BmoreArt

This Week: BCPS student exhibition at the BMA, Akeelah and the Bee at Baltimore Center Stage, BALTIMORATORY presents Kay-Megan Washington performing as Audre Lorde, opening reception for Rachel Kedinger at Baltimore Jewelry Center, POPPEA at Baltimore Theatre Project, Blood at the Root at FPCT, opening reception for Noreen Smith and Mark West at Gormley Gallery, Jerrell Gibbs opening reception at Galerie Myrtis, and Helina Solomon Woldekiros delivers the Boshell Lecture at The Walters — PLUS the deadline for The Rubys approaches and more featured opportunities!

 

BmoreArt’s Picks presents the best weekly art openings, events, and performances happening in Baltimore and surrounding areas. For a more comprehensive perspective, check the BmoreArt Calendar page, which includes ongoing exhibits and performances, and is updated on a daily basis.

To submit your calendar event, email us at [email protected]!

 

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< Events >

 

Baltimore County Public Schools Student Exhibition
Wednesday, March 19 | Ongoing through March 23
@ The Baltimore Museum of Art

The BMA is thrilled to host—for the 37^th time—this annual countywide student exhibition. Art Is for Everyone presents the artwork of Baltimore County public school students from pre-K through grade 12. A variety of two- and three-dimensional artworks, including sculpture, photography, drawing, painting, and digital art, show the breadth of the county’s art program.

 

 

Akeelah and the Bee
Thursday, March 20 | Ongoing through April 13
@ Baltimore Center Stage

Originally commissioned and produced by Children’s Theatre Company
Produced by special arrangement with Plays for New Audiences

Akeelah has a passion for words, the crazier the better! Under-challenged at school and overwhelmed by her daily life in a tough Chicago neighborhood, Akeelah is finding it difficult to try. But with the Scripps National Spelling Bee just around the corner, her community is ready to show her she has the courage and tenacity to make her dream come true.

Based on the acclaimed film featuring Keke Palmer, this play is sure to delight theatergoers from ages 9 to 99. Akeelah and the Bee kicks off a spring celebration of BCS’s youth programs, culminating in the 40th anniversary of the historic Young Playwrights Festival.

 

 

BALTIMORATORY | “The Uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism”
Thursday, March 20 :: Doors 6pm / Show 7pm
@ Peabody Heights Brewery

BALTIMORATORY kicks off our academic year with Kay-Megan Washington delivering “The Uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism,” Audre Lorde’s 1981 keynote presentation at the National Women’s Studies Association Conference!

Thursday, March 20
Peabody Heights Brewery, LLC
Doors: 6pm
Show: 7pm
Tickets $10-15 sliding scale

Please contact me if cost is a barrier. ([email protected])

 

 

Enameling Reimagined | Opening Reception
Friday, March 21 :: 5-8pm
@ Baltimore Jewelry Center

The Baltimore Jewelry Center will host Enameling Reimagined, a solo exhibition by Philadelphia-based artist Rachel Kedinger,exploring the transformation of enamelware and its evolving functionality over time. On view in the BJC’s gallery in Baltimore’s Station North Arts & Entertainment District (10 E. North Ave.) from March 21 – May 2, 2025, the exhibition opens with a free reception on Friday, March 21 from 5 to 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

In Enameling Reimagined, Kedinger breathes new life into vintage enameled cups, bowls, and pots, transforming them into personal, intentional pieces by putting them in conversation with her own contemporary work. Drawing inspiration from historical wares, she reimagines them through her own unique forms and visual language. Kedinger’s signature use of color and pattern draws on these historical references, combining them with her modern vision to create new interpretations of enamelware. The exhibition’s installation evokes the feeling of a kitchen cabinet, where the pieces are meant to be admired, reused, and worn—just like the originals.

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 the only 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,” said Shane Prada, Director.

“We’re excited to host Enameling Reimagined, which beautifully spotlights the enameling process. Kedinger’s innovative approach to this medium encourages us to reimagine the potential of everyday objects, and we’re thrilled to share that experience with the public.”

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.

 

 

POPPEA by Claudio Monteverdi
Friday, March 21 | Ongoing through March 23
@ Baltimore Theatre Project

The final part of IN Series’ Monteverdi trilogy, POPPEA brings the composer’s most famous and audacious final opera of love, power, sex, and betrayal to life inspired by the performance tradition of South India, and specifically Bharatanatyam dance. This landmark production is of one of opera’s undisputed masterpieces. Monteverdi’s baroque score is blended with new dance music by composers Ami Dang and Rajna Swaminathan.

