Baltimore Sister Cities

Feb – Apr / Author Conversations: Stories to Broaden Understanding

Photos of the authors' faces and the covers of their books. Reem Faruqi - Milloo's Mind; Mojdeh Bahar - Milkvetch and Violets; Diana Abu-Jaber - Fencing with the King. Background photo: sunrise above the ocean.

Join us for 3 author conversations in February to April, 2023!

February 7, 2023: Reem Faruqi

Time: 7-8pm EST
Format: Zoom
More info & to register: mcpl.libnet.info/event/7813041

Reem Faruqi is the award-winning author of Lailah’s Lunchbox, a children’s book based on her own experiences as a young Muslim girl immigrating to the United States. In this author conversation, she will be sharing Milloo’s Mind: The Story of Maryam Faruqi, Trailblazer for Women’s Education, the story of Reem’s grandmother who founded Happy Home Schools which educated thousands of girls across Pakistan at a time when girls were not encouraged to go to school.  

March 7, 2023: Mojdeh Bahar

Time: 7-8pm EST
Format: In-person
Location: Rockville Memorial Library, 21 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD 20850
More info & to register: mcpl.libnet.info/event/7817344

Mojdeh Bahar is a patent attorney and technology transfer professional in the public sector. The recipient of numerous professional awards, Mojdeh currently chairs the Board of Directors of the Iranian-American Community Center. She has a deep interest in poetry. Milkvetch and Violets is her first book of translations from one of her favorite contemporary Persian poets, Mohammad Reza Shafi’i-Kadkani. She will be talking about the power of poetry in any language and her process of translation.

April 11, 2023: Diana Abu-Jaber

Time: 7-8pm EST
Format: Zoom
More info & to register: mcpl.libnet.info/event/7813047

Born to an American mother and a Jordanian father, Diana Abu-Jaber now teaches writing and literature at Portland State University in Oregon. She is the author of the highly-acclaimed memoirs Life Without a Recipe and The Language of Baklava as well as the novels Crescent and Birds of Paradise. Abu-Jaber will be talking about her newest book, Fencing with the King, which has been described as a “mesmerizing breakthrough novel of family myths and inheritances.” 

Hosted by Montgomery County Public Libraries, in partnership with Montgomery County Middle Eastern American Advisory Group, Office of Community Partnerships and Baltimore-Luxor-Alexandria Sister City Committee.

Apr 1 / Hanami: Baltimore’s Cherry Blossom Picnic

Join us for the annual Hanami picnic hosted by the Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee

Hanami community picnic in Baltimore - girl with kites by trees with cherry blossoms, and people sitting on blankets under cherry blossokm trees enjoying their picnics.

Date: April 1, 2023
Time: 2-4pm ET
Location: Fort McHenry Park, 2400 E. Fort Ave, Baltimore MD 21230
Admission: Free. Bring your own picnic.
More information & to register: Eventbrite page

Hanami is the Japanese tradition of enjoying cherry blossoms in full bloom with a picnic under the cherry trees. Fort McHenry park has two lovely groves of cherry trees for us to relax under. Bring your blanket, a picnic lunch, and cultural curiosity. Baltimore-Kawasaki committee members will be ready with some extra Japanese finger foods and tea.

You can park in the Fort McHenry parking lot and walk through the Visitor’s Center to reach the East Lawn Cherry Tree Grove. Beer and sake are allowed as per park rules. We anticipate good weather but, rain or shine, we will be present. And bring your camera for blossom selfies. The event is free but please register.

Organized by Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee (BKSCC)

Ryokucha Japanese Tea Tasting Workshop, preceding Hanami

Date: April 1, 2023
Time: 12-2pm ET
Location: McHenry Row Conference Center, 1215 E. Fort Ave, Baltimore MD 21230
More information & to purchase tickets: Eventbrite page

Nippon Motion hosts a Ryokucha Workshop with Japanese Green Tea. Learn about loose-leaf, matcha, and ready-to-drink tea. Sample over 10 authentic varieties. Receive a Japanese-made yunomi (ceramic tea cup). This is a great opportunity for both beginners and existing fans of Japanese tea to expand their knowledge and get first-hand experience with the world of Ryokucha!

The Ryokucha Workshop takes place near Fort McHenry Park, so attendees of the Ryokucha Workshop can come join the Hanami event in McHenry Park after the workshop.

Organized by Nippon Motion. Co-promoted by Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee (BKSCC).

Go ahead and plan a great day of Japanese culture — start with a Ryokucha Workshop from 12-2pm and head over to the Hanami picnic from 2-4pm. Wonderful scents, sights, and tastes!

Baltimore-Rotterdam architecture exchange 2023

Morgan State University Students March 2023 Trip to Rottrdam in the Nethelands, the City of Architecture. Logos of MSU SA+P, Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister Cities, RAvB. Photos of Erasmus Bridge and Kop van Zuid; Depot Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (designed by MVRDV); Rotterdam Central train station.


