This Week: Mark Alice Durant in conversation with Rahne Alexander at Atomic Books, Lawrence Burney and Ellis Marsalis III featured at the BMA’s Violet Hour, BROS’ Orb of Pondering, opening receptions for Kyle Kogut and Kyoungho Isaac Kim at Red Giant, closing reception for Jim Condron and Dean Kessmann at MONO Practice, Full Circle Dance Company’s Ritual and Revolution performance at the BMA, and a lecture by Dr. Kellie Jones at MICA — PLUS MAP’s UNDER $2500 applications 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.
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Mark Alice Durant: Confessions of a Working Class Artist | Book Launch, Reading and Signing
Thursday, October 29 :: 6-8pm
@ Atomic Books
Mark Alice Durant will read from Confessions of a Working Class Artist and be in conversation with Rahne Alexander, followed by a book signing.
Mark Alice Durant makes a point of noting that his new book is neither a sociological study nor a manifesto. Still, Confessions of a Working Class Artist is quite a lot of things, including an autobiography, a celebration of art in general and photography in particular, and even a collection of advice (sort of) for aspiring creatives, interspersed with aphoristic commentary on life as an artist of humble origins.
Confessions is written in an episodic style, mixing personal anecdotes of shame and revelation, sociopolitical observations, and stories from fellow working-class artists. Durant also writes about some of the biggest influences on his artistic (and political) views, from the Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke to the French painter Gustave Caillebotte to the American filmmaker Maya Deren.
BMA Violet Hour: Lawrence Burney and Ellis Marsalis III (t.p. Luce)
Thursday, October 29 :: 6:30-7:45pm
@ Baltimore Museum of Art
Join us for a Violet Hour in connection with the exhibition Flashback: Two Centuries of Baltimore Photography.
The evening will feature a reading by writer and critic Lawrence Burney from his debut essay collection No Sense In Wishing (the 2026 One Maryland One Book selection) as well as a special preview screening of Revisiting Ramona, his in-progress documentary. Told through the lens of photographer (and neighbor) Ellis Marsalis III’s book Tha Bloc: Words, Photographs and Baltimore City in Black White and Gray (2004), published under the pen name t.p. Luce, the film is a cinematic portrait of a Baltimore community’s past, present, and future. Following the screening, stay for an engaging conversation between Burney and Marsalis.
This program is offered in partnership with the Johns Hopkins University Writing Program and Maryland Humanities.
The Orb of Pondering: A BROS Tabletopera
Friday, October 30 | Ongoing through November 7
@ Baltimore Rock Opera Society
Hear ye, gentlepeople, and gather to a fantasy of swordcraft, magic, and treachery! For many years, the lands lay under the tyranny of the dragon ruler, Khevyn the Kantankerous, yet the people now know something like peace under their new leader, Pübert. But that peace will be ended if Khevyn’s progeny is allowed to hatch early from the magic of KORVID, a society of evil flightless raven people. The only hope to stop them is to place the Orb of Pondering into the hands of an adventuring party of tossed-together ridiculous companions, who are just the right kinds of fools to be heroes.
This original musical alternates between the characters playing a tabletop game on stage and the fantasy world they are imagining. The Orb of Pondering: A BROS Tabletopera brings together friends, enemies, and frenemies to fight an ancient tyranny that threatens their city, while their over-controlling dungeon master sees all and demands more. There’s something rancid in the air. Will the bickering between the companions stop long enough to figure out the source?
The Orb of Pondering: A BROS Tabletopera is an homage to tabletop role-playing games, set to a score of troubadour metal played by a live band.
Content warning: Violence, flashing lights, fog, foul language and adult conversations
Kyle Kogut, Signs & Wonders // Kyoungho Isaac Kim, Weltansicht: 세계관 | Opening Receptions
Friday, October 30 :: 6-8pm
@ Red Giant
Main space, October 30 through December 12
Kyle Kogut, Signs & Wonders: new sculptural drawings and floor sculptures drawing on religion, propaganda, conspiracy culture, and ufology.
Kyoungho Isaac Kim, Weltansicht: 세계관: new paintings in oil, acrylic, and Hanji that layer Korean imagery found online with Western cultural imagery.
