BmoreArt’s Picks: December 10-16
This Week: Joyce J. Scott + Josh Franco in conversation at SAAM, Wye Oak Lecture Series at MCHC, Edgar Reyes and valentina at Connect+Collect, Maryland Opera at St. Paul’s, Charm City Craft Mafia’s Holiday Heap, Current Space Art Market, Baker Artist Portfolios Literary Spotlight at The Peale, Body and Soul Holiday Art Sale + Gently Used Coat Drive at Motor House, Station North Holiday Market, and the Project Artscape Finale — PLUS Postdoctoral Curatorial Fellowship at the Driskell Center 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 events@bmoreart.com!
Archive Live with Joyce J. Scott and Josh Franco [In-person + Virtual]
Wednesday, December 11 :: 6:30pm
presented by Smithsonian American Art Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
McEvoy Auditorium and SAAM’s YouTube channel
Free | Registration required
Join the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Archives of American Art online or in person for an evening with artist Joyce J. Scott and Head of Collecting at the Archives of American Art, Josh Franco. Franco and Scott will discuss selected items from her papers, held at the Archives of American Art, as Scott shares memories about them. Scott is a MacArthur Fellow renowned for her figurative sculptures, innovative fiber art, and jewelry using bead weaving techniques, blown glass, and found objects. As an African American feminist artist, Scott fearlessly tackles challenging themes, including race, misogyny, economic disparity, history, and discrimination. Her work is currently on view in SAAM’s Renwick Gallery exhibition, Subversive, Skilled, Sublime: Fiber Art by Women.
The lecture will be held in person and online on SAAM’s YouTube Channel.
Wye Oak Lecture Series—Finding Black Identity in Early American Art
Thursday, December 12 :: 5:30-7:30pm
@ Maryland Center for History and Culture
How can curators uncover the full stories and identities of Black representation in early American images? Join Emelie Gevalt, PhD, Curatorial Chair for Collections and Curator of Folk Art at the American Folk Art Museum, and co-curator of the recent acclaimed exhibition, Unnamed Figures: Black Presence and Absence in the Early American North, in exploration of this topic. Sift through examples from the exhibition and MCHC collections to learn about the research processes and archival discoveries that contextualize and even help name some of these figures. Investigate the uncomfortable convention of including enslaved companions in portraits to better understand who they were and what their inclusion meant.
Doors open at 5:30 pm. Lecture begins at 6 pm. Light reception to follow.
BmoreArt C+C: A Night of Music Memories and Storytelling with Edgar Reyes and valentina (DJ)
Friday, December 13 :: 6-9pm
@ Connect + Collect
Join us on Friday, December 13, from 6:00–9:00 PM at BmoreArt Connect+Collect for a special event exploring the deep connections between music, memory, and storytelling.
Artist Edgar Reyes and DJ, curator, and organizer valentina will share stories about the role of music in their lives and creative practices. Through a dynamic dialogue, they will reflect on how music serves as a vessel for memories, a means of preserving history, and a source of healing and resilience. Valentina will bring these themes to life through an immersive musical experience, curating a playlist entirely from vinyl records, inspired by Edgar’s art practice and the artworks exhibited in the gallery. Guests are invited to listen, reflect, and share their own memories and stories sparked by the rhythms and lyrics resonating throughout the space.
This event celebrates storytelling through music as a powerful channel for uplifting stories of migration, resilience, and cultural identity. By blending personal narratives with different beats and melodies, valentina and Edgar Reyes will illuminate the profound role of music in amplifying voices and sharing experiences often left unheard. Together, we’ll explore how music connects us, fosters reflection, and preserves shared histories.
This event has limited space available, so please RSVP as soon as possible before the form closes.
Read more of this week’s picks at BmoreArt.
