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

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 – October

New American Leadership Institute

Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MIMA) presents the third annual New American Leadership Institute, which runs from September 2023 to October 2023. NALI is free four-session civics academy for immigrant and refugees who are emerging leaders to learn about local governance, hone leadership skills, network with peers, and identify opportunities for civic participation. The four sessions are: Leadership 101, Navigating Local Government, Government Entities & Community Resources, and In My Neighborhood. Open to pre-registered applicants only. More info about NALI.

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September 8 – 21

Baltimore-Rotterdam Exhibition ‘Speed of Life’

Dates/times: September 8 – 21, 2023. Exhibit talk on September 15 at 12:30 CET
Location: Rotterdamse Academie van Bouwkunst, Pieter de Hoochweg 129, 3024 BG Rotterdam
More information (in Dutch): About the exhibition

In March & April 2023, Morgan State University School of Architecture + Planning (MSU SAP) and Rotterdam Academy of Architecture and Urban Design (RAvB, Rotterdamse Academie van Bouwkunst) participated in an exchange with students, faculty, and professionals. One of the participating graduate students, Mike van Staten, has designed a photo exhibit about the 2023 exchange and his trip to Baltimore.

More information about the exchange: 2023 architecture exchange | MSU SAP trip report

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September 12 – December 16

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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September 16

Carmen Comes Home (Film screening)
カルメン故郷に帰る, Karumen kokyō ni kaeru

Date/time: Saturday, September 16, 2023 at 1pm ET
Location: Towson University, Center for the Arts (Room CA2032), 1 Fine Arts Drive, Towson, MD 21204
Admission: Free. Advance registration required
More info & to register: Eventbrite page

Enjoy this rare screening of a 1951 classic comedy—Japan’s first color film—from Reed Hessler’s private collection. Follow the encounters of Lily Carmen and her lovesick friend Maya when they leave Tokyo to visit Carmen’s small rural hometown in Nagano. (color) Directed by Keisuke Kinoshita. 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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September 21

Expand your Maryland business overseas

Join this event to learn about the benefits of exporting and programs to help your business!  Want to expand your business reach overseas? Attend this forum in Howard County to hear from representatives of Maryland’s Department of Commerce, U.S. Commercial Service, Center for Global Business at the Smith School of Business, and the Maryland-DC District Export Council.

Date/time: Thursday September 21, 2023 at 9-10:30 am ET
Location: Howard County Economic Development Authority, 6751 Columbia Gateway Dr., First Floor Conference Room, Columbia, MD 21046
Admission: Advance registration required
More info and to register: Event page

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September 22-24

Artscape 2023

Dates/times: Friday September 22 at 5-10pm ET, Saturday September 23 at 11am-10pm ET and Sunday September 24 at 1am-5pm ET
More information: Artscape website

Baltimore’s annual festival of the arts returns this September. Artscape is America’s largest free outdoor arts festival, rocking the cultural heart of Baltimore since 1982. The festival was designed as an Arts Fair that marketed Baltimore as a cultural hub, generated local community support for the arts, and stimulated economic development and investment in the Mt. Vernon/Bolton Hill neighborhood. Artscape 2023 includes visual art exhibitions, main stage music performances, culinary delights, community gathering spaces, immersive family & youth experiences, an artist marketplace, and much more!

During Artscape, Towson University Asian Arts & Culture Center co-hosts a Community Partner Interactive Exhibit. Learn about Asian Arts & Culture Center’s ever-evolving resources and programming that uplift and share APIMEDA (Asian Pacific Islander Middle Eastern Desi American) stories, challenge anti-Asian hate, and promote cross-cultural dialogue across Greater Baltimore. Create your own original paper lotuses and garlands with award-winning artist, Sookkyung Park, that symbolize peace and harmony and incorporate your wishes for the future.

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September 28

Conversation with Dance Expert Dana Tai Soon Burgess

Date/time: Thursday, September 28, 6:30pm ET
Location: Towson University, Center for the Arts (in the Atrium), 1 Fine Arts Drive, Towson, MD 21204
Admission: Free
More information: Asian Arts & Culture Center events page

Join renowned modern dance choreographer Dana Tai Soon Burgess as he shares how his background as a gay, fourth generation, Korean American man inspires work that emphasizes multiculturalism, equity, and social justice. Dr. Michael Masatsugu (Towson University Associate Professor and Director of American Studies and Global Humanities) will interview Burgess about his dedication to telling Asian American Pacific Islander stories through dance as well as about his new memoir Chino and the Dance of the Butterfly. Dancers from Burgess’ acclaimed company will perform excerpts from their repertoire. Burgess will sign copies of his memoir, also for sale, at the event.

