BmoreArt’s Picks: June 4-10

This Week: 4th International Placemaking Week, TRANSMISSION group exhibition opening at School 33 Art Center, Artists Sustaining Artists opening reception at Transformer DC, Gallery Blue Door’s PRIDE opening reception at Emmanuel, Nicholas Wisniewski exhibition curated by Derrick Adams opens at Swann House Gallery, SCAT: An Ode to the Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed at The Voxel, Good Company presents Spring Cleaning pop-up market, Tonya Thomas lecture at The Walters, Deborah Donelson opening reception at Fleckenstein Gallery, When She Smiles opening reception at Night Owl Gallery, and GRL PWR 10-Year Anniversary Party at Current Space — PLUS BRUSH Mural Fest call for submissions 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]!

< Events >

Wednesday, June 5 | Ongoing through June 8

Join public space leaders from around the world for a week of experiential learning, networking, and inspiration.

We invite you to join us for Project for Public Spaces’ 4th International Placemaking Week conference on June 5–8, 2024, in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, co-hosted by the Neighborhood Design Center.

Placemaking Week is a multi-day, global gathering of over 400 public space leaders that emphasizes hands-on learning, off-site exploration, and innovative social events, all while leaving behind a public space legacy in host cities.

Embracing a wide variety of sectors and disciplines, the event creates a dynamic forum for attendees to develop and share concrete strategies to advance community-powered public spaces, both locally and globally.

Thursday, June 6 :: 6-9pm

@ School 33 Arts Center

Join BOPA & the Municipal Art Society of Baltimore (MASB) for an opening reception to celebrate “TRANSMISSION,” which includes work from the 11 artists who received the MASB Artist Travel Prize from 2017-2023.

Featuring: Nate Larson, Erin Fostel, Erick Antonio Benitez, LaToya Hobbs, Joe Giordano, Hoesy Corona, Schroeder Cherry, Rosa Leff, Jackie Milad, Elena Volkova, & Jill Orlov.

The opening reception is free and open to the public.

Thursday, June 6 :: 6-8pm

@ Transformer DC

Transformer is proud to present the 2nd iteration of Artists Sustaining Artists, an initiative created with mid-career and established artists to provide honoraria support to their emerging artist peers. Contact Camille DeSanto, Transformer’s Exhibitions and Programs Coordinator at [email protected] to purchase.

Led by Transformer Board Members and staff, selected artists who are sustained in their careers have been invited to donate an artwork that will be sold to support their emerging peer artists. All sale proceeds will support Transformer and the emerging artists the organization serves, with funds distributed to emerging artists in the form of artist honorariums. An exhibition of these artworks will be presented at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty in Bethesda, MD.

Artist Sustaining Artists 2024 artworks have been curated by Transformer Board Members Christopher Addison of Addison/Ripley, artist, curator and educator Jennifer Sakai, and artist and cultural producer Sheldon Scott, along with Transformer’s Executive & Artistic Director Victoria Reis, and Exhibitions & Programs Coordinator Camille DeSanto.

As Transformer begins its 22nd year of operations this June, vital funds raised through Artists Sustaining Artists art sales will help us to further grow emerging artists careers and make their visions come to life. Through the generous support of the participating artists, and those that purchase their donated artworks, this initiative provides a special way to have a direct impact in the support of artists.

Friday, June 7 :: 6pm

@ Gallery Blue Door at Emmanuel

Featured Artists –

Scott G. Brooks

Damien Cheeks

Joan Cox

Lania D’Agostino

Douglas Johnson

R. Aster McKay

Scott Ponemone

Emmanuel Episcopal is hosting “PRIDE” – an exhibit curated by Gallery Blue Door.

Join us for the Opening Reception June 7th at 6pm

After which we’d invite folks to come up to Emmanuel Episcopal’s Pride concert “Glitter and be Gay” at 7:30 (tickets available at the link below).

The Opening Reception is free, but the concert is $25 for advanced tickets and $35 at the door.

