Hobbs uses pencils and stencils to create a sketch, based on a photograph of Naima, on a massive wood block. She then moves on to a carving the block and preparing it for printing. This wood block, in turn, is split back into two parts, inked and run through a printing press to create two pieces on paper. Hobbs then joins the two pieces of paper with tape and makes her final touches to display the immense print that references Catlett’s adopted home of Cuernavaca, Mexico by depicting Naima surrounded by Dahlia flowers. See Catlett’s masterpieces along with Hobbs’ newly created work in our exhibition Elizabeth Catlett: A Black Revolutionary Artist on view March 9 – July 6, 2025:

https://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2025/…

The legacy of love, concert posters and Italian cooking left by Frank Cicero
by Cayla Harris
Published March 25 in The Baltimore Banner

Excerpt: Francis Charles “Frank” Cicero was one of three boys, but he knew he was destined to be a girl dad.

Right around the time he and his wife got engaged, years before they started having children, he predicted he’d be a father to three girls. Maybe it was a prophecy, or maybe it was a little manifestation, but Cicero was right — and he embraced every bit of it.

Ever the teaser, Cicero would wake up his daughters in the morning by sprinkling some water on their faces — a “papal blessing.” He’d help them with their school projects, and, as co-owner of Globe Poster Printing in Baltimore, gave them all the best art supplies. At night, the girls would make him paint their nails before bed.

… this story continues. Read the rest at The Baltimore Banner: The legacy of love, concert posters and Italian cooking left by Frank Cicero

Making Baltimore’s Arts District Shine, ‘Inviting Light’ Public Art Initiative’s Artists and Sites Revealed
Press Release :: March 21

Get ready, Baltimore, because it’s about to get lit. Inviting Light–Baltimore’s public art project that aims to shine a light on the potential of Station North–is about to start illuminating Baltimore’s Arts District with five site-specific temporary public art installations and a series of dynamic community events starting this month. Artist Zoë Charlton’s installation, Third Watch, will be unveiled first at the opening event on March 28 from 6 – 10 p.m. at the North Avenue Market (30 W. North Ave.).

As part of the opening event festivities, More than Four Women for Four Hours, will bridge durational performances, storytelling, and experimental sounds beginning at 1915 Maryland Ave. and ending at The Club Car (10 W. North Ave.). For four hours, Ada Pinkston will lead a group of all Black women performers – Noelle Tolbert, Amorous Ebony, Sheila Gaskins, and Tracey Beale (with Konjur Collective) – who will embody acts of confinement, kinship, and healing throughout the historic location that once excluded Black people.

The evening will also include a presentation by Dreamseeds – a workshop series organized by Hannah Brancato and Sanahara Ama Chandra – showcasing a light-based installation created with J Van Story Branch Senior Residents, and an open house at Baltimore Youth Arts and Currency Studio. While the events are free and open to the public, RSVPs are encouraged to receive updates from the Inviting Light organizers at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/unveiling-of-zoe-charltons-third-watch-installation-tickets-1286700679369.

As the project’s lead artistic director, Baltimore native and renowned artist Derrick Adams selected five artists to create distinct light-infused works that will be installed across the Ddistrict over the course of 2025. Inviting Light amplifies the talent working in Baltimore while focusing on enhancing public spaces and creating opportunities for business and community engagement in Station North. 

Inviting Light’s Selected Artists and Projects:

