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; Odessa, Ukraine; Piraeus, Greece; Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Xiamen, China) and our affiliates. Events include:
March – July, 2021
Middle Eastern American Authors Series at Montgomery County Public Libraries
A series of author conversations hosted by Montgomery County Public Library and the Middle Eastern Advisory Group (MEAGG) in Montgomery County. The events are held on the third Tuesday of the month, 4-8pm ET for 6 months with 6 nations represented, including Syria, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Palestine and Egypt. Events will be moderated by Debbie Trent, MEAGG chair and Karen Leggett, co-chair of the Maryland Friends of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Egypt) and co-chair of Baltimore-Luxor-Alexandria Sister City Committee (BLASCC).
Co-sponsored by Baltimore-Luxor-Alexandria Sister City Committee (BLASCC).
July 15, 2021
Advocacy and Funding for Virtual Exchanges
Time: 9:00-10:30am ET
Location: Online
Admission: Free
More information and to register: Eventbrite page
The Virtual Exchange Coalition holds periodic webinars about coordinating international virtual exchanges. This month’s edition will be about advocating for and fundraising for exchange programs.
July 20, 2021
A conversation with Egyptian American author Pauline Kaldas
Time: 7-8pm EDT
Location: Online
More info & to register: mcpl.libnet.info/event/4766716
Author Pauline Kaldas will discuss her work Looking Both Ways and other works. Pauline Kaldas teaches English and creative writing at Hollins University in Roanoke, VA. Immigrating from Egypt as a child with her parents, she has twice returned to live and teach in Cairo. She will be talking about her own collection of essays, Looking Both Ways, as well as her essay in The Penguin Book of Migration Literature about departure and return. Moderated by Karen Leggett, co-chair of the Maryland Friends of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Egypt) and co-chair ofBaltimore-Luxor-Alexandria Sister City Committee (BLSACC).
Part of the “Middle Eastern and South Asian American Authors Series” at Montgomery County Libraries. In partnership with Montgomery County Middle Eastern American Advisory Group, Office of Community Partnerships.
Co-sponsored by Baltimore-Luxor-Alexandria Sister City Committee (BLASCC)
July 2021
Phaan Howng: A Bag of Rocks for A Bag of Rice
Exhibition extended through July 31. Viewable by appointment and 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.
Summer 2021
AAPI Art Contest for the U.S. East Coast
Submissions open: May 24 – August 2, 2021
Criteria: All artists must identify as Asian American and/or Pacific Indigenous to quality; must be 18–26 years old and based in the East Coast of the United States.
Submission info: baltimoreapac.org/art-contest
In response to the anti-Asian hate crimes that have been taking place throughout the U.S., Asian Pasifika Arts Collective (a Baltimore-based organization) has launched an arts initiative aimed at empowering young Asian American and Pacific Indigenous (AAPI) artists to tell their stories through their work. The goal of this contest is to highlight AAPI identity during a time when our belonging is being questioned.
Organized by Asian Pasifika Art Collective (APAC).
September 2021
Xiamen China International Fair for Investment & Trade (CIFIT)
Stay tuned for details.
Supported by Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City Commitee (BXSCC).
October 2021
Hermes Expo
Annual Greek-American international business networking trade show. Baltimore-Piraeus committee represents Baltimore and the State of Maryland at this annual event, promoting tourism and business and economic development.
Details to come on the Hermes expo website.
Promoted by Baltimore-Pireaus Sister City Committee (BPSCC).
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.
