What happens when artists go to paint night?

As a means to return to the world after covid restrictions were lifted, Sara Kaltwasser and Sarah McCann started going to paint nights. These 2021 & 2022 paint nights offered a low/no pressure space to create as we regained our footing and immersed ourselves in community in a fun and creative way. We then invited other artists to create all the same Paint Night paintings and exhibit them together. Consider this a painterly game of telephone! How will each person respond? Which artwork was chosen to riff off of or remix?

Featuring: Maria Gabriela Aldana, Christopher Batten, Amelia Carroll, Chad Clikeman, Daisy Dudley, Allison Duggan, Gen Fraser, Alana Haughton, Tiffany Jones, Charity Jordan-Brown, Sara Kaltwasser, Val Lucas, Sarah McCann, Vonne Napper, Ozsha, Paula Phillips, Christina Ralls, Unique Robinson, Lyn Townes, and Arianna Townes

June 1 - June 30, 2024 at Gallery CA.

Sara Kaltwasser: A Fusion Flow Exhibition

On View May 23 - June 7, 2023

Cork Factory. 1601 Guilford Ave, 2 South, Baltimore, MD 21202

How do we chronicle history? How does the art we celebrate in museums shift the soil beneath our feet? How do we go on to tell those stories generation to generation? Whose stories get told during the most challenging moments of our country? Whose lives matter in the recounting… who is forgotten? Who is erased?

On View March 20 - May 19, 2023

Cork Factory. 1601 Guilford Ave, 2 South, Baltimore, MD 21202

Paula Phillips was born in Tuskegee, Alabama. Her life and career have led her through Texas, Missouri, Colorado, Utah, and now Baltimore, Maryland, her home. Phillips is a practicing studio and community artist, a social justice advocate and activist, the former director of Maryland Institute College of Arts’ (MICA) Community Arts Partnerships and Community Arts MFA programs. 

Hear Us Now?!?!

How We Are Healing is a visual art exhibition produced alongside the Keswick Wise & Well Center's Art as an Act of Healing Symposium taking place on Friday, December 10, 2021. The symposium and exhibition will examine the ways art can serve an essential function in the process of healing and wellness.

How We Are Healing looks at the creative process as a radical act of healing. Art as a way of processing pain and trauma; art as a way of forging connections and rebuilding relationships; art as a way of communicating when words fail to express the depths of our feelings and emotions; and art as a means of transforming inequitable structures and healing oppressive systemic issues. This exhibition will focus on art and the artist's ability to express our truths individually and as a collective in a way that mends what is broken, heals sickness and suffering, and opens space for growth toward wholeness, justice, and liberation for ourselves and our collective communities.

Participating artists: Hannah Brancato | Ram Brisueno | Colin Campbell | Alanah Nichole Davis | Sara Dittrich |  Norm Dubin | Quentin Gibeau | Kellie Gillespie | Shana Goetsch | Kali Hinton | Nora Howell | Zoey HowelL-Brown | Cinder Hypki | Benjamin Jancewicz | Tacie Jones | Dasha Kalumuck | Ken Krafchek | Racine Lancaster | Catherine Leberg | Rikiesha Metzger | Kenlynn Schroeder | Laura Sligh | Angela Sriram | Tyrone Weedon

Gormley Gallery
Notre Dame of Maryland University
January 25 - March 5, 2021

2020 was a year of new and continued challenges on a national and global scale. This exhibition celebrates the values of people who have provided light, inspiration, and a path forward. Leaders who have stepped up where there have been voids, replacing ignorance, greed, and fear with courage, care, strength, and vision. Artists included in this exhibition created work about leaders and/or the values needed to lead. That which is necessary to move the needle forward toward communities that care for all, are just, and support liberation and freedom. And leaders who inspire others to grow and change.

Featuring: Colin Campbell | Jeanne Chapple | Cheryl Curtis | Raul Rene GonzalezJo Hannah | Benjamin Jancewicz | Sarah Kaltwasser | Ken Krafchek | Megan Lewis | Lauren R. Lyde | Paula Phillips | Gina Pierleoni | 
Christine Stiver

The gallery is open to the public by appointment only. Email gormleygallery@ndm.edu to schedule a visit.

A virtual version of the exhibition will also be available at http://gormleygallery.com, beginning January 25.

As It Should Be asked artists to imagine what tomorrow brings. If artists had the power to wake in the morning and have the perfect day, have all problems in the world be solved then what would the world look like? “The artist” is often written off as someone who doesn't understand how the world works and whose ideas have no basis of reality within the current system. What is misunderstood in these moments is that the artist can simultaneously hold the world as it is and the world as it should be. The cognitive dissonance between these two worlds is the space where the artist thrives. Artwork provides a vision of how to get from where we are to a more just and sustainable future.