Students and faculty from Morgan State University School of Architecture + Planning (MSU SA+P) will travel to Baltimore’s sister city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands during March 12–19, 2023. The trip includes visits to architecture / landscape architecture / urban design firms such as OMA and MVRDV, visits to architecture schools, architecture tours, lectures, and more. Side trips are planned to other cities such as Amsterdam or Antwerp in Belgium. Environmental sustainability will be a focus during the trip. The students will also participate in activities at Rotterdam Academy of Architecture and Urban Design (RAvB).

In April 2023, RAvB students will reciprocate the exchange by coming to Baltimore to study infrastructure sites similar to the Rotterdam site in their design studio, and learn about Baltimore’s efforts to heal the divides caused by past infrastructure projects. The 2023 exchange continues an ongoing collaboration between MSU SA+P Professor Cristina Murphy and RAvB since 2019.

Related events

February–March 2023: Baltimore-Rotterdam Designing Cities webinar series
Coordinated by Professor Cristina Murphy, with speakers from Baltimore and Rotterdam; it is part of MSU SA+P’s spring lectures. AIA Baltimore continuing education credits are available for these webinars.

March 17, 2023: Baltimore lecture & reception at Rotterdam Academy of Architecture and Design
17.00-18.30 CET at Pieter de Hoochweg 129 in Rotterdam. A talk about Baltimore’s cityscape presented by Klaus Philipsen from Archplan, followed by an informal reception — free and open to the public. This special event is held during the visit of Morgan State University School of Architecture + Planning’s faculty and students to Rotterdam. Come meet architects and architecture faculty and students from both Baltimore and Rotterdam!
To register: Event page

Sponsorship opportunities

We invite your firm to become a sponsor to help cover the costs of Morgan State University students and faculty’s participation in this educational travel exchange program to Rotterdam. There is also an opportunity for sponsors to join us on the trip to experience the culture and innovative architecture in the Rotterdam region. Sponsors welcome to stay longer than the dates of March 12–19 and visit even more cities, such as Brussels, Delft, and Utrecht.

Experiential travel education is an impactful opportunity for students to gain global understanding and exchange ideas about architectural design, planning, resiliency, and sustainability. Students who attended past Baltimore-Rotterdam exchanges shared that it was “eye-opening” and appreciated the “exposure to different environments and design” and the “opportunity for creative dreaming.” Morgan State is a leading HBCU (Historically Black College / University). The architecture and urban design profession suffers from a longstanding lack of diversity — your support will help enrich these students’ education and thereby help bring more Black students into this profession.

The Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee is leading this fundraising campaign on behalf of the students and faculty.

Why be a sponsor?

  • Your support ensures that students and faculty will be able to travel abroad.
  • Opportunity for you to meet potential interns and new hires through this program.
  • Great visibility — reach people in the architecture and real estate industries in Maryland and internationally.

Sponsorship levels & benefits

Sponsorship levels: Bronze $300; Silver $500; Gold $1,000; Platinum $1,500. All levels receive: Promotion on social media and post-trip report; ticket to event in April 2023. Silver, Gold, Platinum levels also receive: CityScape sculpture made by the students*; recognition in the webinar series. Gold, Platinum levels also receive: opportunity to participate in the trip to Rotterdam in March 2023 **. Platinum has opportunity for custom meetings in Rotterdam ***.

* Sister CityScape sculpture  — Students are creating laser-cut sculptures of Baltimore and Rotterdam landmarks and city skylines as thank yous for the sponsors! For a $1,500 sponsorship your firm even has the option of requesting a unique building, e.g. one that your firm has designed.
** Opportunity to participate in the trip — Sponsors may take part in our customized tours and visits. You will be responsible for your own airfare, accommodations, and meals; we will be happy to point you to inexpensive options. This is a unique opportunity to partake in a low-cost architecture-focused overseas trip!
*** Custom professional meetings — If you have a special request for a meeting or sightseeing, we will do our best to help arrange it for you.

For more information

See our Sponsorship Benefits PDF

Contact us to become a sponsor

Email .

The Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee (part of Baltimore Sister Cities) is leading this fundraising campaign. Baltimore Sister Cities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit; donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

The Morgan students are also doing fundraising!

The faculty and students have been creating charming Baltimore-themed “CityScape” ornaments and magnets to sell at holiday market tables and other events this winter.


THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT:


Trip Sponsors

PLATINUM

Logo for Penza Bailey, a studio of PRIME AE

PLATINUM

BSC Design Group

PLATINUM

VectorWorks logo (a Nemetschek company)


GOLD

Quinn Evans logo

GOLD

Twopoint Studio logo

Present Company logo

GOLD

Gary A. Bowden FAIA, Architect Emeritus

SILVER

brennan+company architects
CallisonRTKL
Jerome C. Gray Architect
Unknown Studio

BRONZE
hord | coplan | macht
Vertical Architecture


Promotion Partner

AIA Baltimore logo

Donor

The Doctrow Family Endowment Fund

Black History Month 2023

A post about the Great Kingdoms of Africa from the Chair of the Baltimore-Gbarnga Liberia Sister City Committee, Luana Kiandoli, in honor of Black History Month.

Black History Month is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of African diasporic people.  People of African descent have contributed to culture, science, literature, astronomy, metallurgy, medicine, art, mathematics, music, military tactics, religion etc. Genetically they come in various shades of color, hair types and facial features.

The Great Kingdoms of Africa

Ancient Egypt (3150-600 BCE) — Known for the pyramids (architectural design), medicine, astronomy, and the Kings/Pharaohs who changed the face of the then-ancient world such as Menes, Ahkenaton, Tutankhamun, Thutmose I (known as greatest warrior)Thutmose II, and III, Ramses, Queen Cleopatra, and Nefertiti. 

Carthage (8th/9th century BCE) — A major sea power that was located in present-day Tunisia and parts of northernmost and Sahelian Africa. Most renown event is the three Punic Wars against the Roman Empire by crossing the Alps with elephants led by Hannibal, considered one of the greatest generals in the world.

Mali (13th century CE) — Located in present West Africa and known for trade; most trade from all corners of Africa passed through Mali. The repository of diverse academia was held in the University of Timbuktu, and Malian ruler Mansa Musa was reputed to be so wealthy that even by today’s standards he would be richer than several billionaires combined.

Songhai (15th/16 century CE) — Located in present day West Africa, was larger than modern-day Western Europe and was known for its sophisticated government and many Islamic educational institutions.

Kush (c1069-350CE) — Located in present day Sudan, known for pyramids, development of the water wheel changing agricultural techniques; as a trade center (ivory, gold, iron, incense etc). King Piye leader beat the Egyptians and ruled the 25th dynasty in 744–714 BCE.

Ethiopia (Abyssinia) (1270-1974) — Reputed to be the kingdom of the descendants of King Solomon (built the First Temple in Jerusalem, and loved by many because of his wisdom) and the Queen of Sheba (Makeda). The Solomonic dynasty existed for more than 700+years, inaugurated by King Menelik I. Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity; Lalibela World Heritage Site. Emperor Gebre Meskel of the Zagwe dynasty (1181-1221 CE).

Kongo (1390 CE-1914CE) — Located in the present Democratic Republic of Congo, was once led by Kikongo warrior Luken Lua Nimi.  Known for its trade economy of textiles, pottery, copper, and ivory.

Benin (1180 CE-1897 CE) — Located in present-day Nigeria, was the home of many artisans who casted items from bronze, iron, and ivory. Also known for its art blacksmithing, casting metallurgy.

THERE ARE MANY WHICH HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT BUT SHOULD NOT BE FORGOTTEN…. 
Zimbabwe, Ghana, Zulu, Punt, Aksum, Olmec, and others….

Feb 24-25 / Stand with Ukraine

​1st Year Anniversary of Russia’s Invasion of and War Against Ukraine

сла́ва Украї́ні! “Glory to Ukraine!” / Heróyam sláva! “Glory to the Heroes!”

Feb 24, 2023 – Day 365 (1 Year) Anniversary of Russian Invasion of Ukraine

  • 12 Hour Prayer Marathon — 12pm Kyiv Ukraine / 5am Eastern Time / 4am Central / 2am Pacific Time presented on zhyve.tv
  • 9am — St Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church in Baltimore — Liturgy Service Livestream on Facebook
  • 6pm — St Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church in Baltimore — Candle Vigil Prayer Service
  • Baltimore’s sports stadiums will be lit in blue & yellow colors to Stand with Ukraine

Feb 25, 2023 – STAND WITH UKRAINE RALLY in Washington DC

  • In the morning — Free bus transportation to the DC rally from St Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church 2401 Eastern Ave. Baltimore, MD 21224 — Advance reservations required. Visit the church’s website for more information and to reserve a spot on the bus. (A $10 donation is requested from each passenger as a tip for the volunteer bus driver.)
  • 2pm — Rally at the Lincoln Memorial. Address: 2 Lincoln Memorial Circle NW, Washington DC 20002. Everyone is encouraged to bring Ukrainian flags & posters!
  • Followed by a March to the Russian Embassy.
  • 5pm — Bus returns to Baltimore.

Odesa, Ukraine is a Sister City of Baltimore since 1974. Visit the Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee website at www.baltimoreodesa.org. And we urge you to support Odesa and Ukraine in its time of need — Donate to the committee’s fundraising drive for humanitarian relief here. And mark your calendars: The 47th Annual Ukrainian Festival of Baltimore takes place Sep 9 & 10, 2023.

