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This week’s news includes: Cindy Wolf and Charleston win a James Beard Award, The Clifton House hosts weekend event to honor Lucille Clifton, Arts for Learning to open charter school, Maryland Humanities receives emergency funding from Mellon Foundation, BOPA becomes ‘Create Baltimore,’ BOPA forms Advisory Council and looks for members, Baltimore Youth Film Arts finds new funding, The Peale’s John Suau on WYPR Midday, AVAM honors athlete/activist John Carlos, “Final Fridays” at the Pratt, Shakespeare Beyond returns, The Write Woman Book Fest, 9th Annual Cherry Hill Arts & Music Waterfront Festival, and Patti Labelle headlines AFRAM — with reporting from Baltimore Magazine, Baltimore Fishbowl, The Baltimore Banner, and other local and independent news sources.

Header Image: from Charleston’s Facebook page.

Charleston wins a James Beard Award at long last
by Christina Tkacik and Cody Boteler
Published July 16 in The Baltimore Banner

Champagne all around: Charleston is a James Beard Award winner. Finally.

The Harbor East restaurant, which opened in 1997, won in the category of Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program during the award ceremony Monday night.

After being named a finalist for the James Beard ten times, this is owner Cindy Wolf’s first time snagging the top prize.

She was stunned to hear Charleston’s name called by announcers. “You just can’t imagine that it’s actually happening,” Wolf said. “It was very, very, very exciting.”

She’d just spoken with friends who happened to be dining at the restaurant Monday night. “They’re all screaming and sending me videos,” Wolf said, “and we sent everyone in the restaurant Champagne to celebrate with staff and us.”

The award, Wolf hopes, will shine a spotlight on Charm City. “We don’t get the attention that we deserve in Baltimore, the positive attention,” she said.

Lindsay Willey, Charleston’s wine director, said she was feeling overwhelmed, but “super proud of Charleston, of Baltimore… We always are so happy to have good news for the city.”

Willey said the win would not have been possible without all the work in the years since Charleston opened, and all the work that’s been poured into the restaurant’s wine cellar.

“It’s probably like two dozen people who have contributed…that cellar has so much depth,” she said.

The whole staff will be ready for the potential rush of new visitors following the win, Willey said.

“It’s a great team, and we’re always ready to be busy,” she said.

It was Wolf’s tenth trip to Chicago for the Beard awards.

Though Wolf has frequently been nominated for the Beard, one of the food world’s highest honors, the top prize has eluded her. She was a finalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic in 2006, 2008 and every year from 2014 to 2019. Last year, the restaurant was named semifinalist in the category of outstanding hospitality.

Other local honorees this year included Clavel bartender Dre Levon and Urban Oyster chef Jasmine Norton, both named semifinalists for James Beard Awards. However, only Charleston advanced to the final round.

At Monday night’s ceremony, held at Chicago’s Lyric Opera, Charleston beat out Minnesota’s natural wine bar and eatery Bar Brava; Campo at Los Poblanos in New Mexico; California’s shipwreck-themed cocktail bar Strong Water; and Houston, Texas Mediterranean restaurant MARCH.

This year marked the first time Charleston has been named a finalist since Wolf and Foreman announced that they would no longer use the Foreman Wolf name to refer to their restaurants.

While Foreman had initially helped shape Charleston’s wine program, today it is managed by Willey. The certified sommelier strives to make connections between local growing seasons, clients’ preferences and the winemakers themselves, she writes in the introduction to Charleston’s wine list.

Wolf said she’s staying in Chicago Tuesday to explore the city. “Now that we won, I’m glad I’m staying tomorrow,” she said. “At the same time, I kind of want to get back and see the staff” at Charleston.

And perhaps, toast with Champagne.

This story was republished with permission from The Baltimore Banner. Visit www.thebaltimorebanner.com for more.

The Clifton House, in partnership with Jupiter and The Library, to Host All of My Bones Remember: a Three-Day Gathering Honoring the Life, Work, and Enduring Spirit of Lucille Clifton and the Clifton Family, June 27-29, 2025.
Press Release :: June 17

The Clifton House, with Jupiter and The Library, have curated All of My Bones Remember; a three-day series of programs that weave together memory, legacy, and lineage (taking place, notably, the weekend of Lucille Clifton’s 89th ancestral birthday). The programming will feature panels, intimate discussions, communal activations, and the 2nd Annual Lucille Clifton Lecture presented by acclaimed poet, novelist, and scholar Honorée Fanonne Jeffers. Returning to The Clifton House after nearly four decades, luminary poet Sonia Sanchez, and National Book Award winner Nikky Finney will be in conversation about Lucille Clifton, the home, and Black interior spaces as vital sites for solace, collective refuge, and imagination. Literary and musical performances by aja monet and Randy Preston will herald the celebration.

