Visual & Performing Arts

From literature and fine art, to modern dance and music, storytelling is central to African American culture. In Baltimore, our museums, galleries, theaters and concert halls serve as venues for artistic expression and cultural inspiration. African and African American art hold the key to a unique understanding of our world.

Summertime in Baltimore brings The African American Heritage Festival, with live music from national and local acts; historical, educational and cultural exhibits; kids' activities; and crafts from over 100 vendors. Our regional arts festival, Artscape, is another summer highlight. Visitors and artisans hailing from cities and towns up and down the East Coast buzz onto Baltimore's Mount Royal Avenue for food, art, and jazz, blues, Latin and R&B music.

Through poetry and prose, painting and sculpture, movement and song, we link our future to our past. Visit the following venues for a taste of fine art, drama and culture.

Arena Players, Inc. 801 McCulloh Street; 410-728-6500

Founded in 1953, Arena Players, Inc. is the nation's oldest continuously operating African American community theater. The company produces five main stage productions each year, including both classic works and contemporary plays from African American writers.

The Baltimore Museum of Art 10 Art Museum Drive (N. Charles and 31st Streets); 410-396-7100 www.artbma.org

From its permanent collection of over 2,000 pieces of African art — including textiles, masks, carvings and jewelry — to special exhibitions of African American art throughout the year, the BMA boasts a wide range of cultural and artistic treasures. Look forward to Jazz in the Sculpture Garden, a concert series during the summer months, and their annual Kwanzaa celebration in December.

The James E. Lewis Museum of Art Morgan State University Murphy Fine Arts Center #242
1700 E. Coldspring Lane; 443-885-3030 www.murphyfineartscenter.org

Named for the sculptor and Morgan State University professor who established its permanent collection, the James E. Lewis Museum of Art (JELMA) displays 19th- and 20th-century American, European and traditional African art. The museum also displays the art of Morgan State faculty members and students.

The Walters Art Museum 600 N. Charles Street; 410-547-9000 www.thewalters.org

Charles-Henri-Joseph Cordier's stunning bronze and gold sculpture of an African woman visiting Paris in 1851 (African Venus) is probably one of The Walters' best known gems. The museum also features an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian art and is the site for concerts and social gatherings.