Images for you to share on social media or print to take to the rally:

Stand with Ukraine: 365 Days Strong
Stand with Ukraine: 365 Days Sympathy
Stand with Ukraine: 365 Days Aid

Ballot topics for February 15, 2023 BSC Board Meeting

In Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc., (BSC)’s first Board Meeting of 2023, the following items will be submitted for approval by voting members of the board. This board meeting will be at 6:30pm ET on February 15, 2023, immediately following the Annual Membership Meeting. The meeting will be held online via Zoom. The information has been posted on this webpage so that members have a chance to review it before the meeting.

Ballot: sections A and B below will be voted on via an online ballot using the ElectionBuddy platform.

Who can vote in the BSC Board Meetings:

  • Board directors that represent sister city committees and other organizations on our board, as defined in our bylaws. These directors are elected in the 2023 Annual Membership Meeting immediately preceding the Board Meeting (see candidates’ names in section C of the Annual Membership Meeting’s ballot topics page).

A. BSC Executive Officers

BSC’s bylaws defined the Board’s Executive Committee as consisting of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and the Sister Cities Liaison from the Office of the Mayor.

Positions indicated in bold font with an asterisk (*) are up for election during this board meeting. Some positions have more than one nominee; some have no nominees yet. Positions with no nominees can be voted on later in the year, when a nominee becomes available.

Positions WITHOUT an asterisk are in the middle of their term and therefore NOT up for reelection on February 15, 2023.

PositionPersonTerm
PresidentTeresa Leslie2022-02-23 – 2024-02-29
Vice President *2 nominees:
Nancy Taylor (view resume PDF)
Quishaun Holmes (view resume PDF)		2023-02-15 – 2025-02-28
Secretary *[ No nominees available ]
Acting SecretaryFontaine Bell2022-12-07 – 2023-12-31
TreasurerDan Young2022-02-23 – 2024-02-29

B. Alternate Director Representatives

In the Annual Membership Meeting preceding this Board Meeting, the BSC membership votes in the board directors that represent sister city committees and other organizations that are defined in our bylaws (see candidates’ names in section C of the Annual Membership Meeting’s ballot topics page).

During Board Meetings, if a Director may not be able to attend all scheduled Board meetings during his/her tenure, it can request Board approval for an alternate Director to attend, with full voting rights, any future meetings that its Director is unable to attend.

Persons indicated in bold font with an asterisk (*) will be voted on during this board meeting.

OrganizationAlternate DirectorTerm
BSC:Alternate representative for Gbarnga (BGSCC):
Will Hug		2022-02-23 – 2023-12-31
BSC:Alternate representative for Luxor-Alexandria (BLASCC):
Erin Divers *		2023-02-15 – 2024-02-29
BSC:Alternate representative for Xiamen (BXSCC):
Xin (Cindy) Wang		2022-02-23 – 2023-12-31

C. Other agenda items for voting

Board members will be asked to vote to approve:

  • Dec 7, 2022 board meeting minutes (view PDF)
  • BSC’s 2022 Year-end Financials report as of Dec 31, 2022:
  • January 31, 2023 Financial report:

Notes

The Finance Committee members [Dan Young (Chair), Teresa Leslie, Fontaine Bell, and Gislin Dagnelie] were voted in on February 23, 2022 for 2-year terms ending in February 2024, so they are not up for election in February 2023.

This webpage was last updated on 2023-02-13 at 7:20pm ET.

Ballot topics for February 15, 2023 BSC Annual Membership Meeting

In the February 15, 2023 Annual Membership Meeting of Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc., (BSC), the following items (A, B, and C) will be submitted for approval by the BSC membership. The meeting will be held online via Zoom at 6:00pm ET. The information has been posted on this webpage so that members have a chance to review it before the meeting.

Who can vote in the BSC Annual Membership Meeting:

  • Members of BSC’s constituent sister city committees who have paid their 2023 membership dues — both Regular and Associate level members.

A. 2022 ACCOMPLISHMENTS REPORT

(for BSC-level activities and activities for the constituent sister city committees)

View proposed 2022 Accomplishments Report (PDF, 3.7mb)

PDF updated on: 2023-02-04 2:15pm ET

B. 2023 PLAN

(for BSC-level activities and activities for the constituent sister city committees)

View proposed 2023 Plan (PDF, 2.6mb)

PDF posted on: 2023-01-29 1:30pm ET

C. Board Elections

Below is the list of board directors that represent sister city committees and other organizations on our board, as defined in our bylaws.

Persons indicated in bold font with an asterisk (*) are nominees, up for election this year. These nominations were made by the sister city committees and other organizations represented on our BSC, Inc. board. Opposing nominations, if desired, can be made at the February 15, 2023 Annual Membership Meeting.