IN Series’ production will be a collaboration with Indian-Canadian choreographer Hari Krishnan, whose work brilliantly combines the aesthetics of this traditional dance form with contemporary movement and questions of gender norms. The work will be directed and conducted by IN Series Artistic Director Timothy Nelson and feature a cast of local favorites and international artists known for their interpretations of opera of the Baroque. The INnovātiō Orchestra, IN Series’ own period baroque band, will blend music of South India in an evening of whirling passion, music, poetry, and dance.

Showtimes:
March 21: 7:30pm – Reception to Follow
March 22:  7:30pm
March 23:  2:30pm – Talk back to Follow

Tickets:
General Admission: $30
Students: $20

 

 

Blood at the Root by Dominique Morisseau
Friday, March 21 | Ongoing through April 13
@ Fells Point Corner Theatre

What does it take to create real change?

Fells Point Corner Theatre is proud to present Blood at the Root, an urgent and thought-provoking drama by Dominique Morisseau, running from March 21 to April 13 with a special Pay What You Can Preview on March 20. Mari-Andrea Travis directs this production, inspired by true story of the case of the Jena Six.

Blood at the Root tells the story of a high school grappling with deep-seated racial tensions after a Black student sits under a tree unofficially reserved for white students. As the students navigate the fallout, they are forced to confront their own biases, beliefs, and the impact of their choices. Through dynamic storytelling and poetic language, Morisseau crafts a narrative that resonates as deeply today as ever, confronting racial injustice, identity, and the power of speaking out in the face of systemic oppression.

“We are honored to bring Blood at the Root to our stage,” says Kimberley Lynne, Artistic Director. “This play challenges us to examine the ways in which we participate in, benefit from, or fight against injustice. It is a call to awareness, empathy, and ultimately, action.”

This talented ensemble of local actors, Alexys Adams, Emma Dunbar, Haroun Iretemi, Fela Langston, Dakhari Lee, Owen Roughton, Gracie Sciannella, and Leah Young, combine powerful performances with an innovative staging that amplifies the emotional landscape of this story. The production is part of Fells Point Corner Theatre’s ongoing commitment to amplifying diverse voices and fostering conversations about the critical issues that shape our communities.

Blood at the Root is directed by Mari-Andrea Travis and produced by Brad Norris with Darlay Altenord as the Stage Manager.

Lighting Design by Jaeden Arrington, Sound Design by Heiko, Costume Design by Tylar Hinton, with DEI Support by Kay-Megan Washington.

Tickets are available now at fpct.org.

Performance Details:

Blood at the Root by Dominique Morisseau
Fells Point Corner Theatre
251 S. Ann St.
When: March 21 – April 12
Tickets: $24 General Admission
Pay-What-You-Can-Preview March 20
fpct.org

About Fells Point Corner Theatre
Fells Point Corner Theatre is dedicated to producing bold, thought-provoking, and diverse theatrical works that engage and inspire audiences. Located in the heart of Baltimore, FPCT has been a cornerstone of the local arts community, fostering dialogue and artistic expression through dynamic and entertaining performances.

 

 

Soft Landings: The Healing Power of Storytelling | Opening Reception
Saturday, March 22 :: 4-6pm
@ Gormley Gallery, Notre Dame University of Maryland

Noreen Smith intertwines her identity as a Black woman with comic-inspired storytelling.

Mark West’s mixed media assemblages reflect African spiritualities and cultural landscapes through everyday materials.

Soft Landings: The Healing Power of Storytelling showcases storytelling’s transformative impact via collage, fostering healing and empowerment using recycled materials.

Curated by guest curator Thomas F. James

 

 

“Fearfully and Wonderfully Made” featuring Jerrell Gibbs | Opening Reception
Saturday, March 22 :: 6-8pm
@ Galeriey Myrtis

On View: March 22 – May 3, 2025

Opening Reception: Saturday, March 22nd; Time: 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Artist Talk: Saturday, April 5th; Time: 2:00 – 6:00 pm
(Registration required; details to be announced)

Panel Discussion: Saturday, May 3rd; Time: 2:00 – 6:00 pm
(Registration required; details to be announced)

Galerie Myrtis is honored to present Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, a compelling new body of work by Jerrell Gibbs that challenges historically ingrained biases within the world of ballet. Through his evocative paintings, Gibbs interrogates the exclusionary ideals that have long shaped the art form, particularly the rigid standards of physicality that continue to limit access to dancers based on appearance rather than ability.

