BmoreArt

This week’s news includes:  The Peale announces the 2025 Grit Fund Grant awardees, Motor House and BARCO celebrate 10 years with a fashion bash, BMA opens three new exhibitions, Free Admissions podcast from The Walters, Tonya Miller Hall leaves MOACE, Amy Sherald stays in the headlines, East Baltimore’s Chick Webb, author Saundra Mitchell, Zero Empty Spaces plans studios and kitchen space downtown, grants for several local restaurants, Early Bird tickets on sale now for the Maryland Film Festival, and Making Space Bmore welcomes AIR Hannah Atallah — with reporting from Baltimore Magazine, Baltimore Fishbowl, The Baltimore Banner, and other local and independent news sources.

Header Image: Larry Schwarm. Wheat Stubble Fire, Eastern Colorado. 1992, printed 2004 Baltimore Museum of Art: Gift of Nancy and Tom O’Neil, Baltimore. BMA 2013.348. © Larry Schwarm, Courtesy Sasha Wolf Gallery, New York, NY

Meet the 2025 Grit Fund Award Winners!
Newsletter :: July 31

We are THRILLED to announce the winners of the 2025 Grit Fund Awards. We received more than 70 applications, but seven community-based arts projects stood out. They have been awarded between $5 – $10K with support from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. We’ll explore each project in greater depth in the coming weeks, so be sure to open your weekly Peale news to learn about these innovative initiatives.

This year’s winners include:

• Phaan Howng (Project Lead): Conserving Baltimore’s first Koreatown historical markers
• Aliana Grace Bailey (Project Lead): Soft Gather, Quiet Flame Gathering Place, highlighting fiber
• Abdu Ali (Project Lead): Contemporary literary, writing, and photography project focusing on the “Black gay dilemma.”
• Zachary Michel (Project Lead) Springboard: Film, a platform for Baltimore filmmakers
• Safiyah Cheatam (Project Lead): Screen printing fellowships through Islam & Print to strengthen career readiness and create a cumulative exhibition
• Peter Redgrave (Project Lead): Move Move Collaborative’s skill-sharing sessions, open studio, and •Starseed Studios (Project Lead): Mind Kontrol University’s psychological thriller web series

Baltimore Arts Realty Corporation (BARCO) Celebrates 10 Years of Motor House with Fashion Meets Art Weekend
Press Release :: August 1

Baltimore Arts Realty Corporation (BARCO), the nonprofit developer behind the creative hub Motor House, is gearing up for another milestone event in its ongoing tenth anniversary celebration with the launch of Fashion Meets Art Weekend, taking place Friday, Aug. 15, and Saturday, Aug. 16. The two-day cultural event will spotlight the dynamic intersection of fashion and the arts through runway shows, hands-on workshops, artist-led lectures and community-centered programming that showcases Baltimore’s bold creative spirit.

“Fashion Meets Art Weekend brings together rising designers, local artists, stylists and fashion enthusiasts for an immersive experience fueled by innovation and self-expression,” said Tori Martin, Program Director, BARCO. “From curated brunches and interactive workshops to a premiere runway showcase and a high-energy after party, the weekend offers a powerful platform for creative voices to connect, collaborate and be seen. Motor House is a true testament to being the premier destination for celebrating and nurturing Baltimore’s vibrant creative community.”

Event Schedule:

Friday, Aug. 15
6 to 10 p.m. – Common Thread: Networking Party and Vendor Fair
The weekend begins with a free networking event and vendor fair featuring local artisans, jewelry designers, and fashion vendors. Guests are invited to sip, shop and connect with fellow creatives.

Saturday, Aug. 16
10:30 a.m. – (Interactive Workshop) Sustainable Brooch Making Workshop w/ Caprece Jackson and Evette Monique
Upcycling workshops are emerging nationwide, inviting guests to refresh or create pieces alongside sustainable fashion designers, wearable artists and makers who share hands-on techniques and creative guidance. Featured creatives include Caprece Ann Jackson, a sustainable fashion curator and ambassador, and Evette Monique, a rising designer who has shown at Milan and London fashion weeks.

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Brunch at Showroom
MoonFire Kitchen and Showroom Bar will offer a special à la carte brunch menu featuring brunch burgers, shrimp and grits, bottomless sippables, and other classic favorites.