“We are deeply honored to celebrate the legacy of my parents, whose work and words continue to create possibility in our human community. This series of programs is both a tribute and a call—to remember, to reflect, and to carry forward the spirit of their work. We invite the community to join us, not only in celebration, but in continuing the living legacy of storytelling, truth, and transformation” says Sidney Clifton, President and Founder of The Clifton House.

The weekend-long programming will open with a ceremonial blessing of the home, and programming will take place throughout the full site with special receptions taking place off-site.

“Lucille Clifton’s writing ardently seeks what we so often strive to hide: feral joy, open wounds, what it is to be suspended in an inquiry without answer. Aptly, she says that, ‘you come to poetry not out of what you know, but out of what you wonder.’ Across these three days we hope to, in Miss Lucille’s name, soar beyond the threshold of knowing and into the palm of wonder” remarks Camille Bacon, Co-Founder of Jupiter.

“When conceiving The Library, one quote served as a guiding principle: ‘We cannot create what we can’t imagine.’ Within the powerful words of Lucille Clifton held an invitation to build the kinds of imaginaries needed to forge a new future. That same invitation is what brought us in collaboration with The Clifton House: to honor the call left to us, to imagine more boldly and freely, and, of course, to celebrate the life and legacy of Miss Clifton. It is our hope that, through this special offering, you feel the spirit of these words echo through you—guiding you, as they’ve guided us, beyond what you once imagined was possible.” adds Kennedy Yanko, Renowned sculptor and Founder of The Library.

Clifton family members alongside staff and volunteers will be available throughout the weekend to share insights about The Clifton House and future programming.

Highlights from the All of My Bones Remember program schedule includes:

Friday, June 27, 2025

• Poetry Performance with aja monet at 5:30pm | As a surrealist blues poet, musician, and cultural worker, aja monet moves between mediums, each one an element to her writing. She is the author of the poetry collection My Mother Was a Freedom Fighter (Haymarket Books, 2017), which was nominated for a NAACP Image award for Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry, and of two chapbooks, The Black Unicorn Sings and Inner-City Cyborgs and Ciphers. monet will read from her newest book, Florida Water, which was published by Haymarket Books on June 3rd, 2025.

• The 2nd Annual Lucille Clifton Lecture by Honorée Fannone Jeffers at 6:30pm | Poet essayist, and novelist Honorée Fannone Jeffers will deliver the 2025 Lucille Clifton Lecture. This annual lecture series was established to honor the beloved poet and luminary Lucille Clifton, and emerges to reflect the impact of her extraordinary personhood and literary contributions through the work and imaginations of contemporary poets. Following the inaugural lecture by aracelis girmay, Jeffers will explore her own scholarship, alongside providing insights into her work as Clifton’s biographer ahead of the book’s scheduled release in 2026.

Saturday, June 28, 2025

• The Clifton Siblings in Dialogue at 10:15am | A conversation with the Clifton siblings on the intimacies of returning to their family home and transforming it into a public heritage site to continue the legacy of acclaimed poet Lucille Clifton and community activist Fred Clifton. This conversation will be moderated by Joël Díaz, Director of Programs, and aims to highlight the connections between the Clifton family home and the larger Baltimore community across generations.

• Visual Artists on Lucille Clifton at 11:30am | Beyond literature, Lucille Clifton’s legacy has reached artists and thinkers across fields of practice. Together, visual artists Joyce J. Scott, Phylicia Ghee, Kennedy Yanko and others, will discuss Clifton’s influence on their own work and how her words are reflected within the larger art world.

• Sonia Sanchez in Conversation with Nikky Finney at 3:30pm | In 2001, Sonia Sanchez and Lucille Clifton sat down for a public conversation about the world of letters with Cave Canem. Citing Rudine Sims Bishop, Clifton shared the following during the program, “All children, and I think adults as well, need mirrors and windows. Mirrors in which they can see themselves. Windows through which they can see the world.” Windows and mirrors has since evolved into a signal for artists to gather and nourish themselves through storytelling, dialogue, and collaboration. Twenty-four years later, Sanchez will join Nikky Finney in conversation at The Clifton House for an exchange on the memory of Clifton and the legacy of her writing within her home.

