BmoreArt

This week’s news includes: Mayor Scott launches Baltimore Office of Art and Culture, AVAM announces Ellen Owens as new director, Amy Sherald profiled by Jerry Salz, John Waters goes to jail for a good cause, The Great Migration travels to Chicago, Eubie Blake presents COLAB art and music exhibition, Open Works holds a resource fair for laid-off workers, Randi Pumpkin retiring from Art with a Heart, “The First of Many” series at Last Resort Artist Retreat, Rob Lee interviews new Pratt CEO Chad Helton, and Strathmore announces their summer concert series — with reporting from Baltimore Magazine, Baltimore Fishbowl, The Baltimore Banner, and other local and independent news sources.

Header Image: A staged mugshot of John Waters illustrates an auction item for the chance to spend a night in jail with the Baltimore filmmaker. The auction benefited the Provincetown Film Society. Image courtesy of Provincetown Film Society. (via Baltimore Fishbowl)

Scott launches Baltimore arts office — BOPA to operate separately
by Wesley Case
Published April 23 in The Baltimore Banner

To improve Baltimore’s arts and entertainment sector, Mayor Brandon Scott says the city is taking cues from cultural hotbeds such as Atlanta, Chicago and Austin, Texas.

With the creation of the new Mayor’s Office of Arts, Culture and Entertainment (MOACE), announced Monday at Scott’s State of the City address, Baltimore will centralize its efforts in arts, events, nightlife and film under one umbrella as those cities have done, according to a press release. Such efforts in Baltimore have previously been siloed across various agencies.

“We had over 28 million tourist visits to our city last year. We’re also home to incredible outdoor events — including Artscape, AFRAM, and Charm City Live,” Scott said in a statement. “With that said, I’m excited to announce a new Office of Arts, Culture, and Entertainment, which will organize these events and others — and serve as a resource for local artists and creators.”

The new office was established with the mayor’s announcement, and all transitions are “underway as we enter festival season,” Silas Woods III, Scott’s press secretary, said in an email.

MOACE is led by Tonya Miller Hall, a senior adviser for the mayor’s office, and Linzy Jackson III, an East Baltimore native with degrees from Coppin State University and Morgan State University who has produced AFRAM and Charm City Live in recent years. Jackson’s current role as director of external partnerships for the mayor’s office is being consolidated under the new office, Woods said.

Other plans for MOACE, per the press release, include:

* Boost operational efficiency and in-house capacity

* Support grassroots artists and neighborhood-based cultural groups

* Expand revenue through sponsorship and grant leverage

* Align Baltimore with national best practices in cultural governance

* Strengthen cultural infrastructure and creative workforce pathways

“Through strategic investment in festivals, film, public art, and nightlife, MOACE will serve as a catalyst for economic growth, creative innovation, and civic pride,” Hall said in a statement.

The Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, the quasi-governmental agency, won’t be a part of MOACE and will instead continue its work under a new, separate contract, Woods said.

After Scott terminated the city’s contract with BOPA in January following a tumultuous period of “frustration” and upheaval, his office has continued to work with the organization’s remaining officials to manage popular events like Artscape and the Baltimore Farmers’ Market.

In February, Scott said the city’s relationship with BOPA is “in a much better position” than before.

Ultimately, MOACE will aim to create an economy in which “the arts are central to Baltimore’s long-term economic growth and identity,” per the press release.

“We’re making sure Baltimore’s artists, creatives, and cultural workers aren’t an afterthought — they’re part of the blueprint,” Jackson said in a statement.

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

:: See Also::

Mayor Brandon Scott creates an office to oversee art, entertainment, nightlife and film activities in Baltimore
by Ed Gunts
Published April 23 in Baltimore Fishbowl

AVAM Board of Directors Appoints Ellen Owens New Director
Press Release :: April 18

The American Visionary Art Museum—a Congressionally-designated national museum and education center dedicated to showcasing intuitive, self-taught artistry and thought—announces the appointment of Ellen Owens as its new Director, following a national 10-month search and unanimous approval by the Board of Directors. Ms. Owens, a native of Middleburg, PA, is currently the Director of the Castellani Art Museum at Niagara University, a position she assumed in 2021. Ms. Owens will formally take-up her new role with AVAM on June 23, 2025.

