arts and culture :
Featured Stories
Lester Spence
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
The "steady diet of comic books" on which Johns Hopkins professor Lester Spence grew up gave him a healthy love of the marvelous and the fantastic. Here, he ponders the "act of taking the mundane and transforming it into the magical" as a way to change the way we think about what "public" really means.
Cassie Paton
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
What happens when a gun-slinging, Stetson-wearing high school teacher retires after 35 years? He gets his own movie. 73-year-old former Park School teacher John Roemer is quite the character, but he's very much the real deal. After helping integrate Maryland in the '60s with peaceful protests (and sarcastic flair) and working for the ACLU, Roemer dedicated his life to inspiring his students. One of whom is Sophie Hamacher -- the filmmaker giving Roemer a starring role in the documentary of his life's passions and successes. The two have developed a unique bond, and while Roemer's career as a teacher is coming to an end, Hamacher is on the brink of something potentially huge.
Amy Dusto
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
"That's ridiculous. You could teach that stuff." With these words of encouragement from a friend, entrepreneur and metalsmith Megan Auman was off. Rather than go to business school, she created a business school (of sorts). Today, Auman's success continues to grow and she stands as a sterling example of the value of a DIY spirit.
Sam Hopkins
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Mexican artist Paco Loza established Baltimore as his American base through
visits and exhibitions throughout the years. Now, he's begun a tradition of
bringing his Huichol Indian friends from their mountain homes to Highlandtown's Creative Alliance, to represent their people through art.
Renee Libby Beck
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
"We're not your grandmother's opera company, but we sure sound like it." So declare the folks behind Baltimore Concert Opera -- a grassroots, entrepreneurial, modern attempt at making opera relevant in today's crowded entertainment landscape. Is it working? We tracked down founder Brendan Cooke to find out.
Staci Wolfson
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
Between reality TV and social networking, between the Royal Wedding and the Jersey Shore, people watching is all the rage. If that trend seems like perhaps it's not always a good thing that's because it isn't. But it doesn't have to be that way. Meet Baltimore artist Erin Fitzpatrick, who uses the age-old form of portraiture to turn people watching into an art form -- literally and figuratively.
Neal Shaffer,Arianne Teeple
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Be honest: when was the last time you explored Druid Hill Park? Or have you ever? If not, you're missing out on one of Baltimore's true civic gems. Join us as we take a fresh look at the park and what it has to offer (then make plans to get there yourself).
Amy Dusto
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
For ten seasons, Duff Goldman and the crew at Charm City Cakes showcased a dizzying array of talent and creativity on the Food Network's "Ace of Cakes." Now that the show is over, what happens next? Between opening a second location in LA and launching a new line of affordable ready-mades (among other ventures), Goldman is as busy as he's ever been.
Julekha Dash
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
There's dinner at home among friends, and there's going out to eat. This much we know. But there's also a third, less easy-to-define option that's growing in popularity both in Baltimore and in cities across America. Join Bmore's Julekha Dash as she travels behind the scenes of the growing "supper club" scene, where diners and chefs alike are discovering that nothing brings people together like food.
Cassie Paton
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Failure is a part of life. It's unavoidable, and -- when it comes to our creative endeavors -- it's often even necessary. Yet the word itself is a taboo. People are afraid to share their failures with the world. But not the Failure Support Group. They'll be at Baltimore's 8th Annual Transmodern Festival this month, and they want to expose failure. The more gruesome, the better. Because only once we talk about our failures can we learn from them and help others learn from them, too.
Neal Shaffer
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Opening Day is just around the corner and Jen Royle is about to enter her second year reporting on the Orioles and Ravens. Prior to that, she spent seven years working in New York covering the Yankees for the YES Network. If you think a situation like that might lead to friction, you could be on to something. Read on to learn more about Ms. Royle and her first year in Charm City.
Arianne Teeple,Neal Shaffer
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Join us as we explore, in images and words, a notion of Baltimore as it was once known...and could be again.
Dan Collins
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Like many cities, Baltimore is in the midst of trying to reconfigure last century's educational system so that it may better meet the coming century's needs. Progress, in all likelihood, will arrive not in a single moment where we declare the problems "fixed," but rather in increments. Take for example the Baltimore Design School, a new effort to provide design-focused education within the broader context of Baltimore City schools. Follow us behind the scenes to learn more.
Renee Libby Beck
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
You can learn a lot about a city by looking at its restaurants. World-class cities have world-class dining, and the reverse is generally true as well. So where does Baltimore rank? Perhaps not on par with a New York or a Paris, but thanks in part to an emerging crop of talented, innovative folks we're more than holding our own. We tracked down five local chefs whose names you should know (and whose food you should try).
Staci Wolfson
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Shine Collective was for years one of Baltimore's go-to boutiques, a one-stop shop that offered an exceptionally well-curated retail experience. The shifting tides of economic upheaval took their toll, however, and the store closed last year. But the story doesn't end there. Rather than fold up entirely, the boutique evolved. Owners Jamie Campbell and Melissa Kirby teamed up with Campell's husband, filmmaker Drury Bynum, to form Shine Creative. Together they're bringing the same keen eye that made the boutique a success to the emerging market of online film and video.