Sunday, June 29, 2025

• Sonic Meditations with Randy Preston at 10:00am | Randy Preston is an African Native American singer-songwriter, author, educator and storyteller who was raised in the UK, Zimbabwe and Kenya. His compositional work and love of storytelling led to literary collaborations with Kwame Alexander, wherein Preston wrote original songs for Alexander’s novels Rebound, Solo, and Swing, and his picture books, Animal Ark, Surf’s Up and Acoustic Rooster and his Barnyard Band.

All the programs will be free to the public, registration is required via Eventbrite. If you require special accommodations, please email info@thecliftonhouse.co. Please note that there is only one ticket per registrant and photo ID is required upon entry.

Baltimore City to Welcome Dream Academy Charter School, operated by Arts for Learning Maryland
Press Release :: June 11

A new charter school is coming to Baltimore City. Arts for Learning Maryland, in partnership with Thomas Jefferson Elementary/Middle School (TJEMS), will open Dream Academy Charter School for student enrollment in Fall 2026. The school will offer an arts-integrated learning model backed by ten years of consistent academic and social-emotional impact. Arts for Learning is the first new charter operator approved in ten years.

A nationally recognized nonprofit with roots in Baltimore since 1950, Arts for Learning (formerly Young Audiences of Maryland) serves students statewide with arts-integrated learning. With this new school, Arts for Learning will bring its data-driven model to life in a year-round academic setting.

“We have seen this model work for students for over a decade in after-school and summer programs,” said Stacie Sanders Evans, President & CEO of Arts for Learning Maryland. “Finally, families will have the opportunity to learn this way all year round.”

Dream Academy will feature classrooms co-led by teachers and teaching artists. This unique approach, modeled for 10 years through national award-winning summer and after-school programs, has consistently improved literacy, math, attendance, and social-emotional outcomes for students, particularly those performing below grade level.

TJEMS has worked with Arts for Learning since 2014, piloting arts-integrated programs. The proposal to convert the school into Dream Academy was developed in close collaboration with the community. Over 650 Baltimore families, students, educators, and artists were consulted. A 2022 survey showed overwhelming community support, with 97% of respondents agreeing that an Arts for Learning school is needed in Baltimore, and 86% indicating they would enroll their children. 90% of the TJEMS staff voted in support of the conversion.

The planned charter directly addresses critical needs outlined by Baltimore City Public Schools and the Maryland State Department of Education, to address enrollment, attendance, and academic performance at TJEMS.

“Our school has real potential, and we’re ready for change,” says Adrienne Carter, parent of four TJEMS students. “Dream Academy is helping bring our vision to life. I’m proud that families and community members have a real voice, with seats on the board and [planning] events… We’re not just involved—we’re part of the Dream Team.”

The school staff share this sentiment.

“Dream Academy is not just about integrating the arts — it’s about transforming how we teach,” says TJEMS middle school teacher Dr. Yvette Freter, “It gives teachers the time, tools, and training to meet the diverse needs of our students. It gives students more ways to access learning, show what they know, and feel seen and successful.”
“It’s a dynamic academic innovation, based on research and experience, home-grown in Baltimore City for Baltimore City.”

To stay informed of enrollment details and community engagement opportunities, sign up for the Dream Academy mailing list: http://eepurl.com/iZVEzE and follow @dreamacademycharter on social media.

:: See Also ::

Have an artsy kid? Baltimore approved a charter school just for them
by Maya Lora
Published June 16 in The Baltimore Banner

The arts may be just what a small school in West Baltimore needs.

In fall 2026, Thomas Jefferson Elementary/Middle School in Hunting Ridge will convert from a traditional public school into an arts-integrated charter school. Arts for Learning Maryland, via the nonprofit A4L Charter Inc., will run Dream Academy Charter School. The hope is that boosting arts offerings will draw more students to the charter in its initial years.

