arts and culture : Buzz

When Woman's Day magazine wanted to know the best places to go on a weekend trip to our fair city, they turned to resident Allison Buchalter to get the inside scoop.

Here are a few of Buchalter's picks:

"1. Best crab house: L.P. Steamers
"It's a fun, casual place with a real neighborhood feel. Sit on the deck, drink a beer and eat delicious crabs. It's hard to get bad crab anywhere in Baltimore."

2. Best park: Linkwood Park
"There's lots of green space and the playground is newly remodeled. Plus you can go 'creek walking.' The Stony Run stream goes through the park�you can either walk on the trail next to it or walk in the stream. My kids stop along the way to make little dams and collect rocks."

3. Best way to see the city: Ed Kane's Water Taxi
"Baltimore is a city defined by its harbor, and the water taxi is a great way to see Inner Harbor and also get to dozens of attractions, like the National Aquarium and the Maryland Science Center. Even the locals take it."

Read the entire article here.

It's almost that time of year -- road trip time, that is. Instead of heading out of state, you might want to expore the section of the Historic National Road running through Maryland.

Here's an excerpt:

"As the first federally funded road, this byway blazed a trail for the emerging nation to follow. Maryland's Baltimore to Cumberland section of the Historic National Road was designated the Historic National Pike. Towns and cities along the pike began to spring up to provide comforts for weary travelers heading west. Modern travelers of the Historic National Pike will find communities proud of their vibrant heritage. With Interstate 70 bypassing many of the original Historic National Pike cities, they have developed into artistic communities with a passion for diversity.

From the shores of the Chesapeake Bay to the majestic Negro Mountain, the Historic National Road offers many natural wonders. Many state parks along the byway offer quiet breaks in the long drive. As the byway continues into western Maryland, it passes through many mountain peaks. Before the byway continues into Pennsylvania, it journeys through the city of Cumberland, which is nestled in a small mountain valley. Here, mountains tower 1,000 feet around the city."

Read the entire article here.

There's no question that the HBO series The Wire changed both television and the way the world looks at Baltimore, now it's changing the way university professors are educating their students. The seminal show about life on streets of Mob City has become a teaching tool for more than just film classes.

Here's an excerpt:

"Among the police officers and drug dealers and stickup men and politicians and dockworkers and human smugglers and teachers and students and junkies and lawyers and journalists who populate the late, great HBO series The Wire, there is one academic. His name is David Parenti and he teaches social work at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

Academics, on the other hand, can't seem to get enough of The Wire. Barely two years after the show's final episode aired�and with Simon's new show, Treme, premiering next month on HBO�there have already been academic conferences, essay anthologies, and special issues of journals dedicated to the series. Not content to write about it and discuss it among themselves, academics are starting to teach it, as well. Professors at Harvard, U.C.�Berkeley, Duke, and Middlebury are now offering courses on the show."

Read the entire article here.

At Ignite Baltimore 5, Brian Sacawa, a saxophonist and Peabody graduate, suggested that perhaps it was time for Baltimore to let go of its proudly held titles as a "quirky" and "weird" city.


Here's an excerpt:

"In my Ignite talk last week, I mentioned that I thought it was high time we move on here in Baltimore from defining ourselves to the outside world simply by the quirky and irreverent parts of the city's cultural life. I think those aspects are an important part of Baltimore's artistic identity, but that defining the city's arts scene with a strong and overbearing emphasis on the weird sends a message that we're not to be taken all that seriously.

Then I read Deborah Patterson's post on Open Society Institute-Baltimore's Audacious Ideas blog, in which she expressed indignation at the fact that Austin, with its "Keep Austin WEIRD" slogan-campaign, topped the list of Best Cities for Artists and Designers with Baltimore not even cracking the top 25. Yeah, seriously, like WTF?"


Read the entire post here. And tell us what you think.

Wonder what an art critic makes of the Walters' latest exhibit that doubles as a scientific experiment? It's good for self-exploration and scientific discovery, according to the Post's art critic, Michael O'Sullivan.