Opening reception Friday, October 30, 6 to 9pm. Closing reception Saturday, December 12, 6 to 8pm.
no idea but in things: Jim Condron + Dean Kessmann | Closing Reception
Saturday, October 31 :: 1-4pm
@ MONO Practice
Join us for the closing of no idea but in things.
Come by for one last chance to meet the artists, exchange thoughts, and enjoy a casual conversation about the work.
Both artists will be present from 1–3 PM.
MONO PRACTICE presents no idea but in things, a two-person exhibition featuring sculptor Jim Condron and photographer Dean Kessmann. Working in entirely different media, both artists turn their attention to the overlooked material of everyday life, where realism gives way to abstraction and matter quietly accumulates meaning.
Condron transforms discarded and recovered materials into hybrid sculptural forms that hold humor, absurdity, and beauty. Kessmann’s photographs grow out of his daily walks through the city, moving between recognizable subjects and pure form. Together, their work asks whether meaning is already there in things, or whether it emerges only when we choose to look.
On view October 3–31, 2026.
For more information, visit monopractice.com.
Sunday, November 1 :: 2pm + 6pm
@ Baltimore Museum of Art
Baltimore’s Full Circle Dance Company is well-known for bringing together diverse choreographers to explore a single theme from multiple angles. On November 1, 2026, Full Circle will premiere the works of five choreographers in Ritual and Revolution at the Baltimore Museum of Art.
“We are excited,” said Full Circle Dance Company Artistic Director Donna L. Jacobs, “that people will experience such varied perspectives on the theme Ritual and Revolution. This performance includes revolutionary experiences that are deeply personal and internal, as well as those that challenge us to make our shared world better. And it considers rituals that might cause harm as well as those that heal—at both the individual and community level.”
A highlight of Ritual and Revolution is award-winning choreographer Hope B. Byers’s new work Cruisin Under Crow: The Road to Dreams & “Difficulties.” Byers shows how car ownership brought a revolutionary freedom for Black families—mobility without the indignities of segregated public transportation. But this freedom was tempered by risks specific to Black motorists—the widespread denial of access to hotels, meals, gas stations, and restrooms and the ever-present danger of racist violence. Byers’s work incorporates rituals Black travelers developed to stay safe on the road during the Jim Crow era, including use of the Negro Motorist Greenbook, and sheds light on how their ingenuity fueled both joy and resistance.
Black Curators Matter:UGS Lecture Series talk by Dr. Kellie Jones
Monday, November 2 :: 12pm
@ MICA Brown Center
The relationship between Black Americans and U.S. art museums has historically been fraught and hard-won. This talk considers the advocacy and scholarship that Black curators from the 1970s onward have brought to the wider art community and its histories. Our research and oral history project led to the current book Black Curators Matter: Conversations on Art and Change (Getty 2026).
Featured Opportunities
UNDER 2500 | Call for Entry
deadline November 1
posted by Maryland Art Place
Have your work purchased by local buyers & collectors, just in time for the holidays! Maryland Art Place (MAP) is seeking artists for UNDER $2500, our upcoming winter benefit exhibition & affordable art sale. The exhibition will include approximately 1-3 works by each selected artist (scale dependent – in the case of smaller works more than 3 pieces may be accepted). Each individual piece must retail for $2,500 or less.
Why UNDER $2500? In the last 2 years inflation has been a huge contributing factor to rising artwork sales prices. Simply put, the cost of goods for artists to create their art is far higher than it used to be. The majority of galleries consider the most important contemporary artwork value segments to be under $5,000–$10,000 according to ARTSY (2023.) It is with that in mind that MAP is presenting UNDER $2500 as affordable.
Public Art @UMD: Call for Proposals
deadline November 1
posted by University of Maryland
The Division of Student Affairs, the Department of Art History & Archaeology, and xFoundry are pleased to announce a Call for Proposals for a new mural on our campus. The work will be installed on the second floor of the Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. Building, located at 7999 Regents Drive (College Park, MD). This initiative stems from a course on Public Art, taught by Professor Abigail McEwen, and is led by twenty-two undergraduate students who are invested in bringing new art to UMD and who will serve as jurors. The commissioned work will feature in the 2027 edition of NextNOW Fest, organized annually by the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.