After the show concludes, at around 9:15pm, we are planning to have a post-concert reception back downstairs in the gallery for those that attend the concert.

The exhibit will also be open –

5-7pm on Fridays and 12-4 Saturdays and Sundays, the Promenade on Jun 8 (11-6), and Pride on Jun 14.

​The exhibit will be up through June 30th.

The gallery entrance is on W. Read Street between Cathedral St and Charles St.

​The church’s address is at 811 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, MD 21201.

Saturday, June 8 – Sunday, July 7

@ Swann House Gallery

Today, multidisciplinary artist Derrick Adams announces his conceptual curatorial project titled “Beautiful Decay,” and its debut show “Just Below The Surface,” a solo exhibition by Baltimorean artist Nicholas Wisniewski. Opening June 8, the month-long exhibition will be on view at Swann House Gallery, a rotating exhibition space in Baltimore adjacent to Ulysses, an Ash hotel.

“Beautiful Decay,” as envisioned by Adams, is a series of artist interventions and installations that respond to the state of the interior and exterior of Swann House, through direct and indirect relationships to material, form and application. The participating artists’ exhibitions speak to the human experience as building construction and the condition of the exhibition space are used as a metaphor for perseverance and vulnerability. The series will tap into the local community to highlight the immense talent and artistry present in Baltimore, beginning with the inaugural artist Nicholas Wisniewski.

“Baltimore is full of creative energy and talented artists, all over the city. For this reason, I’ve partnered with Ulysses’s Hotel as guest curator at their new Swann Gallery to showcase some of the locals I feel deserve a spotlight and recognition for their amazing work,” said Derrick Adams.

Wisniewski’s solo exhibition ‘Just Below The Surface’ is centered around works that are constructed from what is left behind at the disproportionate amounts of abandoned residential and commercial properties in Baltimore. Pulling back layers to create objects that mirror local architecture, his works use pieces of discarded elements from unoccupied buildings, as well as other related construction materials from the local community, to challenge forces of neglect and to nurture a cautious optimism about the possibilities of repair. The title “Just Below The Surface” references the existence of the exterior as the first encounter of observation, but suggests a closer inspection and second look beyond the veil.

As the co-founder of The Compound – an artist-led live/work and affordable studio initiative that supports individual and collective production within experimental cultural, social, and urban space – Wisniewski’s career is grounded in social practice. In support of this local artistic community, Bloom’s, the cocktail lounge at Ulysses, will feature a special drink on their menu for the duration of the exhibition benefiting The Compound.

The exhibition will be on view Saturday, June 8th through Sunday, July 7th by appointment. Swann House is a new event space and extension of Ulysses, located in the historic townhouse next door to the hotel. The parlor floor of the brownstone has been reimagined as a space for gathering and celebrations, welcoming parties of up to 85 guests, while Swann House Gallery takes residence on the second floor.

Saturday, June 8 | Ongoing through June 30

@ The Voxel

Experience the power of immersive storytelling with SCAT: An Ode to the Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed, a groundbreaking theatre-in-the-dark production coming to The Voxel in a residency from June 8 – 23. Co-created by Chania Hudson and Madeline ‘Mo’ Oslejsek, this captivating performance challenges audiences to explore themes of visibility, resilience, and the shared human experience without reliance on their sense of sight.

Through a blend of jazz, environmental soundscapes, and immersive storytelling, audiences are transported into the protagonist’s world, where every footstep and tick of the clock echoes the harsh reality of her disappearance. SCAT amplifies the voices of those often marginalized and ignored, particularly Black women.

“Sometimes stories ask us questions: ‘What are you ignoring? Must you experience something to fight for it? How often are you averting your gaze? For how long?’” says Hudson, creator, writer, and performing artist of SCAT. “It offers a powerful reminder of the delicate dance between bystander and accomplice.” Hudson combines her work in poetry and performance in the storytelling of this piece.