“On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, we are thrilled to have attracted an arts leader of Ellen Owens’ caliber to lead AVAM forward at this important time for the Museum and our nation,” said AVAM Board Chair Christopher Goelet. “Ellen has a keen understanding and appreciation of what AVAM has always been about and the importance of its mission at this time in our nation’s history—to give voice to the diversity of human experience and to inspire our individual and collective commitment to advancing social justice. We have full confidence that she will define a new era of relevance, reach and support for AVAM, as well as an expanded commitment to educational programming.”

“It’s a tremendous honor to be given this opportunity to lead the nation’s museum for self-taught intuitive artists, a place I have often visited and long admired,” said Ellen Owens. “I have always been committed to making art museums accessible to the widest possible audience. Visionary art, as one of the purest forms of expression, produces such an immediate, powerful reaction among viewers and is evidence of our intense human desire to create, which many repress, yet some are able to channel to fantastical results. More than ever, we need this kind of artistic expression to reflect, grow, and heal, and ultimately lead us to a stronger, more just, more empathetic society. AVAM rewrites the experience of art museums, using humor, humility, play, and rich personal stories to convey meaningful narratives about life and diverse experiences. I am so looking forward to becoming a Baltimorean and leveraging the solid foundation that has been established these past three decades to build an even stronger future for this iconic and essential institution of Maryland and our nation.”

During her tenure at Castellani Art Museum (CAM), Ms. Owens spearheaded a comprehensive strategic planning process, rebuilding staff and programs to redefine the museum’s mission and create new vision and values statements that elevated visitorship by 52%. In just three years, she was responsible for increasing contributed income by 192% and achieving a 100% increase in membership.

For seven years prior to joining CAM, Owens served on the executive leadership team of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, the largest university museum in the U.S. In this role, Ms. Owens assisted in raising more than $4.5 million for her department through grants, sponsorships, and other fundraising initiatives, as well as fostering new collaborations and partnerships. She and her team launched Unpacking the Past, a free multistage education program that serves more than 5,000 public middle school students annually, while still hosting an additional 50,000 K-12 students each year. Owens spearheaded the groundbreaking Global Guides program, which hires local immigrants and refugees to lead gallery tours that relate personal stories to history from their countries of origin.

Underscoring her passion for visionary art, Owens served as executive director of Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens (PMG), a visionary art gallery and museum where she grew the operating budget from $160,000 to nearly $1 million in four years. There, she established PMG as a must-see destination in Philadelphia, creating its first strategic plan and popular programs that are still flourishing today.

A senior lecturer in museum studies at Niagara University and formerly program coordinator and lectures in the master’s museum education program at University of the Arts, Owens has held several positions at art-, history-, and science-based institutions in the Philadelphia area, including as manager of education at the American Philosophical Society Museum, focused on the intersections of history, art, and science. Owens began her career at Creative Oasis Arts Studio as assistant manager of the gallery and coordinator and instructor of its arts camps; she continues her fiber art and painting practice.

An energetic advocate and volunteer for the arts, Owens has held numerous nonprofit trustee roles with The Print Center, The Museum Council of Greater Philadelphia, the Arts and Business Council of Philadelphia, Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania, and others. She is a graduate of notable leadership programs such as the Getty Leadership Institute and Nonprofit Executive Leadership Institute at Bryn Mawr College. Ms. Owens is a graduate of Penn State University where she completed dual majors in painting and drawing, and art education, obtaining her bachelor of arts and bachelor of fine arts degrees. She obtained her masters degree in Museum Education from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA.

:: See Also ::

After an unexpected dismissal, American Visionary Art Museum names new director
by Wesley Case
Published April 18 in The Baltimore Banner

American Visionary Art Museum names Ellen Owens as next director
by Ed Gunts
Published April 18 in Baltimore Fishbowl

The Wary Gaze of Amy Sherald
by Jerry Salz
Published April 7 in Vulture

Excerpt: The artist Amy Sherald is best known for her magnificent 2018 portrait Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama, which has been looked at, studied, and written about as much as any portrait in the 21st century. It features Obama resting her chin on her right wrist, her gaze both self-aware and probing. She seems to be sizing us up as much as the other way around, forcing the viewer back on their own preconceptions about the first Black First Lady. Wearing a wonderful quiltlike sleeveless maxi dress by designer Michelle Smith, this woman radiates a casual gravitas. She is suspended in a field of turquoise paint, her skin tone a pewter-gray grisaille, which removes her from our realm and gives her an almost alien interiority and agency.

Most people only know Sherald through photographs of this one work. But as Sherald has said, “I had a career before Michelle Obama.” This is more than evident in her new mid-career survey at the Whitney, “American Sublime,” an experience in having your breath taken away. The first sight is a great curved wall with five portraits of Black subjects. They are like sentinels watching us, guardians of a majestic legacy, reminiscent of that army of terra-cotta warriors.