By centering Black ballet dancers in his compositions, Gibbs redefines the visual narrative of ballet, shifting the focus from Eurocentric ideals of form to the undeniable brilliance, technique, and resilience of these performers. He highlights the persistent body shaming and prejudice in the field, which continue in many institutions.

Gibbs’ work finds kinship with the artistic legacy of Edgar Degas, whose groundbreaking sculpture Little Dancer Aged Fourteen once challenged 19th-century notions of beauty and class. Just as Degas disrupted the status quo of his time, Gibbs offers a new perspective—one that insists on inclusion and recognition for dancers who have been historically overlooked.

In Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, Gibbs invites us to question ingrained aesthetic norms and imagine a ballet world where excellence is measured by artistry and technique rather than outdated, exclusionary ideals. Through this body of work, he fosters a necessary dialogue—one that reclaims space, celebrates Black dancers, and affirms that ballet belongs to all who dedicate themselves to its craft.

The exhibition will be held from March 22 – May 3, 2025 at Galerie Myrtis. Gallery hours: Wednesday – Saturday from 2:00 – 6:00 pm by appointment. Hours are extended during special events. For additional information on this exhibition, please contact the gallery at (410) 235‐3711 or Ky Vassor, Assistant Director, at [email protected]. For sales inquiries, please contact our Sales Director, Noel Bedolla, at [email protected].

 

 

Boshell Lecture Series: Digging into Ethiopian Foodways
Sunday, March 23 :: 2-3:30pm
@ The Walters Art Museum

Location: Graham Auditorium
Registration is required.

This talk explores how plant and animal products shaped the culinary landscape and religious practices of medieval Ethiopia. In this lecture, scholar Helina Solomon Woldekiros, PhD, Associate Professor at Washington University in St. Louis, will share findings from examining archaeological remains in Ethiopia. Through this research, she will trace the origins of Ethiopian foodways from antiquity and their profound impact on cultural identities across the region.

2 p.m.: Introductions
2:05 p.m.: Presentation
2:45 p.m.: Q&A Session
3 p.m.: Reception in the Walters Cafe

Available resources: Accessible Seating, Assistive Listening Devices, ASL Interpretation, Sensory Kits
Accessibility resources and accommodations are available for programs and events. Please email [email protected] with questions and requests. We will make every effort to provide accommodations. Visit our accessibility web page for more information.

About the Guest Speaker

Helina Solomon Woldekiros is an associate professor in the Department of Anthropology at Washington University (WU) in St. Louis, Missouri. Woldekiros completed her PhD at Washington University and her MA at the University of Florida. After completing postdoctoral research at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Germany, Woldekiros joined the Department of Anthropology at WU in 2015. Woldekiros’s research interests include state formation, the origin of food production, agriculture, pastoralism, the salt trade, caravan archaeology, and livestock biodiversity in the Horn of Africa.

 

 

< Calls for Entry >

 

 

2025 Rubys Artist Grant
deadline March 28

The 2025 Rubys Artist Grant applications open Monday, February 24, 2025, at 12:00pm.

The award invites artists in all four categories, Literary Arts, Media Arts, Performing Arts, and Visual Arts, to apply, and projects will be reviewed by experts in each discipline. The new Alumni Grant can also be found via the same link below. Outstanding projects will move on to round two, where applicants will be asked to outline their full project narrative, budget, and public components.

Find the application HERE

Deadline for submission is March 28, 2025 at 11:59pm.

Please review the Grant Guidelines and FAQ before applying.

 

 

The approximate grant review timeline can be found HERE

Save the Bay Photo Contest
deadline March 28
posted by The Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Open to both amateur and professional photographers, CBF’s annual Save the Bay Photo Contest highlights the beauty and character of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed through the eyes of those who enjoy it.

Submissions will be accepted beginning March 3, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time and ending March 28, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time

From the Bay’s critters and habitats to the watermen and farmers working its resources, we want to see what you love about the Chesapeake region. (Check our interactive watershed map). Show us what it is about our local waterways, wildlife, and people that inspire you or makes you proud to call the Chesapeake Bay region home—from the Bay’s headwaters in New York to its mouth in Virginia, from the Shenandoah Mountains of West Virginia to the eastern shores of Maryland and Virginia. Images of people, wildlife, recreation, and farms within the watershed will all be considered.

