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; Piraeus, Greece; Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Xiamen, China) and our affiliates. Events include:
Ongoing events
Phaan Howng Exhibition – Now through May 15
Phaan Howng: A Bag of Rocks for a Bag of Rice. View online.
Exquisitely disposed rocks and trees and vegetation. The promise of an inspired space of meditation and detachment. Such has been of the Westernized image of the Chinese and Japanese garden. Yet, such enchanted “natural” spaces camouflage the histories of empire, wealth, privilege, exploitation, ecological extraction, and displacement behind their creation. Phaan Howng’s site-specific installation engages East Asian gardens as a case study of the dynamics embedded within these private spaces.
Hosted by Towson University Asian Arts & Culture Center. Promoted by Baltimore Sister Cities’ Asian committees (Changwon, South Korea; Kawasaki, Japan; Xiamen, China).
Baltimore Sister Cities featured at BWI Airport through February
Look for our new poster at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) in the International Terminal (Concourse E)!
More information
January – February
Building a climate-resilient Maryland together
A knowledge exchange symposium with experts from Maryland and the Netherlands on urban, rural, and coastal resilience, followed by 1on1 resilience chats throughout month of February.
This event is organized by the Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP) in partnership with the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), the Maryland Department of Commerce, and the Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee (BRSCC). It is supported by the Partners for Water Programme.
February – April, 2021
Lecture series on the built environment
Cristina Murphy, Assistant Professor at Morgan State School of Architecture + Planning (MSU SA+P) and member of Baltimore Rotterdam Sister City Committee, hosts an online lecture series for architecture students at MSU SA+P and Rotterdam Academy for Architecture and Urban Design (RAvB). Some of the lectures are open to the public. There will be 2 sets of talks:
- Innovative materials for the built environment, with circular economy approaches
- The history and present of urban planning in West Baltimore
More information and registration
Organized by Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee (BRSCC) and Cristina Murphy from Morgan State University School of Architecture + Planning.
February 11 – May 18, 2021
Online Exhibition: Anak (My Child)
Lek Vercauteren Borja’s mixed media works explore the personal and social impact of Spanish colonization and American imperialism on the Filipino experience. Vercauteren Borja weaves history with personal experience to draw out broader contemporary Filipino American stories of identity, displacement, trauma, survival, resilience, and belonging.
View the exhibition: events.towson.edu/event/exhibition_anak_my_child
Virtual artist talk on February 11 at 6:30pm: More info & registration
Hosted by Towson University Asian Arts & Culture Center. Promoted by Baltimore Sister Cities’ Asian committees (Changwon, South Korea; Kawasaki, Japan; Xiamen, China).
February 26, 2021
Salu-Salo: A Filipino American Cultural Feast
A Virtual 50th Anniversary Fundraiser for the Towson University Asian Arts & Culture Center.
“Salu-salo” is a Filipino word for gathering and eating together. Prepare yourself a Filipino meal and join the AA&CC for a virtual salu-salo featuring a cook-off off with Sony Florendo, Chef Mike Ledesma (Perch RVA, InstaBowl RVA), Chef Rey Eugenio (Heritage Kitchen), and their takes on favorite Filipino recipes; music by Kulintronica and Diwa de Leon who have creatively electrified traditional Filipino instruments; a virtual tour with ANTHILL Fabric Gallery in the Philippines; and an Asian Arts & Culture Center 50th Anniversary cocktail.
Time: 7pm
More information and registration
Hosted by Towson University Asian Arts & Culture Center. Promoted by Baltimore Sister Cities’ Asian committees (Changwon, South Korea; Kawasaki, Japan; Xiamen, China).
March 24, 2021
Protecting the World’s Water Supply
Part 2: Water Management and Conservation
World Trade Center Institute (WTCI) is hosting 4 webinars this year on the topic of water. They are part of WTCI’s AGILE innovation series.
The 2nd webinar is on March 24 and includes speakers from two Dutch companies: Urban Rainshell and Hydraloop.
By 2025, more than 2.8 billion people in 48 countries, including the United States, will be impacted by water scarcity. Exacerbated by climate change, reduced access to clean water and water availability will stress businesses, industries, economies, and entire countries. Forward-thinking organizations and individuals are finding ways to mitigate the risk of water scarcity and exploring commercial opportunities to address this challenge. In this session, we will hear from leading innovators who are transforming water management and conservation while reducing the burden on water infrastructure and the environment.
