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:

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2023

Baltimore & Gbarnga: Celebrate 50 Years of Sister Cities

Baltimore’s first sister city relationship was established 50 years ago in 1973 with Gbarnga in Liberia. In Baltimore, the relationship is managed by Baltimore-Gbarnga Sister City Committee (BGSSC); in Gbarnga is it managed by Gbarnga-Baltimore Sister City Committee (GBSC Liberia).

More information about the Baltimore-Gbarnga anniversary

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2023

Across Asia: Arts of Asia and the Islamic World

Location: Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21201
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.

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2023

Sister Cities International Young Artists & Authors Program (YAAS)

Youth in Baltimore, our sister cities around the world, and other locales that are part of Sister Cities International were invited to join this annual contest. The 2023 theme was “Peace by Piece: Food Security in My Community”.

In August 2023, 16-year-old ZHANG Jingwu from Baltimore’s sister city of Xiamen was named the second-place winner of the photography category for his piece “On the Field of Hope”. Jingwu described his photo as portraying “A bountiful harvest and boundless hope. The yellow grains in the sun form a golden ocean, and the terraced fields transformed from the hills are layered on top of each other, showing the hope of thriving in the sunlight. The golden sunlight renders the banana trees in the field emerald and gold, and the rich colors show the joy of the harvest in the mountains.”

You can see ZHANG Jingwu’s artwork on the Sister Cities International’s website, along with artwork by other youth around the world. More information about the YAAS program.

Special thanks to Nacoya (Coya) Villegas from Baltimore Sister Cities and to the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee for coordinating Baltimore Sister Cities and Xiamen’s participation in the 2023 YAAS program.

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September 12 – December 16, 2023

Connected as One (art exhibition)

Sookkyung Park’s immersive installation of large-scale sculptures and smaller works includes a merging and expansion of her two seminal pieces, “Blooming” and “Rise Up,” to simultaneously underscore the interconnectedness of life and bring people together. This airy and colorful dreamscape — saturated with symbols of hope, strength and harmony — inspires awe and optimism. Park — who was born and raised in a divided Korea — expresses her ideals for a peaceful society in her artwork. 

Dates/times:
September 12 – December 16, 2023 (closed October 13 and November 22-25)
Gallery hours: Monday – Saturday 11 am – 4 pm  
Opening Reception & Artist talk: Wednesday, September 13, 7:30pm
Location: Asian Arts Gallery, Center for the Arts, Towson University, 1 Fine Arts Drive, Towson, MD 21204
Admission: Free
More information: Asian Arts & Culture Center events page

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November 11, 2023

Mr. Thank You (Film screening)
有りがたうさん, Arigatō-san

Date/time: Saturday, November 11, 2023 at 1pm ET
Location: Towson University, Center for the Arts (Art Lecture Hall), 1 Fine Arts Drive, Towson, MD 21204
Admission: Free. Advance registration required
More info & to register: Eventbrite page

Enjoy this rare screening of a 1936 classic comic drama from Reed Hessler’s private collection. Based on a short story by Nobel Prize-winning novelist Yasunari Kawabata and noted for its location shooting, this film portrays the lives of various bus passengers and their diverse reasons for travel from Izu to Tokyo during depression-era Japan. Directed by Hiroshi Shimizu. Hosted by Reed Hessler, longtime host on WBJC. Part of the Japan Film Program at Towson University.

The Japan Film Program is organized by the Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee (BKSCC) in partnership with Towson University College of Fine Arts and Communication (COFAC) and Associate Dean, Greg Faller, along with the Asian Arts & Culture Center at Towson University and its Director, Joanna Pecore.

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November 12-17, 2023

Training the Trainers is a Gift that Keeps on Giving

The Baltimore-Luxor-Alexandria (Egypt) Sister City Committee (BLASCC) and the Alexandria Sister City Committee collaborated to strengthen emergency/trauma nurse preparedness in Alexandria, Egypt.

BLASCC recruited Nora Mady, RN and Emergency Medical Technician, to train a team of emergency room nurses at the Egyptian High Institute of Public Health in Alexandria. These emergency nurses received 25 hours of training, tools and additional one-on-one coaching for the treatment of shock as well as cardiac, respiratory, neurological traumas. The training sessions also addressed the challenges of emergency treatment for special populations (pregnancy, pediatrics, trauma, burns, choking).

Nora Mady is a Registered Nurse with Inova Health Systems. She was in Egypt from Nov 12 -17, 2023, providing 5 hours of intensive training daily for one week at Alexandria Medical University.

More information: Project announcement | Post-training recap

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December 6, 2023

Rebuilding Ukraine

Date: Wednesday, December 6, 2023
Time: 9am-1pm ET
Location: Howard County Economic Development Authority
6751 Columbia Gateway Drive, 1^st Floor, Columbia, MD 21046
More information: Event page on MD-DC DEC website.

Learn how your company can participate in available business opportunities as part of the international effort to rebuild Ukraine. Join the Maryland-DC District Export Council (MD-DC DEC), Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee, and other organizations on December 6 for an exciting event focused on helping American companies connect with opportunities in Ukraine.