1 p.m. – Baltimore Fashion History: A Panel Discussion featuring Baltimore Fashion Icons and Rising Stars
Panelists will discuss the rich history of fashion in Charm City, from Black church style to the iconic looks seen in clubs and venues along Pennsylvania Avenue. Baltimore fashion icons will walk through the eras of funk, the glitter of disco and the landmark stores that brought these styles to life.

5 p.m. – Runway Revolution Fashion Show
Runway Revolution Season 3, an evening of fashion, creativity and storytelling. Celebrate talented young designers as they debut capsule collections developed during a 10-week mentorship program led by Abisola Oladeinde. Expect bold designs, cultural inspiration and unforgettable moments on the runway.

7 to 10 p.m. – Express Yourself Fashion After Party
The weekend concludes with a celebration of creativity and personal style. Guests are encouraged to wear their boldest looks, upcycled pieces, or DIY designs. Prizes will be awarded for best dressed, most creative upcycle, and other categories. Prizes include season passes to Motor House’s 2026 events, gift cards to MoonFire Kitchen and Showroom, and exclusive gift bags.

“This weekend is part of Motor House’s ongoing mission to support Baltimore-based artists and celebrate the power of creative expression through accessible public programming,” said Leon Pinkett, CEO and Executive Director, BARCO. “As we mark Motor House’s 10-year anniversary, Fashion Meets Art Weekend represents a powerful moment of momentum, impact and celebration. It honors Motor House as a local landmark that has hosted all kinds of artists while inspiring the next generation of creatives across the city for a decade”

Motor House, a multidisciplinary arts hub in the heart of the Station North Arts and Entertainment District, has been a cornerstone of Baltimore’s creative community since BARCO founded it in 2015. Tickets and RSVPs for Fashion Meets Art Weekend events are available at www.motorhousebaltimore.com/10year. For more information about the 10-year anniversary celebration, visit www.motorhousebaltimore.com/10year. Upcoming events in the anniversary series include a VIP reception on Oct. 9, a public celebration on Oct. 10, and a culminating event on Nov. 1 featuring a screening of the full short documentary in the Black Box Theater at Motor House.

:: See Also ::

Motor House celebrates 10 years with Fashion Meets Art Weekend
by Aliza Worthington
Published August 1 in Baltimore Fishbowl

BMA to Open Three New Exhibitions in Aug and Sept
Press Release :: August 6

Deconstructing Nature: Environmental Transformation in the Lucas Collection 
August 27, 2025 – January 11, 2026

More than 50 19th-century works on paper explore how European and American artists both documented and contributed to the transformation of the environment into an industrial resource to be hoarded or shared. Drawn from the BMA’s George A. Lucas Collection, the exhibition foregrounds the ecological issues in these works and opens up new ways of understanding extractive relationships among people, including imperialism and capitalism. The exhibition is organized thematically, focusing on five specific environments and the ways artists explored them in their work: The Desert, The Forest, The Field, The City, and The Studio. Born and raised in Baltimore, George A. Lucas (1824-1909) spent most of his adult life immersed in the Parisian art world and amassed a personal collection of nearly 20,000 works of art, the majority of which are works on paper by French artists. >press release

Engaging the Elements: Poetry in Nature
September 17, 2025 – February 8, 2026

This focus exhibition looks at how artists use nature both as inspiration and as a material to spark conversations about caring for the environment. Approximately 20 photographs, prints, drawings, and textiles demonstrate changing views of nature—from the industrial boom of the 1800s to the climate challenges we face today. Artworks illustrate a dwindling sea, dramatic storm clouds, fiery landscapes, and other elemental phenomena that remind us of our deep-rooted connection to Earth. >press release

The Way of Nature: Art from Japan, China, and Korea
September 21, 2025 – March 8, 2026

For centuries, East Asian cultures have considered human life as part of a much larger system that encompasses the natural world. More than 40 artworks from Japan, China, and Korea demonstrate a way of living where mountains and seas, animals—both wild and supernatural—and plant life and insects are symbolically meaningful and historically pervasive in visual culture. The objects range from delicate 13th-century porcelain to a luminous 18th-century embroidered silk Buddhist Priest’s Robe and large-scale 20th-century photography.Collectively, these works provide a sense of the impulse to fully experience the natural world, as foundational to our existence, as impacted by human life, and as an enduring metaphor for our survival. >press release

What Does the Future Hold? [Audio]
Free Admissions by The Walters Art Museum

This episode gives listeners a peek at what’s in store for the Walters. We speak with three contemporary artists who have new work on view at the museum this year: Katherine Tzu-Lann Mann, Stephanie Mercedes, and Jackie Milad. We also introduce a new way visitors can engage with volunteers through our revamped volunteer program.