… this story continues. Read the rest at The Baltimore Banner: Have an artsy kid? Baltimore approved a charter school just for them

Arts-integrated charter school to open in West Baltimore
by Marcus Dieterle
Published June 11 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Maryland Humanities Receives $200,000 from Mellon Foundation After DOGE Cuts to NEH
by Claudia M. Allen
Published June 17 in Maryland Humanities News

Maryland Humanities thanks the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for $200,000 in emergency funding to support general operating expenses. This support comes as part of the Mellon Foundation’s recent commitment of $15 million to the Federation of State Humanities Councils to address the impact of the recent funding cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) on state humanities councils. Maryland Humanities is one of fifty-six state and territorial councils nationwide receiving this contribution from The Mellon Foundation.

The NEH serves as the principal funder supporting Maryland Humanities’ general operating expenses and programming. Both Republican and Democratic Presidents and legislators have affirmed the NEH—created by an act of Congress in 1965—for the past 60 years.

In April, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) terminated Maryland Humanities’ $1.2 million federal operating grant. A 70-80% cut in funding to the NEH, as DOGE recommended in April, would eliminate programs essential to each Maryland region’s cultural infrastructure.

With support from the Mellon Foundation, the Federation of State Humanities Councils has generously offered to double every gift Maryland Humanities receives until the nonprofit reaches $50,000 in donations.    For every dollar a donor gives, Maryland Humanities will receive two. Any amount a donor gives can push the nonprofit to $100,000 to fuel programs that inspire, educate, and unite.  The match period for Maryland Humanities is now open and lasts through December 31, 2025.
“This funding will be a wonderful first step in filling the gap left by the loss of our federal funding,” says Lindsey Baker. “We are very grateful for the support from the Mellon Foundation and the Federation for State Humanities Councils, as well as from our community, as we navigate this time.”

Elizabeth Alexander, President of the Mellon Foundation said: “The places where American communities come together to read, learn, and engage with the humanities’ vast and varied forms of knowledge and creativity are often those supported by these councils.”

“At stake are both the operational integrity of organizations like museums, libraries, historical societies in every single state, as well as the mechanisms to participate in the cultural dynamism and exchange that is a fundamental part of American civic life,” continued Alexander in a press release from The Mellon Foundation. “While Mellon’s grantmaking will not cover the entirety of these cuts, we stand side by side with the fifty-six Humanities Councils across the United States and remain deeply committed to the work they lead on behalf of us all.”

“For more than 50 years, humanities councils have served as the backbone of American cultural life, connecting people through programs that illuminate, honor, and celebrate our shared history at the local level,” said Phillip Brian Harper, Mellon’s Program Director for Higher Learning. “The work of these councils touches every aspect of communities across our country. This grant ensures that these irreplaceable institutions can continue their mission and look forward to a sustainable future.”

About Maryland Humanities
Maryland Humanities creates and supports bold experiences that explore and elevate our shared stories to connect people, enhance lives, and enrich communities. For more information, visit www.mdhumanities.org. Maryland Humanities is generously supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities; the State of Maryland; the Citizens of Baltimore County; private foundations; corporations; small businesses; and individual donors. Connect with Maryland Humanities on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

About The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is the nation’s largest supporter of the arts and humanities. Since 1969, the Foundation has been guided by its core belief that the humanities and arts are essential to human understanding. The Foundation believes that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity, and that everyone deserves the beauty and empowerment that can be found there. Through our grants, we seek to build just communities enriched by meaning and guided by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive. Learn more at mellon.org.

BOPA gets a new agreement to work with Baltimore City and a new name: ‘Create Baltimore’
by Ed Gunts
Published June 18 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Excerpt: Seven months after Baltimore’s spending board terminated a contract to work with the independent Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts (BOPA), the same panel has approved a new agreement with the agency.

Baltimore’s Board of Estimates on Wednesday ratified with no discussion an agreement that calls for BOPA to serve as the “City Arts agency” and to provide certain services to Baltimore’s “creative community” from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.

A memo to the board from the Office of Mayor Brandon Scott states that the agency will be doing business as “Create Baltimore” during the service period, which starts in 13 days. According to the Mayor’s Chief of Staff, Calvin Young, the agency is planning to rebrand itself as Create Baltimore and the mayor’s memo reflects that pending change.

Join BOPA’s New Community Advisory Committee
Newsletter :: June 18

If you are rooted in Baltimore’s arts, culture, or entertainment scene — whether through performing, visual, or literary arts; music; cultural heritage; youth arts education; event production; public art; nonprofit work; or community organizing — we want to hear from you!

