This week’s news includes: 27th annual High Zero Festival, Imani Nia Robinson’s 3 Blind Mice, Opera Baltimore, Tawny Chatmon exhibition comes to NMWA, Peabody students perform at nursing homes, Baltimore’s confederate monuments in an LA exhibition, the Streetcar Museum gets a grant for a new campus, new exhibitions at Rehoboth Art League including Baltimore photographer Sherry Insley, new “Impeachment” label at the Smithsonian, Paul Wenger takes a seat, Strathmore 2026 AIR class announced, the September Bromo Art Walk, and a benefit performance by Frenchie Davis for St. Francis Neighborhood Center — with reporting from Baltimore Magazine, Baltimore Fishbowl, The Baltimore Banner, and other local and independent news sources.
Header Image: Luc Vitk, Che Davis from High Zero Festival (2024) Credit: Stewart Mostofsky
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The 27th Annual High Zero Festival Kicks Off Sept. 18-21 Legendary Experimental Improvised Music Event at the Baltimore Theatre Project
Press Release :: August 6
The High Zero Festival of Experimental Improvised Music begins Thursday, Sept. 18th and runs through Sunday, Sept. 21. Now in its 27th year, the High Zero Festival is one of the most unusual music festivals in the country, presenting exclusively improvised performances featuring 22 invited artists in fresh ensembles each night, prioritizing combinations of performers that have never been heard before.
This year, 11 artists from Beijing, Tokyo, New York, Chicago, New Orleans, and other cities will join 11 artists from Baltimore. Each artist performs three times during the four-night festival. See the full performer list here. Guests include experimental musicians, dancers, intermedia artists, performance artists, and more. Some artists come from traditional classical and jazz training, while others are entirely self-taught. Some use new instruments they’ve invented. All create music with strikingly diverse techniques that produce wildly varied performances.
Every year, the festival highlights Baltimore as home to highly unusual, risk-taking, and adventurous artists and productions, as the city becomes a fertile meeting ground for a large group of inspired players, drawn from a fascinating international subculture. HighZero unabashedly caters to adventurous audiences and prides itself on diverse rosters that celebrate local performers alongside international greats, offering a major challenge for the improvisers, who are put in contexts where their stock personal musical languages may not work, pushing them into terra incognita. The results are often magical.
This is a don’t-miss event on the fall calendar, a festival Signal To Noise magazine called “a fertile laboratory of musical possibility without equal.”
The High Zero Festival is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council and The Amphion Foundation. The High Zero Foundation is a nonprofit, volunteer-run 501(c)3 organization.
CONCERTS: Thursday, Sept. 18 – Sunday, Sept. 21, 2024; 7:30pm doors / 8:30pm shows
Baltimore Theatre Project, 45 West Preston St., Baltimore, MD 21201
TICKETS: $60 festival pass for all four nights; $20 single-night tickets, $10 single-night discount
price for students, seniors, and artists, at the door only.
:: See Also ::
High Zero Festival of Experimental Improvised Music returns for 27th year
by Eddy Calkins
Published August 12 in Baltimore Fishbowl
New Baltimore-made TV show goes viral – and it’s just the pilot episode
by Eddy Calkins
Published August 8 in Baltimore Fishbowl
Excerpt: Baltimore-native Imani Nia Robinson came up with the idea for 3 Blind Mice, a 90s-inspired TV show following a young woman in pursuit of her Black identity, in high school.
In 2023, her idea became a reality. And now she’s sharing it with the world.
Robinson released the show’s pilot episode on YouTube earlier this week. In only five days, over 16,000 viewers have watched – and loved – the 25-minute premiere.
“I honestly feel like it’s like a dream,” Robinson said. “I feel so fulfilled and so thankful to have everyone’s support, but most importantly, to have Baltimore’s support.”
To thrive in 2025, Opera Baltimore is willing to try it all — even AI
by Wesley Case
Published August 11 in The Baltimore Banner
Think opera is snooty, intimidating or just not for you? Julia Cooke wants to dispel such notions.
“There are two things that you need to understand opera,” she said. “Human nature doesn’t change over generations, and relationships are hard.”