:: See Also ::

Paws on Parchment at the Walters tells us cats have always had the upper paw
by Aliza Worthington
Published August 6 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Arts office leader Tonya Miller Hall, Mayor Brandon Scott’s office part ways
by Wesley Case
Published August 5 in The Baltimore Banner

Roughly 100 days after Mayor Brandon Scott launched a new arts office, one of its leaders has left.

Tonya Miller Hall, senior advisor for arts and culture in Baltimore, stepped down Friday from her role, which saw her lead the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Culture and Entertainment (MOACE) alongside Linzy Jackson III. The mayor’s chief of staff, Calvin A. Young III, confirmed the decision in a statement Monday.

The statement, which noted that Miller Hall had concluded her service with the mayor’s office, did not provide a reason for the personnel change.

“The Mayor and his entire Administration are deeply grateful for her counsel and leadership, in particular her work to connect Baltimore’s vibrant arts community to city services and resources. … Tonya’s dedication, guidance and contributions leave MOACE well-positioned to continue promoting and expanding the arts as a core driver of the city’s growth and identity,” the statement partially read.

Miller Hall, who worked in entertainment events and marketing for years in New York before returning to her hometown of Baltimore, was previously the chief marketing officer for the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts (BOPA). In January 2023, she was appointed to her most recent Cabinet position in Scott’s office.

As BOPA’s financial and organizational turmoil threatened to sink the quasi-governmental agency, Scott turned to Miller Hall for leadership and stability in the city’s arts efforts. She was instrumental in Artscape’s May revamp, which included a controversial relocation from Mount Vernon and Station North to downtown, along with the introduction of the SCOUT Art Fair, a new feature that earned positive reviews from attendees.

“I have immense respect for Mayor Scott—both for his steadfast commitment to the arts and for the trust he placed in me to shape this work on behalf of the city,” Miller Hall said in a statement. “I remain committed to the artistic and cultural future of Baltimore and will continue to champion a city where artists are supported, celebrated, and empowered to thrive.”

The statement did not mention the next professional plans for Miller Hall, who is a councilor for Gov. Wes Moore’s Maryland State Arts Council. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“Her future plans are hers to make and communicate in her own time,” Silas Woods III, Scott’s press secretary, said in an email. Woods also confirmed that Jackson would continue as MOACE’s leader, while Scott is “evaluating options to ensure the Mayor’s Office is providing continued strong support for Baltimore’s arts community.”

Miller Hall’s exit comes as BOPA, which will soon rebrand as Create Baltimore, is finding stability after its rough patch: Interim CEO Robyn Murphy was named BOPA’s permanent chief executive in late July.

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

Haunted by the Gray
by Seph Rodney
Published August 5 in Hyperallergic

Excerpt: Once, when I was involved in a romance that was slowly coming to a close, I described to my then-partner that I felt like my life was losing color. On seeing Amy Sherald’s American Sublime exhibition at the Whitney Museum, I was reminded of that moment — not because her work creates or documents similarly bleak circumstances, but rather because her paintings remind me just how much we viewers miss when we don’t see the figures in her work primarily in terms of their color, that is to say their race — which is a thing she has advocated for.

In one of American Sublime’s galleries, the Art21 video “Amy Sherald in ‘Everyday Icons’” from 2023 screens on a loop. In the video, Sherald divulges she wants viewers to “have an experience that was not about race first.” This is part of why she employs grisaille to paint her portraits of Black people. The technique, which dates to the late Medieval period when it appeared as uncolored glass frames within stained glass narratives, is taken from “gris,” the French word for gray. It was adopted by painters as a useful method for fashioning an underlying structure of an image, and for impelling the painter to pay close attention to brushwork and composition.

:: See Also ::

Amy Sherald’s ‘Trans Forming Liberty’ Is on the Cover of the ‘New Yorker’ After Smithsonian Cancelation
by Francesa Aton
Published August 4 in ARTnews

Final Rest Stops: Swing-era East Baltimore native and drummer Chick Webb rose to fame on “Stompin at the Savoy”
by Frederick N. Rasmussen
Published August 4 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Excerpt: During the 1930s swing-era, no one got the crowd moving and shaking more than East Baltimore’s Chick Webb. His pulsating drumming and stunning solo riffs earned him the moniker of “The King of Drums.”

Webb had risen from the slums of East Baltimore, overcame physical difficulties and attained musical stardom in an albeit too short life.

