Community Calendar

From the 1960s to the 2020s, Baltimore philanthropists Sigmund and Mary Hyman assembled a major collection of American art, with a particular focus on modernists of the Ashcan School. In partnership with BMA curators, the Hymans gifted a carefully selected group of important works to the Museum—a gift completed in 2024 following the passing of Mary Hyman, a longtime Trustee.

Featuring paintings, sculptures, works on paper, and a textile, Seeing the Essential: The Sigmund M. and Mary B. Hyman Collection of American Art explores defining themes of the Ashcan movement, including urban life, architecture, interiors, the figure, and portrayals of artists and performers. The exhibition also highlights an exceptional group of works by John Sloan, a leading figure of the movement.

When was the last time you unplugged?

Disconnect, slow down, and rediscover what it means to be present inside the BMA’s historic Spring House, where acclaimed American conceptual artist Rachel Lee Hovnanian presents the Nature Deficit Disorder immersion room this spring. The powerful installation challenges our digital dependence and rekindles our connection to the natural world.

Inspired by journalist Richard Louv’s term “nature deficit disorder,” described as a growing disconnection from nature, often linked to diminished focus and negative moods, Hovnanian transforms the Spring House into a simulated nighttime forest.

“My work has long explored how technology shapes attention, mental health, and human connection. This installation emerged from my observations of society’s growing digital dependence, alongside my own experience of it.” –Rachel Lee Hovnanian
Away from the constant ping of notifications and endless scrolling, surrender your phone, surround yourself with fir trees, and let lantern light guide you. Hear the crunch of leaves beneath your feet and watch the flicker of a campfire casting shadows across the room.

In a world where we check our phones every other minute, Hovnanian invites you to linger for at least five minutes in the immersion room and consider what is lost when we give our attention to apps and devices rather than real-life experiences.

“What do we lose when our lives are constantly mediated by screens? I hope to offer a pause—an invitation to rediscover how it feels to be fully present.” –Rachel Lee Hovnanian

Between 1946 and 1953, Henri Matisse created 28 lithographic portraits for Poésies Antillaises (Antillean Poetry), a book of poems by John-Antoine Nau. Published posthumously in 1972, this rare volume remains one of Matisse’s least-known illustrated works.

Inspired by his brief 1930 visit to Martinique, Matisse translated Nau’s evocative poems—celebrating travel, music, and oceanic landscapes—into vibrant portraits. These reflect the artist’s collaborations with notable Caribbean and international models and are presented alongside works by two leading artists from Martinique and Guadeloupe, Germaine Casse and Serge Hélénon. This focus exhibition illuminates aspects of the transatlantic artistic circles active during the late French colonial period.

The Rotunda Welcomes Back Popular Family-Friendly Concert Series this May
3rd Annual Rotunda Rocks Begins Friday, May 2 and Runs Every Friday through Friday, October 3

Grab a blanket or dust off your favorite portable chair and head on over to Hampden this spring for the return of the popular family-friendly concert series, the 3rd Annual Rotunda Rocks. This FREE weekly concert series, presented by MCB Real Estate, features live music on the Plaza and a street festival atmosphere with delicious local food and drinks, fun games and local vendors and will take place Fridays, 6-9 p.m. beginning May 2 and running until October 3. (711 West 40th Street). Whether you like rock n ’roll, folk, bluegrass, Indie, Latin, Celtic or reggae music, there is something for everyone and the event is open to the public. Pets are welcome and a portion of proceeds from beverage sales benefits the Maryland SPCA. For more information, log onto Rotunda Rocks | The Rotunda (rotundabaltimore.com) or call 410-662-0104.

BALTIMORE — As The 8x10 prepares to close in June, the Baltimore music venue will host one of its final concerts with Come Together, a live tribute to The Beatles, on May 22, 2026.
Presented by CKP and Chase Systems, the concert brings together a lineup of Mid-Atlantic artists while supporting a community cause, with proceeds benefiting the Maryland Food Bank.
Scheduled performers include The Speakers of the House, Kelly Bell Band, Sweet Leda, Dave Hill, Foland, Brickfoot, Rezin, and special guests.

The evening will feature performances drawn from the Beatles’ catalog, celebrating music that has endured for generations, inside a room that has played a lasting role in Baltimore’s live music culture.

For decades, the 8x10 has been a proving ground for local artists and a stop for touring acts, earning a reputation as one of the city’s most intimate and influential venues. Come Together offers audiences a chance to mark the venue’s final weeks with music, memories, and a shared sense of community.

Tickets are $30 in advance and will be limited.

More information is available at www.the8x10.com.

You know this man's voice. Neo-classic, deeply rhythmic, sultry and soothing. Chico DeBarge, the youngest of the world renown DeBarge family, is a man with a mission. Chico DeBarge echos those signature DeBarge family vocals, with his ability to slip into a neo soul tenor that is unique and second to none. His concerts includes a full ensemble of his Family Hits From the Switch & DeBarge Catalog, along with his own mega hits. After the release of his critically acclaimed, gold-certified, Kedar Entertainment debut, Long Time No See, Chico went right back to work, doing what he does best: writing, producing and recording ballads and mid-tempos that make you wish, feel and dream. His hits include “Give You What You Want (Fa Sure),” “Everyone Knew But Me,” “No
Guarantee,” “Love Still Good” and “Iggin Me.”

Keystone Kards are not applicable for this show.

EVERY BRILLIANT THING

BY DUNCAN MACMILLAN and JONNY DONAHOE
DIRECTED BY TAD JANES

MAY 15 – JUNE 14

Preview May 14
ASL Interpreted Performance May 22

At once a transcendent coming-of-age tale and a call to reach out to each other, Every Brilliant Thing is a warm-hearted, hilarious, heart-wrenching play about how depression can affect a family, and the lengths we will go for those we love.

THE HEIDI CHRONICLES Continues Vagabond Players’ 110th Season
Apr. 10 – May 3, 2026
Before hashtags and headlines, there was Heidi—searching for connection, purpose and a place in a rapidly changing world. This spring, Vagabond Players brings Wendy Wasserstein’s THE HEIDI CHRONICLES to the stage, directed by Lee Conderacci in her Vagabond Players debut.
In this sparkling and oh so relevant comedy, art historian Heidi Holland and her friends travel from the 1960s through the 1980s making life-changing choices relating to dating, mating and career paths. Will the brilliant and perceptive Heidi find the partner of her dreams? Do “women’s libbers” consider Heidi’s decision about having a child to be a betrayal? Can Heidi attain the fulfillment that she—and millions of other women—fought for? Winner of both the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play, The Heidi Chronicles remains a sharp, insightful and deeply relatable look at friendship, feminism and the search for meaning and continues to serve as a reminder of what’s been accomplished and how much remains to be achieved.
THE HEIDI CHRONICLES runs April 10 – May 3, 2026, with performances Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. And check out a special “Thursdays on Broadway” performance April 30 at 8 p.m. when all tickets are just $12.
For tickets, cast and show info visit www.vagabondplayers.org. Special discounts and group rates are available online.