Handcuffs, prison stripes and a suckling pig: Spending a night in jail with John Waters
by Ed Gunts
Published April 22 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Excerpt: As he turns 79 today, writer, filmmaker and raconteur John Waters can look back on a year in which he performed in dozens of cities and racked up thousands of frequent flier miles – not unusual for a self-described “carny.”

But Waters also did something within the past year that he had never done before: He spent a night in jail. It happened while he was in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where he spends his summers. Though he’d been arrested and taken to jail before, this was the first time he was in jail for an entire night.

But Waters didn’t break the law. He had himself detained. And it was for a good cause.

Artists’ Monuments to the Great Migration
by Lori Waxman
Published April 16 in Hyperallergic

Excerpt: During the Great Migration, more than six million Black people moved to the North and West of the United States, driven to escape the racial violence and oppression of the Jim Crow South. It stands to reason that artworks exploring such a monumental exodus might themselves take on immense forms.

Two opportunities to explore this convergence are currently on view in Chicago art institutions. Regina Agu: Shore|Lines at the Museum of Contemporary Photography (MOCP) features Agu’s research into one particular beginning and endpoint of Black American migration: the Gulf South and Chicagoland. Simultaneously, the Cultural Center is showcasing A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration, a traveling group exhibit that made several critics’ year-end lists when it debuted in 2022. The best artworks in both shows are enormous.

Art and music go hand in hand at Eubie Blake Cultural Center’s ‘COLAB,’ an audible art exhibition
by Aliza Worthington
Published April 21 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Excerpt: The Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center will present an art and music exhibition entitled “COLAB: Art and Music from Baltimore and Beyond – An Audible Art Exhibition.” Co-curated by Hilary Pierce, the exhibition will run from Saturday, May 17, 2025, through Saturday, August 16, 2025.

The exhibition features original works by 36 visual artists from the mid-20^th century to the present, nearly one-third of whom are from the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. area. Each work of art is accompanied by musical selections from a wide variety of genres chosen by 18 noted musicians, vocalists, producers, and DJs.

Visitors are encouraged to bring their cell phones to access QR-coded content, and to bring their own Bluetooth audio devices and/or earbuds to experience the immersive nature of the audible art exhibition. The exhibit aims to help people experience the visual art through music.

Open Works to hold resource fair for laid-off federal workers and contractors
by Aliza Worthington
Published April 18 in The Baltimore Banner

Excerpt: Open Works, the makerspace and nonprofit dedicated to making education and entrepreneurship accessible to all, is hosting a resource fair to support laid-off government workers and contractors on Friday, April 25 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Federal layoffs and budget cuts by the Trump administration and the “Department of Government Efficiency” (“DOGE”) have impacted thousands of workers across Maryland. Open Works is responding with an Entrepreneurship Resource Fair to connect former government workers, contractors, and small businesses impacted by those cuts with local resources and opportunities.

Art with a Heart Founder Prepares to Pass the Paintbrush
by Janelle Erlichman Diamond
Published April 21 in Baltimore Magazine

Excerpt: Randi Pupkin leads the charge through the cold and damp garage of Mill No. 1. Upstairs, in the sun-drenched studio and offices, student interns and most of Pupkin’s 20 employees are at work.

But some projects are too big—and messy. Which brings us to this subterranean parking structure, where inside a nondescript white tent tucked in a back corner, she joins a handful of volunteers who are dutifully attaching shards of mosaic tiles to a 12-foot-long horse and jockey.

The piece, designed with sculptor Howard Connelly, will eventually reside in front of a nursing home near the Pimlico racecourse and it’s just so Art with a Heart—collaborative, bright, and creative. It’s also one of the last projects Pupkin will oversee as the executive director of her nonprofit, which helps people enhance their lives through visual arts, before she steps down next month after 25 years.

Getting a snapshot of Baltimore’s complex and layered art scene
by Felix Abeson
Published April 10 in WMAR Baltimore

Excerpt: A warm room on a cool spring night, filled with familiar faces, some in seats and some lining the walls.

Community members gather in the gallery of “The Last Resort an artist residency and retreat that regularly holds space for local artists to attend “The First of Many series.”

This is a photo/event series by Jasmine Washington that aims to highlight prominent voices in a specific and highly communal corner of the Baltimore art scene.