Persons WITHOUT an asterisk are in the middle of their board term and therefore NOT up for reelection on February 15, 2023.

OrganizationRepresentativeTerm (2 years)
BSC:Changwon (BCSCC) Representative:
Michelle Lee *		2023 & 2024
Gbarnga (BGSCC) Representative:
Luana Kiandoli		2022 & 2023
Kawasaki (BKSCC) Representative:
Jay Gordon *		2023 & 2024
Luxor-Alexandria (BLASCC) Representative:
Karen Leggett Abouraya *		2023 & 2024
Odesa (BOSCC) Representative:
Karina Mandell		2022 & 2023
Piraeus (BPSCC) Representative:
Diane Homberg		2022 & 2023
Rotterdam (BRSCC) Representative:
Gary Davison		2022 & 2023
Xiamen (BXSCC) Representative:
Hosea Chew *		2023 & 2024
Mayor’s Office:Baltimore Mayor’s Office Representative:
Nina Themelis (Deputy Director, Mayor’s Office of Government Relations)		2022 & 2023
MIMA:Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Representative:
Masuma Islam Lonczak *		2023 & 2024
BDC:Baltimore Development Corporation Representative:
William Cawthern (Director of Baltimore Foreign Trade Zone #74)		2022 & 2023
BOPA:Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts Representative:
Lauren Green * (Director of Marketing)		2023 & 2024

Note:

The positions of the non-voting (a.k.a. co-opted) board members (currently Fontaine Bell, Geri Byrd, Hosea Chew, Teresa Leslie, Nancy Taylor) are not approved at the Annual Membership Meeting but at the 1st regular Board Meeting of the year following the annual meeting. This year, the Board Meeting immediately follows the Annual Membership Meeting on February 15, 2023. BSC Executive Officers are also elected at the February 15 Board Meeting. The officer positions up for election this year are: Vice President, Secretary, and Assistant Treasurer. See the ballot topics for the February 15 Board Meeting.

D. Sister City Committee Chairs

The following list is informational only. The chairs are elected by their committee members. The chairs are not elected in the BSC Annual Membership Meeting.

CommitteeChairTerm (2 years)
Changwon (BCSCC)Michelle Lee2022 & 2023
Gbarnga (BGSCC)Luana Kiandoli2022 & 2023
Kawasaki (BKSCC)Jay Gordon2023 & 2024
Luxor-Alexandria (BLASCC)Karen Leggett Abouraya & Tharwat Abouraya (co-chairs)2022 & 2023
Odesa (BOSCC)Karina Mandell2022 & 2023
Piraeus (BPSCC)Diane Homberg2022 & 2023
Rotterdam (BRSCC)Rachel Sengers2022 & 2023
Xiamen (BXSCC)Xin (Cindy) Wang2022 & 2023

Note

The 1st Board Meeting of 2023 immediately follows the Annual Membership meeting.

This webpage was last updated on 2023-02-06.

Jan 14 – Mar 25 / Lunar New Year Exhibition at Baltimore Clayworks

Exhibition: “Lunar New Year” Curated by Adam Chau.
Dates: January 14 – March 25, 2023.
Times: Tuesday – Saturday 10am-5pm ET. Sunday 12-5pm ET.
Admission: Free and open to the public.
Location: Baltimore Clayworks, 5707 Smith Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21209 .
About the exhibition: Exhibition page on Baltimore Clayworks site.
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 14 from 6-8 pm.
Virtual Artist Talk: January 24 at 2pm ET with curator Adam Chau About the artist talk & to register for it .

Chinese/Vietnamese American artist, Adam Chau, has produced this series of exhibitions across the United States celebrating the Asian New Year since 2019. Participating AAPI and mixed-heritage artists share original ceramic works inspired by the animals from the Asian zodiac – a rabbit for the year 2023. Multiple cultures are represented in this project, including China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Participating artists are Ian Basset, Ling Chun, WangLing Chou, Grace Gittleman, Gunyoung Kim, Steven Kin, Nikki Lau, Cindy Leung, Mari Ogihara, Eun-Ha Paek, Shoji Satake, Juliane Shibata, Hitomi and Takuro Shibata, Micah Sweezie. Curator, Adam Chau, is a New York-based artist and Exhibitions Manager at ArtsWestchester.

Event partners include Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee (BKSCC), Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee (BXSCC), Towson University Asian Arts & Culture Center (AA&CC).