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September 30

Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company (performance)

Date/time: Saturday, September 30, 7 p.m.
Location: Stephens Hall Theatre, Towson University
Admission: $40
More info & to purchase tickets: Asian Arts & Culture Center events page

Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company (DTSBDC) presents an evening of its acclaimed modern dances accompanied by Keith Hudspeth, Millicent Scarlett, Dana Scott and Erin Snedecor. Dana Tai Soon Burgess is a leading American choreographer, dancer, and cultural ambassador for the US State Department. Named the first-ever choreographer-in-residence for the Smithsonian Institution, he has been called “the poet-laureate of Washington Dance” by critic Sarah Kaufman. Now in its thirteenth season, DTSBDC is the preeminent modern dance company of Washington, DC. Based at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, the company has served as a U.S. State Department cultural envoy and has toured to five continents and over thirty countries.

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October 1

Cultural Adventure: Celebrate Muslims in America with an afternoon of film, tastes and treasures!

Date/time: Sunday, October 1, 2023, 3pm – 5:30pm ET
Location: Islamic Leadership Institute, 4903 Liberty Heights Ave, Baltimore MD 21207
Admission: $10 (students $5). Advance registration required.
More info and to purchase tickets: tinyurl.com/MuslimRoadTrip

The Baltimore Luxor Alexandria Sister City Committee (BLASCC) is pleased to invite you to a cultural adventure on Oct 1 from 3 – 5:30pm at the Islamic Leadership Institute in Baltimore. The committee will show a portion of the award-winning documentary Great Muslim American Road Trip, with live comments/Q&A from director Alex Kronemer. The committee will also serve Egyptian treats and offering Egyptian treasures for sale to raise funds for a BLASCC nurse training project in Alexandria, Egypt, this fall. 

Hosted by the Baltimore Luxor Alexandria Sister City Committee (BLASCC).

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October 5, 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).

We will mark the 50th anniversary occasion with a special event on October 5. Details to come.

More information about the Baltimore-Gbarnga anniversary

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October 6, 2023

Dutch flood prevention demo in Baltimore

A live demonstration in downtown Baltimore of solutions to prevent and manage flooding, from companies from the Netherlands, North America, and other countries. Open to registered attendees only, not to walk-ins. Contact Dutch Water Prevention or Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee for more information about this event.

Promoted by the Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee (BRSCC).

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October 11

Annual CHINA Town Hall

National Committee on U.S.-China Relations CHINA Town Hall: Featuring Ambassador Nicholas Burns

Save the date! More info to come.

The BXSCC is the Baltimore and Maryland host for this annual event organized by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR). The NCUSCR recruits a high-level speaker or panel on U.S.-China topics and the local host provides the venue and webcasting support as well as a distinguished local speaker/moderator to conduct follow-up discussions with the local audience.
More information: BXSCC website

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October 15 – 20

Dutch cybersecurity business mission visits the Maryland/DC metro region

InnovationQuarter (the economic development agency for The Hague/Rotterdam region), Hague Security Delta (HSD), the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and the Embassy of the Netherlands in the United States are organizing a Cyber Mission to Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia in October 2023.
More information

Promoted by the Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee (BRSCC).

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October 17-27

Operation Trash Tour Baltimore – Fall 2023

Rotterdam-based, American-born theatre artist and educator Kathie diStefano will visit Maryland again in October 17-27, 2023 to share her environmental programs with area schools. Ms. Kathie uses creative arts to teach students, young and old, to throw trash away where it belongs and how important recycling is for our future. Schools can schedule Ms. Kathie’s “Seagull Mamma” performance for K-2, and the “Operation Trash” assembly for middle and high school students via the Arts for Learning Maryland website. More information about Ms. Kathie’s Operation Trash Tour“ is on the Baltimore-Rotterdam HarborTraces website.