Here's an excerpt:

"Going around the room, I pretty quickly noticed a pattern in my preferences, which tended toward the rounder, more organic shapes -- a tear drop, the swell of human flesh -- and away from the sharp, spiky ones.

But here's a question: Are my preferences due to the fact that there's something innately appealing about those shapes? Or could my choices have been influenced by the fact that I know what Arp looks like -- after all, there's one of his sculptures at the entrance to the show -- and am drawn to the most Arp-y shapes?"

Read the entire article here.

A new exhibit at the Walters Art Museum aims to help Johns Hopkins researcher, Ed Connor, understand what attracts individuals to different artwork.

Here's an excerpt:

"At an exhibit opening this weekend at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, visitors will be asked to wear 3-D glasses and walk around with clipboards and pencils while looking at images of sculptures.

"Beauty and the Brain: A Neural Approach to Aesthetics," enlists the public as participants in a Johns Hopkins University study that looks at why the human brain is attracted to artwork...

Organizers say they hope to shed a scientific light on some of the ideas that philosophers have discussed for centuries. One of those is that there's a unique way that the brain activates when we view compelling artwork, something philosophers have called the "aesthetic emotion," says Gary Vikan, director of the Walters and curator of the show."

Read the entire article here.

Digital City contributor Jon Franklin praises Baltimore's art scene, stubborness, and the fact that D.C. hasn't "rubbed off" on it. He then lists 11 reasons why Baltimore is awesome. Of course, we can think of way more.

An excerpt from the article reads:

1. Cheap rent
For artists that tour and artists that stay home, the rent is relatively cheap. Like Philadelphia you can still find a one-bedroom for around $500. In general, it's more than it used to be and may go higher but still much less than New York rent.

2. Good arts and music scene
Look at the artists of a city and see who's done well for themselves. If they're also doing well in their own city then that's a good gauge that the city has a good scene. Dan Deacon, Animal Collective, Dru Hill, Mary Prankster, Trixie Little and the Evil Hate Monkey are a few that are doing something different and have done well at it. There are well attended all-ages shows and burlesque shows as well as gatherings.

3. Atomic Books
One of the best places in the world, Atomic Books opened in 1992, closed in 2000 and reopened in 2001.
They not only support local bands but also artists as well. They will sell your zine, comic, book or cd on consignment. There are signings, parties, readings and a blog. They also accept fan mail for John Waters.

4. John Waters
Legend says that when John Waters was young his dad was driving him to school in Baltimore. There was a guy standing on the street corner doing nothing but being himself. Being himself really pissed off Waters' father so much that Waters' thought, I want to work with that guy someday. That guy was Harris Glenn Milstead, aka Divine. They went on to make great movies together including Cry Baby, Hairspray, Pink Flamingos and Polyester to name a few. The settings for most of Waters' movies is Baltimore.

Read the entire posting here.

The Peabody Court Hotel is celebrating its role in the upcoming Renee Zellweger film "My One and Only" with a special travel package. Set in the 1950s, the film is based on actor George Hamilton's upbringing by his mother along the Eastern Seaboard.

An excerpt from the article read:

This upscale boutique hotel is in the heart of the arts district. Mount Vernon is a cultural urban village with museums, boutiques, theater, fine restaurants and a great nightlife. The neighborhood's historic centerpiece, built in 1815, is the Washington Monument. This area of Baltimore is generally regarded as one of the most beautiful urban sites in the world.

The Romance package at the Peabody Court includes overnight accommodations for two in a Deluxe room, valet parking, a bottle of champagne with chocolate-covered strawberries, breakfast for two in George's on Mount Vernon Square or with room service for two, and a guaranteed late check out of 2 p.m.

The double room rate of $189 includes room taxes. This rate is valid on stays through Dec. 22, but could be extended if the film receives any Oscar nominations.

Read the entire article here.