In a city that has produced such outstanding musical greats — some of which include Eubie Blake, Cab Calloway, Philip Glass, Leon Fleisher, Frank Zappa, Mama Cass Eliot, Spiro Malas and James Morris — Chick Webb certainly earned his place in that noble pantheon of artists.

A queer author moved to Maryland to dodge discrimination. Book bans have followed.
by Kristen Griffith
Published August 3 in The Baltimore Banner

Excerpt: The year that Indiana banned “obscene” books from school libraries, Saundra Mitchell fled the state she had known her entire life.

The author, with books banned in 16 states, said she sought refuge in Maryland, thinking its Freedom to Read law would make life a little easier for her and her librarian wife.

But two years into their new life in Anne Arundel County — and six months into the Trump administration — Mitchell is learning her adopted blue state isn’t immune from the culture war against books in schools. One of the latest battles happened in Montgomery County and resulted in a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Parents across the state, including in Harford County, continue to push for bans.

… this story continues. Read the rest at The Baltimore Banner: A queer author moved to Maryland to dodge discrimination. Book bans have followed.

The founders of Zero Empty Spaces are bringing a commissary kitchen and artist studios to downtown Baltimore, one block from City Hall
by Ed Gunts
Published August 1 in Baltimore Fishbowl

Excerpt: For decades, the Horn & Horn restaurant chain had one of the most popular lunch spots in the city at 304 E. Baltimore St., a favorite with government employees at City Hall and the lawyers and bankers who worked in the surrounding business district. Former Mayor William Donald Schaefer was a loyal customer before it closed in 1976.

Horn & Horn “was mobbed at the noon hour,” The Baltimore Sun’s Jacques Kelly reminisced in a 2018 column. “Fans liked its fried eggplant, chicken biscuit sandwich and homemade ice cream. The restaurant was in the heart of Baltimore’s legal and legislative district (City Hall was a block away) and there was many a political secret exchanged on its bentwood chairs.”

Now a different chain is coming to Baltimore with hopes of appealing to diners the same way Horn & Horn did, in almost exactly the same location.

Toki Underground and 7 other eateries receive grants to open downtown
by Christina Tkacik
Published August 1 in The Baltimore Banner

Excerpt: A buzz-worthy ramen restaurant, a brewery and a shop selling customizable bowls of cereal are among eight new businesses heading to downtown.

Each spot received a grant from the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore to get up and running. Fourteen existing downtown eateries also received money that will help boost their operations.

“We’re really proud that we’re supporting a number of businesses that have really been committed to downtown for so long, in addition to these really exciting new businesses that are going to be added to the mix,” said Patrick Terranova, vice president of economic development.

… this story continues. Read the rest at The Baltimore Banner: Toki Underground and 7 other eateries receive grants to open downtown

:: See also ::

22 food businesses to receive grants totaling $1 million to fuel culinary growth in downtown Baltimore
by Ed Gunts
Published July 31 in The Baltimore Banner

Maryland Film Festival Launches Early Bird All-Access Pass Sales for November 2025 Festival
Press Release :: August 6

The Maryland Film Festival (MdFF) is excited to announce the launch of Early Bird sales for its All-Access Passes, offering a limited-time opportunity for cinephiles to lock in priority access to the 2025 edition of the festival, running November 5–9, 2025 at Baltimore’s SNF Parkway Theatre.

Available through September 3, the Early Bird All-Access Pass is priced at $300 (plus fees) —a $50 savings off the full-price pass—and provides exclusive benefits designed to fully immerse pass holders in the festival experience.

All-Access Pass holders will enjoy:

● Priority Seating: Secure early access to all screenings.
● Exclusive Celebrations: Opening and Closing Night events with gourmet food, beverages, and entertainment.
● Curated Presentations: Specially selected films presented by guest curators and community partners.
● Unique Film Experiences: A Silent Film with a Live Score and screenings in originalformats.
● First Looks: Early previews of signature events and CineTech exhibits.
● Marquee Screenings: Premiere screenings of buzzworthy features and standout shorts.
● Vibrant After Parties: Celebrate with filmmakers, creators, and fellow film lovers.
● Filmmaker Lounge Access: Enjoy complimentary refreshments and connect with festival guests in the Filmmaker/VIP Lounge.

With the addition of new programming focused on student filmmakers and emerging voices, the 2025 festival will feature a Student Film Summit and student filmmaker programming, creating a new platform for the region’s brightest young talent.