While some elements of the genre date back to its inception more than 400 years ago, Cooke, the president and general director of Opera Baltimore, is squarely focused on the future. That includes how her organization can leverage artificial intelligence to improve operations ahead of its 2025-26 season this fall.
Cooke can already hear the gasps and pearl-clutching, but she’s eager to reassure skeptics: Opera Baltimore, which formed in 2009 as Baltimore Concert Opera and rebranded in 2022, is focused on AI’s administrative benefits, not how to manipulate any singing.
“I just want great art,” Cooke said in an interview inside Mount Vernon’s Engineers Club, where Opera Baltimore’s offices are located. “But from an administrative and operational standpoint, it is a game-changer for us.”
The city-based organization was one of 16 groups nationwide selected by the DeVos Institute of Arts and Nonprofit Management to join A³ (Arts x Admin x AI), a seven-month research program designed to better understand how AI can help arts nonprofits.
Two months into the fellowship, Cooke and her staff of four employees — three of whom are part-time — largely use ChatGPT to help with behind-the-scenes tasks such as preparing grant applications and writing emails more efficiently. The goal of the program is not just to find new shortcuts but also consider how to ethically implement AI within arts groups.
Still, she understands that not everyone will embrace the idea.
“I would never tell any artist how they should or shouldn’t use it. I don’t have any preference if they do or don’t,” Cooke said.
Supporters would say it’s another example of Cooke’s savvy leadership in her pursuit of growing the nonprofit’s audiences. While Opera Baltimore’s forthcoming season kicks off with a fully staged production of Giacomo Puccini’s 1900 drama “Tosca” at Towson University’s Stephens Hall Theatre on Oct. 10 and Oct. 12, the group also regularly meets audiences in more casual settings.
Take, for example, Thirsty Thursdays at the Opera, where attendees sample both drinks and music in a brisk presentation at the picturesque Engineers Club. After 10 minutes of singing, guests try a wine paired with the performance. The process repeats four times, giving attendees a taste of, say, Côtes du Rhône red alongside a soaring soprano without feeling glued to a chair.
“It’s meant to be for people who are maybe a little bit opera-shy or a little bit opera-curious or they’re not really sure where they fit in,” Cooke said. The next Thirsty Thursday is Sept. 25.
Next month is Fall for Opera, a free, family-friendly series in which singers perform at popular outdoor spots like the Patterson Park Observatory. Opera Baltimore also runs an education program that engages young students by turning children’s stories into mini-operas.
Mary Duncan Steidl, managing artistic director of Peabody Opera, said she’s been impressed by Opera Baltimore’s efforts to make the art form more accessible.
“They’ve managed to put opera with these fun events and to bring in a community that might not otherwise get to hear them. … So even someone who’s never been around opera, who just happens to be walking past, will come and sit and listen,” Duncan Steidl said.
Cooke saw how the storied Baltimore Opera Company’s 2009 bankruptcy left a cultural void and is determined to make Opera Baltimore work for the long run.
Since she took over in 2020, Cooke said, the organization’s events routinely sell out, revenue has grown by more than 200% and the number of annual programs ballooned from 10 to 103. Its budget has multiplied as well to just under $900,000 for the coming fiscal year, she said.
Ingenuity has played a role in the post-pandemic success, as the group saves money by producing larger-scale performances in collaboration with OperaDelaware, which is run by Cooke’s husband, Brendan Cooke.
“We share everything, from all the artists to the orchestra to the sets and costumes, and it travels from Delaware to Baltimore,” she said. “It allows us to do this at a much lower cost to both institutions.”
The new season, titled “Power, Passion and the Price of Truth,” invites speculation. Is it a commentary on today’s political climate? Cooke smiles, refusing to take the bait.
“People can read or not read whatever they want into that tagline. I will say I picked the pieces first, and it just happened that the throughline — that was what made the most sense,” she said.
Art is layered and open to interpretation, she said. It should also challenge us. These tenets make Cooke grateful she gets to lead this organization in Baltimore, a city filled with art enthusiasts and its own rich history of opera. The group honors this, too, with Opera on the Avenue, a series of events dedicated to local musicians like West Baltimore native Anne Wiggins Brown, the first Bess in “Porgy and Bess.”