Now that mixed martial arts has the benediction of state lawmakers, graphic design firm MOS Creative and Shogun Fights, a newly formed MMA organization based out of Baltimore, are bringing the action to downtown Baltimore. As they say: if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

An excerpt from the blog posting reads:

After years of fighting the laws in the state of Maryland, Shogun Fights organizer and former MMA competitor, John Rallo, is bringing the excitement of MMA and all of its loyal fans to the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore on October 24, 2009 at 7:00pm.

In May of 2008, Governor Martin O'Malley signed a bill legalizing MMA in Maryland with the full support of the Maryland State Athletic Commission. MMA is the fastest growing sport in the country. It involves competitors using various interdisciplinary fighting styles; including jiu-jitsu, muay thai, wrestling, judo, boxing, kickboxing and karate in a highly controlled fight with the winner decided by KO, submission, judges decision or referee stoppage.

"I have been involved in MMA since 1998. It is a great sport, with great athletes," says Rallo. "Our fighters have trained hard to compete for MMA titles in front of their friends, family and thousands of fans in the ring at the 1st Mariner Arena. Finally Marylanders are able to enjoy what Shogun Fights has been working so hard to provide. It is entertainment in the purest form."

Tickets for the momentous occasion will be made available on Friday, August 28, 2009 and can be purchased through the 1st Mariner Arena box office, 410-547-SEAT, and all Ticketmaster outlets.

Read the entire posting here.

The combination of a Catholic boyhood and college summers spent window washing have given this blogger a hawk's eye for beautiful stained glass. He's put together a few spots to hit for sacred and secular stained glass-o-philes alike.

An excerpt from the blog posting reads:

If you're interested in those decorative transoms that seem to be above so many rowhouse doorways these days, there are a few places you can find them around the city. We're partial to a few, namely Daniel Herman Stained Glass (1601 Guilford

Avenue # 2S), Terraza Stained Glass (1412 Woodall Street), and Vintage Stained Glass . These are craftsmen, they can help you design what you want, even if you're not too sure yourself.

Finally, for the DIYers and crafty types who want to try their hand at making their own windows, there's The Glass Key in Jessup (8610 Washington Boulevard). They carry a full line of stained glass materials and tools, and, thankfully, offer a full line of classes for beginners like us. We appreciate that, if only because it's virtually guaranteed that our first five (or more) tries are going to come out as lumpy, disfigured pieces of glass . And also because once we get good we're not going to waste our time on anything lame like flowers or clowns, but only design super-cool stuff like stained glass rocket ships full of werewolves. That's just how we roll.

Read the entire posting here.

MetropolisMag.com monthly contributor Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson suggests that Baltimore art students would do well to leave campus and seek out the myriad sources of inspiration in the city.

An excerpt from the blog reads:

For as long as I can remember, designers and educators in Baltimore have invoked the name of the Rural Studio. They looked south to Hale County and wondered how to adapt Mockbee's full-immersion program for design students in an urban setting like Baltimore. The conversations were, pardon the pun, purely academic. In spite of a high number of colleges and universities in the region�with several programs in architecture, planning, and landscape design�curricula rarely called for students to venture beyond the quadrangle (save for the requisite study-abroad programs).

There were barriers in getting students off the campus, most of them perceived and not wholly accurate. The belief was that it wasn't safe "out there" and using the real world as a classroom was hazardous. I remember chatting with one frustrated professor at Johns Hopkins about this a few years back. He was politely told he should not encourage students to take public transportation for a class project lest "something should happen."

This insular stance resulted in a real deficit of academic and applied research on urban issues in this city. Other schools of architecture have successfully developed urban lab models, creating reciprocal relationships with city government and community groups. Schools like Carnegie Mellon and its Urban Studio. If it could happen in Pittsburgh, then why not here?

Read the entire article here.

An Italian blogger writes about visiting her mother's family during a recent visit to the States and checking out the museums and other cultural resources in the city.

An excerpt from the blog posting reads:

We had a great time at the National Aquarium. And a good laugh remembering the last time we went there, when Danny was 3. He threw a major tantrum at the entrance, after we had paid for our tickets, of course, and repeatedly screamed, "I don't like fish!!!" Things went a bit better this time...