We invite submissions that express the vision, mission, and values of the Division of Student Affairs (DSA) as described in Forward Together, DSA’s Strategic Plan. We are particularly interested in inspirational, colorful designs that encapsulate the diverse experiences and trajectories of students outside of the classroom and across their UMD careers. Preference will be given to artists who have a personal connection to UMD.
End-of-Year Holiday Card Design Contest
deadline November 1
posted by Frederick Arts Council
The Frederick Arts Council (FAC) is inviting artists to submit designs for its End-of-Year Holiday Card, offering local creatives an opportunity to showcase their artwork as part of the Council’s annual holiday season outreach.
The call for artists encourages members of Frederick County’s creative community to contribute an original design that celebrates the season and highlights local artistic talent.
As FAC celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year, the organization continues to create opportunities for artists to share their work and connect with the community. The annual holiday card initiative provides another way to recognize the creativity and artistic expression that make Frederick County’s arts community so outstanding.
Open Call for Artists
deadline November 5
posted by Hill Center Galleries
Open only to artists living in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. Original 2D work in any medium will be considered. Artwork must be delivered ready to hang on walls with our cable-and-hook system. Details will be provided to artists chosen to participate. No size restrictions apply. Fourteen foot ceilings in some of the gallery spaces accommodate large pieces. All dimensions must include frames and must be listed by width and height in inches. Submitted artwork must be from 2023-2026, not earlier. All artwork must be available for sale. First place $1,000 and an invitation for a spot in our 2027 Solo Artist Exhibitions to be installed in our Galleries in September 2027; Second Place $750, Third Place $500. Plus Honorable Mention Certificates. The exhibition will be juried by Florencio Lennox “Lenny” Campello, curator of the massive 2025 “Women Artists of the DMV” survey show, critic, artist, art blogger and arts advocate (see our website for full bio). All artists will be notified of the Juror’s decisions on/about Friday, November 20, 2026.
Creative Sparks Public Art Call for Artists
deadline November 9
posted by Frederick Arts Council
Artists are invited to submit qualifications for vinyl wraps that will transform utility boxes throughout Frederick into vibrant works of public art.
This project offers two opportunities for artists:
A. Lead Artist + Mentee Opportunity — $1,200 A lead artist will be selected to develop a design for a utility box and will be paired with a mentee artist as part of the project. The lead artist will guide the mentee through the creative process, sharing artistic knowledge and experience Lead artists and mentees will participate in two project meetings.
B. Utility Box Artist — $800 Artists may also submit a design for a utility box wrap with no mentoring obligation.
2027 ACC Fellowships and Grants
deadline November 10
posted by The Asian Cultural Council (ACC)
The Asian Cultural Council (ACC) is pleased to announce the open call for the 2027 Grant Cycle. Applications will be accepted from October 1 through November 10, 2026, with letters of recommendation due November 16.
Prospective applicants are encouraged to review the guidelines below before beginning an application. These guidelines cover ACC’s mission and grantmaking priorities, as well as detailed information on available grant types, eligibility requirements, application procedures, and frequently asked questions.
Reflections — A Juried Exhibition
deadline November 13
posted by Artspiration Gallery
Reflect. Reimagine. Reveal. We invite artists to explore the theme of reflection — in nature, in memory, in self, or in the world around us. All mediums welcome.
Exhibition runs December 4–20, 2026, at Artspiration Frederick, 915 Toll House Ave, Suite 101, Frederick, MD 21701.
CALL FOR DIRECTORS! Spring Production and Beyond
deadline November 15
posted by Manor Mill Playhouse
Manor Mill Playhouse is seeking directors! Are you looking to work with a lively, ambitious and highly-collaborative theater company? Northern Baltimore County’s premiere local theater is now accepting director proposals for our spring 2027 show and for future productions with the Playhouse.
Spring 2027:
MMPH is seeking a director for our Spring production, Silent Sky by Lauren Gunderson.
The true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt explores a woman’s place in society during a time of immense scientific discoveries, in a play whose narrative spans from the heavens to the earth.
Grants for Artists
deadline November 20
posted by Maryland State Arts Council
The Grants for Artists program aims to provide artists with holistic support rather than support that focuses solely on a particular product or project-based needs. A primary goal of the program is to strengthen the creative workforce, which is a vital part of Maryland’s economy and culture.
Become a Member
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