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:
Fall 2024 & Spring 2025
Walk On By exhibition and artists exchange
Walk On By is an exhibition and a cultural exchange that connects Black artists, their diverse experiences, and artwork, across the Atlantic. Explore the Black Atlantic through the diverse stories of local artists in the historical port cities of Baltimore and Rotterdam, through exhibitions in both countries and an exchange program. Featuring works by Schaun Champion (Baltimore), Charles Mason III (Baltimore), Naomi King (Rotterdam), kolpeace (Baltimore), Djon Seedorf (Rotterdam), and Tarona (Rotterdam). Curated by Joy Davis, Visual Arts Director at Creative Alliance and founder of Waller Gallery.
Sep 26 – Nov 30, 2024: The exhibition is at Creative Alliance in Baltimore; Rotterdam artists and artwork travel to Baltimore for community engagement activities in the week of the exhibition opening. Opening reception is the evening of September 26, 6-9pm — Free and open to the public.
Mar 21 -June 8, 2025: The exhibition is at TENT in Rotterdam; Baltimore artists and artwork travel to Rotterdam for the reciprocal part of the exchange.
Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee (BRSCC) is collaborating with curator Joy Davis, Creative Alliance, and TENT Rotterdam to plan and fundraise for this project.
Fall 2024
Asia in Maryland exhibition
Exhibition on view: September 11 – December 7, 2024 (closed October 25 and November 27-30)
Hours: Monday – Saturday 11 am – 4 pm ET
Location: Asian Arts Gallery, Center for the Arts, Towson University, 1 Fine Arts Drive, Towson, MD 21204. Some works will also be on display at the Enoch Pratt Free Library (central branch), 400 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
Opening reception: Wednesday, September 11, 7:30pm ET
Closing reception & meet the artists: Saturday December 7 at 2pm ET
More info: Towson University Asian Arts and Culture Center’s events page
Explore diverse works of art by Maryland-based Asian and AAPI visual artists which showcase the stories of, raise awareness about, and facilitate dialogue about the ideas and issues that are most important to the 500,000+ Asian and AAPI residents who play integral roles in the fabric of Maryland life.
Hosted by Towson University Asian Arts and Culture Center.
September 9 – December 14, 2024
The Me Before The War No Longer Exists: Ukrainian Portraits
Exhibition: September 9 – December 14
Receptions: Thursday September 26, 4-6pm | Saturday November 9, 1-4pm
Location:
Stevenson University
School of Design, Arts and Communication Lobby Gallery
11100 Ted Herget Way, Owings Mills MD 21117
More info: Stevenson University arts & cultural programs
Participatory project from Elena Volkova that engages the community of Ukrainians displaced by war in collaborative creation of wet plate collodion portraits, with the aim to provide a platform for refugees to reclaim their sense of selfhood. Elena Volkova is Associate Professor of Arts & Graphic Design at Stevenson University.
September 20, 2024
Gardens for Peace
Date/time: Friday, September 20, 2024 at 9 am ET
Location: Asian Arts & Culture Center’s Asian Garden, Osler Drive Entrance to the Center for the Arts, Towson University, 1 Fine Arts Drive, Towson, MD 21204
Cultivate a culture of friendship and community and recognize the International Day of Peace. Join a ceremonial raking of the Japanese word for peace (heiwa) in AA&CC’s Asian Garden. Collectively envision and promote peace with others through a guided group meditation. Participate in a dedication of this Japanese rock garden (kare-sansui) which was newly redesigned and reconstructed in fall 2023.
Hosted by Towson University Asian Arts and Culture Center.
September 21, 2024
Gate of Hell
地獄門 Jigokumon
Enjoy this rare screening of a 1953 period film about a samurai’s tragic obsession with a married woman. Gate of Hell was Daiei Film’s first color film and the first Japanese color film to be released outside Japan. Directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa. Winner of the Best Costume Design and the Best Foreign Language Film Awards at the 27th Academy Awards and the Grand Prize at the 1954 Cannes Film Festival. 89 minutes.