I was amazed at the incredible variety of marine life they have on exhibit. There is a special exhibit on jellyfish on now, called Jellies Invasion: Oceans Out of Balance. Apparently, there are too many jellyfish floating around, and judging from their map, a lot of them are in the Mediterranean Sea around Italy. We'll have to keep our eyes open when we get back home.

A new discovery for us was the American Visionary Art Museum near Federal Hill (where the national anthem was written, just in case you didn't know!). This museum showcases works of art by self-taught, "outsider" artists. The works of each artist are accompanied by a short biography, which I often found as interesting as the work itself. I'm a biography buff, admittedly, but each of these people seems to have an amazing life story and an amazing path to the discovery of their artistic talents.

Read the entire posting here.

Labor Day will bring a feast for antique lovers in the Baltimore area as a major convention kicks off. Presentations will include lectures by local experts, such as: "Eureka! The Archimedes Palimpsest" with the Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books at the Walters Art Museum; "American Beauty: Treasuring and Collecting Folk Art in America;" "Dining in Style with Georg Jensen Silver;" "18th & 19th Century Decorative Arts Treasures: Telling the Whole Story;" and "Meissen: 300 Years of Exceptional Porcelain."

An excerpt from the blog posting reads:

Dealers attending The Baltimore Summer Antiques Show will be offering a huge variety of first-class antiques for sale ranging in prices from under $100 to upwards of $1 million.  And with over 200,000 individual pieces, ranging from antiquities to 20th century pieces, there's something for ever antique lover.

The show hosts 60 rare book dealers, 60 silver specialists, more than 30 Asian art dealers, ceramics on sale from over 70 exhibitors and hundreds of other dealers covering virtually every period and style of antiques. 

Read the entire posting here.

Eighteen-year-old rapper Rye Rye, who's rising to fame with the help of artist M.I.A (of "Slumdog Millionaire" fame), is about to join other well-known Baltimore musicians, singers and rappers, taking her flow onto the national -- dare we say global -- stage. But she's staying true to her East Baltimore identity.

An excerpt from the article reads:

On a hot summer afternoon, Ryeisha "Rye Rye" Berrain � wearing turquoise-and-black leggings, gold hoop earrings, fake lashes � walks along her East Baltimore neighborhood, holding a bag of Cheetos and a blue drink.

She passes the store where kids buy candy and sodas; the public housing units where her sister Elisa, 12, hangs out; the steps where the guys used to chill at night � until they got shot up.

"Before I started touring, I really used to hang on the corner all night until 3 in the morning," Rye Rye, now 18, says.
That was before the shy dancer became an underground dance darling and the prot�g� of Grammy-winning indie-rap artist M.I.A. Now Rye Rye is on a path to become Baltimore's ambassador of club music � a frantic blend of hip-hop and house.

Read the entire article here.

A Baltimore book-lover and a moderator at the city's book festival this year declares that it drives her "crazy" that D.C. and Baltimore host their book festivals on the same weekend each year. She provides a "pro" and "con" list for each of the events to help readers make a choice between the two.

An excerpt from the blog posting reads:

Baltimore Book Festival

Pros

- it is a three day event (Sept. 25-27)
- it is not a "big crowd" event - people are definitely attending but not in overwhelming numbers
- chances for author interaction are very good - crowds are not large and authors usually hang around to chat afterward
- Baltimore has lots of historical sightseeing and museums
- if it rains, you're walking on cobblestones not mud
- parking is moderately priced and very close to the Festival
- my panel, The Book Club Toolkit, is on 9/26 @ noon
- a book blogger get-together is being planned for Friday evening (9/25) - we'll go to the YA panels and then who knows what we'll do! (Leave a comment if you'd like to be included.)

Baltimore Book Festival - Cons

- public transportation is not as extensive as in DC
- many participating authors are not very well known
- it is a much smaller scaled event than the DC one

What? You say I'm little biased toward the Baltimore event? REALLY?! I didn't think so ... :)

Read the entire posting here.