Regardless of whatever technological advancements come next, Cooke said, Opera Baltimore is motivated by a timeless idea: Art can transform.
“Our dedication to that [concept] and our ability to do that in a town such as this — which I find to be very open to new things, to new experiences — it allows us to try things. It allows us to play,” she said. “It allows us to show up with beauty for Baltimore.”
This story was republished with permission from The Baltimore Banner. Visit www.thebaltimorebanner.com for more.
Powerful Photography Explores and Reimagines Black Identity Through Classical Art History
Tawny Chatmon: Sanctuaries of Truth, Dissolution of Lies
Press Release :: August 13
This fall the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) presents a solo exhibition of richly layered, photography-based works by Tawny Chatmon. In Tawny Chatmon: Sanctuaries of Truth, Dissolution of Lies, the artist uses stylistic languages drawn from historical decorative motifs and potent African American cultural markers to create lush and strikingly powerful portraits that challenge racism and erasure. On view from October 15, 2025, to March 8, 2026, the exhibition features more than 25 large-scale photographs from recent series dating from 2019 to the present. This is the artist’s first museum exhibition in Washington, D.C.
“My colleagues and I have followed Chatmon’s career avidly for several years, with an eye to developing an exhibition that highlights her inventive vision, powerful iconography and exceptional level of craft,” said Virginia Treanor, senior curator at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. “NMWA is renowned for partnering with outstanding artists early in their careers—creators who go on to ever greater renown—and that history continues with Tawny Chatmon.”
Central to Tawny Chatmon’s work is the celebration of Black childhood, Black resistance and self-determination, and she often uses her own family members as models. While her studio practice is based in photography, Chatmon intensifies her works through meticulous manual processes, intricate staging and digital manipulation. Chatmon at times embellishes her prints with hand-applied acrylic paint, 24-karat gold leaf, semiprecious stones, beads, thread and other materials. She frames her portraits in gilded antique or contemporary baroque-style frames. These interventions give Chatmon’s subjects a gravitas that often belies their youth and confronts the absence, exclusion and devaluation of the Black body in Western art.
“Is there a redemptive power in visual arts? Do artists have the ability to control and shift the narrative through their work? These are questions that inform my creative process,” said Chatmon. “I believe both to be true. In the same way that literature continues to be a tool for shaping the human psyche, I believe visual arts carry the same ability.”
Exhibition Overview
The exhibition begins with iconic gilded works from Chatmon’s series “Remnants” (2021–23) and “Iconography” (2023–present). These large and intricately patterned works depicting Black children are stylistically inspired by Austrian painter Gustav Klimt’s turn-of-the-century “Golden Phase” and medieval European religious icons. In the new work We Are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For, from the series “Iconography” (2023–present), Chatmon’s young son is depicted in a sweatsuit with a pattern reminiscent of ancient mosaics, standing before a shimmering background of painted tile-like squares. The subject’s hoodie features a depiction of a father, clad in denim, holding a child. Chatmon’s images call on the viewer to recognize the “significance, preciousness, sacred nature, and value” of her Black subjects.
Chatmon’s work presents an unyielding affirmation of Black beauty and strength. To create the richly detailed clothing and background in works from the series “Remnants” and “Iconography,” she often uses gilded remnants of her past works. Some of her subjects wear clothing that features imagery of Black historical figures, while others show parents and children. These images serve to honor ancestral heroes. “I originally planned to focus primarily on historical figures as the iconographic imagery,” Chatmon says, “but as I progressed I felt it was important to focus on the icons within our own families and communities.”
Works from Chatmon’s series “The Restoration” (2024–present) are presented in an intimate gallery adjacent to the central space. In this body of work, Chatmon transforms dolls and figurines from the early 20th century that depict Black figures in demeaning ways and reflect harmful racial stereotypes. With the intention of removing these objects from the market, Chatmon sources cloth “Mammy” dolls from antique stores and online auctions, then gives them new life by sensitively repainting their features and reclothing them in new, richly detailed outfits. Photographs on view depict the restored dolls being held and cherished by children likewise dressed in luxurious attire, with some of the dolls displayed in an adjacent case. In Chatmon’s hands, the dolls reclaim dignity as new heirlooms and hold positions of honor in the artist’s compositions.