Event is free; registration is required. To register, find the film on Asian Arts & Culture Center events page and click the registration link next to the film.
Hosted by Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister Committee in partnership with Towson University College of Fine Arts and Communication Dean’s Office (COFAC) and Towson University Asian Arts and Culture Center.
September 22, 2024
From the Ukrainian Frontline With Thanks — Music Tour of Gratitude to America
Ukrainian concert by ‘Cultural Forces’
Date/time: Sunday, September 22, 2024 from 11:30 am – 2pm ET
Location: St Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church, 2401 Eastern Ave, Baltimore, MD (across from Patterson Park)
Admission: Free
More info
Cultural Forces is a cultural arm of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Professional musicians joined up and fought when Russia invaded. Several were wounded but recovered, and returned to active duty. They play for Ukrainian troops to keep up morale, and tour (USA) to show appreciation for and maintain support. From their web page: “We motivate civilians to voluntarily join the army, we work with the mobilized in training centers, we provide psychological support to units along the front line, and we work with the wounded in hospitals and rehabilitation centers.”
Hosted by St Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church. Brought to Baltimore by Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee (BOSCC).
September 23, 2024
‘Making Sense of America’ Lecture Series with Dr. Theo Gonzalves
Time: 5:30pm
Location: Towson University, College of Liberal Arts Building, Room 4310
Dr. Theodore Gonzalves as he discusses his new book, Smithsonian Asian Pacific American History, Art, and Culture in 101 Objects. Dr. Gonzalves is curator at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. A Fulbright Scholar and past president of the Association for Asian American Studies with more than thirty years of teaching experience in the United States, Spain, and the Philippines, he has released several publications.
Co-sponsored by the TU Program in American Studies, TU Department of Art + Design, Art History and Art Education, TU Asian Arts & Culture Center, TU Center for Student Diversity, TU Graduate Program in Global Humanities, and TU Department of History.
September 24-27, 2024
Placemaking Week Europe
Following the impactful and inspiring Placemaking Week conference in Baltimore in June 2024, now it is Rotterdam’s turn! Rotterdam is the host this year for Placemaking Week Europe. It is an annual festival that brings together 500+ placemakers, urbanists, city officials, and community leaders from across Europe and beyond. Placemaking Week Europe is created in the spirit of collaboration and inspiration and it has proven to be a vital platform to share best practices, foster meaningful collaborations across borders, and to experience the host city’s places and initiatives firsthand.
More info: Placemaking Europe website
October 12, 2024
Tampopo
タンポポ Dandelion
Uplift your spirits with this 1986 comedy film about transforming a mediocre ramen shop into the epitome of perfection. Hailed by Eater magazine as “a love letter to ramen” and “one of the best food movies of all time.” (color) Directed by Juzo Itami. The first thirty registered attendees will be served a bowl of ramen. 114 minutes.
Event is free; registration is required. To register, find the film on Asian Arts & Culture Center events page and click the registration link next to the film.
Hosted by Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister Committee in partnership with Towson University College of Fine Arts and Communication Dean’s Office (COFAC) and Towson University Asian Arts and Culture Center.
October 15, 2024
In the Stacks: Music of Ukraine
Time: 6:30pm – 7:30pm ET
Location: George Peabody Library, 17 E Mount Vernon Pl, Baltimore, MD 21202-2308
Admission: Advance registration is required. Capacity is limited!
More information and to register: Event page
Featuring Denis Savalyev (flute), Radoslawa Jasik (piano), and Larisa Pastuchiv (bandura), this performance will highlight the resilience of Ukrainian musicians and performers throughout history. The performance will explore 20th and 21st century music and literature while showcasing the bandura, a traditional Ukrainian stringed instrument dating back to the 15th century.
Hosted by Johns Hopkins University’s George Peabody Library in partnership with the Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee.