Ceramic work by artist Steven Kin, part of the “Lunar New Year” 2023 exhibition at Baltimore Clayworks. This artwork is a vase shape (gray and white), with a blue rabbit in the center, and blue patterns at the top and bottom.
Ceramic art by artist Steven Kin

Upcoming Sister City Events

A list of upcoming events organized or supported by Baltimore Sister Cities and our sister city committees (Changwon, South Korea; Gbarnga, Liberia; Kawasaki, Japan; Luxor & Alexandria, Egypt; Odesa, Ukraine; Piraeus, Greece; Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Xiamen, China) and our affiliates. Events include:

January 14 – March 25, 2023

Lunar New Year Exhibition at Baltimore Clayworks

Times: Tuesday – Saturday 10am-5pm ET. Sunday 12-5pm ET.
Admission: Free and open to the public
Location: Baltimore Clayworks, 5707 Smith Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21209
About the exhibition: Exhibition page on Baltimore Clayworks site
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 14 from 6-8 pm
Virtual Artist Talk: January 24 at 2pm ET with curator Adam Chau About the artist talk

Chinese/Vietnamese American artist, Adam Chau, has produced this series of exhibitions across the United States celebrating the Asian New Year since 2019. Participating AAPI and mixed-heritage artists share original ceramic works inspired by the animals from the Asian zodiac – a rabbit for the year 2023. Multiple cultures are represented in this project, including China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Event partners include Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee (BKSCC), Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee (BXSCC), Towson University Asian Arts & Culture Center (AA&CC).

March – April, 2023

Architecture student exchange

Students and faculty from Morgan State University School of Architecture + Planning (MSU SA+P) travel to Baltimore’s sister city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands in March. In April, architecture faculty students from Rotterdam travel to Baltimore to reciprocate the exchange

See the Trip to Rotterdam webpage for more information.

Supported by Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee.

Q1-Q2 2023

Maryland Global Gateway soft landing program

Are you a Maryland-based business interested in testing put your business in a foreign market? If so, check out the new Global Gateway Exchange soft landing program organized by the State of Maryland’s Department of Commerce. The program helps Maryland companies ease their transitions to global markets and connects them with an international partner. Selected Maryland companies will have the opportunity to explore a foreign market with the support of a partnering incubator. Exchange partners provide companies with access to facilities, resources, networking, advisors, and more. Current international partners include incubator programs in Ireland, South Korea and Japan, with more expected to join in the coming months.

The program is also accepting applications for non-U.S. businesses looking to test out the Maryland market. Applications for foreign companies are accepted through March 15. Participating companies were eligible for funding toward rent costs for up to six months at a business incubator and accelerator in Maryland. The program also offers training, mentoring, matchmaking and networking, and assistance with business registration costs for those that choose to stay in Maryland.

More information

March 17 – April 16, 2023

Crisis Mode: Living Pilipino in America

In-person: Friday, March 17- Sunday, April 2
Online: Thursday, March 30-Sunday, April 16
Location: Strand Theater, 5426 Harford Road, Baltimore MD 21214
More info: Strand Theater website

In this one-person piece, Cori Dioquino explores the complexities of her own identity as she navigates through the three major identity crises of her life. “Crisis Mode” weaves Dioquino’s personal history with that of her motherland – The Philippines – and its complicated relationship to the United States through dance, movement, music, and art. With each crisis, she shares her experiences growing up an immigrant in the “Land of the Free”, coping with hidden mental health issues, and her gradual transition from “Proud Pinoy” to “Generic Asian”. 

Produced by Asian Pasifika Arts Collective and Strand Theater Co. Co-sponsored by the Towson University Asian Arts & Culture Center (AA&CC).

March 25 to April 3, 2023

Changwon’s Annual Flower Festival

Baltimore Sister Cities members are invited to attend this annual festival. Contact the Baltimore-Changwon Sister City Committee for more information.

Promoted by Baltimore-Changwon Sister City Committee.

March 26, 2023

Annual Maryland Greek Independence Day Parade in Baltimore

Baltimore Sister Cities members are invited to arrive at 2pm to march with the Baltimore-Piraeus Sister City Committee!

Supported by Baltimore-Piraeus Sister City Committee.

April 1, 2023

Hanami: Baltimore’s Cherry Blossom Picnic

Join us for the annual Hanami picnic hosted by the Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee

Time: 2-4pm ET
Location: Fort McHenry Park, 2400 E. Fort Ave, Baltimore MD 21230
Admission: Free. Bring your own picnic.
More information & to register: Eventbrite page

Hanami is the Japanese tradition of enjoying cherry blossoms in full bloom with a picnic under the cherry trees. Fort McHenry park has two lovely groves of cherry trees for us to relax under. Bring your blanket, a picnic lunch, and cultural curiosity. Baltimore-Kawasaki committee members will be ready with some extra Japanese finger foods and tea.

You can park in the Fort McHenry parking lot and walk through the Visitor’s Center to reach the East Lawn Cherry Tree Grove. Beer and sake are allowed as per park rules. We anticipate good weather but, rain or shine, we will be present. And bring your camera for blossom selfies. The event is free but please register.

