This week’s news includes: MacKenzie River Foy’s profile of Stephen Towns for Baltimore Beat, Kriston Capps’ review of Elliot Doughtie + Danielle Mysliwiec at MONO Practice, Baltimore Pride’s growing pains, TU’s Summer at the Center festival, Jeffrey Kent exhibits in three major museums, chef Loic Sany opens Nest, awards for Create Baltimore, a judge blocks Trump addition to Kennedy Center name, Strathmore + Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company’s Arts and Social Justice Fellowship, and The Ivy Newsstand set to open at Mt. Vernon Place.
If fear is a question, courage is Stephen Towns’ answer
by MacKenzie River Foy
Published June 2 in Baltimore Beat
I am taken aback by the meditative quiet in the daytime at the Compound, the warehouse art center known for its nightlife. Crossing through a sun-dappled garden, the shared kitchen, and a rather graphic photo installation in the atrium gallery, I finally arrive at the studio of Stephen Towns.
Examining fear and refusing its demand to shrink, Towns is an artist whose work illustrates the multiple dimensions of courage. Born outside of Charleston, South Carolina, bravery is his subject and his method, a lesson and theme in his life which he says he relearns constantly as a Black gay man married to his partner of 17 years.
“There was never a sort of graceful coming out where I felt embraced. [But] you’re always coming out, you’re coming out when you go to a hotel and you say, no, just one room, just one king bed or whatever,” he tells me.
Elliot Doughtie and Danielle Mysliwiec
by Kriston Capps
Published June 1 in Art Forum News
Finding the common thread between the work of Elliot Doughtie and Danielle Mysliwiec is simple. Mysliwiec is a painter who works like a sculptor; Doughtie is a sculptor who thinks like a painter. Both Maryland-based artists have built bodies of work around acts of repetition. The pairing was straightforward, but the show found depth in the contrast between the two.
Doughtie’s output takes the form of a series of massively enlarged vampire fangs modeled after the cheap plastic dental inserts ubiquitous in mouths around Halloween. The artist elevates these costume props into a kind of Platonic ideal, from which he iterates strange new objects. The resulting sculptures are executed in wood and foam with epoxy putty, which gives them a splotchy, grayish-blue patina, like tombstones (although two were painted white to resemble teeth).
As Baltimore’s Pride festival grows, residents and city officials grapple with who gets to manage it
by Amari-Grey Johnson
Published June 2 in Baltimore Beat
Father Al Risdorfer does not hesitate to remind me that Pride has always been an act of communal protest against the reality of anti-LGBTQ+ violence and erasure.
”So, I was in the marches in ’87 and ’93 to Washington. I was at the Pride Parade march up in New York when we confronted the Westboro Baptist Church holding signs that say ‘God hates fags,’” he recalls.
“The origins of Pride was a protest march. You ever been chased down the street by guys with baseball bats wanting to bash your brains in? No? I have… You ever been in a bar that got raided by cops where you’re all shaken down for money? I have,” Risdorfer, pastor of Our Lady UnDoer of Knots Inclusive Catholic Community, says across a table of coffee and omelettes.
Towson University Announces Summer at the Center Arts Festival 2026: “America 250: Voices of a Nation”
Press Release :: June 1
Towson University’s College of Fine Arts & Communication (COFAC) will present the 2026 Summer at the Center Arts Festival, “America 250: Voices of a Nation,” from June 11 through July 11, 2026, at the University’s Center for the Arts.
Created in honor of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the monthlong multidisciplinary festival explores the evolving American story through theater, dance, music, visual art, film and community engagement, reflecting the many voices and experiences that define America’s cultural landscape. Many events are free and open to the public.
Now in its third year, Summer at the Center 2026 will feature performances and exhibitions by Towson University faculty, alumni, students and professional artists from across Maryland and beyond. It celebrates the power of the arts to bring people together, spark dialogue, and deepen community connection.
The festival coincides with both Juneteenth and Pride Month, highlighting themes of freedom, identity, resilience, and artistic expression. Through diverse voices and perspectives, “America 250” invites audiences to reflect on the stories, histories and communities that continue to shape the nation.
Jeffrey Kent, Baltimore-Based Multidisciplinary Artist, Currently Exhibited Across Three Major American Museums
Press Release :: May 30
Baltimore-based multidisciplinary artist Jeffrey Kent is currently represented in exhibitions and museum presentations at three major American institutions: the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., and Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) in Miami, Florida.
The moment marks a significant milestone not only within Kent’s long-term studio practice, but also within the broader visibility and influence of Baltimore artists on the national stage. Working across painting, collage, installation, object-making, moving image, and performance, Kent’s practice examines history, memory, systems of value, and the psychological weight carried within materials and language. His artworks often incorporate untreated copper leaf, shredded U.S. currency, textiles, rope, reverse text, and layered cultural artifacts as metaphors for erasure, resilience, labor, and transformation.