A third gallery space features selections from Chatmon’s series “The Reconciliation” (2024– present), in which Chatmon continues her tradition of depicting Black subjects in poses of beauty, strength and power. In these works, the sitters are shown with foods associated with communities throughout the African diaspora. Black food traditions are rooted in a history of resilience and survival, and Chatmon deftly explores the nuances often embodied in food items, such as watermelon. Initially a crop grown and sold by Black farmers who were newly freed after the Civil War, the watermelon became a symbol of mockery and contempt by white people who were resentful of Black success. Chatmon’s imagery restores the fruit to its rightful place in the economic and cultural heritage of Black Americans and reclaims it as a source of pride. These works reflect a reclamation and celebration of both communal and familial heritage. In another work from “The Reconciliation,” a bowl of black-eyed peas, which were brought to the Americas by enslaved West Africans and serve as a symbol of good luck and prosperity in the American South, are held by Chatmon’s own mother.
For this new body of work, rather than using gilded paper and paint to embellish her photographs, Chatmon uses thread to embroider the garments of her sitters with dazzling patterns. Concerns over unethical sourcing of gold, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, have led Chatmon away from the use of gold leaf, and she instead explores the optical and conceptual possibilities of thread, beads and shells. The symbolism-laden layers continue her use of overlapping physical and digital collage.
About the Artist
Tawny Chatmon (b. 1979, Tokyo, Japan) is a photography-based artist known for her richly layered portraits that celebrate her Black subjects, especially children. Combining her own photography with other mixed-media materials, her work explores the complexity and beauty of Black culture in Western society. In 2022, Chatmon was featured in the Venice Biennale exhibition The Afro-Futurist Manifesto: Blackness Reimagined, curated by Myrtis Bedolla of Galerie Myrtis. In 2018, she received first place in both the Prix de la Photographie and International Photography Awards, the latter also crowning her “Photographer of the Year.” Her work is in the collections of the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Petrucci Family Foundation Collection of African American Art and Microsoft. She lives with her husband and children in Maryland.
National Museum of Women in the Arts
The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) is the first museum in the world solely dedicated to championing women through the arts. With its collections, exhibitions, programs and online content, the museum inspires dynamic exchanges about art and ideas. NMWA advocates for better representation of women and nonbinary artists and serves as a vital center for thought leadership, community engagement and social change. NMWA addresses the gender imbalance in the presentation of art by bringing to light important women artists of the past while promoting great women artists working today. The collection highlights a wide range of works in a variety of mediums by artists including Rosa Bonheur, Louise Bourgeois, Lalla Essaydi, Lavinia Fontana, Frida Kahlo, Hung Liu, Zanele Muholi, Faith Ringgold, Niki de Saint Phalle and Amy Sherald.
NMWA is located at 1250 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. It is open Tues.–Sun., 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and closed on Mondays and select holidays. Admission is $16 for adults, $13 for D.C. residents and visitors 70 and over, and free for visitors 21 and under. Admission is free the first Sunday and second Wednesday of each month. For information, call 202-783-5000, visit nmwa.org, Broad Strokes blog, Facebook or Instagram.
Peabody students perform and live at senior homes ‘like a resident grandchild’
by Adora Brown
Published August 12 in The Baltimore Banner
Excerpt: Rachel Krug sits on her hands while young pianist Myroslav Mykhailenko performs. She was 5 years old when she started playing the instrument herself and, if left unchecked, would press the shape of each chord she heard into her lap.
Krug, 84, is a resident at Springwell, a 15-acre senior living community in the center of Mount Washington. For nine months, she resisted the urge to play along when Mykhailenko, now a rising senior at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, performed weekly as Springwell’s musician-in-residence.