Please read the complete official rules before submitting your entries.

 

 

Soaring Gardens Artists Retreat
deadline March 28

Soaring Gardens Artists Retreat in Laceyville, PA, offers visual artists, writers, and composers, and instrumentalists a quiet country setting for residencies to focus on their creative endeavors. Spaces are available from mid-May to mid-September. Soaring Gardens has no fees, makes no demands, and there are no intrusions from the administration—only the studios, gardens, deer, other creatures, and time.

The residency is located in a farmhouse with an adjacent studio building and in a small nearby church. At any time, there are only a few artists in residence, usually four or five residents at the farmhouse and one at the church. Since residents share the living spaces, we encourage artists to apply as a group (a combination of artistic disciplines is fine), although applications from individuals are also welcome.

Residents are encouraged to have a car to get to Soaring Gardens. There is no public transportation close by. However, transportation will be provided to and from nearby cities for arrival and departure at Soaring Gardens, and to help run some errands during their stay as needed. With the exception of a weekly communal dinner, artists are expected to shop, cook, and clean up after themselves; a gardener maintains the grounds. As the purpose of the residency is to provide time for undisturbed work, no children, pets, or overnight visitors are permitted.

 

 

Maryland Arts Summit Call for Proposals
deadline March 28

The Maryland Arts Summit, hosted at Prince George’s Community College Performing Arts Center, is a statewide conference presented by and for the Maryland arts sector, which includes, but is not limited to: Arts Advocates, Arts Educators & Teaching Artists, Independent Artists, Arts Organizations, Youth, Community Stakeholders, Arts, and Entertainment Districts, County Arts Agencies of Maryland, Public Artists, Boards of Directors, and Folklife Artists.

It is an opportunity to network, share the fantastic work that is being done across the state, learn about communities different from your own, celebrate the accomplishments of what we as a sector have achieved, and, through dialogue and action, bring to light where systems have fallen short of the support required to help artists and organizations thrive. The Maryland Arts Summit is a place for productive conversations to move the Maryland arts sector forward and ensure its long-term success.

You are welcome to submit up to two proposals. This is not a guarantee that either or both will be accepted.

Thank you for your interest in submitting an application for this year’s Maryland Arts Summit. For any questions, please email [email protected].

 

 

Inviting Light: Call for Temporary Public Art
deadline March 31

Inviting Light is an ambitious public art project that will bring the vibrant glow of cultural activity to Baltimore’s Station North Arts District (Station North) with five site-specific public art installations and numerous curated events throughout 2025.

Five artists, selected by artist and curator Derrick Adams, are currently developing site-specific temporary outdoor artworks that will be installed on a rolling basis from February to August in Station North. Each work will remain on view for one year.

Beginning in March, these sites and adjacent areas will be further activated by ephemeral works and public programs organized by curator José Ruiz.

This Open Call seeks proposals from artists of all kinds to be considered for this programming. Accepted activities will be staged outdoors from March–June and September–December 2025.

 

 

Baltimore Clayworks Residency Opportunities
deadline April 1

Long-term Artists Residencies (1-3 years)

Our long-term residencies offer early to mid-career artists the opportunity to develop their work in a dynamic community environment for one to three years. The selection of residents is highly competitive and based on artistic excellence, potential for growth, strength of proposal, and a commitment to building a clay-oriented community. Open to artists who have completed either undergraduate and/or graduate degree, or have equivalent years of experience are eligible. Residencies start September 1st, 2025.

Lormina Salter Fellowship (1 year)

Awarded to one emerging artist producing work of the highest quality. Includes the same benefits and responsibilities as long-term Resident Artists plus:

$2500 annual materials/firing stipend
Solo exhibition at the end of term in 2026

EMBARC Fellowship (1 year)

Founded in 2021, the EMBARC Fellowship is awarded to an artist who identifies as Black, Indigenous, or a person of color (BIPOC). EMBARC (Emerging Maryland BIPOC Artist Residency in Ceramics) seeks to center the experiences and talents of Maryland-based BIPOC artists. Must be a resident of Maryland for at least 1 year prior to the application submission date. Includes the same benefits and responsibilities as long-term Resident Artists plus:

$2500 annual materials/firing stipend
Solo exhibition at the end of term in 2026

 

 

2025 ARPA Artist Grant Fund
deadline April 4
posted by the Mayor’s Office

the City of Baltimore, under the leadership of Mayor Brandon Scott, is committed to fostering an equitable and inclusive recovery for individuals impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency. Through Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00) in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, the City has established the Artist Grant Award to provide direct financial assistance to local artists affected between March 14, 2020, and June 30, 2021.