Chad Helton: Leading Enoch Pratt Free Library’s Next Chapter [Audio]
by Rob Lee
Aired April 10 on The Truth in This Art Podcast

Excerpt: President & CEO Chad Helton lays out how Baltimore’s flagship public‑library system is reinventing itself for a 21st‑century city.

• Small‑town roots to big‑city stacks—what shaped his collaborative leadership style
• Building a “library for everyone”: equity, free access, and programs that change lives
• Community engagement that goes beyond books—tech hubs, social‑service partners, street‑level outreach
• Roadblocks (funding, perception, politics) and the wins that keep the team moving
• A blueprint other public libraries can borrow to stay vital in the digital age

Want a clear look at civic leadership and the future of public knowledge spaces? Press play.

Strathmore’s “Live from the Lawn” Brings Free Outdoor Concerts to the DMV This Summer
Press Release :: April 23

Strathmore’s free summer concert series returns in July with weekly outdoor performances for all ages.

Live from the Lawn, held Wednesdays at 7:30pm, brings an eclectic mix of family-friendly music to the lawn, while Cool Concerts for Kids on Thursdays at 7pm offer playful, interactive experiences designed especially for children. Guests are welcome to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and picnics—or grab a bite from Strathmore’s on-site BBQ tent.

Concerts are free and open to the public, with RSVP encouraged for updates. In case of rain, shows will move indoors with limited seating available on a first-come, first-served basis. To help keep this beloved series free, attendees can support with a “pay what you can” contribution or by becoming a Strathmore member.

Full lineup and event updates are available at strathmore.org and on Strathmore’s Facebook page.

JULY 2025

YELLOW DUBMARINE: A REGGAE TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES
Wednesday, July 9, 7:30pm
Cost: Free (RSVP)
Location: The Lawn at Strathmore
The Beatles’ greatest hits get a reggae twist in this laid-back, dub-filled celebration of iconic songs.

COOL CONCERTS FOR KIDS: DIVI ROXX KIDS: A CELEBRATION OF SELF-LOVE, POSITIVITY & HIP HOP  
Thursday, July 10, 7:00 pm 
Cost: Free (RSVP)
Location: The Lawn at Strathmore
Catchy songs and upbeat rhythms deliver empowering messages about creativity and self-expression.

JIGJAM
Wednesday, July 16, 7:30 pm
Cost: Free (RSVP)
Location: The Lawn at Strathmore
A high-energy, foot-stomping fusion of Irish trad and bluegrass by a quartet hailed as “Ireland’s answer to New Grass Revival.”

COOL CONCERTS FOR KIDS: OLD-TIME MUSIC & DANCE PARTY WITH BECKY HILL, RACHEL EDDY & FRIENDS
Thursday, July 17, 7:00 pm
Cost: Free (RSVP)
Location: The Lawn at Strathmore
Dance and sing along to lively Appalachian old-time music with banjo and fiddle.

CHOPTEETH AFROFUNK BIG BAND 
Wednesday, July 23, 7:30 pm
Cost: Free (RSVP)
Location: The Lawn at Strathmore
This powerhouse 11-piece band brings unstoppable energy, fusing West African rhythms with American funk and soul.

COOL CONCERTS FOR KIDS: LUCY KALANTARI & THE JAZZ CATS 
Thursday, July 24, 7:00 pm
Cost: Free (RSVP)
Location: The Lawn at Strathmore
Interactive, bilingual jazz with toe-tapping originals celebrating joy, community, and resilience.

RAINBOW GIRLS
Wednesday, July 30, 7:30 pm
Cost: Free (RSVP)
Location: The Lawn at Strathmore
Northern California folk-rock trio weaves rich harmonies, expressive guitar work, and thoughtful lyrics into a signature soulful sound.

AUGUST 2025

ELIDA ALMEIDA
Wednesday, Aug. 6, 7:30pm
Cost: Free (RSVP)
Location: The Lawn at Strathmore
Cabo Verdean singer fusing her African identity with Latino energy, creating a vibrant and joyful sound.

UKEFEST FINALE 
Wednesday, Aug. 13, 7:30 pm
Cost: Free (RSVP)
Location: The Lawn at Strathmore
Strathmore’s 17th Annual UkeFest brings together internationally renowned ukulele players for a night of community and fun.

JULIET LLOYD BAND 
Wednesday, Aug. 20, 7:30 pm
Cost: Free (RSVP)
Location: The Lawn at Strathmore
Evocative storytelling with a roots-infused folk-pop sound reminiscent of Patty Griffin, Grace Potter, and Carole King.