The program is simple: young musicians provide musical programming in exchange for housing at senior living facilities. Springwell was the pilot, hosting its first musician in 2015, and the program has since expanded to other senior communities in the state.
… this story continues. Read the rest at The Baltimore Banner: Peabody students perform and live at senior homes ‘like a resident grandchild’
Baltimore’s Confederate statues will return to public view when the “MONUMENTS” exhibit opens in Los Angeles on Oct. 23
by Ed Gunts
Published August 11 in Baltimore Fishbowl
Excerpt: Removed from city-owned locations eight years ago this month, Baltimore’s Confederate monuments will return to public view when a highly-anticipated museum exhibit opens in Los Angeles this fall.
‘MONUMENTS’ is the title of the exhibit, which will open on Oct. 23 and run until April 12, 2026, in The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, part of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.
The exhibit, eight years in the making, is co-organized and co-presented by MOCA and The Brick, a non-profit visual art space formerly known as LAXART.
Baltimore grant ignites 10-year vision for a new Streetcar Museum campus
by Daniel Zawodny
Published August 11 in The Baltimore Banner
Excerpt: Near the south end of Falls Road, there’s a dilapidated relic of the past in which Matt Nawn sees a bright future.
The old Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad roundhouse is where railroad workers once maintained sooty steam locomotives in the early 1900s, back when public transit was profitable and trains in Baltimore were a melting pot of every social class. It’s just the kind of history that Nawn, director of the nearby Baltimore Streetcar Museum, and his team of volunteers preserve — so it’s where they want to move the museum.
“We are the story of how Baltimore moves,” said Nawn, standing next to the stone roundhouse on a recent Saturday. Its rehabilitation, he said, will serve as “just one element of what will be an entirely new campus.”
… this story continues. Read the rest at The Baltimore Banner: Baltimore grant ignites 10-year vision for a new Streetcar Museum campus
4 New Art Exhibitions to Open at the Rehoboth Art League This August
Press Release :: August 11
While summer may be coming to a close, the Rehoboth Art League’s exhibition line-up is heating up! From August 22 to September 21, enjoy four new shows at the historic art league, experiencing a mixture of mediums, techniques, and subjects. The new displays include “Nature Portraits: Works by Cathy Leaycraft,” “Coast to Coast Through All Seasons: Watercolors by Joan Judge,” and “Ghost Forest: Photographs by Sherry Insley.” Plus, “Constructed, Carved, Casted: Sculpture from the Rehoboth Art League’s Collections” will run from August 22nd to October 26.
On the evening of August 22nd from 5-7 pm, the art league will host a free opening reception for its exhibitions, inviting anyone interested to visit the Corkran, Tubbs, Ventures, and Homestead galleries to see these new shows.
Landscapes are at the center of three of these new showcases. The Corkran Gallery will host two exhibitions: “Nature Portraits: Works by Cathy Leaycraft” and “ Coast to Coast Through All Seasons: Watercolors by Joan Judge.” Leaycraft is a Baltimore-based photographer who uses innovative approaches to transform traditional photos into striking works of art. Using a glass sphere, she reflects and refracts light to create a unique viewpoint before snapping the shutter. This method produces an image that is almost abstracted but still true to its original form. Leaycraft’s work is held in many public and private collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MOMA, and the Baltimore Museum of Art.
Alongside Leaycraft’s photographs will be original watercolors from Joan Judge. From springtime on the Alaskan coastline, summers in Delaware, autumns in Maine and winters in Colorado, Judge’s paintings depict the diverse landscapes, moods, and characteristics of our nation. Her images portray scenes such as Yellowstone in Wyoming, Yosemite in California, quaint coastal towns in Alaska, and dramatic skies in New Mexico. Judge, based in Delaware, is inspired by the spontaneity and intensity of watercolor, and the ability to describe the magnificence of any landscape on a two-dimensional surface took her breath away. Her paintings have been on display in many National and International Exhibitions, and she was selected as one of sixty artists to exhibit in the Colorado Governor’s Art Show for three consecutive years.