At Pérez Art Museum Miami, Kent’s artwork is currently included in This Is America: Selections from PAMM’s Collection, an exhibition drawn from the museum’s permanent collection and organized in recognition of the United States’ semiquincentennial. The exhibition opened May 28, 2026, and remains on view through May 23, 2027.
In Washington, D.C., Kent’s artwork is also currently included in The Eureka Moment: Unveiling Metaphors of Discovery at the National Academy of Sciences. The exhibition explores the intersection of art, science, imagination, and discovery through artworks drawn from the academy’s collection and remains on view through 2026.
Simultaneously, Kent’s artwork continues to be represented within the collection and galleries of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, one of the nation’s most significant institutions dedicated to preserving and presenting African American history and culture.
“This moment represents years of sustained studio practice and a deep belief that Baltimore artists deserve visibility within major cultural institutions,” said Kent. “These museums are helping expand the conversation around contemporary American art and whose stories are centered within it.”
The Dish: This chef wants a Michelin star. First, he has to fill seats.
by Matti Gellman
Published June 3 in The Baltimore Banner
At 12 years old, Loic Sany carried his grandmother’s groceries through their Cameroonian street market as they searched for nutmeg, black peppercorns and peanut butter to make her signature beef suya.
Now, at 33, the West African dish is a focal point of the menu at his new downtown Baltimore restaurant. Unlike his other projects and stints at Michelin-starred establishments, Nest is all about showcasing Sany.
He plans to serve a soy-marinated salad that incorporates mangoes, which he grew up eating regularly in Cameroon. Hyperseasonal dishes from lamb carpaccio to lobster croquettes will be rotated through the menu in the same style as chef Anthony Secviar’s Protégé restaurant in Palo Alto, California, where Sany worked as a sous chef, helping the restaurant win a Michelin star in its first eight months. He’ll also make black pepper cheesecake, inspired by the savory desserts mastered by chef Patrick O’Connell at The Inn at Little Washington — where Sany once commuted four hours daily to jumpstart his career.
Create Baltimore Receives Multiple Awards
Press Release :: June 3
Create Baltimore is proud to announce recent awards for the Create Baltimore Anthem Video, produced to serve as a brand launch for the next chapter of the organization formerly known to many as the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts (BOPA.) The video premiered in October at the Top of the World Observation Level of the Baltimore World Trade Center during a press conference with Mayor Brandon M. Scott.
CREATE BALTIMORE ANTHEM VIDEO awards include:
2026 Webby Awards Honoree
Category: Social Video Short Form, Culture and Lifestyle = Honoree
2026 Communicator Awards – two awards for excellence
Category: Film & Video, Non-Profit = Award of Excellence 2026
Category: Social Media, Non-Profit = Award of Excellence 2026
2026 Telly Awards – three awards
Category: General-Social Video – 2026 People’s Telly Silver Winner
Category: General-Arts & Entertainment – 2026 Silver Winner
Category: Series-Arts & Culture – 2026 Bronze Winner for Artscape 2025 Promotional Campaign with Bryan Robinson
In the video, Create Baltimore CEO Robyn Murphy asks, “How will you create Baltimore?” “It is more than a question; it is a challenge,” said Murphy. “The question I ask is the throughline of our rebrand. Create is a verb; and we are reenergized by newfound optimism and action. Art is not a luxury; for many, it is a lifeline. Art is the heartbeat of any city; so, it’s no wonder this project resonated at the level that it did. A huge shoutout to my team at Create Baltimore and community partners who produced this Valentine to our city, which showcases not only the power of art but the power of the people.”
“It was beautiful to see the city come together for this project,” said Create Baltimore’s Chief Marketing & Programs Officer, Tia Goodson. “Baltimore is a city powered by its artistic community and as an organization we believe in that power, and we wanted it on full display. A big thank you to the artists and the small businesses and anchor institutions like the Orioles, the Ravens, and the Walters Art Museum that supported us in this endeavor.”
The video features the many activations under the purview of Create Baltimore such as Artscape, the Farmer’s Market, 250 murals across the state; along with well-known cultural spaces like the Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower, Top of the World Observation Level at the World Trade Center, Cloisters Castle and School 33 Art Center.