Applications are now open for BOPA’s Community Advisory Committee (CAC), an advisory body that will act as a bridge between Baltimore residents and BOPA leadership to strengthen and streamline the support we provide for local creatives. This vital group will shape the future of Baltimore’s creative landscape and we are looking for a diverse and passionate group of cultural leaders and community voices to form this creative council.

The CAC will consist of up to 12 members who will serve two-year terms. Committee members will meet quarterly, with opportunities for additional engagement and collaboration between sessions. Selected applicants will be asked to draw from their experience in relevant creative or civic fields to provide critical insight to the organization’s operations.

BOPA is looking for candidates to share their vision for equity in the city’s cultural landscape and help flesh out ideas for how we can better serve Baltimore’s diverse communities. Applicants from all backgrounds, including those from historically underrepresented communities, are encouraged to apply. Applicants do not need to be 18 years old; one space on the CAC will be reserved for a youth representative.

Prospective applicants also do not need to be affiliated with an organization or hold a formal title. If you’re a Baltimore City resident — or if you live outside the city but are actively connected to its cultural ecosystem through professional or lived experience — your perspective is welcome.

Applications are now open and can be completed online through Eventeny. The deadline to apply is July 15, 2025. The BOPA Board of Directors will review all submissions and select members with an eye toward diverse representation and inclusive perspectives.

If you are interested in supporting the Baltimore City’s arts, culture, and entertainment ecosystem, this is your opportunity to help guide BOPA’s direction, deepen its community impact, and ensure equity is at the core of its work. Click the button below for details and fill out an application today.

:: See Also ::

BOPA opens applications for new Community Advisory Committee
by Eddy Calkins
Published July 17 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Excerpt: The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts opened applications for a 12-member Community Advisory Committee on Monday.

The committee will “act as a bridge between Baltimore residents and BOPA’s leadership,” according to a press release. The deadline to apply is July 15.

“We believe the best way to serve Baltimore’s vibrant creative community is by listening to it directly,” said Robyn Murphy, interim CEO of BOPA. “The CAC will ensure our work is grounded in collective imagination and reflects the richness and diversity of all Baltimore neighborhoods – from Highlandtown to Pigtown, and everywhere in between.”

Mentors for young Baltimore storytellers pivot after funding loss
by Jasmine Vaughn-Hall
Published June 16 in The Baltimore Banner

Excerpt: The show may still go on (sort of) for Baltimore Youth Film Arts, a nearly 10-year-old program that trained and encouraged young people to tell their stories through film, animation, photography and writing.

Last year, the program learned it would lose funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Johns Hopkins University’s Krieger School of Arts & Sciences. The news was devastating to many of the program’s more than 700 current and past fellows, especially those who said they planned to stay with the program until they reached the age limit of 29.

But the funding loss is inspiring founding BYFA instructors Charles Cohen and Alfonzer Harvin to think about other options.

The show may still go on (sort of) for Baltimore Youth Film Arts, a nearly 10-year-old program that trained and encouraged young people to tell their stories through film, animation, photography and writing.

Last year, the program learned it would lose funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Johns Hopkins University’s Krieger School of Arts & Sciences. The news was devastating to many of the program’s more than 700 current and past fellows, especially those who said they planned to stay with the program until they reached the age limit of 29.

… this story continues. Read the rest at The Baltimore Banner: Mentors for young Baltimore storytellers pivot after funding loss

The Peale is among the oldest museums in the nation. Now, a new director takes the reins. [Audio]
by Tom Hall, Teria Rogers, Sam Bermas-Dawes
Aired June 4 on WYPR’s Midday

Excerpt: The Peale Center, formally The Peale Center for Baltimore History and Architecture, has lived many lives in its 200-year history.

It was the nation’s first commissioned art museum in 1812 and would go on to serve as Baltimore’s first City Hall, the city’s first “Colored” high school, and later house private businesses including an organ factory and a sign painting company.

Since reopening in August 2022, The Peale describes itself as Baltimore’s “Community Museum.” Midday talks to new executive director John Suau about where he wants to take The Peale next.

