Community Calendar

Free 8-Week Work Readiness Program for Individuals with Disabilities ages 16+. Build skills, discover strengths, and prepare for work in a small, supportive group setting. To register contact Jamie Leboe @ 410-843-7316 / [email protected]

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.

On View February 4 - May 16 (closed March 15 - 22)

Explore the remarkable artistic journey and cultural legacy of Lain Singh Bangdel (1919–2002), widely regarded as the “Father of Modern Art” in Nepal. This collection of paintings—spanning the 1940s to the 1980s— reflects and reframes the cultural, political, and emotional realities of Bangdel’s time and traces his evolving vision as he navigated multiple worlds: colonial and postcolonial South Asia, cosmopolitan Europe, and an emerging modern Nepal.

Gallery Hours: Monday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Staunton Music Festival presents its fifth annual BaroqueFest this April! BaroqueFest 2026: La Bella Italia assembles 28 superlative musicians for a sumptuous journey to Italy, including music by Italian masters and those who traveled to and through Italian lands. Featured works include Handel's brilliant first oratorio "Il Trionfo del tempo e del Disinganno" (1707); Vivaldi's "Magnificat"; concertos by Bach, Handel, Geminiani, and Vivaldi; a celebration of music at Dresden, the "Venice of the North"; and chamber and vocal music by A. Scarlatti, Pasquini, Lully, F. Caccini, Marenzio, Corelli, Monteverdi, and many others.

All concerts feature acclaimed period-instrument performers. Nine programs include music for voices, orchestra, and chamber ensembles and feature historical keyboards. Plus enjoy a deep-dive into Handel's Italian journey with an extended lecture over coffee and dessert just prior to the finale concert.

Experience the magic and humor of Ballet Chesapeake's "Cinderella" in a 1-hour, family friendly production.

Performances Sunday, April 12 at 1 pm & 4 pm.

Tickets available starting February 1 at balletchesapeake.org

Step into the shimmering world of The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams’ haunting and beautiful memory play that has captivated audiences for generations. This deeply moving story, rich with longing, fragile dreams, and unforgettable characters, reflects the heart-tugging tension between hope and reality—perfectly resonant for anyone who’s ever chased big dreams while holding tight to family ties. As the Wingfield family navigates love, loss, and the tug of the past, you’ll be drawn into a world as delicate and stunning as the glass menagerie itself. Join us at Church Hill Theatre for an evening of poetic drama and emotional depth that will stay with you long after the curtain falls. Don’t miss this regional favorite!

THE CRUCIBLE

BY ARTHUR MILLER
DIRECTED BY JULIE HERBER

APRIL 3 – 26

Preview April 2
ASL Interpreted Performance April 10

A group of teenage girls creates mass hysteria as they accuse fellow villagers of witchcraft in the rigid Puritan society of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The accused face the choice of maintaining their ideals or conforming in order to survive in this play about the dangers of unchecked fear, the fragility of justice, and the consequences of history.

Celebrate the dawn of the Classical era with Mozart’s famous overture from "Marriage of Figaro," Haydn’s charming Symphony No. 2, a work full of elegance and wit..followed by Beethoven’s evocative Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral,” a heartfelt musical journey through nature’s beauty and tranquility.
This inspiring program showcases three masters’ unique voices in a warm and intimate setting at The Church of the Redeemer.