arts/culture Archives - 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: Eventbr ite 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!

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 (15^th/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….

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

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

November 12, 2022 | Discover Egypt’s Treasures

Celebrate King Tut, the Rosetta Stone and today’s Egypt. Why do we still get so excited by mummies and pyramids? Anthony T Browder, the first African American to coordinate an archaeological dig in Egypt, has some answers. He will also host a live Zoom conversation from Luxor, Egypt, with the son of the young boy who first found King Tut’s tomb.

Try your hand at deciphering codes like the Rosetta Stone, write your name in hieroglyphics AND Arabic, and make a royal necklace. See what’s happening in Egypt today and savor Egyptian street food with the Koshery Corner Food Truck.

Date: Saturday, November 12, 2022
Time: 1:00-4:00pm
Location: Enoch Pratt Central Library, 400 Cathedral Street Baltimore, MD 21201
More information can be found here.

Supported by Baltimore Luxor-Alexandria Sister City Committee.

October 2, 2022 | Japan Day (Fall Festival)

Interested in Japanese traditional or pop culture? You are at the right place! Did you know that Maryland and Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan have been in a sister state relationship for more than 40 years? Celebrating the relationship, Maryland and Kanagawa Sister State committee along with Misako Ballet, Matcha Time Café, and UMBC welcome you to this cultural exploration event!

Our Japan Day/Fall Festival has many performances and hands-on activities for you to experience Japanese culture free of charge!

Date: Sunday, October 2, 2022
Time: 3:00-6:00pm
Location: The Meeting House, Oakland Mills Interfaith, Inc. 5885 Robert Oliver Place, Columbia, MD 21045
For more information and registration click here.

Co-organized by Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee.

October 13, 2022 | Night Market Untapped: A Social with Calligrapher Setshui Shiraishi

Uppu & OTS productions team up with Waverly Main Street to provide a space for Baltimore’s creatives, professionals and community to come together for this special cultural performance. This is an official event of the Night Market Untapped Series and Free Fall Baltimore.

The main performance is a collaboration between calligrapher Setsushi Shiraishi from Chiba, Japan and Shakuhachi player Hideo from Tokyo, Japan. After the performance, the artworks created by Setsuhi Shiraishi will be for purchase. We will also feature local food vendors, makers and additional performances. The event will be capped to 300 attendees.

Date: Thursday, October 13
Time: 5:00pm – 10:00pm
Location: Peabody Heights Brewery, 401 E. 30th St. Baltimore, MD 21218
Tickets: Free, reservations encouraged

For tickets and updates, visit here.

July 6 | Baltimore Sister Cities Meet & Greet

Come mingle with our volunteers and friends!

Date: Wednesday, July 6, 2022
Time: 5:30-8pm
Location: R.House, 301 West 29th Street, Baltimore MD 21211
Has outdoors and indoors seating.
Weather note: The forecast calls for rain on July 6. We will still hold the event on July 6. It will not be moved or cancelled.

Meet our friends and volunteers; find out more about our sister cities and our activities at this informal summer get-together.

Spread the word to others in your network and invite them to come, too!

How you can find us: look for people wearing “Baltimore Sister Cities” logo stickers on their shirts, or look for table-top signs with “Baltimore Sister Cities” logo.

No RSVP needed — just show up!

About the R.House

R.House is a food hall with several food stalls from Baltimore chefs and a bar. It is a large space with open floorplan seating — both outdoors and indoors seating available. No reservations accepted — it is walk-in only. Located in the Remington neighborhood, near the Maryland Avenue bike lane and near several bus routes, including Purple Circulator; CityLine Silver; Bus 21. Street parking.

R.House website

July 23 | Bmore for Ukraine!

Bmore for Ukraine fundraiser event July 23, 2022. Illustration of yellow sunflowers with blue stems and leaves on a black background; logos of the sponsors

Date: Saturday, July 23, 2022 (Rain or shine)
Time: 12-6pm ET
Location: Pulaski monument in Patterson Park, Baltimore
For more info and to purchase tickets: Eventbrite page

Join the Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee for the first annual BMore for Ukraine, a celebration of communities coming together to support Ukraine in its time of need. The event will feature live music, cultural dance, raffles, and more!

All proceeds will benefit World Central Kitchen & United Help Ukraine.