“Theatre-in-the-dark invites audiences to relinquish the comfort of sight and embrace the power sound has over our imaginations and memories,” adds Oslejsek, creator and sound artist of SCAT. “No one leaves an experience the same way, because they came in differently to begin with.” Oslejsek began specialising in sound-based theatre after her postgraduate study at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, England.

SCAT: An Ode to the Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed promises to be a transformative theatrical experience, inviting audiences to engage in thought-provoking dialogue and introspection. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this unforgettable journey that reveals what theatrical art is truly capable of when we remove the barriers of what is considered ‘live performance’.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit The Voxel.

Saturday, June 8 :: 12-5pm

@ Peabody Heights Brewing

Visual artists continually create work to refine their craft but many do not have enough physical or digital space to store all of their creative output. To address this dilemma, community-centered art collective Good Company presents Spring Cleaning, a pop-up art market for local artists to sell their older work for $150 or less. On June 8, 2024 from 12 to 5 PM at Peabody Heights Brewery, 401 East 30th Street, Baltimore, a selection of over 40 artists from Maryland and Washington, D.C. will sell work made before 2024 to clean out their studios and make room for their next big idea. The participating fine visual artists will present a wide range of mediums: photography, paintings, zines, screenprints, apparel, stickers, collage, and more. The event is free to attend and open to the public. Guests can RSVP at bit.ly/springcleaning2024rsvp.

Spring Cleaning was developed by community-centered art collective Good Company which previously produced events in Washington, D.C.. Good Company is operated by Baltimore-based visual artist and community organizer Emon Surakitkoson and Philadelphia-based curator and consultant Amy Lokoff. Spring Cleaning is supported in part by funding from the Maryland State Arts Council. The event was first held in March 2022 on the grounds of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Emon Surakitkoson says, “We are excited to bring this event to Baltimore and we hope it will create new connections between local artists, small businesses, and the public. Peabody Heights Brewery and the surrounding Waverly neighborhood are very welcoming and we think community members who may not typically attend art events will be delighted by what they find at Spring Cleaning.”

Amy Lokoff adds, “Many young adults received little to no formal arts education in grade school and may not understand the value of supporting the artists in their community or feel intimidated by fine art. Spring Cleaning allows the art-curious to start their art collection at a price point that is manageable for their budget. We hope Spring Cleaning will encourage people of all ages and financial situations to collect more local art.”

Peabody Heights Brewery is an all ages, pet-friendly, and wheelchair accessible venue in Baltimore’s Waverly neighborhood. Their tasting room offers a variety of craft brews (including non-alcoholic and gluten-free options) available for purchase during the event with indoor and outdoor seating. Food will be sold by Baltimore-based food truck Elektra by FUZZIES Burgers, voted by readers of Baltimore Magazine as the “Best Burger Joint”! Peabody Heights also boasts a new arcade space, The Dugout, with 45+ arcade games and pinball machines.

Saturday, June 8 :: 2-3pm

@ The Walters Art Museum

Registration is required.

Black cooks and chefs have made significant contributions to Maryland’s culinary history. Although many Black cooks were not publicly celebrated for their culinary innovations during their lifetimes, two Marylanders are changing the narrative and ensuring their recognition.

In this program, Tonya Thomas, chef and co-owner of H3irloom Food Group, and food historian Joyce White, author of the forthcoming book Cooking Maryland’s Way: Voices of a Diverse Cuisine, uplift the recipes and histories of enslaved and free cooks who worked in kitchens across Maryland prior to the Civil War. Individuals like Sybby Grant, an enslaved cook who lived in the 19th century, is one of many talents who will be featured in White’s forthcoming book. Grant lived at 1 West Mount Vernon Place, a residence converted to galleries that now house some of the Walters’ collections. John-John Williams IV, a diversity, equity, and inclusion reporter at The Baltimore Banner, will moderate this conversation.

Grant will also be honored in a special dinner presented by the H3irloom Food Group at the Walters on June 29. Attendees will be able to preorder White’s book and register for the dinner at this program, which is presented in honor of Juneteenth.