1. Zoë Charlton – “Third Watch”
   Location: North Avenue Market, 10-30 West North Avenue
   Charlton’s installation features a series of three pregnant female figures positioned atop the North Avenue Market illuminated with blue light resembling “public security lights” in Baltimore. A recurring motif in Charlton’s exhibitions, the statues, ranging from 7 to 9 feet, will serve as protective sentinels overlooking the historic intersection.
2. Phaan Howng – “Big Ass Snake(plant)s On A Plane”
   Location: Charles Street Garage, 1714 N. Charles Street
   In a dramatic nod to action films, Howng will transform the Charles Street Garage into a vibrant, light-filled spectacle. Her work will feature oversized snake plant leaves “growing” from the building, interacting with colorful lighting to create a dynamic scene. Installation is scheduled for April to May, with a public celebration planned for June 14.
3. Tony Shore – “Aurora”
   Location: Former Gatsby’s nightclub, 1817 N. Charles Street
   Known for his evocative black velvet paintings, Shore will illuminate the façade of the former Gatsby’s nightclub, drawing on neon-lit imagery to celebrate the vibrant, transformative spirit of Baltimore’s nightlife. Installation is set for April 2025, with a public celebration planned for June 14.
4. Ekene Ijeoma – “Peacemaker”
   Location: 1707-1709 Barclay Street, next to Barclay Park
   Ijeoma’s interactive installation will invite community members to connect with light through energy. The sculptural piece consists of vertical poles that require human interaction to illuminate, symbolizing the power of unity. Installation is planned for summer 2025, with an unveiling event Sept. 12.
5. Wickerham & Lomax – “Soft Gym”
   Location: Ynot Lot, 101 W. North Ave.
   This collaborative work by Daniel Wickerham and Malcolm Lomax will create a contemplative performance pavilion at the newly reimagined Ynot Lot. The piece aims to blend the themes of physical space and introspection, using light as a transformative element. Installation is scheduled for late summer 2025, with a grand opening in October.

“These art installations are a key part of the ongoing revitalization of Baltimore’s Station North Arts District through creative public art and community-driven initiatives,” said Tonya Miller Hall, Senior Advisor of Arts & Culture for Baltimore City. “The Inviting Light project installations will not only enrich the visual character of the area but also serve as a catalyst for dynamic cultural programming and events that strengthen community engagement.”

Inviting Light is part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Art Challenge, which brings together mayors, residents, and artists to develop innovative, temporary public art projects that address important civic issues in their communities. In 2023, out of 154 that submitted proposals,  Bloomberg Philanthropies selected Baltimore as one of eight cities across the U.S. to receive its Public Art Challenge grant for the proposed project,“Inviting Light.” 

The project is being led by a collaboration of local stakeholders, including the Central Baltimore Partnership (CBP), the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, and the Neighborhood Design Center (NDC), with support from the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Art Challenge. José Ruiz, Director of MICA’s Curatorial Practice MFA Program, is curating opening event programming for each of the five site installations.

For more information about the Inviting Light initiative, visit invitinglight.org or follow the project on Instagram @invitinglightbaltimore. An Open Call for artist participation in upcoming Inviting Light events can be found on the project’s website. For more information or to find out how to participate as a local business or arts space contact [email protected]. 

About the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge 

The Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge brings together cities and their leaders, residents, and artists to develop temporary public art projects that address important civic issues in their communities. In 2022, Bloomberg Philanthropies invited U.S. cities with 30,000 residents or more to apply for up to $1 million in funding to create temporary public art projects that address important civic issues and demonstrate an ability to generate public-private collaborations, celebrate creativity and urban identity, and strengthen local economies. More than 150 cities from 40 U.S. states applied. Bloomberg Philanthropies selected eight winning cities, including Baltimore, to develop projects focused on challenges related to climate change, food insecurity, gun violence, homelessness, public health, and revitalization. Since launching in 2014, the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge has spurred more than $100 million in economic benefits for participating cities and action across a range of civic issues.

Ainsley Burrows: Imagining Baltimore’s Third Future [Audio]
Aired March 26 on When Creatives Thrive: A BOPA Podcast

Ainsley Burrows is a poet, musician, performer, and painter based in Baltimore. On this episode, we begin with childhood experiences in Jamaica that informed Ainsley’s abstract style and point of view. We discuss his move to Baltimore from New York and why this city was the best next step in his creative journey.

We also reflect upon Ainsley’s 2024 exhibit “The Third Future: A Self-Portrait.” The show was on display at BOPA’s The Gallery in the Sky at the Top of the World Observation Level last fall and featured host Lisane Basquiat at the opening.