For more information and to register: WTCI AGILE event series page
Promoted by Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee (BRSCC).
April 2021
Hanami community picnic
Annual Japanese-style “flower viewing” spring celebration. Join us in celebrating the arrival of spring beneath a canopy of pink blossoms along on of Baltimore’s finest waterfronts in Middle Branch Park! Bring your blanket, a picnic, and your cultural curiosity.
Date to be announced later. Stay tuned for more information.
Organized by Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee (BKSCC).
Hermes International Expo
Annual Greek-American international businessnetworking trade show. Baltimore-Piraeus committee represents Baltimore and the State of Maryland at this annual event, promoting tourism and business and economic developement.
Details to come on the Hermes expo website.
Promoted by Baltimore-Pireaus Sister City Committee (BPSCC).
April 10 – May 15, 2021
Asia North: A Celebration of Art, Culture & Community
Exhibition: April 10 – May 15, Station North Arts District and online
Virtual festival kick-off: April 10
Celebrate art, culture, and the Korean history and heritage of Baltimore’s Charles North community during this annual event. Area artists and organizations present an exhibit and festival including performances, food, art activities, and more. Stay tuned for updates — they will be posted on Asian Arts & Culture Center events page.
Presented by Towson University Asian Arts & Culture Center and Central Baltimore Partnership. Promoted by Baltimore Sister Cities’ Asian committees (Changwon, South Korea; Kawasaki, Japan; Xiamen, China).
May 2021
Enoch Pratt Free Library’s Imagination Celebration
Location: Online and outside (locations to be announced)
Admission: Free
Pratt Library hosts Imagination Celebration (formerly known as the Fairy Tale festival) throughout the month of May. This signature event celebrates creativity and honors diverse voices and experiences within children’s literature and our communities.
Baltimore Sister Cities will offer fun activities for kids from some of the countries around the world where we have sister cities.
Stay tuned for more details.
Supported by Baltimore-Changwon Sister City Committee (BCSCC), Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee (BRSCC), and Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Committee (BXSCC).
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration
Annual celebration in Baltimore featuring music and dance performances, calligraphy, Asian food, and talks by leaders from the community.
Date and details to be announced later.
Organized by Baltimore Sister Cities’ Asian committees (Changwon, South Korea; Kawasaki, Japan; Xiamen, China).
May 19, 2021
Former Egyptian Ambassador at Enoch Pratt Library (online)
A talk by former Egyptian Ambassador/Author Mohamed Tawfi — Stay tuned for details.
Organized by Baltimore-Luxor-Alexandria Sister City Committee (BLASCC).
September 2021
Xiamen China International Fair for Investment & Trade (CIFIT)
Stay tuned for details.
Supported by Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Commitee (BXSCC).
Fall 2021
15th Annual CHINA Town Hall
Stay tuned for details.
Annual event hosted by National Committee for U.S.–China Relations. Supported by Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Commitee (BXSCC).
Seagull Mamma — A Performance Piece about Trash and Recycling
Rotterdam-based, American-born theatre artist and educator Kathie diStefano visits Baltimore each year to do workshops.
Ms. Kathie is part of the artist roster at Young Audiences Arts for Learning, Maryland and she performs “Seagull Mamma” at several schools in our region each semester. Public schools can sign up on the Young Audiences website to schedule the “Seagull Mamma” performance for this spring or in the future, for kids in kindergarten through grade 2. Young Audiences can provide subsidies to public schools to significantly reduce the cost of the performance by up to 80%; schools can inquire with Young Audiences for details.
This interactive show takes young audience members on a journey through the eyes of a seagull mamma who mistakes trash for fish while hunting for food for her young. The term ‘plastic soup’ is introduced; lakes, rivers, and seas that have so much plastic trash that no fish can live there.
The Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee is also planning a virtual exchange program for Kathie diStefano to conduct with middle school students in Baltimore and Rotterdam during the 2021-2022 school year.
Supported by Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee (BRSCC).
October 2021
24th Annual Meeting of International Friends of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Stay tuned for more details.
Supported by Baltimore-Luxor-Alexandria Sister City Committee (BLASCC).
Baltimore’s annual Greek Food & Cultural Festival
Stay tuned for more details.
Supported by Baltimore-Pireaus Sister City Committee (BPSCC).
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.
