Community Calendar

Astronaut Symphony performances are a vibrant burst of bass-driven futuristic space music. Imagine the power of a supernova set to a beat. Led by pianist, composer and lyricist, Scott Patterson, voice, sound design and live instrumentation are used to create a lush cosmic soundscape. Infused with the essence of opera, funk and rock, the music transcends the expected, taking audiences into uncharted territory. In keeping with its futuristic roots, members of the Astronaut Symphony straddle multiple generations. Patterson’s two children, one on electric guitar and the other on alto saxophone, traverse the cosmos while at their father’s side. Drawing from the brilliance of Alice Coltrane, Sun Ra and Earth, Wind & Fire, the Astronaut Symphony invites audiences to explore love, liberation and the ways in which we navigate our relationship to our planet, our solar system and beyond.

SCOTT PATTERSON, keys and voice
DARIUS SANDERS, voice
ELISE JENKINS, voice
R. JOSHUA REYNOLDS, voice
RAY WINDER, alto saxophone, electric guitar and voice
RA PATTERSON, alto saxophone
NADIA ROGERS, trumpet
JUDAH PATTERSON, electric guitar
PHILIP THOMAS, drums

In an encore performance from last month, Justin and his band will offer a tribute to the timeless and timely music of Fela Kuti. Fela Aníkúlápó Kútì was a Nigerian musician and political activist. He is regarded as the principal innovator of Afrobeat, a Nigerian music genre that combines West African music with American funk and jazz.

Justin’s versatility will be on display in what promises to be a dynamic performance of classic Fela tunes - and may feature Justin’s own compositions to align with the vibe of the evening.

Justin Taylor’s music is intended to bring music lovers and new listeners joy as he muses and crafts melodies to remember. Justin began his musical journey in the churches of his hometown, Baltimore, and has journeyed beyond the DMV to cultivate a rich and versatile sound. After graduating from Towson University, Justin toured the west coast with a nascent R&B group. Returning to Baltimore to refine his technique and catalog, Justin has become one of Baltimore’s most sought after Jazz pianists.

In addition to recording and playing with local and nationally known artists such as May’sa Leak saxophonist Corinthia Cromwell, Carl Grubbs, Tim Warfield and more, Justin has released a number of projects currently available on streaming platforms. His most recent eponymous jazz EP (September 2025) Justin Taylor’s EP is making its way across platforms after his release concert on the George Manning Stage earlier this month. Justin released a new tune in August 2025, Bon Fet - a tribute to carnival and the diasporic experience. Bon Fet, Vibes, Trees, Wine and Chocolates and more of Justin Taylor’s music are featured on his website and can be found on all major streaming platforms.

"The world is before you and you need not take it or leave it as it was when you came in." - James Baldwin

In-person seats: $20 / $10 students
Attendees receive a link to the recording to view for one week.

Streaming passes: $15
The link will remain active thru Nov. 23

Donations Welcome!

Astronaut Symphony performances are a vibrant burst of bass-driven futuristic space music. Imagine the power of a supernova set to a beat. Led by pianist, composer and lyricist, Scott Patterson, voice, sound design and live instrumentation are used to create a lush cosmic soundscape. Infused with the essence of opera, funk and rock, the music transcends the expected, taking audiences into uncharted territory. In keeping with its futuristic roots, members of the Astronaut Symphony straddle multiple generations. Patterson’s two children, one on electric guitar and the other on alto saxophone, traverse the cosmos while at their father’s side. Drawing from the brilliance of Alice Coltrane, Sun Ra and Earth, Wind & Fire, the Astronaut Symphony invites audiences to explore love, liberation and the ways in which we navigate our relationship to our planet, our solar system and beyond.

SCOTT PATTERSON, keys and voice
DARIUS SANDERS, voice
ELISE JENKINS, voice
R. JOSHUA REYNOLDS, voice
RAY WINDER, alto saxophone, electric guitar and voice
RA PATTERSON, alto saxophone
NADIA ROGERS, trumpet
JUDAH PATTERSON, electric guitar
PHILIP THOMAS, drums

Back for its second year, Abbott and the Big Ten Conference are hosting the We Give Blood Drive competition to entice students, alumni, fans, and community members to rally around their Big Ten school to donate blood, save lives, and address the country's ongoing critical blood shortage.

From August 27 to December 5, anyone eligible to donate blood can do so anywhere, anytime in the U.S. to count for their school. The school with the most donations at the end of the competition will receive $1 million to advance student or community health.

