The public is invited to the 33rd annual Artscape on Friday, July 18 and Saturday, July 19 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, July 20 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mount Royal Avenue and North Charles Street. Artscape invites festival-goers to “Join the Movement!” with an emphasis on dance and all things motion-related including Silent! Disco in Pearlstone Park, Dance at The Lyric, kinetic contraptions along Mount Royal Avenue, “Ballroom Dancing in the Garden” on Charles Street and the NEW Aerial Arts Arena.
The 2014 festival is headlined by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Ozomatli, Galactic and Anthony Hamilton. America’s largest free arts festival features live music of various genres on three outdoor stages, a full schedule of theater, dance and opera performances, in addition to classical, a cappella and experimental music, street theater, fine art and crafts from more than 150 artisans in the Artists’ Market, world famous art cars, the Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize Semi-finalists Exhibition, film, children’s activities, exhibitors and an assortment of food and beverages. Artscape is presented by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and produced by the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts.
“Each July, Artscape continues Baltimore’s tradition of celebrating and supporting art & culture,” says Mayor Rawlings-Blake. “With this year’s ‘Join the Movement’ theme, I invite residents and visitors to take advantage of the festival’s free offerings by not only watching the performances and exhibitions, but by joining in the many interactive programs and visiting the many projects designed by artists.”
Festival-goers are encouraged to download the free Artscape Mobile App, powered by Kaiser Permanente, on their Apple and Android devices or visit www.artscape.org for the most up-to-date event information. Artscape lovers can also share their excitement at www.facebook.com/Artscape.Baltimore or be a part of the conversation by following @ArtscapeBmore on Twitter and Instagram, as well as using the hashtag #artscape2014.
New for 2014, Aerial Arts Arena, curated by Daydreams + Nightmares Aerial Theatre, hosts aerial artists, dancers, and circus acts from around the region high above Charles Street. Performers will showcase diverse styles of movement and dance on aerial cloth, trapeze, hoop, and a number of other apparatuses.The showcase includes productions from DNA Theatre, Vaudoux Aerial Dance Theatre, Radiant Hoops, Ascension Arts and Brian Kehoe.
The Station North Stage and Festival Stage also showcase the talents of local, regional and national acts from a wide variety of genres including funk, blue grass, country, reggae, rock ‘n roll, hip hop and indie rock. Performers taking the stage include Small Apartments, 8 Ohms Band, Andy Poxon, Bosley, The Players, Almighty Senators, Tom Principato, Cowboy Mouth, The Glenmont Popes, Reverend Horton Heat, No BS! Brass Band and Yellow Dubmarine. Additionally, all three outdoor concert stages host performances by the winners of this year’s Sound Off Live! competition: By & By, May Weather, Skydivers, The Deaf Scene, Super City, Evokatones, Muddy Crows, Eureka Birds, Honest Haloway, Lotus Song & The Black Light Asylum, Voodoo Pharmacology, Rufus Roundtree & Da B’More Brass Factory and MC Booze.
Artscape-goers can experience performances by nationally renowned dance companies at the Modell Performing Arts Center at The Lyric. Ballet Memphis performs award winning selections choreographed by Julia Adam & Trey McIntyre. Adam’s ballet, Devil’s Fruit will be presented as well as McIntyre’s In Dreams. Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theater, with artistic director Bernard H. Gaddis, will perform selections from its extensive and exciting repertoire including Vespers, Firebird and Phib.
On Charles Street, “Field Day” offers attendees hands-on fun. The exhibition is comprised of a collection of participatory games, activities, performances and competitions designed by artists. The featured games are “SuperGame!,” “Pizza Party Twister,” “HopsXotch Rivalry,” “The Amazing Art Race,” “10,000!,” “Little Lord Baltimore” and “Choose Your Own Reuse Adventure.” Games can be experienced as a viewer or participant.
On Friday and Saturday night, the fun keeps going, even after the festival closes! Artscape After Hours takes place from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Charles Street, from Preston Street to North Avenue, transforms into an oversized after-party with live DJs, LOL@Artscape hosted by standup comedian Ben Rosen, a 90-foot Ferris Wheel of Lights, and much more!
The Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize Semi-Finalists Exhibition features work by artists whose work was reviewed in the second round of the Sondheim competition. The exhibition includes artists working in a wide variety of mediums and is located in the Decker Gallery, Meyerhoff Gallery and Pinkard Gallery of the Maryland Institute College of Art. Exhibited with the Semi-Finalists Exhibition is the winner of the Fred Lazarus IV Artscape Prize (“The Fred”): Malcolm Colvin Mclurg, Baltimore School for the Arts.
Gamescape moves to a new location in the old Single Carrot Theatre (1727 North Charles Street). In the expanded space, the interactive visual arts exhibition continues to showcase video games and the talented artists, developers and designers who create them. Gamescape lets festival-goers control the screen and includes classic arcade machines, video game demonstrations and panels on game development and design. The exhibition remains open during Artscape After Hours, featuring live performances of video game music.
Artscape visitors can also take in an eclectic offering of theater and opera performances, along with folk, a cappella, classical and organ concerts from regional artists and companies. Highlights include The Stoop Storytelling Series, Baltimore Concert Opera, OrchKids, The Lyric Opera, Ocho Bajos, Reverse Cascade, The Original Little Ark Male Chorus, Bach in Baltimore and Heart of Maryland Barbershop Quartet. These performances take place at the Brown Center, Theatre Project and Corpus Christi Church.
Budding artists have an area to call home at Kidscape! Artscape’s youngest visitors and their families can participate in hands-on activities and performances all weekend. The new Get Up and Move Stage presented by Walmart features kid-friendly concerts, dances and lessons. Craft and other workshops are offered by Baltimore City Recreation & Parks, Bmore Buttons, The Walters Art Museum, Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Dance & Artistic Expressions Studio, Junior League’s Kids in the Kitchen and Planet Awkward.