Organized by the Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee

April 1, 2023

Ryokucha Japanese Tea Tasting Workshop

Time: 12-2pm ET
Location: McHenry Row Conference Center, 1215 E. Fort Ave, Baltimore MD 21230
More information & to purchase tickets: Eventbrite page

Nippon Motion hosts a Ryokucha Workshop with Japanese Green Tea. Learn about loose-leaf, matcha, and ready-to-drink tea. Sample over 10 authentic varieties. Receive a Japanese-made yunomi (ceramic tea cup). This is a great opportunity for both beginners and existing fans of Japanese tea to expand their knowledge and get first-hand experience with the world of Ryokucha!

The Ryokucha Workshop takes place near Fort McHenry Park, so attendees of the Ryokucha Workshop can come join the Hanami event (Japanese cherry blossom picnic) in McHenry Park after the workshop.

Go ahead and plan a great day of Japanese culture — start with a Ryokucha Workshop from 12-2pm and head over to the Hanami picnic from 2-4pm. Wonderful scents, sights, and tastes!

Organized by Nippon Motion. Co-promoted by Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee (BKSCC).

April 11, 2023

Author conversation with Diana Abu-Jaber

Time: 7-8pm EST
Format: Zoom
More info & to register: mcpl.libnet.info/event/7813047

Born to an American mother and a Jordanian father, Diana Abu-Jaber now teaches writing and literature at Portland State University in Oregon. She is the author of the highly-acclaimed memoirs Life Without a Recipe and The Language of Baklava as well as the novels Crescent and Birds of Paradise. Abu-Jaber will be talking about her newest book, Fencing with the King, which has been described as a “mesmerizing breakthrough novel of family myths and inheritances.” 

Other talks in this series

Hosted by Montgomery County Public Libraries, in partnership with Montgomery County Middle Eastern American Advisory Group, Office of Community Partnerships and Baltimore-Luxor-Alexandria Sister City Committee.

April 12–17, 2023

Dutch tall clipper ship in Baltimore Inner Harbor

Tours available to the public through the Sail Baltimore organization.

More information

Opens April 23, 2023

Across Asia: Arts of Asia and the Islamic World

Location: Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21201
Opening Reception: Sunday, April 23 at 2 pm ET
More info: Walters museum website

The Walters Art Museum presents a landmark installation of its Asian and Islamic collections, offering new ways to examine and experience both Asian and Islamic art. For the first time at the Walters, visitors can view approximately 500 artworks from across the Asian continent together in a contiguous space, including art from Islamic cultures spanning West to South Asia. Across Asia: Arts of Asia and the Islamic World is the culmination of years of work by Walters curators to expand the connectivity of the Asian and Islamic art collections and will feature visitor favorites as well as works which have previously never been on view.

During the opening reception: Celebrate the opening of the Walters Art Museum’s Across Asia: Arts of Asia and the Islamic World with performances co-presented by the Asian Arts & Culture Center. Listen to Persian music by Ahmad Borhani and Japanese koto musician Masayo Ishigure and enjoy an Indian-Thai collaborative dance performance by Nilimma Devi and Anila Kumari of Sutradhar Institute of Dance and Related Arts/Devi Dance Theatre and Suteera Nagavajara and Vorayot Suksaichon of Somapa Thai Dance Company. The celebration also includes gallery talks, drop-in art-making, and tea tasting from 11 am to 4:30 pm. All ages are welcome.

Opening reception co-sponsored by the Towson University Asian Arts & Culture Center (AA&CC).

April 26, 2023

Filling the Skills Gap in the Workplace (Agile Global Innovation Series)

Time: 4-7pm ET
Location: World Trade Center building at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore
More info & to register: AGILE event series page

Job titles and college degrees are out. Skills are in. That is the takeaway from new research about how to hire and retain workers so that businesses can succeed. Emphasizing skills in job descriptions has boosted the quality and quantity of people applying for jobs. And investing in staff training related to specific skills has increased the number of people who stay with their current employer instead of searching for a greener pasture. During this session, participants will learn what academic institutions are doing to ensure their students have the right skills needed to enter and advance in careers related to global business, as well as how artificial intelligence (such as ChatGPT) is influencing the institutions’ decisions about what and how to teach.

May 1, 2023

Sister Cities International Young Artists & Authors Program on Food Security

May 1 is the deadline for sister cities to submit artwork to this showcase. Only members of Sister Cities International can submit artwork for consideration. This year’s theme is: “Peace by Piece: Food Security in My Community.”

About the program

May 5 – June 3, 2023

Annual Asia North Exhibition & Festival

Exhibit Opening Reception and Celebration: Friday, May 5
Exhibition and Festival: May 5 – June 3
More info: About the festival

The 5th annual Asia North community exhibition and festival celebrates Baltimore’s Charles North (a.k.a. Station North) neighborhood’s constantly evolving identities as a Koreatown, arts district, and creative center. Inaugurated in spring 2019, Asia North is a collaborative community celebration that recognizes, showcases, and honors the art, culture and the Asian heritage of Greater Baltimore, especially the Korean history of Baltimore’s Charles North community.