New this year, everyone who donates or attempts to donate blood throughout the competition will receive an exclusive, limited-edition, Homefield-designed T-shirt specific to their school. To receive the shirt:

1. Show up to donate
2. Submit your donation (or attempt to donate) at BigTen.Org/Abbott or by texting DONATE to 222688 (ABBOTT).
3. Click the link sent to your email
4. Use your redemption code
5. Your shirt will be shipped to the address of your choice. 

Last year, the University of Nebraska won, and is using the funds to advance student health on campus. The University of Maryland is competing this year and will host several blood drives on campus and in the surrounding area throughout the competition. To find a blood drive near you, please visit: https://bigten.org/abbott/maryland

Jewish Community Services offers "Care Partner Conversations: When Your Loved One Has Dementia," a supportive group meeting on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month from 10:00 – 11:30 am via Zoom. This group provides conversation, support, resources, and education for those caring for a loved one with dementia, facilitated by Jennifer Sapp, MSG, LCSW-C. The sessions are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Jennifer Sapp at [email protected] or 410-843-7380. Co-sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association and the Edward A. Myerberg Center.

Tap into your natural creativity as a tool for wellness. With guided exercises in self-expression — using color, shape, and texture — this series offers a judgment-free space to explore your thoughts and emotions, reduce stress, and connect with others—with no artistic skill needed. Series runs October 27, November 3, 10 and 17th.

Celebrate the holiday season with the gift of art for your loved ones! Our annual utilitarian ceramics holiday invitational, Winterfest 2025, features 13 established and emerging ceramic artists. This exhibition is perfectly paired with our Annual Holiday Sale where resident and associated artists join together to fill the galleries and the Shop with hand-crafted gifts.

The items in Winterfest become available through our Online Shop on Friday, November 14, 2025 at 10:00 am.  

All items are available for immediate purchase and can be taken home the same day.

Winterfest 2025 Invited Artists
Andrew Boswell (NY), Katie Fee (IL), Casey Hanrahan (AZ), Margaret Kinkeade (MO), Colleen McCall (NY), Reiko Miyagi (NC), Sean O’Connell (NC), Shawn O’Connor (VA), Ian Petrie (PA), Justin Paik Reese (OH), Taylor Sijan (NJ), Olivia Tani (MN), Caleb Zouhary (OH)

On View: September 12 - December 6 (closed Oct. 17 & Nov. 25 - 29)
Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.

The work in this exhibition compresses and expands expectations of depth as moderated by a post-image visual culture. The artists adhere to neither medium nor dimensional restrictions, but manipulate the viewer’s relationship to the image as a temporal document, compressed and fractured, through the singular eye of the lens. This expectation, no longer warranted in the age of computer generated images, becomes a fallacy of both the eye and of the language used to comprehend it. The image is untethered from representation and logical spatial association. Spatial continuity and discontinuity run amok in playful fracture--the work pushes and prods the amorphous opening left in the wake of this rupture; what was flat is unmoored of grounding, what was solid is now compressed.

Reception September 11 following the 6:30 p.m. lecture.
For parking information visit towson.edu/parking/visitors

September 10 - December 6 (closed October 17 & November 26 -29)
Gallery Hours: Monday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Opening reception Wednesday, September 10, 7:30 p.m.

How have recent upheavals—from the pandemic to global conflicts, amplified by media—reshaped our private lives? How do personal memories become collective history? In a world forever changed, how do we find our way forward? Elaine Qiu’s awe-inspiring installation of painting, video, and sound invites visitors into a multi-sensory exploration of communal consciousness, connection, and healing in a fragmented, post-pandemic world.
For parking information visit towson.edu/parking/visitors

On View: October 24 - December 6 (closed November 25 - 29)
Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Reception October 23 following 6:30 p.m. lecture.
Artist talk October 29 at 12 noon in the Holtzman MFA Gallery

Enjoy the works of Alexis Ibry and Zachary Diaz.
Alexis Irby collects physical evidence of places and moments, bringing them together into a constellation of disparate memories. Her sculptures encourage a sense of absurdity by documenting aspects of reality in ambiguous combinations. She highlights the interconnectedness of the physical world and the encompassing layers we cannot fully perceive in her exhibit Manifesting the Unheard Layers of Reality.
Zachary Diaz presents MOTUS an interplay of color, movement, and texture through large-scale oil paintings, drawings, and monotypes by blending intuition and intention. The artworks emerge as intuitive puzzles, balancing spontaneous marks with deliberate layering to evoke emotional responses. With a classical training foundation and heavy influence of abstract expressionist techniques, Diaz’s work uncovers hidden narratives with seemingly simple marks.