This Week: JOCK’N BLUES unveiling + reception at BLIFTD ART STVDIOS, May Bromo Art Walk, Chew-Ache opening reception at The Compound, Preakness Festival 150 opening reception at MAP, MICA ArtWalk Opening and Exhibition, opening reception for Hosey Corona at Creative Alliance, NIGHTSCAPE Festival at Night Owl Gallery, Latin American Art / Arte Latinoamericano Opening Day at The Walters, Asia North’s “Night in Kawasaki” at Bogus Gallery, COLAB opening reception at Eubie Blake, The Sweet Spot Burlesque, and Black Earth Rising opening day at the BMA — PLUS apply for “Windows on North Charles” at SNF Parkway 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!
JOCK’N BLUES | Unveiling Ceremony and Reception
Tuesday, May 13 :: 6-8pm
@ BLIFTD ART STVDIOS
An Evening Honoring the Legacy of George ‘Spider’ Anderson through Art and Storytelling
Unveiling Ceremony and Reception
Tuesday, May 13 | 6:00–8:00 p.m.
BLIFTD ART STVDIOS
American Can Company, Signature Building
2400 Boston St. 21224
Baltimore, MD — BLIFTD ART STVDIOS proudly presents JOCK’N BLUES, an unveiling ceremony and reception spotlighting a new work by acclaimed Baltimore-based artist Jeffrey Kent. The event will take place on Tuesday, May 13, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at BLIFTD ART STVDIOS.
FREE RSVP (appreciated, not required): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jockn-blues-tickets-1343435665239?aff=oddtdtcreator
The centerpiece of the evening is Kent’s powerful painting, Jock’n Blues: Love Me, Love Me Not, inspired by the story of George ‘Spider’ Anderson, the first African American jockey to win the inaugural Preakness Stakes. A native Baltimorean, Anderson’s remarkable and underrecognized legacy takes center stage through Kent’s evocative, historically rich artwork.
Joining Kent in conversation is curator, real estate developer, and cultural advocate Dana Henson, whose recent art commissions in Park Heights pay tribute to Anderson and further her community-driven efforts in the neighborhood “beyond the racetracks.” Their discussion will explore the intersections of art, legacy, and place-making in Baltimore.
To further honor the heritage of the Preakness Stakes and its local significance, the evening will also feature a presentation of Let the Horses Run, a dynamic series by Michael Haskins Jr., founder of Currency Studio. Haskins’ work anchors the Visiting Artists Collection No. 2 at BLIFTD, continuing the studio’s mission to amplify Baltimore’s vibrant creative voices.
JOCK’N BLUES is free and open to the public. Attendees will enjoy art, conversation, and community as we pay homage to a hidden hero of Baltimore’s history and those who carry his story forward.
About BLIFTD ART STVDIOS:
BLIFTD ART STVDIOS is a creative hub in Baltimore committed to showcasing contemporary art that engages community, heritage, and innovation. Through exhibitions, public programs, and visiting artist collections, BLIFTD nurtures cultural dialogue and artistic excellence.
May Bromo Art Walk
Thursday, May 15 :: 5-9pm
@ Bromo Arts District
This multi-block, multi-sensory night on the town showcases the Bromo Arts District in all its glory: open galleries, live performances, imaginative projects, and in-person engagement, all taking place on Thursday, May 15, from 5-9pm.
View information below about the participating artists, organizations, and retailers. Event maps will be available at all participating locations during the event and the digital brochure can be downloaded in advance. Check back for the event Google Map to help navigate the district and to view all venues, retailers, and public art locations.
This event is free, but registration is recommended in order to get event updates and access to special promotions. Scroll to the bottom of the Eventbrite page to view the event FAQs for more information about the Bromo Art Walk.
Love the Bromo Art Walk? Support the Bromo Arts District by making a donation! Your contribution helps support our creative community and enables us to continue our free programming. Click here if you love Bromo’s creative community!
Chew-ache | Opening Reception
Friday, May 16 :: 5-8pm
@ The Compound
The Compound is proud to announce its inaugural exhibition: Chew-Ache, a visceral inquiry into the act of chewing as both instinct and insubordination. Marking the official launch of the Multidisciplinary Arts Program, Chew-Ache sets the tone for an exhibition space that is dedicated to instability, fluidity and resistance.
Curated in the spirit of friction and noise, Chew-Ache explores the act of chewing beyond its physiological function—framing it as resistance, disruption, and a site of tension within systems of consumption, production, and control. The show brings together a group of artists whose practice is a rethinking of the power dynamics behind the everyday verb ‘chewing’, liberating the word from silent submission and reclaiming the agency of ‘Chewing’. The artists in this exhibition amplify the gnaw, the crack, the splinter—unveiling chewing as a disobedient act that rattles not only the jaw, but also the social, political, and sensory systems that seek to digest us whole.
Featuring works by Simon Garb, Ben Gould, Alex Mari, Jiangshengyu Nova Pan, Olivia Reavey, and Yasser Vayani, the exhibition sprawls across painting, performance, sculpture, sound, and photography. In this exhibition, chewing is reimagined as noise, as rupture, as a site of bodily uprising. As the artists tear at the fabric of passive ingestion—whether it be food, language, history, or ideology—they leave behind a collective howl, a low-frequency vibration of resistance.
Chew-Ache is a call to all bodies: reclaim the jaw, rupture the script, grind against the grain.
Read more of this week’s picks at BmoreArt.