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October 18

Global Innovation Summit – Hosted by World Trade Center Institute

Date/time: Wednesday, October 18, 1-7pm ET
Location: M&T Bank Exchange at the Hippodrome
More info & to register: Event page

Take a deep dive into the drivers of global innovation. For the past seven years, the World Trade Center Institute (WTCI)’s AGILE Global Innovation Series has curated panel discussions about topics executives at globally minded businesses need to be up to speed on if they want to succeed in the rapidly changing world economy. In 2023, WTCI is taking this programming to the next level. Partnering with the Maryland Tech Council and TEDCO, the inaugural Global Innovation Summit will bring together top minds from the mid-Atlantic and around the globe. Corporate innovators, economic change-makers, investors, and more will unite for an afternoon of inspired conversation, impactful networking, and invaluable takeaways.

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October 21

Great Halloween Lantern Parade & Festival

Date/time: Saturday, October 21, 4 p.m. (Rain date: Sunday, October 22)
4pm Festival at Pulaski Monument; 6:30pm Parade Line-up; 7pm Parade
Location: Patterson Park, Baltimore, MD
More information: Event page

Experience the magic of fantastical spirits and creatures as well as spectacular presentations by diverse Baltimore-area communities of all ages at the 24th annual Great Halloween Lantern Parade & Festival co-produced by the Creative Alliance and Friends of Patterson Park.

Event includes Asian Community Processions (hosted by Towson University Asian Arts & Culture Center) with Year of the Rabbit lantern sculptures, a Cambodian cultural procession, an Indian dance procession, and a Korean p’ungmul drumming procession .

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November 11

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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December 6

Maryland State of the Ports

Annual event in Baltimore hosted by World Trade Center Institute. More details to come later. About this annual event.

Several programs, projects, and contributions 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.
See also our list of upcoming events.

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Maryland Global Gateway

The state of Maryland offers several programs for Maryland businesses to expand abroad, and for foreign companies to expand to the US using Maryland as a gateway. More info

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Baltimore & Gbarnga: 50 years of Sister Cities (2023)

Promoted by Baltimore-Gbarnga Sister City Committee

Baltimore’s first sister city relationship was established 50 years ago in 1973 with Gbarnga in Liberia. There are several special events throughout the year to commemorate the 50th anniversary. More information

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Changwon Mayoral delegation visits Baltimore (2023)

Changwon’s Deputy Mayor visited Baltimore in May 2023 with a delegation from Baltimore’s sister city of Changwon, South Korea. More information

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Sister Cities International Young Artists & Authors Program (YAAS) (2023)

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.”

See the corresponding Sister Cities International webpage, winners announcement, and Xiamen Foreign Affairs Office social media post (in Chinese) for more details, including depictions of the young artists and their work.

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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Architecture student trip to Rotterdam (2023)

Students and faculty from Morgan State University School of Architecture + Planning (MSU SA+P) traveled to Baltimore’s sister city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands in March 2023.

• Trip travelogue
• About the trip
• Companion webinar series

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Blooming Rainbow Project (2021-2023)

Organized by Baltimore-Changwon Sister City Committee (BCSCC)

2021-2022

During 2021-2022, artists conducted “Blooming Rainbow” — a collaborative class with children, 5-15 years old, in Baltimore and South Korea to create abstract painting jointly together. In this program, children paint scribbles — they can express their feelings, impulsion or their favorite figures. The scribbles are then exchanged with the artists in Baltimore and Korea, who overlap color onto the scribbles. The children learn about the sister cities of Baltimore, Maryland USA and Changwon, South Korea, and learn about abstract art concepts and artists.

The program is coordinated by artists Ara Ko, Jack Koppert, and Huaqi Liu (graduate students in MICA’s LeRoy E. Hoffberger Painting MFA Program in Baltimore) and Chaeyeon Hong, Yongeun Kwon and Jaeeun Kim from Ewha University in Seoul, South Korea (who travel to Changwon to teach their group of students).

Learn more about the project here.

2023

The art exchange continues, with the Baltimore Changwon Youth Art Circle | BCYAC!

With the help of our partnerships, the workshops generated by this project serve to promote diversity and equal opportunity in both cities while gathering together artists and students in safe communal art spaces. Mentoring of historically underserved groups is crucial to develop a healthy feeling of self-worth and identity in our communities. Our participating artists seek to develop relationships with students based on mutual respect and affirmation of their self-worth, and maintain high expectations while using culturally responsive teaching practices.

