THURSDAY 5
Art: Crowning Glory
In the first of two exhibitions in advance of the Walters Art Museum’s “new major installation” of Art of the Americas, the museum presents Crowning Glory: Art of the Americas. The seven-month exhibit shifts the focus to headwear through the ages, examining the ways people adorned their heads throughout the histories of North, Central and South America. On April 5, Ellen Hoobler, William B. Ziff Jr., associate curator of the Arts of the Americas, 1200 BCE–1500 CE (quite the title) will lead a closer look at the one-room exhibit, particularly exploring the language of pre-Cololmbian people. April 5 at the Walters Art Museum. Free. 410-547-9000, thewalters.org
Art: Mary Reid Kelley
Get a surreality check as Mary Reid Kelley and husband/collaborator Patrick Kelley’s We Are Ghosts comes to the BMA. The exhibition, held in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Advanced Media Studies, features two Kelley films: “This is Offal” (2016) and their newest, “In the Body of the Sturgeon,” as well as light boxes featuring characters and set pieces from the films. Reid Kelley, a recipient of the MacArthur “genius” award, is known for her wordplay and sharp social commentary, often focusing on gender and class inequalities —all played out in otherworldly black-and-white scenes. See for yourself April 4 to Aug. 19 at the Baltimore Museum of Art. Free. 443-573-1700, artbma.org
Theater: Cast Conversations
Gain a deeper insight into the Everyman’s latest, Aubergine, with a moderated, post-show discussion with cast members.
Everyman Theatre, 9:30 p.m., free with ticket, everymantheatre.com
FRIDAY 6
Food and Drink: Beer, Bourbon & BBQ
When it comes to life below the Mason-Dixon line, nothing’s more essential than the three b’s: Beer, Bourbon & BBQ. So why not throw a weekend-long festival dedicated to the three together? For two days, enjoy all-you-care-to-taste of 60+ beers and 40+ bourbons in the festival’s signature glass, as well as barbecue of every imaginable form, games, live music, vendors and more. P.S.: Pork aficionados, we recommend Friday night’s “Whole Hog Pig Pickin’.” April 6-7 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds. $29-$99. beerandbourbon.com
Theater: Othello
Like everything else in our culture, language has evolved. We’re no longer going around speaking in Shakespearean English — but neither, some scholars argue, are actors who perform the Bard’s lines. Enter the OP movement, short for “Original Pronunciation,” which attempts to recreate the accent that Shakespeare would have originally spoken (and thus written) in. Hear it for yourself as the Baltimore Shakespeare Factory presents Othello in Original Pronunciation this spring. Be warned: It may make the listening experience a bit more difficult, but the authenticity can’t be beat. April 6-29 at the Baltimore Shakespeare Factory. $19-$24. 410-662-9455, baltimoreshakespearefactory.org
Event: Rita Moreno
Not many performers can boast a 70-year career, but actress Rita Moreno, known for her roles in “West Side Story” and “The King and I,” seems just about unstopp-able. Moreno, one of only 12 actors in history to nab Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards, will speak about her experiences on the screen and the stage in a special appearance at the Weinberg Center for the Arts on April 6. $40-$50 (additional charge for meet-and-greets). 301-600-2828, weinbergcenter.org
Festival: Light City
Fittingly, the third annual Light City festival will expand to three weekends in 2018, giving the hundreds of thousands of attendees a little more time to dive into its expansive offerings … and, hopefully, to increase the already hefty boost to the Baltimore economy it brings ($44 million last year). This year brings the usual Neighborhoods Lights artist-in-residence programs and spectacular BGE Light Art Walk, as well as the impressive social innovation conference [email protected]. If we’re being real, though, the top of our wish list is the return of the Peacock.
Free (except for conference fees). April 6-8 and 14-21 citywide. 410-752-8632, promotionandarts.org
Annapolis Maryland Day Celebration
Celebrate our wonderful state with activities and events all weekend long, many of which are free!
Apr. 6-8, Annapolis and surrounding areas, hours/prices vary, marylandday.org
SATURDAY 7
Music: Skribe and Ms. Sara
An Die Musik’s Folkal Point music series continues with a soulful pair of singer-songwriters, offering up folk and prog rock.
7:30 p.m. at An Die Musik.
SUNDAY 8
Music/Film: Body and Soul
Celebrate the little-known history of a classic jazz hit in Body and Soul: An American Bridge. The film explores the composition of “Body and Soul” by Jewish composer Johnny Green and its ensuing popularization by first Libby Holman and then Louis Armstrong, demonstrating “the complex musical interplay between Jewish and African-American cultures.” Fittingly, the film is presented at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum’s “[email protected]” Film Series in partnership with the Baltimore Jewish Film Festival, and will be followed by a panel discussion. April 8 at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum. Free with museum admission. 443-263-1800, lewismuseum.org
Event: Baltimore Farmers’ Market & Bazaar Opening Day
Maryland’s largest producers-only market is back for another season offering produce, breads, flowers, crafts, meats and so much more.
Holliday & Saratoga Streets, 7 a.m.-sell out, free, promotionandarts.org
Fitness: Red Shoe Shuffle 5K Run and Walk
Lace up your sneakers for this festive 5K benefitting the Ronald McDonald House in Baltimore, helping seriously ill children and their families have a home away from home during treatment.
Ronald McDonald House Baltimore, 9 a.m., $45/adult, $10/child, rmhcbaltimore.org
Fitness: Sunday Morning Dog Hikes
Bring your pooch and join fellow dog lovers for a hike on the grounds of the shelter’s Wildlife Sanctuary. Registration required.
Second Sundays, Baltimore Humane Society, 10 a.m., $2/dog, bmorehumane.org