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December 6, 2023

Maryland State of the Ports and Embassy Wine Tasting

Date/time: Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 3:30-7pm ET
Location: World Trade Center Baltimore, 401 E Pratt St, Baltimore MD 21202
More info & tickets: Event webpage

Annual event in Baltimore hosted by World Trade Center Institute. Each year, leaders from the Mid-Atlantic come together to learn about the challenges and opportunities at Maryland’s ports, At this event, you will have the chance to:

• Sample drinks from around the world at the embassy-hosted tasting — including the countries of two of our sister cities: Japan (where Kawasaki is located) and the Netherlands (where Rotterdam is located)
• Learn about key challenges impacting international trade at our breakout sessions
• Network with the influential leaders driving economic growth in our region
• Hear the State of the Ports address directly from Maryland’s Secretary of Transportation

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December 9, 2023

Bonenkai 忘年会 Gathering

It is that time of year for the traditional Japanese Year-End Celebration of Bonenkai! Join the Baltimore-Kawasaki committee for this get-together with delicious Japanese food.

Date/time: Saturday, November 9, 2023 at 2-4pm ET
Location: Ramen Utsuke, 414 Light Street, Ste 103, Baltimore, MD  21202
Admission: $10 in advance

Tickets are $10, which will be used for a selection of appetizers to enjoy while socializing.  The Ramen Utsuke staff will then take orders for whatever else you’d like on the menu.

How to pay for your ticket:

1. Click the golden-yellow “Donate” button at the bottom of this web page.
2. Enter $10
3. Very Important!  Below the donation entry is a drop down box for “Use this donation for”.  Please select the Baltimore Kawasaki Sister City Committee.
4. Continue the payment process.
5. Where it says “Please tell us why you donate”: click it and enter “Bonenkai” and your name and how many are coming with you.
6. Submit your payment.
7. Print out or save a copy of your PayPal confirmation.

Organized by the Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee (BKSCC).

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December 19, 2023

The Baltimore Immigration Museum: A Behind-the-Scenes Tour

On Tuesday, December 19 at 5:30-6:30pm, join Baltimore Heritage at the Baltimore Immigration Museum to hear the stories of the various ethnic groups, including Germans, Irish, Jews, Poles, Lithuanians, Czechs, Italians, and Greeks, who started their American journey in Baltimore between 1830 and 1914. We also learn about more recent immigrant arrivals, including Asians and Latinos, and African Americans, traveling from the rural South to Baltimore between the 1920s and the 1960s. Finally, we’ll discover the history behind the building originally called Deutsches Emigranten Haus that was built in 1904 to provide temporary accommodations to individuals new to Baltimore. A light wine and cheese reception will be provided.

More info and to purchase tickets: Event page on Baltimore Heritage site

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January 26, 2024

Celebrate the Year of the Dragon

Date/time: Friday, January 26, 2024 at 5:30-7pm ET
Location: Bard High School Early College (BHSEC), 2801 N. Dukeland Street, Baltimore, MD 21216
More information

Happy New Year 春节快乐! Join us for night of cultural performances (lion dance, martial arts and more), as we bring in the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Dragon. Bring your family and friends!

Organized by BHSEC and the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee (BXSCC) with special thanks to BGE Asian American Resource Group and the Towson University Asian Arts and Culture Center.

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March & Fall 2024

Baltimore-Rotterdam Architecture + Urban Design Exchange

Students and faculty from Morgan State University School of Architecture + Planning (SA+P) and design professionals will travel to Baltimore’s sister city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands in March 2024. In Fall 2024, professionals and researchers from Rotterdam and Amsterdam, along with faculty and students from the Rotterdam Academy of Architecture and Urban Design (RAvB) will reciprocate the exchange by coming to Baltimore.

Community-centered urban design and environmental sustainability are the focus for the 2024 exchange. Professor Cristina Murphy (SA+P) and Thijs van Spaandonk (Bright) are the lead organizers/curators for the 2024 exchange. The 2024 exchange continues an ongoing collaboration between SA+P Professor Cristina Murphy and RAvB since 2019.

About the 2024 exchange

Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee (BRSCC) is helping fundraise, promote, and plan the exchange.

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2024-2025

Walk On By exhibition and artists exchange

The exhibition and artists exchange Walk On By, a collaboration between Creative Alliance and TENT Rotterdam, tells the story of the Black Atlantic experience in two historic industrial port cities, the sister cities of Baltimore and Rotterdam. The exhibition team is comprised of Joy Davis, Visual Arts Director at the Creative Alliance Baltimore and principal curator, and Caro van der Pluijm, Creative Producer at TENT Rotterdam. The name Walk On By is inspired by the need for observation, communication and community within the Black Atlantic as illustrated in the Dionne Warwick song. Engaging with the community in each hosting city is crucial for the curator and artists, as it enhances their experience and supports the upliftment of the localities.

Sep-Nov 2024: The exhibition is at Creative Alliance in Baltimore; Rotterdam artists and artwork travel to Baltimore for community engagement activities when the exhibition opens.
Apr-Jul 2025: The exhibition is at TENT in Rotterdam; Baltimore artists and artwork travel to Rotterdam for the reciprocal part of the exchange.

Stay tuned for more details to come.

Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee (BRSCC) is collaborating with curator Joy Davis, Creative Alliance, and TENT to plan and fundraise for this project.