The goal of this project is to establish the potential of growing fruit from small beginnings by illustrating and developing the innate ability of children through visual expression. By joining students with mature artists, it is hoped that the beauty of drawing with simple beginnings enhanced by artists will inspire students to realize their potential based on their own visual expression of their ideas.

Learn more about the project here.

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Immigrant Heritage Month Recognition (2022)

Contributions by Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee (BXSCC)

The BXSCC and its efforts in support of Baltimore’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic were featured by the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MIMA) during their social media celebration of immigrants’ contribution to the City of Baltimore. See the post via Instagram.

The Treasurer of Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc. (BSC) is stepping down in early 2022 after 3 years of service, so BSC is looking for a new treasurer.

Key responsibilities are: bookkeeping for the accounts of the corporation and its 8 sister city committees; processing payments and deposits for the corporation and its committees; managing the corporation’s checking account at a local bank; preparing and filing state and federal tax returns; working with the corporation’s executive committee to prepare an annual budget; and attending board meetings (approximately every 6 weeks). Some accounting background and experience with QuickBooks, Excel and Google Workplace (formerly called ‘G Suite’) is a plus.

Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc. (BSC) is a non-profit 501c3 corporation and all of its members and officers, including the Treasurer, are unpaid volunteers. The position offers great international management experience and personal satisfaction in line with the mission of Sister Cities International: ‘To promote peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation – one individual, one community at a time.’ For more information about BSC, see our home page.

Several other Baltimore Sister Cities, Inc. executive officer positions will also be opening up in January 2022.

Persons who are interested in the Treasurer position or other positions at BSC should contact  for more information. Please reply on or before December 31, 2021.

In the January 27, 2022 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 (voting members of BSC board and the constituent sister city committees). The information has been posted on this webpage so that members have a chance to review it before the meeting.

A. 2021 ACCOMPLISHMENTS REPORT

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

View proposed 2021 Accomplishments Report (PDF, 5.8mb)

PDF posted on: 2022-01-23 4pm ET

B. 2022 PLAN

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

View proposed 2022 Plan (PDF, 2mb)

PDF posted on: 2022-01-23 4pm 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 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 January 27, 2022 annual meeting.

Persons WITHOUT an asterisk are in the middle of their board term and therefore NOT up for reelection this year.

Organization	Representative	Term
BSC:	Changwon (BCSCC) Representative: Michelle Lee	2021-2022
	Gbarnga (BGSCC) Representative: William Hug *	2022-2023
	Kawasaki (BKSCC) Representative: Jay Gordon	2021-2022
	Luxor-Alexandria (BLASCC) Representative to : Karen Leggett Abouraya	2021-2022
	Odesa (BOSCC) Representative: Karina Mandell *	2022-2023
	Piraeus (BPSCC) Representative: Diane Homberg *	2022-2023
	Rotterdam (BRSCC) Representative: Gary Davison *	2022-2023
	Xiamen (BXSCC) Representative: Kerry Holahan *	2022-2023
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)	2021-2022
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: Catalina Rodriguez-Lima (Director of MIMA)	2021-2022

Note: Non-voting board members (currently 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 that board meeting is scheduled for February 23, 2022. BSC officers are also elected at the February 23 meeting. The officer positions to be elected this year are: President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Assistant Secretary.

D. Sister City Committee Chairs

The following list informational only. The chairs are elected by their committee members. The chairs are not elected in the BSC annual membership meeting.

Committee	Chair	Term
Changwon (BCSCC)	Michelle Lee	Until 2022-12-31
Gbarnga (BGSCC)	Pending
Kawasaki (BKSCC)	Jay Gordon	2021-2022
Luxor-Alexandria (BLASCC)	Karen Leggett Abouraya & Tharwat Abouraya (co-chairs)	2022-2023
Odesa (BOSCC)	Karina Mandell	Until 2022-06-01
Piraeus (BPSCC)	Diane Homberg	2021-2022
Rotterdam (BRSCC)	Rachel Sengers	2022-2023
Xiamen (BXSCC)	Xin (Cindy) Wang	2022-2023