About the Speaker

Joyce White’s work as a food historian began in her career as a museum educator attempting to accurately interpret historic meals, table-settings, and kitchens where she also learned to cook on the open hearth. In Maryland, Joyce is the foodways consultant for the c. 1801 Riversdale House Museum in Riverdale Park, and consulted in the restoration of the 18th-century kitchen at Annapolis’s William Paca House. Joyce also presents food history lectures, creates historically accurate faux foods, and has been featured as a food history expert on various television shows such as State Plate with Taylor Hicks, Eatin’ the Chesapeake: The Five Feasts for MPT, and CBS News Sunday Morning. Joyce can be found at her website, atasteofhistory.net, and on Facebook at A Taste of History with Joyce White.

Saturday, June 8 :: 5-8pm

@ Fleckenstein Gallery

On view June 8th through June 29th

*Artist Reception: Saturday, June 8th, 5-8pm*

*Artist Talk Thursday, June 13th, 7pm *

Deborah Donelson wants to shake up the way we view birds – our general expectations and clichéd reactions to them.

To freshen our eyes and leave anthropomorphism behind. And, hopefully, as a result, to understand better what is good for THEM and not always about us.

Location:

Fleckenstein Gallery

3316 Keswick Rd | Baltimore, MD 21211

410-366-3669

Gallery Hours:

Tuesdays-Saturdays 11am-6pm and by appt.

Closed Sundays and Mondays

Saturday, June 8 :: 6-9pm

@ Night Owl Gallery

Join us on June 8th at Night Owl Gallery for the Opening Reception of an all Femme show entitled, When She smiles. The exhibition examines how we center joy and identity for ourselves in a world that often has more say and control over our physical bodies and narratives. Giving artist a chance to share their voices and happiness with community to better support one another.

GRL PWR 10-Year Anniversary Party!

Sunday, June 9 :: 1-4pm

@ Current Space

Celebrate 10 years of GRL PWR at their Spring fundraiser hosted by Current Space. Indulge in delicious lite fare, music, festivities, and make it rain on the GRLZ. All proceeds will go towards sustaining GRL PWR’s mission of cultivating queer joy through community focused programming.

Sunday, June 9th 1-4pm

Djs: DJ AAVE & Jacq Jill

Food Sponsors: Mera Kitchen Collective & Neopol Savory Smokery

Beverage Sponsors: Baltimore Spirits Co., Peabody Heights Brewery, & The Wine Source

21+ Tickets: $25-$100

Lite fare and complimentary beverage included with ticket.

All tickets are final sale and for general admission, there is no assigned seating.

This event is outdoors, with the exception of indoor restrooms.

< Calls for Entry >

deadline June 9

posted by BOPA

B24 is Artscape’s new signature in-door exhibition featuring the work of the best artists based in Baltimore City and the surrounding region. B23 featured the work of 25 Baltimore-based and regional artists. Artists can be at any stage of their career post-university and can work in any discipline of art including painting, drawing, video, film, glass, textile, photography, light, sound, sculpture, and performance. Artists will be able to submit 5-7 works for consideration.

deadline June 9

Baltimore’s hyper-local mural festival created for artists, by artists – was founded in 2022 by three established Baltimore-based muralists: Jaz Erenberg, Saba Hamidi, and Jess Langley, who have over 15 years combined experience painting all over the city and beyond. The organization is thrilled to partner with the Baltimore Convention Center for year two of BRUSH Fest, a mural festival to highlight the talent & charm of Baltimore City through the power of murals and provides opportunities for emerging muralists to become a part of the local mural industry in Baltimore. The application to participate in the festival is open. Please note that ALL applicants MUST be 18 years or older, MUST live AND work in Baltimore City, MUST have mural painting as their main medium, and MUST be new to BRUSH Fest.

deadline June 10

The Artist in Residence (AIR) program awards fully sponsored residencies to approximately 50 local, national, and international artists each year. Residencies of four to ten weeks include studio space, chef-prepared meals, housing, travel and living expenses. AIRs become part of a dynamic community of artists participating in Headlands’ other programs, allowing for exchange and collaborative relationships to develop within the artist community on campus. Artists selected for this program are at all career stages and work in all media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, new media, installation, fiction and nonfiction writing, poetry, dance, music, interdisciplinary, social practice, arts professions, and architecture.

deadline June 11

posted by Touchstone Gallery DC

Patterns and repetitive elements, integral to the art and design of countless cultures and artistic methods, offer viewers a framework to interpret information through recurring arrangements. How do these elements shape perception of art and the world?