Photography returns in the Tubbs Gallery for “Ghost Forest: Photographs by Sherry Insley.” This exhibition is an ongoing documentation of the emergence of ghost forests along the mid-Atlantic coasts, particularly in the DelMarVa area. When saltwater is pushed inland into freshwater ecosystems due to storms, rising sea level, and climate change, the salinity of the soil becomes too high. This results in skeletal-like white trunks standing against lush landscapes, a visual allegory for the changing climate. This stark contrast is both beautiful and disconcerting, creating visual and literal gaps in the density of the forest. This exhibition is an interdisciplinary conversation between art, climate change, environmental science, and the history of this coastal landscape.
Sculptures from the league’s Fine Art Collection will be on display in the DeWitt through October 26. Viewers often look at a sculpture just for what it is, but there are several physical characteristics that artists use when creating a three-dimensional work. The way a figure is posed, the texture of the surface, and the choice of materials often communicate a narrative. On display through October 26, “Constructed, Carved, Casted: Sculpture from the Rehoboth Art League Collection” focuses on these elements, inviting viewers to explore the stories hidden in each artwork and view the pieces from a whole new perspective.
Finally, the Ventures Gallery will continue to showcase an eclectic collection of fine art and craft by RAL Member Artists. Throughout the summer season, browse everything from original paintings, wearable fiber art, ceramics, fine art photography, books and more. Each purchase supports a practicing artist, as well as the mission of the Rehoboth Art League.
RAL invites the public to an opening reception for all three shows on Friday, August 22, from 5-7 pm. The exhibitions are free and open to everyone during the regular gallery hours of Monday through Saturday, 10am to 4pm and Sunday, noon to 4pm.
The Rehoboth Art League is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on www.DelawareScene.com.
The Rehoboth Art League is a membership-based non-profit arts organization dedicated to teaching, preserving and inspiring the arts in the region. For additional information about the art league, its exhibits, classes, memberships, events and more, please visit its website at RehobothArtLeague.org or call 302.227.8408. You can find them on Facebook and Instagram @RehobothArtLeague.
Smithsonian’s New Trump Impeachment Label Is Shorter and Safer
by Isa Farfan
Published August 11 in Hyperallergic
Excerpt: The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History in Washington, DC, installed a new label describing President Donald Trump’s impeachment proceedings in its permanent exhibition on United States presidents after widespread backlash. The updated label, added on Friday, August 8, includes comparatively shorter and softer descriptions of the charges that led to the president’s double impeachment.
Late last month, the Smithsonian removed a display that explained Trump’s double impeachment, claiming it was a temporary installation. Following criticism and concerns that the removal may have been politically motivated, including a rebuke on the Senate floor by Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, the Smithsonian inserted a new account of the president’s charges on Friday, as first reported by the Washington Post.
Baltimore-based movie theater impresario learned the value of taking a seat, then making the most of it
by Dan Rodricks
Published August 10 in Baltimore Brew
Excerpt: When you operate movie theaters, says Paul Wenger, who’s been in the business for many years, the Hollywood studios pretty much control your destiny.
“The quantity, quality and timing of film releases directly affect our ability to operate profitably,” he says. If a movie bombs, you’re stuck with it – and with empty seats.
But there’s one thing you can control, says Wenger, one thing that can help put butts in seats as theaters try to regain the audience lost in recent years to video streaming and the Covid-19 pandemic: The seats themselves.
Strathmore Announces 2026 Artists in Residence Class Ahead of November Debut Concert
Press Release :: August 11
Strathmore introduces six dynamic young musicians as its Artists in Residence (AIR) Class of 2026—a genre-defying cohort selected for their creativity, skill, and artistic vision. The artists will make their debut at Fresh AIR on Wednesday, Nov. 12, at 8 p.m. at The Music Center. This signature event for one of the region’s premier professional development programs for rising musicians will feature the participants’ original works, innovative collaborations, and cross-disciplinary performances. Tickets are available to the public on Friday, Sept. 5.
“Our Artists in Residence program is a launchpad for extraordinary talent,” said Lauren Campbell, Strathmore’s vice president of education and community engagement. “The Class of 2026 brings vibrant energy and bold creativity that will resonate well beyond this season.”