Later Ainsley explains his approach to abstract painting and how the size of the canvas he chooses often shapes the stories he tells. We finish with what Ainsley imagines Baltimore’s “Third Future” could be.

A Baltimore church commissions sanctuary art for racial reckoning [Audio]
by Tom Hall, Teria Rogers, Sam Bermas-Dawes
Published March 5 on WYPR’s Midday

Excerpt: After discovering that Govans Presbyterian Church in Northeast Baltimore sat on land that was previously part of a plantation, the church’s racial justice committee commissioned artist Ky Vassor to create artwork titled, “Sanctuary City Part I & II.” The permanent installation is comprised of two panels which intricately depict the diverse voices and people that compose the Baltimore community.

Vassor joins Midday to discuss their artwork in addition to Myra Brosius who researched the church’s history.

Ky Vassor is a Baltimore-based artist and curator. They are also an adjunct professor at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Myra Brosius is a member of Govans Presbyterian Church.

An acclaimed film could bring whole new meaning to ‘Baltimoron’
by Dan Rodricks
Published March 25 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Excerpt: Just a guess, but I bet a survey of Baltimoreans would suggest that the vast majority of us consider “Baltimoron” a derogatory term. It’s a blend of Baltimore and moron, after all, so it figures that most homers would find it offensive, a slur that civilized people avoid.

But here’s another guess: That, when the term “Baltimorean” long ago met the Bawlmer accent for the first time, out came “Baltimoron,” and that’s what stuck, making the formal term for a Baltimore resident sound to some like an insult.

As I say, it’s just a guess. I wasn’t around when the original residents of the Queen City of the Patapsco Drainage Basin were told they were Baltimoreans and had to pronounce it.

Towson MFA students to showcase their work in Hamilton gallery
by Aliza Worthington
Published March 20 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Excerpt: Hamilton Arts Collective|Hamilton Gallery will present an exhibition of Towson University graduate-level art students to open Friday, March 21 and run through April 27, 2025. Shifting Perspectives: Towson University MFA Group Exhibit will be in Gallery II.

Shifting Perspectives aims to showcase the ways artists reconnect with and reimagine emotion, form, history, material, and found objects. Towson University MFA students featured are working in Painting, Printmaking, Installation, Metals, and Sculpture.

Exhibiting artists include Erin Barry-Dutro, Rob Cook, Zachary Diaz, Heidi Herman, Alexis Irby, Kelly Irvine, Heather Liverman, Kari Miller, Nguyên Khôi Nguyễn, Nancy Nolet, Cody Pryseski, and Annie Tamini.

Filmmaker John Waters and MPT CEO Larry Unger will be honored at the Maryland International Film Festival-Hagerstown
by Ed Gunts
Published March 20 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Excerpt: Filmmaker John Waters and Maryland Public Television CEO Larry Unger will be honored on Thursday, March 20, at the 13^th Maryland International Film Festival-Hagerstown.

The Maryland International Film Festival-Hagerstown is a non-profit organization that celebrates and promotes the art of filmmaking while highlighting local talent and contributions to the industry.

The awards will be presented at the Maryland Theatre in downtown Hagerstown on the first night of the four-day festival, which runs from March 20 to 23.

True Chesapeake’s Chef Zack Mills wins 2025 Maryland Chef of the Year
by Marcus Dieterle
Published March 19 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Excerpt: Standing on an Ocean City stage alongside fellow Maryland chefs, Zack Mills was in disbelief.

To be among the nominees at the Restaurant Association of Maryland’s 2025 Awards Gala earlier this month was an honor of its own for Mills; to win wasn’t even a consideration in his mind.

“I didn’t expect to win this. I really didn’t,” said Mills, chef at the True Chesapeake restaurant in Baltimore’s Whitehall Mill. “I was standing on that stage and just staring at my feet and just being like ‘You’re lucky to be up here and be thankful. I’m gonna be so happy for whomever wins because there’s a lot of talented humans on that stage.’ And then I heard my name.”