Community Calendar

For thousands of years, East Asia’s cultures have viewed human life as part of a much larger system that encompasses the natural world. Drawn from the BMA’s collection, this exhibition boasts more than 40 objects—from magnificent ink drawings to beautifully crafted stoneware and poignant contemporary photographs and prints. They bring into the galleries the mountains and seas, wild and supernatural animals, and plant life that are extensive across East Asian imagery and often carry symbolic meaning.

Works on view include robust 13th-century ceramic vessels, delicate porcelain, carved jade, intricately sewn textiles, and large-scale photography; collectively, these artworks represent the impulse to fully understand the natural world as foundational to our existence, as shaped by human life, and as an enduring metaphor of survival.

"Free 8-Week Work Readiness Program for Individuals with Disabilities

Build Skills. Discover Strengths. Prepare for Work.

In a small, supportive group setting, you will gain the skills and confidence needed to find and succeed in a job.

Free and open individuals with disabilities ages 16+.
Space limited to 8 participants.
You do not need to be a current JCS client."

Teapots XI
January 10, 2026 @ 10:00 am – March 7, 2026 @ 5:00 pm

Juried by Pete Pinnell
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 10, 2026, 4:00 – 6:00 pm

Baltimore Clayworks proudly presents our 11th biannual juried exhibition, Teapots XI. The juror, Pete Pinnell, selected the functional and sculptural teapots created by emerging and established artists.

Start the new year with something unforgettable: hug a donkey!
Slow down, breathe, and cuddle a donkey, then warm up with hot chocolate or tea around our fire pit. Meet our lovable herd and enjoy heartwarming, grounding connection at Campbell’s Lane Farm.
Each cuddling session is 45 minutes, giving you time to relax, connect, and enjoy the calming presence of the donkeys.

What You’ll Experience

During your session, you’re welcome to:
Pet and brush the donkeys
Hug them, sit with them, or simply be present
Talk to them and enjoy their gentle, grounding energy
A staff member will introduce you to the donkeys and gently guide you in how to interact with them.

The donkeys are free to choose how they interact with you. You can expect them to be themselves—curious, cautious, playful, and doing what donkeys do.
There may be both indoor and outdoor donkey experiences depending on the weather.

How can we break the cycle that compels immigrants and their children to leave homes and families in search of security? From East, Like the Sun follows two generations in two families (and one 19th century ghost) searching for the mother lode - whether it’s gold, or a stable way of life.
Playwright Karen Li, previously produced by Rapid Lemon as part of Variations on Change in 2022, is a Baltimore-based multidisciplinary artist whose other plays have been produced by Strand Theater, Theaterlab, and La Jolla Playhouse. Jalice Ortiz-Corral (Honey Bee Baby, Variations on Courage, Variations on The End) directs.
Performed live on stage at Strand Theater, 5426 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD 21214. Tickets are general admission, $25. A special discounted "Industry Night" performance is just $15, on Monday, January 12. We'll have a talkback with the playwright following the performance on Friday, January 23, and a special "Masked Matinee" on January 18th - audience members will be required to wear masks for that performance.

By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes… In one of Shakespeare’s most haunting tragedies, Macbeth plunges audiences into a dark world of ambition, prophecy, and betrayal. When three mysterious witches foretell that Macbeth will become king, a deadly chain of events is set in motion, blurring the line between destiny and choice.

Set against a foreboding backdrop of war and witchcraft, Macbeth explores the corrupting power of unchecked ambition and the psychological unraveling of a man consumed by power. Is Macbeth a pawn of fate or the author of his own downfall? This timeless classic continues to captivate with its powerful language, unforgettable characters, and eerie supernatural elements. ESPtheatre is proud to present this must-see for fans of dramatic theater, classic literature, and suspenseful storytelling as our next main stage production.

Performances run January 9th through February 3rd at News Spire Arts and the ESP Loft. Tickets available now!
Friday, January 9th - 7:30pm at New Spire Arts
Saturday, January 10th - 7:30pm at New Spire Arts
Sunday, January 11th - 3:00pm at New Spire Arts
Friday, January 23rd - 7:30pm at New Spire Arts
Saturday, January 24th - 7:30pm at New Spire Arts
Sunday, January 25th - 3:00pm at New Spire Arts
Saturday, January 31st - 3:00pm at the ESP Loft
Sunday, February 1st - 3:00pm at the ESP Loft
Monday, February 2nd - 7:30pm at the ESP Loft
Tuesday, February 3rd - 7:30pm at the ESP Loft

Painted in the broadest of strokes, the stories of Alfredo Rodriguez and Pedrito Martinez may seem similar: both started life in Havana, discovered their gifts and passions for music and headed to the States, where they melded the music of their homeland with a wide variety of influences, each in his own deeply personal way.

Rodriguez was born into a musical family, his father a popular singer and TV host. Martinez, on the other hand, honed his craft on the streets of Havana, learning the deeply-rooted percussion and vocal style of Afro-Cuban folkloric and religious music.

“What makes this duo completely different is that I came from the folkloric side and Alfredo came from the classical side. You put those things together and you come out with an extraordinary and different sound.” – Pedrito Martinez

Vagabond Players presents THE SHARK IS BROKEN
Jan. 9 – Feb. 1, 2026

Vagabond Players continues their historic 110th Season— and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the iconic film JAWS—with the Baltimore premiere of THE SHARK IS BROKEN, written by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon and directed by Vagabond veteran Stephen Deininger.

Fresh off acclaimed runs in London’s West End and on Broadway, this behind-the-scenes look at one of the most iconic films ever made is as hilarious as it is heartfelt. Return to the waters where it all began: three actors, two fragile egos, and one very uncooperative shark. This could be the biggest disaster in recent Hollywood history, helmed by a director that no one thinks can
pull it off. In between swilling Tab and tanning on deck, Roy Scheider runs interference between neurotic Richard Dreyfus and the acid drunk wit of Robert Shaw as they navigate endless filming delays and screwups on a rickety lobster boat.

Starring returning Vagabond Players actors, Doug Krehbel, Andy Belt and Matthew Lindsay Payne, THE SHARK IS BROKEN offers a delicious insider’s look at the bickering, brawling and back stabbing among a trio of soon-to-be legendary actors who just happen to be making a monster movie that will change the course of cinema history. Frustrations, petty rivalries and no-so-secret vices all come to the surface in a comedy that also contains a deeper story of fathers and sons, their mortality, and the legacy they leave.

THE SHARK IS BROKEN runs January 9 – February 1, 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 January 29 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.

Big Bang Baby transforms ancestral divinity, folklore, and science into a radiant universe of light, color, and controlled chaos. At its center are fantastical feminine figures creating universes and experiencing their own divinity. Inspired by Afro-Dominican spiritual traditions of “carrying a mystery,” as well as Native Taíno Zemi goddesses, LUSMERLIN celebrates the gift of spiritual presence and creation in women. Across pastel, acrylic and LED-lit sculptural forms, the exhibition asks: What does it mean to be stardust, to be a source of divinity?

Teapots XI
January 10, 2026 @ 10:00 am – March 7, 2026 @ 5:00 pm

Juried by Pete Pinnell
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 10, 2026, 4:00 – 6:00 pm

Baltimore Clayworks proudly presents our 11th biannual juried exhibition, Teapots XI. The juror, Pete Pinnell, selected the functional and sculptural teapots created by emerging and established artists.