Now in its 21st year, AIR has supported over 112 musicians aged 16 to 32 through performance opportunities, expert guidance, and industry training. Participants, selected annually through a competitive process, are paired with mentors and take part in seminars, community outreach, and commissioned projects as part of Strathmore’s Institute for Artistic Development.
Fresh AIR gives the community a first glimpse of the new cohort before each resident takes the spotlight with featured performances beginning in January 2026. More information about the program and upcoming class, including bios and photos, is available at strathmore.org/air.
Michael McSweeney, Percussion (January 2026): A College Park, Md.-based percussionist, educator, and bandleader whose global influences span Afro-Cuban, jazz, and salsa traditions. McSweeney leads Costas Colectivo and performs with numerous regional groups throughout the D.C. area.
Cyrus Mackey, Trumpet (February 2026): A jazz trumpeter and producer based in Baltimore, Md., Mackey was a National YoungArts Foundation finalist who studied under jazz legends Wynton Marsalis and Roy Hargrove. He creates innovative works that blend traditional jazz with contemporary sound design and production.
Chris Hon, Keyboard (March 2026): A Washington, D.C.-based keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist who fuses his jazz training with electronic music through innovative sound design. Hon has performed at prestigious venues including NPR’s Tiny Desk, Blues Alley, and 9:30 Club.
Ellen Gira, Cello (April 2026): A Potomac, Md.-based cellist who combines classical training with Scottish, Irish, and Old-Time traditions. Gira holds a doctorate in Scottish music from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and performs internationally with the award-winning folk duo Jocelyn Pettit & Ellen Gira.
Juan Manú, Voice, Guitar, Violin (May 2026): A Washington, D.C.-based singer-songwriter whose Latin-folk music celebrates his Mexican heritage and Tejano culture. With classical violin training and extensive mariachi experience, Manú uses traditional genres to create music that uplifts queer voices.
Kanysha, Voice (June 2026): A Washington, D.C.-based vocalist, songwriter, and actress whose performance credits span from Carnegie Hall to Arena Stage. Kanysha releases original music on streaming platforms and co-hosts the Downstage Center podcast.
The Class of 2026 will be mentored by Grammy-nominated rapper and multi-instrumentalist Christylez Bacon; Billboard-charting violinist, vocalist, and educator Chelsey Green; and jazz drummer and vibraphonist Chuck Redd, under the leadership of Grammy Award-winning folk artist and AIR advisor Cathy Fink. The mentors will also join the new class on stage during the preview concert, creating unique collaborative performances that showcase both emerging and established talent.
Tickets for Fresh Air ($15-$35) can be purchased online or by calling 301-581-5100 starting Friday, Sept. 5. For more information about the Artists in Residence program and the 2026 class, visit strathmore.org/air.
ABOUT STRATHMORE
Since 1983, Strathmore has enriched lives through transformative artistic experiences and meaningful community connections. Based in North Bethesda, Md., this nonprofit cultural institution showcases world-class talent, supports emerging artists, and offers diverse programs on campus at the Music Center and the Mansion, as well as across Montgomery County. Strathmore fosters creativity and community through performance, educational initiatives, and accessible arts programming. Experience the magic of Strathmore, where the arts are everywhere.
Follow Strathmore on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Bromo Art Walk Returns September 11 with Downtown Baltimore’s Ultimate Immersive Art Night
Press Release :: August 13
Light, color, and sound will fill Baltimore’s west side as the Bromo Arts District welcomes the community to the Bromo Art Walk on Thursday, September 11, from 5 to 9 p.m. This free, self-guided celebration invites neighbors, visitors, and newcomers to explore the city’s dynamic arts scene across 20 locations, featuring more than 30 participating partners.
“Each Bromo Art Walk is more than an event—it’s a celebration of the creative momentum that defines this district,” said Emily Breiter, Executive Director of the Bromo Arts District. “Baltimore’s artists bring an energy and vision that inspires all who attend, and we see neighbors and visitors come together, making the city itself part of the art.”