CREATE BALTIMORE ANTHEM VIDEO CREW:
Featured – Robyn Murphy
Producer – Tia Goodson
Director / DP / Editor – Stuart Ruston
Drone Operator – Ime Umoh
Motion Graphics – Mebane Design Studio
Logo Design – Planit
Sound Mixer – Andrew Salomone
ARTISTS/ARTWORK (in order of appearance)
Ernest Shaw, Shawn James, LaToya D. Peoples, Nether, Jordan Lawson, Kenneth C. Clemons, Gary A. Mullen, Iandry Randriamandroso, Amanda Leigh Burnham, Wendy Moscat-Soto, Jacob Goldsmith, Jax Erenberg, Alex J. Doucette, Junius Wilson, DJ AAVE, Bryan Robinson, Gabby Samone, Fantastia Taylor, Camila Leãno, Aliana Grace Bailey, Hope & Faith McCorkle, Motte & Baliey Productions, Pam Pahl, Adam Kaufman, VILLAGER, Natalie Karyl, Kid Balloon, Qrcky, Rich Rocket, Melissa Sutherland Moss, Ainsley Burrows, Laurielle Noel
Judge says Kennedy Center board broke law putting Trump’s name on building, blocks closure
by the Associated Press
Published May 29 in The Baltimore Banner
A federal judge ruled Friday that President Donald Trump’s name was illegally added to the Kennedy Center and blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major renovations — the latest legal setback for Trump’s efforts to leave his personal mark on the landscape of the nation’s capital.
Trump said in response that he’s backing away from his proposed renovation and returning control of the arts institution to Congress.
“Unless I am free to do what I do better than anyone else, bring this Institution back, physically, financially, and artistically, I have no interest in continuing what could only be a hopeless journey into ‘NEVER NEVER LAND,’” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Strathmore and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company Mark 5th Year of Arts & Social Justice Fellowship with “Sanctuary of Solace”
Press Release :: June 2
Strathmore and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company mark the fifth year of their Arts and Social Justice Fellowship (ASJF) with “Sanctuary of Solace,” a one-day multimedia installation and public program built by and for teens in the community on Sunday, June 14, from 1–5 p.m. at the Mansion at Strathmore. Admission is free; pay what you can.
The culmination of this year’s fellowship, the installation was created by nine high school fellows over six months of collective research, shared decision-making, and input from nearly 45 teens. Unlike past fellowship showcases, which were designed primarily for fellows’ families and the Strathmore and Woolly communities, “Sanctuary of Solace” is a public event built for teens, with targeted outreach to connect with young people across the region.
“Sanctuary of Solace” explores safety, belonging, and “third spaces” for young people in an increasingly digital and isolating world. Fellows have transformed the Mansion Galleries into personal and communal rooms drawn from their experiences and peer interviews. The installation features interactive stations where guests can respond to prompts about belonging, a lounge for connection, and a student-produced documentary on safety and lived experience. Fellows will host two panel discussions and talkbacks in the Mansion’s Music Room. Local arts and youth-serving organizations will be on site to connect visitors with ongoing creative communities.
ASJF supports emerging young artists exploring the intersection of creative practice and social change. The fellowship, created in 2022 through Strathmore and Woolly’s co-presentation “Parable of the Sower” adapted by Toshi Reagon and Bernice Johnson Reagon from Octavia E. Butler’s novel, features workshops, discussions, and performances centered on youth leadership, community-building, and social justice.
“Our culture places so much emphasis on individual achievement, but what the world needs right now is people who know how to come together around a shared purpose,” said Lauren Campbell, vice president of Education and Community Engagement at Strathmore. “That’s why this year’s fellowship shifted from individual projects to a collaborative installation. More important than the final project itself is that these students spent months learning how to navigate differences and build something together.”
The 2026 Arts and Social Justice Fellowship cohort:
Natalie Chen, North Potomac, Md. – lighting designer, stage manager, and visual artist exploring intersections between science, art, and environmental advocacy.
Madeline Cortez, Silver Spring, Md. – visual and ceramic artist whose work centers Latino and queer representation, joy, and self-expression.
Arianna Fulcher, Brentwood, Md. – poet and performer exploring social justice themes through writing, music, and theater.
Noah Morris, Montgomery Village, Md. – poet, visual artist, and youth leader focused on political and environmental advocacy.
Sofia Otero-Diaz, Arlington, Va. – multilingual youth advocate and organizer exploring language access and juvenile justice reform.
Rihanna Pabai, Rockville, Md. – filmmaker and student journalist interested in cultural storytelling and underrepresented voices.
Ana Grecia Redman, Washington, D.C. – multidisciplinary artist and writer whose work focuses on identity, resilience, representation, and community.
Sofiia Remizova, Rockville, Md. – dancer and writer examining the relationship between art, identity, and activism.
Reon Williams, Silver Spring, Md. – filmmaker and musician exploring Black culture through speculative fiction and horror storytelling.
The Arts and Social Justice Fellowship is made possible with generous support from Dr. Deborah M. Smith & the Dr. Allen A.B. Herman Fund, Victoria J. Perkins, and Hope Brown Saxton.
Mount Vernon Place Church to house pop-up newsstand during Charles Street Promenade on June 6
by Ed Gunts
Published June 1 in Baltimore Fishbowl
No news is bad news for people who still like to read print versions of newspapers and magazines.
In response to news that the Newsstand at Penn Station no longer sells newspapers or magazines, managers of The Ivy Bookshop are stepping up to fill the void.
They’re opening The Ivy Newsstand on Mount Vernon Place during the Charles Street Promenade on June 6.
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