Rita Project, Inc. announces spring Open Art Studios for survivors of suicide. The American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM), Baltimore. Sundays 1-3 pm. $10 donation or sliding scale. If you have lost someone to suicide or have attempted suicide, call to register 866-775-RITA.
“As a Jew, it was Hitler and me. That’s the way I pictured the war,” says Theodore Diamond, a U.S. Army Air Corps veteran of World War II. Ours to Fight For: American Jews in the Second World War, a new traveling exhibit at the Jewish Museum of Maryland, is based on oral histories with more than 400 Jewish-American servicemen and women. Their stories, revealed in video interviews, hundreds of photographs, personal objects and historic film footage, examines the often overlooked role that American Jews played on the battlefield. 410-732-6400, http://www.jewishmuseummd.org
Man Ray, Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Weston, Paul Strand, Dorothea Lange and Gordon Parks capture pivotal moments and celebrities of the 20th century in “Looking through the Lens: Photography 1900-1960,” at the Baltimore Museum of Art. The exhibition of iconic images features Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo and Georgia O’Keefe, as well as gripping documentary photographs of the Depression era, 1930s migrant farmers and post-war street photography. The Digital Photography Project, in conjunction with “Looking through the Lens,” also includes works by select Baltimore-area photographers and aspiring artists. 443-573-1700. http://www.artbma.org
Hoping to do for maps what the city’s 2003 Vivat festival did for St. Petersburg, the Baltimore Festival of Maps involves more than 20 cultural organizations celebrating all things map-related. Events range from “Mapping Science,” a series of exhibits at the Maryland Science Center that touch on the human genome, hurricane patterns and the night sky, to a Baltimore Jazz Alliance series on “mapping” the history of jazz in Baltimore. The centerpiece of the festival is the Walters Art Museum’s “Maps: Finding Our Place in the World,” which features more than 100 rare and unusual objects, such as the oldest road map of London, three maps by Leonardo da Vinci, J. R. R. Tolkien’s map of Minas Tirith and Thomas Jefferson’s map of the proposed contours of the states of the Union. http://www.baltimorefestivalofmaps.com, 410-547-9000, http://www.thewalters.org
Back before they needed slot machines to attract audiences to the races, Franklin B. Voss (1880-1953) painted horses like they were heroes. Seabiscuit, War Admiral, Citation and Man o’ War all posed for Voss. Artistic talent ran in his bloodlines, too, as Voss’ brother, sister and sister-in-law were talented equestrian artists as well. “The Voss Family, Artists of American Sporting Life,” an exhibition organized by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Sarasota Springs, N.Y., brings more than 85 of the family’s horsy paintings to the Maryland Historical Society. On display will be the family’s oil paintings, watercolors, pastels and prints of steeplechasing, fox hunting, coaching, polo and more. Wearing a fancy hat to the exhibit is optional. 410-685-3750, http://www.mdhs.org
The 2008 Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage presents its annual tours of historic homes and gardens. This year’s event will feature walking tours in: Talbot County (April 26); Kent County (May 3); Mount Vernon in Baltimore City (May 4); Calvert County (May 10); Washington County (May 17), and Oella in Baltimore County (May 18). Proceeds from Pilgrimage ticket sales support preservation projects in each host community. Tickets $30 in advance; $35 on the day of the tour. 410-821-6933 or http://www.mhgp.org
The 1985 film “The Color Purple” was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including a nod to Oprah Winfrey for Best Supporting Actress. Twenty years later, the Broadway musical— with Winfrey as producer— won 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The show, based on Alice Walker’s book by the same name, chronicles a young woman’s coming-of-age in the Deep South as told through her letters to God. Spanning nearly 40 years of the early 20th century, the letters reveal an intricate and intense family saga complete with incest, infanticide and triumphs over adversity. The national touring production makes a stop at Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre. Tickets, $34 to $80. 410-752-7444, http://www.rance-merrickpac.com —Erika Woodward
Join singer, songwriter, musician and artist, Michael Raucheisen for the official release of his “Celebration Collection.” Artist reception amongst a collection of bright, colorful originals and prints celebrating his continuing series of flowers and the artists that inspired him including Peter Max, James Rizzi and Andy Warhol. 6-10 pm, Marcus-Boyd Gallery, Federal Hill, 926 Light Street. Works on display and available for purchase through May 31, 2008
Parks & People Foundation will host a SuperKids Camp Registration Fair where parents and children can explore the camp’s programs and activities. SuperKids Camp staff will be on hand to answer any questions and to help parents register their children. Registration fee is $40.00 for the six-week program. 9 am-3 pm, Parks & People Foundation, Stieff Silver Building, 800 Wyman Park Drive, Suite 010, Baltimore, MD 21211. 410-448-5663 ext. 110
Indulge your home design pipe dreams and head to Ruxton for the 32nd annual Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s Decorators’ Show House at Roland Run, an 1896 house built on four sprawling acres, complete with a pool and tennis court. The tour, which benefits the BSO’s education programs, showcases the work of premier Baltimore interior designers. Visitors can enjoy a light lunch and shop while visiting the house, which is one of the original grand dames of Ruxton. 1816 Circle Road. Tickets, $20 to $25. 410-783-8023, http://www.baltimoresymphony.org —Elizabeth Heenan
US Lacrosse Women’s Division National Tournament, highlights include division championships, a U.S. Team exhibition, the High School All-Star game and a premier recruiting opportunity for high school players. St. Paul School for Girls and McDonogh School, Baltimore. Tickets: $15 weekend pass/$10 day pass/$5 for children 12 and under. 410-235-6882 x155
RA Sushi Bar Restaurant will host its fourth annual “Nicky’s Week” fundraiser to benefit the internationally renowned St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. From May 25 - 31, all 19 RA Sushi locations including RA Baltimore, will donate 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of various food and beverage items to help treat and cure children with life-threatening illnesses.