October 26, 2024
Great Halloween Lantern Parade
This annual community parade and festival co-produced by the Creative Alliance and Friends of Patterson Park. Experience the magic of fantastical spirits and creatures as well as spectacular presentations by diverse Baltimore-area communities of all ages! The parade includes Asian community processions organized by Towson University Asian Arts & Culture Center.
October 27 ,2024
Japan Day – Fall Festival 秋まつり
Time: 1-4pm ET
Location: Harriet Tubman Cultural Center, 8045 Harriett Tubman Lane, Columbia, MD 21044
Admission: Free
Hosted by Maryland-Kanagawa Sister States, Misako Ballet, Japanese Area at University of Maryland Baltimore County, and Matcha Time Cafe.
November 2024
Maryland State Trade Mission to China (Application deadline: August 3)
The Maryland Department of Commerce and the Maryland Department of Agriculture are planning to lead a trade mission to China this November aimed at strengthening economic collaboration and expanding trade opportunities between Maryland and China. The anchor event will be the China International Import Expo (CIIE) on November 2-13 in Shanghai, with business networking and site tours in surrounding prefectures. A limited number of Maryland companies are being recruited to join the delegation in the following sectors: Agriculture, Cleantech, Logistics, Life Sciences.
More info: International Trade Shows on Maryland Commerce website
November 2, 2024
The Burmese Harp
ビルマの竪琴, Biruma no Tategoto
In this 1956 drama, a young Japanese officer learns and plays the Burmese harp to lift the spirits of his battalion. Silently and independently, he confronts and protests war in his own way at the close of the Pacific War in Burma. Directed by Kon Ichikawa. 143 minutes.
Event is free; registration is required. To register, find the film on Asian Arts & Culture Center events page and click the registration link next to the film.
Hosted by Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister Committee in partnership with Towson University College of Fine Arts and Communication Dean’s Office (COFAC) and Towson University Asian Arts and Culture Center.
November 20, 2024
Maryland State of the Ports & Global Flavor Showcase
Time: 3:30-7pm ET
Location: Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET) at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore
More info: WTCI State of the Ports events page
An annual event hosted by World Trade Center Institute in Baltimore where leaders from the Mid-Atlantic come together to learn about the challenges and opportunities at Maryland’s ports.
- Sample wines and food from around the world at the Global Flavor Showcase
- 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
Baltimore Sister Cities is a member of World Trade Center Institute.
November 21, 2024
Our APIMEDA Thanksgivings – Food, Stories, and Culture
Time: 6pm ET
Location: Center for the Arts Atrium, Towson University, 1 Fine Arts Drive, Towson, MD 21204
An Interactive Community Installation & Performance — Celebrate the diversity of APIMEDA (Asian Pacific Islander Middle Eastern Desi American) culinary traditions in this storytelling gathering highlighting APIMEDA foods shared on Thanksgiving. Presenters include TU-APIMEDA students, faculty, and staff and other guests. Audience members are also invited to share their stories and enjoy Asian food together. Co-presented by TU Asian Arts & Culture Center, TU Department of Theater Arts, and TU Center for Student Diversity. Supported in part by TU-COFAC Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee.
December 14, 2024
Bonenkai
Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee hosts a year-end get-together (“Bonenkai”) at Ramen Ustuke in Baltimore. Details to come.
April 2025
Dutch urban design delegation – Research trip to Baltimore
City planners, community organizers, and researchers from Amsterdam and Rotterdam will come to Baltimore in early April 2025 for a work week. Goals for this research trip: learning how community-led visioning and urban development happens in Baltimore, and alternatives to real-estate-developer-driven development; sharing examples of community-led initiatives in Amsterdam and Rotterdam; how city government can support community-led development; how to engage/empower youth in shaping the future of their neighborhood.
This trip is a follow-on to an earlier exchange when students and faculty from Morgan State University School of Architecture + Planning (SA+P), design professionals, and representatives from Baltimore City Department of Planning traveled to the Netherlands in spring 2024. More about the 2024 exchange.
Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee (BRSCC) helps fundraise, promote, and plan the exchange activities.
June 8, 2024
Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee’s annual picnic.
Details to come.