:: See Also ::

New exhibition ‘Of Yesterday + Tomorrow’ to go on view at Peale Museum
by Marcus Dieterlie
Published June 17 in Baltimore Fishbowl

American Visionary Art Museum to honor Olympic athlete and sports activist John Carlos with Lifetime Grand Visionary Award
by Ed Gunts
Published June 11 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Excerpt: Olympic athlete and sports activist John Carlos, famous for making a black-gloved salute on the medal stand at the 1968 Games in Mexico City, will receive the American Visionary Art Museum’s highest honor, the Lifetime Grand Visionary Award, during a gala at the Baltimore-based museum on June 28. He will be the main speaker.

AVAM’s new director, Ellen Owens, will also speak to guests at the event. The former director of the Castellani Art Museum at Niagara University, Owens starts in Baltimore on June 23 and her welcoming remarks, in which she’s expected to discuss her vision for the visionary museum, will be her first public address there since she was named in April to lead it.

“Final Fridays” Return to Pratt Library
Press Release :: June 17

The Final Fridays series is back at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, bringing a variety of free, family-friendly and adult-geared activities to Central Library after regular operating hours on the final Friday of each month from June through October.

“Final Fridays are about more than extending our hours—they’re about expanding what a library experience can be,” said Chad Helton, President & CEO at the Enoch Pratt Free Library. “We’re excited to welcome Baltimoreans to experience the magic of the Central Library in a whole new light.”

The series kicks off Friday, June 27, 2025, at 6:00 p.m., with a Sing A Long with Evon Dior Michelle. Attendees can join Evon Dior Michelle and her fabulous drag friends for a glamorous sing-a-long extravaganza that is friendly for all ages.

On Friday, July 25, 2025, from 6:00-8:00 p.m., attendees are invited to live out their summer camp nostalgia at Adult Summer Camp II, featuring fresh fruit popsicles from cm.pops, camp games, summer crafts like friendship bracelets and gimp, a summer movie screening, and tie-dye with Roll Up N Dye. Camp-themed refreshments will be available while supplies last.

Then, on Friday, August 29, 2025, from 6:30–8:30 p.m., the Pratt Library hosts a lineup of local and national comedians as part of the 9th Annual Baltimore Comedy Festival. This event is intended for audiences 18 and older. Admission is free, and beer and wine will be available.

On Friday, September 26, 2025, the library celebrates creativity and language with Chalk the Block, an all-day celebration culminating in a formal event from 6:00–8:00 p.m. This year’s theme, Whimsical Words, invites artists to embrace the playful and imaginative side of language—bringing words to life through colorful chalk designs inspired by storytelling, fantasy, and literary magic. Programming includes all-ages activities throughout the day; live chalk art creation; and evening entertainment such as music, face painting, henna, seasonal refreshments, and hula hooping.

The season concludes on Friday, October 24, 2025* (*almost, but not quite, the final Friday of the month), with Brews and Boos, a spooky, all-ages Halloween-themed celebration from 6:00–8:00 p.m. Festivities will include a costume contest with prizes, spooky crafts and games, tarot card readings, and a screening of The Dark Crystal. Guests 21 and over can enjoy a seasonal beer tasting.

All Final Friday events are free. For more information and to register, visit www.prattlibrary.org/final-fridays.

Shakespeare Beyond Returns with Performances of It’s The Comedy Of Errors, Hon!
Press Release :: June 16

Chesapeake Shakespeare Company’s touring and community engagement initiative Shakespeare Beyond returns for a third year, bringing free performances to parks and outdoor spaces all over the region. This year, they’re remounting It’s The Comedy Of Errors, Hon!, CSC’s love letter to Baltimore.

The play first opened earlier this year at the company’s Downtown Theatre during their 2024-2025 mainstage season. Adapted by CSC Founding Artistic Director Ian Gallanar from Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors, this fast-paced classic is transformed into a playful celebration of Baltimore: its icons, accents, and traditions. Now performed on the Wagon—Shakespeare Beyond’s mobile performance unit—the audience is treated to an all-new production, revised to be compatible with the changing landscape of the outdoor tour.

Shows are free to attend, and in its third year, the tour reaches deeper across Maryland. “We’re enthusiastic about reaching more neighborhoods, more Marylanders, and more students this summer.” says Gallanar. Shakespeare Beyond’s first two years received overwhelmingly positive participant feedback and incredible turnout. In Summer 2024 alone, the program reached more than 3,700 people across ten neighborhoods in Baltimore City and surrounding counties. Continuing this trajectory, in Summer 2025, CSC is on track to serve over 8,000 people across the State of Maryland from Frederick to the Eastern Shore.