Support the fight to end childhood hunger in America by joining the Baltimore area’s top chefs preparing mouth-watering dishes paired with the world’s best wines and spirits. Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation presented by American Express is the world’s finest and largest culinary benefit supporting the fight to end childhood hunger in America. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Highway, Baltimore, MD 21230. http://www.tasteofthenation.org/baltimore
Attend the second annual Gunpowder Falls Plein Air Painting Competition. Last year over 50 artists participated. Artists paint outside for two days and then bring two of their paintings to the gallery to be judged and exhibited. There is a reception in the evening to sell the work. http://www.gunpowderfallspleinair.com
Annual Gala - Honoring Herbert Davis - 2008 Founder’s Award. Special Guest Kevin “KAL” Kallaugher. Private preview of the exhibition Public Letters, Political Cartoons including KAL’s current cartoons from The Economist and his innovations in 3D animation. Silent Auction. Cocktails 6 pm, gourmet Dinner 7:30 pm. 410-605-2964
Taste the Arts is a culinary and artistic tour of the world that honors champions of arts education in Maryland. The event features five destination rooms from an ancient African village to a modern day Indian cafe. Each destination represents a continent’s native music, art, live performance, food and drink. The event also includes a live and silent auction with items that range from weekend getaways in France to a chance to be “a dj for the day” at a local radio station. 6:30-11 pm, CenterStage, 700 Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. 410-837-7577 or http://www.yamd.org
On your mark, get set and gear up in advance for the 10:00 a.m. (register at 9:00 a.m.) Heart and Sole Stroll, a benefit for Maryland breast cancer patients and their families. Prep for the 2.4 mile walk at Centennial Lake in Columbia, MD by registering early on-line right now and lining up pledges from loved ones, friends and co-workers to support this sixth annual fundraiser organized by The Red Devils. Individual $35; family $70. 410-323-0135 or http://www.the-red-devils.org
The Polakoff Foundation hosts the third annual Golf Outing and Auction to Fight Glaucoma. All proceeds support the fight against glaucoma, including creating awareness, offering preventive screenings to those potentially at risk, and funding research toward a cure. New this year, pay $185 per golfer for breakfast, lunch, golf and auction or $50 per person for those who are only interested in attending the luncheon and auction. 7:30 a.m., at Mountain Branch Golf Course in Joppa, Md. 410-420-8132 or http://www.fightglaucoma.org
The economy. Energy costs. Healthcare costs. Workforce development. Taxes. It’s time to stop TALKING and start DOING. Register for the MD Biz Expo at the Baltimore Convention Center. Sponsored by the Maryland Association of CPAs this event is dedicated to growing business and creating jobs by helping business professionals make sense of the rapidly changing economy. http://www.mdbizexpo.com
In an effort to improve the health of African American men in the Baltimore community, the American Cancer Society has teamed up with presenting sponsors including St. Agnes Hospital and St. Joseph Medical Center to host the first annual African American Men’s Health Conference. The conference will address conditions affecting the health of African American men through education, screenings, and networking of community residents. Free, registration is required. 8 am-3 pm, Baltimore Convention Center. 1-800-787-4337
Bon Voyage to Domestic Violence. A sunset cruise of the Baltimore Harbor will benefit the Baltimore County domestic violence services of Family and Children’s Services of Central Maryland. The three-hour cruise will include dinner and dancing. A silent auction featuring art work, sports memorabilia and a fur coat will be held. Tickets $75, $23 tax deductible. 5-8 pm, The Bay Lady, Harbor Cruises at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. 410-281-1334
The Edward A. Myerberg Senior Center will present world renowned actress and director Olympia Dukakis at its annual fundraising event honoring Former Governor, Mayor and Comptroller William Donald Schaefer. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Edward A. Myerberg Senior Center.
7 pm, Baltimore Hebrew Congregation, 7401 Park Heights Avenue. Tickets $125 Patron, which includes priority seating and dessert reception with Olympia Dukakis; $40 general admission; $50 at door. 410-358-6856 or http://www.myerbergseniorcenter.org