This open call seeks artwork that embraces pattern and repetition as the focal point, a complementary element within a piece, or as a fundamental part of the creative process. From symmetrical arrangements, geometric precision, minimalist repetition, and organic flows, Iteration Reiteration embraces the power of patterns and repetition.

All visual mediums are accepted including but not limited to painting, printmaking, textile and fiber, video and animation, photography, sculpture, ceramics, collage, performance, sound, and mixed media. Works must be original and completed within the past five years. This exhibition will include both a physical gallery show located in Washington, DC and a virtual exhibition.

deadline June 17

Small Works is a national juried show of artwork no more than 24” in its largest dimension (including frame). All media are eligible except jewelry, film/video. All entries are judged from digital files. One $30 nonrefundable fee entitles each artist to submit up to three entries. Purchase awards may be available for accepted work. Accepted artists may be selected for a solo show at Harper College.

Submission Form – ” Cultural Agitators”

deadline June 25

posted by Gallery 220

“Cultural Agitators” is a collaboration between The Havre de Grace Arts Collective (Gallery 220), the Historic Havre de Grace Foundation, the Greater Havre de Grace Museum Association, Lafayette Farewell Tour 2024/2025, and the private collection of Mark VerValin and Dr. John W. Hawkins with the intentions to celebrate the bicentennial of Lafayette’s farewell tour.

The show will be a conversation between history and art. Historical artifacts with ties to Lafayette and art work reflecting what it means to be an “Cultural Agitator” will be on display throughout the gallery.

For more information on the context of the show and Lafayette’s background, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

deadline June 28

Since 2011, the Monira Foundation (formerly Mana Residencies) has awarded rent-free, non-living studio space to artists for 12-month periods. Started by Karline Moeller and Ysabel Pinyol Blasi, this residency is the gift of time, space, and community.

Our mission is to provide a stimulating, rigorous, and contemplative environment where talented and committed artists benefit from a large studio workspace and the support of a vital creative surrounding community. Studio space is still critical to the practices of the overwhelming majority of artists but remains at a premium, especially in the New Jersey and New York tri-state area; a residency at Monira facilitates continued production and helps strengthen professional and intellectual bonds among diverse individuals.

Monira Foundations Artist in Residence Program supports established artists working in visual arts media. All applicants must be at least 21 years old, be able to reside in the United States during the residency period, not be enrolled in a degree-granting program or other residencies at the time of their residency, and demonstrate an understanding of our program. We encourage artists working in all visual media to apply.

deadline June 30

posted by The Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh

Fiberart International 2025 (Fi2025) seeks to exhibit the best of contemporary art and invites submissions that reflect a wide range of works related to the fiber medium. The exhibition is recognized around the world as a benchmark that documents trends and innovations in the field. The goal of the exhibition is to include innovative work rooted in traditional fiber materials, structure, processes and history, as well as art that explores unexpected relationships between fiber and other creative disciplines.

The 25th edition of the Fiberart International will be organized and presented by Contemporary Craft in partnership with Brew House Arts. Fi2025 will feature works by established and emerging artists and will be open to the public, with artwork located at both Contemporary Craft and Brew House Arts.

Since 1967, the Fiberart International was produced by the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh, a non-profit, member supported organization that promotes the appreciation of fiber art and fosters its creative development and continuance. Contemporary Craft is grateful for the long-term relationship with the Guild, and also for the opportunity to work so closely with them over the years on this exhibition.