In addition to presenting It’s The Comedy Of Errors, Hon!, Shakespeare Beyond brings professional teaching artists to lead workshops in acting, improv, stage combat, mask making, and more. The residencies are a vital part of the tour, allowing CSC to build relationships beyond the walls of the company’s theater and discover new ways to engage people of all ages with the arts.

Last year’s season began with a brand-new mobile performance unit, which will return this year. “Designing, engineering, and building the Shakespeare Wagon meant solving challenges learned from the company’s pilot-year,” says Chester Stacy, Production Architect and Technical Director for Shakespeare Beyond. “This modest, but dynamic, 400 square feet of performance space was built from an Isuzu NPR HD with a Morgan 16-foot dry freight box. In less than two hours, a stage is built.”

The Shakespeare Wagon enables the company to travel even deeper into neighborhoods. It has the ability to stage a performance in parking lots, at street festivals, and of course, in local parks across the state of Maryland. The addition of this fully mobile stage emphasizes the mission of the program and the company’s desire to meet people where they live and work. Public performances, workshops, and collaborations with local artists in those respective towns will be open to all.

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES:

MLK Recreation Park | June 17, 7:30 PM
1050 Jackson Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20904

Carroll Lutheran Village | June 21, 7:30 PM
300 St Luke Cir, Westminster, MD 21158

North Four Corners Local Park | June 24, 7:30 PM
Parking lot, 315 University Blvd W, Silver Spring, MD 20901

Towson University | June 26, 7:30 PM
250 University Ave, Towson 21204 (Towsontown Garage)

Carroll Park Mountclare Museum | June 28, 7:30 PM
1500 Washington Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21230

Rock Creek Regional Park | July 8, 7:30 PM
6700 Needwood Rd, Derwood, MD 20855

Wyman Park Dell | July 10, 7:30 PM
2929 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21218

Blackhill Regional Park | July 15, 7:30 PM
20930 Lake Ridge Dr, Boyds, MD 20841

Maryland Center for Visual + Performing Arts | July 17, 7:30 PM
2503 S. Tollgate Road, Bel Air, MD 21015 (Emily Bayless Graham Arts Campus)

Cromwell Valley | July 19, 7:30 PM
 2002 Cromwell Bridge Rd, Parkville, MD 21234

Dundalk Heritage Park | July 22, 7:30 PM
2717 Playfield St, Dundalk, MD 21222

Rockburn Park | July 24, 7:30 PM
6105 Rockburn Branch Park Rd, Elkridge, MD 21075

Charles County Public Library Potomac Branch | July 29, 7:30 PM
3225 Ruth B Swann Dr, Indian Head, MD 20640

The Observatory at Patterson Park | August 2, 7:30 PM
27 S Patterson Park Ave, Baltimore, MD 21231 (Observatory Entrance)

Middle Branch | August 5, 7:30 PM
3301 Waterview Ave, Baltimore, MD 21230

Druid Hill (Parks & People) | August 7, 7:30 PM
2100 Liberty Heights Ave, Baltimore, MD 21217

Federal Hill Park | August 9, 7:30 PM
3301 Waterview Ave, Baltimore, MD 21230

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

It’s The Comedy Of Errors, Hon!
By William Shakespeare
Adapted and Directed by Ian Gallanar

The Write Woman Book Fest celebrates the power of literary ladies
by Leslie Gray Streeter
Published June 16 in The Baltimore Banner

Excerpt: The general theme of this column is “anything I find interesting,” and lately that’s been local book festivals, because they keep making the news. I first wrote about a Baltimore event that didn’t go so well, then about one created as a reaction to it.

Now we’re highlighting a different, long-standing festival that’s marking its sixth and final year as a celebration of female writers, a topic I’m obviously fascinated with as an author myself. Though Bowie’s Write Woman Book Fest is ending in its current big-tent iteration on July 19 at the Bowie Comfort Inn and Conference Center and July 20 at the South Bowie Public Library, its founders say they’ll never stop supporting fellow literary ladies.

“We’re connecting people who need to be connected and helping them on their publishing path,” said founder and author Heather Brooks. “We have a mentoring spirit. We learn from these authors as much as they learn from us.”