CineTech, MdFF’s popular sidebar dedicated to new and immersive media, returns for its second year after a successful debut that spotlighted VR, AR, gaming, and boundary-pushing storytelling.

“An All-Access Pass is the ideal way to experience MdFF, the key to unlocking everything that makes MdFF a singular experience,” said KJ Mohr, Director of Maryland Film Festival. “This year, we’re building on our momentum with our signature fresh programming and championing student work that celebrates new voices and ideas as part of our commitment to helping launch the next generation of film and digital media artists in Maryland.”

Nancy Proctor, Executive Director of the SNF Parkway and Maryland Film Festival, added, “I’m thrilled to get to start my tenure as Executive Director of the SNF Parkway with such an exciting line-up of new talent and emerging media to look forward to in this year’s Maryland Film Festival. I can’t wait to meet Baltimore’s film community in the Parkway’s gorgeous historic cinemas!”

The full festival lineup will be revealed in October. In the meantime, purchasing an Early Bird All-Access Pass is the best way to guarantee your seat at Baltimore’s premier celebration of independent film and media art.

Don’t wait—Early Bird pricing ends September 3! To purchase your pass and learn more, visit https://www.snfparkway.com/mdff-2025/

Making Space Bmore Welcomes 2025 Artist-in-Residence Hannah Atallah
Press Release :: August 6

Making Space Bmore is pleased to welcome Hannah Atallah as the first-ever Third Place Artist-in-Residence.

This residency encourages artists to explore the concept of the Third Place—a space for artistic expression, collaboration, and community exchange that exists between home and work. Participating artists present and create in our multipurpose space, experiment with new practices, and investigate the role of art in transformative social change. Artists also activate the space and engage community through public programming.

Atallah’s immersive installation, Unfortunately, It Was Paradise, (لسوء الحظ كانت جنة) invites viewers into a dwelling place inspired by landscapes and motifs of Palestine, Jordan and Egypt. Composed of hand tufted and woven pieces fabricated by the artist that are anchored, grounded and suspended, it references archival and current photographs of two oases, tatreez embroidery patterns, and arrangements of communal gathering and dwelling amidst forced displacement and historical erasure.

Atallah will be creating new work, titled Problems of Value (مشاكل القيمة), that combines weavings she made on a backstrap loom and cricket loom with handmade tapestries that she resist dyed, sewed, embroidered, painted and screen printed. In Problems of Value, $100,000 notes, $20,000 notes, $1,000 notes, $10 notes of money from Lebanon, Sudan, and Egypt are woven into larger assemblage tapestries. This series of tapestries explores questions of value and labor within global power structures that have been shaped by exploitation, forced enslavement, and colonial and imperial violence as a means to obtain power.

Visitors are also invited to participate in a community weaving project on a flipped table top loom, as developed by Baltimore artist Joyce Scott, during open gallery hours (Saturdays from 12-5pm, or by appointment). Completed weavings will be raffled to raise funds for families in Gaza.

Thank you to Joyce Scott, the BMA, BmoreSCRAP, and the BlackRock for helping make the  community weaving project possible!

Program Details

The Third Place Artist Residency – Hannah Atallah
On view: August 9 – September 6, 2025
Gallery hours: Saturdays 12-5pm, or by appointment
Making Space Bmore
709 N Howard St. 21201

Community Weaving Workshops: Saturday, August 9, 12-3pm and Saturday, August 23, 12-3pm, with weaving open for drop ins during regular gallery hours.

Gaza Threads: Community Art + Market for Mutual Aid: Saturday, August 30, 5-9pm.

Closing Reception: Saturday, September 6, 5-7pm.

Hannah Atallah

Hannah Atallah (b. 1994, Washington, DC) is a visual artist who draws on her Palestinian-Lebanese-Irish heritage. With a focus on large-scale public art projects and installations, she prioritizes the incorporation of community and relevant cultural contexts in her practice. Atallah has painted murals and exhibited work in the US, Mexico and Jordan. She has been the winner of nearly 20 grants and awards, notably with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the Baltimore Convention Center, and DC public schools. Her work has been acquired in public and private collections internationally.

About Making Space Bmore

Making Space Bmore is a non-profit gallery, print studio, and community hub in the heart of Baltimore. Our mission is to foster an environment where artists and organizations collaborate to challenge oppression, amplify marginalized voices, and use art as a catalyst for personal and social change. We strive to inspire and involve everyone in the collective effort towards community transformation.