The event transforms 11 city blocks into a collaborative canvas, offering exhibitions, performances, and interactive experiences. Mural walking tours will spotlight Baltimore’s public art and Black history, while partnerships with Refocused Space, The Walters Art Museum, and Pablo Machioli invite hands-on participation through activities inspired by the Arte Latinoamericano exhibition—including Machioli’s Colorollstories coloring book.
This fall’s Art Walk introduces new voices in the district, including Wombwork Productions at the Eubie Blake Cultural Center and the debut of Red Giant’s gallery and open studios. The Maryland Center for History and Culture will feature interactive painted screen opportunities alongside selections from its museum collection, plus a community mural in the courtyard led by BRUSH Mural Fest.
Current Space presents solo exhibitions by Jeffrey Kent and Monique Crabb, accompanied by jazz in the courtyard from Lafayette Gilchrist. At Blakwater Studio, guests can help create and record a live community song, while Neon Paint Place lights up the night with an all-ages glow-in-the-dark splatter and sip & paint party.
District shops and eateries are joining the festivities. Lexington Market and the BMA are collaborating on an artist-designed menu and zine to highlight the culinary arts of participating merchants at the market. All throughout the district, neighborhood businesses are offering special discounts to those showing their Eventbrite registration. Detailed event maps—both printed and digital—will help guests navigate all venues, with Lime scooters and bikes available for easy travel.
The evening concludes with a high-energy after-party at Current Space’s Garden Bar, featuring a performance by Baltimore’s own multidisciplinary artist Abdu Ali and a DJ set from SDOT. Mera Kitchen Collective, known for its globally inspired cuisine, will be the featured food vendor.
For further details, including a list of participating venues and partners, please visit the Bromo Arts District website or Eventbrite.
Support for the Bromo Art Walk is generously provided by the Maryland State Arts Council, the City of Baltimore, and Downtown Partnership of Baltimore.
ABOUT BROMO ARTS DISTRICT: The Bromo Arts District was established in 2012 to create a thriving cultural district in Downtown Baltimore by supporting local artists and arts organizations. The district currently has more than 30 galleries, music venues, theaters, and arts collectives that call Bromo home. The district is a 117-acre area on the west side of Downtown Baltimore, from Park Avenue to Greene Street and Read Street to Lombard Street.
Broadway Sensation Frenchie Davis to Perform Intimate Benefit Concert to Support West Baltimore Youth
Press Release :: August 13
On Saturday, August 31, Midlina Restaurant in Canton will open its doors for a one-night-only dinner concert fundraiser featuring Grammy-nominated, internationally-acclaimed singer Frenchie Davis, with ticket sales benefiting St. Francis Neighborhood Center, a West Baltimore nonprofit. Doors will open at 4 PM for a curated dinner before the performance begins at 7 PM in Midlina’s upstairs speakeasy, Poe’s Tower.
Proceeds from this evening will benefit free community programs at St. Francis Neighborhood Center such as the Power Project, a free after school program serving K–8th grade students in the 21217 zip code, which is currently underfunded. The Power Project provides daily hot meals, one-on-one tutoring and homework help, hands-on enrichment in STEM and the arts, and wraparound support for families whose children are enrolled in the program.
Frenchie Davis is a world-renowned, Grammy-nominated vocalist, award-winning theatrical performer, college professor, activist, television personality, producer, and entrepreneur. She first rose to fame as a semi-finalist on American Idol and later reintroduced herself as a Top 5 finalist on NBC’s The Voice. Since then, she has captivated audiences in major stage productions including RENT, Dreamgirls, Th
Midlina, which opened earlier this year at 2206 Boston Street in Canton, offers an innovative selection of global cuisine set to a dark, cozy backdrop peppered with history. The performance will take place in Midlina’s upstairs speakeasy, Poe’s Tower, accessed through a “secret” entrance. The speakeasy, inspired by Edgar Allen Poe, features its own bar where $1 from every Bee’s Knees cocktail–made using local honey from SFNC’s bee hives–directly supports the West Baltimore nonprofit.
Tickets to “An Evening with Frenchie Davis” at Midlina Restaurant on August 31 can be purchased at stfranciscenter.org/