… this story continues. Read the rest at The Baltimore Banner: The Write Woman Book Fest celebrates the power of literary ladies

9th Annual Cherry Hill Arts & Music Waterfront Festival Returns July 4th with Live Music, Food Vendors, Exhibits, and Much More
Press Release :: June 18

The Youth Resiliency Institute (YRI), in collaboration with Switching Lanes Adult & Youth Institute Inc., Westport Community Economic Development Corp., and the Cherry Hill Family Congress announced today that the highly anticipated 9th Annual Cherry Hill Arts & Music Waterfront Festival will return to Middle Branch Park (3301 Waterview Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21230) on July 4, from 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Thanks to the generous support of lead sponsor South Baltimore Gateway Partnership, the family-friendly event is free to attend, offering something for everyone, including live music, food trucks, exhibits, vendors, and immersive cultural experiences. Attendees will be dazzled by a custom Fourth of July drone spectacle at 9:30 p.m. Rain or shine, festivalgoers can expect a day filled with unforgettable performances and community engagement.

“This year’s inaugural Independence Day custom drone show at the Cherry Hill Arts & Music Waterfront Festival is the outcome of a partnership with the Office of Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, whose dedication to arts and culture throughout Baltimore City continues to impact communities in profound ways,” said Navasha Daya, Co-Founder of the Youth Resiliency Institute and Co-Director of the Festival. “We are truly appreciative of his support of the Cherry Hill Arts & Music Waterfront Festival over the years.”

A New Fourth of July Tradition: Custom Drone Show

Set against the backdrop of the Patapsco River, this environmentally friendly alternative to fireworks will illuminate the night sky. Developed in collaboration with cultural arts organizers from Cherry Hill and the Youth Resiliency Institute, this innovative display merges technology and art in a breathtaking aerial show.

Honoring History and Legacy

This year’s festival theme, “It’s Still About Freedom,” serves as a powerful tribute to cultural preservation and artistic expression. Since its inception, the Cherry Hill Arts & Music Waterfront Festival has championed the preservation of Black history in Cherry Hill and South Baltimore. Continuing its tradition, the festival has partnered with African Ancestry for a special ceremonial ancestry unveiling. This year’s celebration will honor several remarkable individuals, including centenarian Cherry Hill resident Ms. Ernestine Brockington, through the power of DNA and one of the most extensive databases of indigenous African genetic sequences available today.

Additionally, this year’s festival will also include the Youth Resiliency Institute’s newest exhibition, Cherry Hill Charm: Chronicling the Self-Determination and Charm of Cherry Hill’s Pioneer Black Residents Through the Pages of the AFRO-American Newspaper’s Archive.

This compelling exhibit helps to tell the historical story of Cherry Hill’s pioneer Black residents and their fight against segregation and environmental racism.

Entertainment for Everyone

The festival proudly welcomes back several talented artists who first took the stage during the inaugural Cherry Hill Arts & Music Waterfront Festival in 2017. This year’s lineup includes co-headliners Baltimore Club pioneer Mighty Mark & Friends with TT the Artist, and Navasha Daya feat. Nakeeba Amaniye, who will deliver a Roots Reggae Set in celebration of YRI’s 15th anniversary. Other standout performers include Latin sensation Nfuzion Orquesta, Soul Jazz artist Cecily, Congolese musician DJ Grin, TSU Terry and Crew, Hip-Hop artist Ike Modeezy, and many more.

About The Youth Resiliency Institute

The Cherry Hill Arts & Music Waterfront Festival is managed and co-founded by The Youth Resiliency Institute (YRI). For over 15 years, YRI has been dedicated to developing, researching, and implementing culturally responsive community arts initiatives in Baltimore, with a special focus on the historic Cherry Hill community.

For more information, please visit www.cherryhillfest.org.

‘Somebody loves’ AFRAM 2025 — Patti LaBelle to headline this weekend’s festival
by Aliza Worthington
Published June 17 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Excerpt: This weekend, Druid Hill Park will play host to AFRAM 2025, Baltimore’s official Juneteenth celebration and African American music, cultural, and arts festival.

Taking place this year on Saturday, June 21, and Sunday June 22, from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m., the free, family-friendly festival celebrates Black excellence and showcases African American heritage and culture.

AFRAM has taken place in Baltimore for nearly five decades, highlighting local artists, businesses, organizations, and makers who display their goods, talents, services, and resources for the community. The festival boasts up to 200,000 attendees each year.