This program reflects the City’s dedication to equitable grantmaking and adherence to best practices in arts funding. Administered by the Baltimore Civic Fund in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Arts & Culture (MOAC), the Artist Grant Award exemplifies the Scott administration’s commitment to sustaining vibrant artistic expression and fostering creative contributions that enrich Baltimore’s cultural landscape.

 

 

Out of Order // KIDOOO Install Day
April 5 :: 7am-midnight (OOO) // 12-4pm (KIDOOO)
posted by Maryland Art Place

Maryland Art Place (MAP) is excited to announce Out of Order (OOO), MAP’s Annual Spring Benefit Exhibition & Silent Auction, on Friday, April 11, 2025, at 6 o’clock in the evening. This year marks the 28th year of OOO. The auction will be both a virtual and physical exhibition and will be held in the MAP building located at 218 West Saratoga Street, just within the Bromo Arts District. OOO is a highly celebrated exhibition-event, and a ‘one-night-only’ opportunity for patrons and collectors to acquire contemporary art at unbelievably low silent auction prices.

MAP is happy to continue KIDOOO, a youth version of Out of Order. KIDOOO was created as an opportunity for young artists to exhibit their work in a major arts venue, extending MAP’s services to students in elementary, middle, and high school level art classes.

This year’s theme for OOO is Barbarella: Queen of the Galaxy, based on the 1968 science fiction film. Artwork Does not need to be on theme to be entered – but it is encouraged.   Attendees of the event can expect light fare, open bar, DJ t, ‘drag queens in theme’ and more. And let’s not forget KIDOOO, our signature (free!) kids Out Of Order for children ages 5-16.

Come dressed to impress and join the celebration in support of local & regional artists. Tickets are $45 presale and $50 at the door. Tickets include light tastings and an open bar. All tickets also include free entry to KIDOOO, MAP’s accompanying youth-driven OOO exhibition to be held on the 5th floor of the MAP building the very same evening.  Parents/guardians of KIDOOO may attend at a discounted price of $25 presale and $30 at the door. Arrow Parking will be providing free parking for OOO guests at the Arrow Lot across the street from Maryland Art Place on Saratoga Street.  To purchase tickets, visit THIS LINK

Submission Requirements and Install:

Any artist is welcome to hang one original work of art on a first-come, first-served basis. Installation will take place Saturday, April 5, 2025, from 7am-midnight. We will have donuts and coffee for the early birds.  No need to sign up in advance, just come by MAP’s first- floor gallery space @ 218 West Saratoga Street in the Bromo Arts District! You must be able to install your own work on April 5th to participate in the exhibition.

 

 

The GRIT Fund
deadline April 11

Artists and cultural organizers create vital connections within our communities. But it can be difficult to find funding to create, collaborate, and make an impact. Grit Fund makes arts funding accessible for everyone. We focus on projects that bring artists and community members together to explore a sense of place and shared space.

Grit Fund supports projects that add to the vibrancy and development of Baltimore’s arts and culture community. Grit Fund awards money to collaborative, artist-led projects, that have a public facing element—up to $10,000.

 

 

Call for Entries, The Abstract Image
deadline April 15
posted by SE Center for Photography

The SE Center for Photography is looking for non-representational imagery, though it can be from found objects in nature, man made or figurative works. We’re seeking images that do not attempt to represent external reality, but seek to achieve its effect using shapes, forms, colors, and texture. Black-and-white or color, analog, digital or antique processes, photographers of all skill levels and locations are welcome.

35-40 selected images will hang in the SE Center’s virtual gallery space for approximately one month. In addition, selected images are featured in the SE Center social media accounts (FB, IG, Twitter) and an archived, online slide show. A video walkthrough of each exhibition is also featured and archived.

Our juror for Abstract is Adam Finklston. Adam Finkelston is an artist, publisher, and educator based in Prairie Village, KS. He has shown his art work in solo exhibitions in Kansas City, MO as well as group and juried exhibitions throughout the United States and internationally.

Mr. Finkelston is also the owner, publisher and co-editor of the quarterly photography and printmaking magazine, The Hand Magazine: A Magazine For Reproduction-based Art. 

Submissions Now Open, Submissions Close 4/15/25, Exhibition Opens 6/1/25