Festival includes “Three Patterns” Exhibit & Performance from May 19-28 by Michael Young. The exhibit includes 14 photos and 2 Shodo (Japanese calligraphy) works, with 3 performances on opening night including Shakuhacki by Hideo Sekino.

Stay tuned for more updates. 

Co-presented by the Towson University Asian Arts & Culture Center (AA&CC) and the Central Baltimore Partnership. Baltimore-Changwon Sister City Committee plans to participate in this event.

May 31 – June 5, 2023

Japanese Coast Guard ship in Fell’s Point harbor

Tours available to the public through the Sail Baltimore organization.

More information

June 2, 2023

Baltimore Immigration Summit

Towson University and the Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MIMA) host the 10th Baltimore Immigration Summit at West Village Commons at Towson University, returning after a three-year hiatus. This is a one-day event bringing together academics, policymakers, service providers, activists, community leaders and others working with and for New Americans (immigrants and refugees) in the Baltimore region. The 2023 theme is ”Working Towards Equity: Strength and Transformation in Immigrant Communities.” Stay tuned for more information to come.

June 6, 2023

Annual Women Spanning the Globe conference

Time: 8:30-4:30pm ET
Location: Colwell Center (Formerly the Columbus Center) 701 E Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 
More info & to register: Event page

The annual Women Spanning the Globe conference hosted by World Trade Center Institute (WTCI) is a chance to learn from and network with hundreds of emerging and existing women leaders from the Mid-Atlantic region.

The voices at the conference are diverse and expansive. Since the event’s inception in 2005, speaker lineups have included marketing and banking executives, engineers, technology and human resources experts, journalists, and humanitarians. And while these women are spread across industries, they often experience the same professional challenges.

Sep 9 & 10, 2023

47th Annual Ukrainian Festival of Baltimore

Details to come.

Note: due to the evolving worldwide COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, we advise you to check each event’s page or event organizers for the latest updates about the event, before you go to attend an event.

B4 Youth Theatre Liberia – 200 Years of Returns

Performance on December 18

B4 Youth Theatre is excited to announce that we will be giving our closing Bicentennial performance of 200 Years of Returns on Sunday, December 18, 2022 at 6pm at Providence Island in Liberia. Doors open at 5pm. This performance will be historic as we approach the end the year of 2022 which marks the 200 years of diaspora-making in this land of Liberty. We invite you to celebrate this historic occasion with as we welcome international guest actors from the Museum Theatre.

This is a collaboration with Department of Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Virginia (US), dancers sponsored by the Inheritance Baltimore project, and graduate researcher assistants under the direction of the Program in Racism, Immigration, and Citizenship at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University. Since we began this collaboration in 2019, we have consulted with notable Liberian scholars, artists, and policymakers such as Dr. Carl Burrowes, Dr. Clarice Ford Kulah, and Hon. Rosana G.D.H. Schaack on the development of a production that includes many perspectives for a thoughtful reflection on the challenges and triumphs which brought us together in the past and with hope for how we might persevere together in the future.

Our senior company of theater artists, composed of actors from our national leadership team, many of whom began with our program as students in 2013, will join our international guests in this performance. Between June-August of this year, five of our Liberia national leaders and senior company members traveled to the US to perform an early version of the script and conduct theater workshops in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia.

Opportunity for a performance on December 19

Students at our Gbarnga area program site are excited to see this performance for themselves, and as many cannot travel to Monrovia for the main performance on December 18, we would love the opportunity to bring them to the Bong County Technical College campus for a performance workshop. We envision a 30 to 40-minute combined performance with our Liberian actors and those from Colonial Williamsburg along with dancers from Baltimore, Maryland, US, and a panel discussion with all of our artists and distinguished educational professionals in Liberia. Aligned with our mission of empowering young people to become educated citizens through the arts, we believe this would be a valuable opportunity to cultivate knowledge with Bong County Technical College students, faculty, and staff, local youth artists, and our international guests. We could be available for this event the afternoon of Monday, December 19, 2022.

About B4 Youth Theatre

www.b4youththeatre.org

About the Johns Hopkins University program

JHU’s RIC Supports Trip to Liberia for Baltimore Schoolchildren

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logo-baltimoreBaltimore sister city committees operate under the auspices of the City of Baltimore’s Office of the Mayor.

 

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Previous mayor’s Dec 2015 press release about Baltimore Sister Cities.

 

Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc. is a 501c3 organization incorporated in the State of Maryland.
Member of  Sister Cities International, Maryland Nonprofits, World Trade Center Institute, Visit Baltimore, & affiliate of Maryland International Education Consortium.
Recipient of 2016 Innovation Award from Sister Cities International.