Thursday, December 15, 2011
Baltimore's Finest
I did this mural of Billie Holiday and Eubie Blake in the auditorium of John Eager Howard Elementary School. I think it is important to remind the kids of the amazing art and culture that has come out of Baltimore while making their own space for creating art brighter and more inspiring. Enjoy!
-Shelby
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Red Emma and Zines
Since I didn't make it to a site in Baltimore this week i made a quick stop at Red Emma's today between class and our critiques. Sam, Naomi and I walked there to do some more planning for our final project. I have been a few times before. Last time I spent a good deal of time sitting in the back of the store reading poems from the small book section. The I ordered the malapesto bagel and tea, bought a copy of Bust magazine and sat down with the girls. We talked for a while and planned out our project. Afterwards we all browsed around for a while.
I've never quite understood zines until I took a closer look at the selection they had at Red Emma's. I asked the woman running the cafe what the protocol was. essentially, artists/activists/writers/ compile their works, ideas and essays and submit them to Red Emma's. If they like them enough to sell them, they add a dollar to the price to keep as commission.
Mildred and I have been considering putting together a zine of inmate art and writing. I suggested the idea to the woman at the till and she seemed pretty excited. She shared that she also had worked in jails. She had taught pop culture classes in juvenile facilities in Washington.
If we get this zine off the ground in the spring it looks like we'll have a place to put it.
I've never quite understood zines until I took a closer look at the selection they had at Red Emma's. I asked the woman running the cafe what the protocol was. essentially, artists/activists/writers/ compile their works, ideas and essays and submit them to Red Emma's. If they like them enough to sell them, they add a dollar to the price to keep as commission.
Mildred and I have been considering putting together a zine of inmate art and writing. I suggested the idea to the woman at the till and she seemed pretty excited. She shared that she also had worked in jails. She had taught pop culture classes in juvenile facilities in Washington.
If we get this zine off the ground in the spring it looks like we'll have a place to put it.
The Book Thing and Charles Theater!
If you've read the other posts (or the title above) you already know that I went to The Book Thing of Baltimore. This place is crazy. I expected some sort of tattered, yard sale-esque selection of books with the covers torn off, or else a church basement trade with poor lighting, but it is beyond that! Even with my seemingly negative presumptions, I knew this place would be special. And I was right. This is an amazing service that intrigues all of my friends at home. The selection of books is massive, and they are all categorized orderly and in a huge space, making the books look endless. In the twenty-eight--that's right, twenty-eight--books that I grabbed, you would find everything from Tender Is The Night to The Five Little Peppers, a favorite story my dad read to me as a kid. I took a few books on music composition and writing, which will make great gifts (Merry Christmas, Nick Ratterman). I did very well on my adventure to The Book Thing with Richelle and Amber, and will definitely be back again. I'm so excited to have such an amazing resource in the community.
I also revisited Charles Theater, so as to both cross something off the community arts map and escape finals for roughly two hours. The place has a very fun, hip vibe. The employees seem involved and active in arts of all kind. The first time I went there, I bought a ticket from a girl playing violin, this time a twenty-something man with a Charm City Cakes t-shirt collected it. The theater is small, but intimate, and connected to a restaurant next door. I can't speak too much about the crowd, as I have gone at unusual times, opposed to a Friday night showing or a Sunday matinee. My first trip to the Charles was to see 50/50 around two in the afternoon while everyone was in school or at work. My second was on a Wednesday night around 9:30 to see Like Crazy. Neither of these are prime time movie going hours, but I have enjoyed my experiences greatly both times. They show both indie, film festival hits for the art student in you and big named successes like Twilight, etc for the part of you that wishes to connect to the masses. I would highly recommend this theater as it is a short walk from campus and provides excellent service.
Julia
I also revisited Charles Theater, so as to both cross something off the community arts map and escape finals for roughly two hours. The place has a very fun, hip vibe. The employees seem involved and active in arts of all kind. The first time I went there, I bought a ticket from a girl playing violin, this time a twenty-something man with a Charm City Cakes t-shirt collected it. The theater is small, but intimate, and connected to a restaurant next door. I can't speak too much about the crowd, as I have gone at unusual times, opposed to a Friday night showing or a Sunday matinee. My first trip to the Charles was to see 50/50 around two in the afternoon while everyone was in school or at work. My second was on a Wednesday night around 9:30 to see Like Crazy. Neither of these are prime time movie going hours, but I have enjoyed my experiences greatly both times. They show both indie, film festival hits for the art student in you and big named successes like Twilight, etc for the part of you that wishes to connect to the masses. I would highly recommend this theater as it is a short walk from campus and provides excellent service.
Julia
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