This exhibition was curated by Sarah McCann, and planned in conjunction with Rising Up! an education program of the Modell Lyric that facilitates performance programs with middle school students and community centers across Baltimore City. The exhibition was originally scheduled to be held at Gallery CA, March 26 - April 23, 2020.

Due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and the closure of all schools and non-essential businesses in the state of Maryland, the exhibition was not installed at Gallery CA as planned. Instead, this webpage was created to highlight the talented group of artists included.

Curated by Allison Duggan, Gerad Forte & Sarah McCann
Exhibition on view:
September 20 - October 27, 2019

MICA PLACE
814 N. Collington Ave
Baltimore, MD 21205

Featuring works by: Mary Bickford | Ram Brisueno | Black Women in Fiber | Samuel Brice | Kenneth Clemons | Brennan Cox | Eager Quilters | Alle Friend | Gloria Garrett | Aileen Geraghty | Zoey Howell | Sallah Jenkins | Rikiesha Metzger | Milton Avenue Improvement Association | Roberta Morgan | Ronald Rucker | Melissa Smith | Derrick Smith | Maxine Taylor | Unique Fabrics | Dominique Zeltzman | Noelle Zeltzman

Making in the Midst Of...

Curated by Sarah B. McCann

October 5 - November 24, 2019

Hurwitz Gallery, Fred Lazarus IV Center

Maryland Institute College of Art

Shannon Brinkley | Thomas Doyle | Danielle Dravenstadt | Tanya Garcia | Elena Johnston | Erin Lehrmann | Lauren R. Lyde | Natovian McLeod | Edgar Reyes

Making in the Midst of… is an exhibition that seeks to uncover why community artists, arts educators and other creative professionals continue their personal creative pursuits in the midst of their other responsibilities.

Ways of Seeing

Curated by Anil Lewis & Sarah McCann

Gallery CA

440 E Oliver St, Baltimore, MD 21202

June 7 - July 20, 2019

Ways of Seeing an exhibition co-curated by Anil Lewis and Sarah McCann that challenged artists to create work that can be “seen” through all five senses. The exhibition put work on view that questions the meaning of seeing, how people experience the world and the ways in which they work to understand, particularly those with a different experience. 

Our Words Will Still Be Heard is the second exhibition planned in conjunction with Rising Up an education program for middle school students organized by the Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric. Curated by Sarah McCann, the exhibition asked professional artists to create work about the power voice that were exhibited alongside art and performances of lyrical narratives created by Baltimore middle school students expressing personal stories and their perspectives on life.

At a time when people are being silenced, the arts provide an opportunity to speak out. It is only through the rising up of all voices that true equilibrium and harmony can be achieved.

Featuring: Aliana Grace Bailey, Mildred Beltre, Schroeder Cherry, Logan Ryland Dandridge, Nicole Foran, Jessie Houff, Benjamin Jancewicz, Ryan Lewis, Joy Li, Elizabeth Miller, Robert Moon, Elizabeth Shores, Justin Sorensen, Emily Tucci

Our Words Will Be Heard

At a time when people are being silenced, the arts provide an opportunity to speak out. It is only through the rising up of all voices that true equilibrium and harmony can be achieved.

This exhibition, asked artists to create or submit pieces of artwork that express why speaking up and being heard is important, as well as sharing artists' own stories related to being silenced and rising up against that silencing. 

April 18 - May 21, 2018

The Modell-Lyric
140 W Mt Royal Ave, Baltimore, MD 21201

Hosted in partnership with Rising Up a pilot education program for middle school students.

Featuring: Christopher Batten, Aiden Dillard, Oasa DuVerney, FORCE, Shana R. Goetsch, Mia Halton, Susan Lee Harmon, Benjamin Jancewicz, Shamarah A. Jones, Giovanni Lawrence, Paula Phillips, Iandry Randriamandroso, Eric Rivera Barbeito, Elizabeth Shores, Chris Wilson

Portraits of People we Love is an exhibition that invited artists to create and submit work that depicts a person or persons each artist loves. This love may be platonic, familial, romantic, someone they only know in passing, but are overjoyed exist in the world, someone they have never met, but appreciate in the deepest, most meaningful way or any and all other forms of love.

October 20 - November 18, 2017

MICA PLACE
814 N Collington Ave, Baltimore, MD 21205

Hosted by Maryland Institute College of Art and MICA's MFA in Community Arts


For images of the exhibition click here.

Home

This exhibition shares the experience of living with ceramics. The vibrancy and joy of a life surrounded by unique objects with history, stories, shared experience and the visible reminder of the ones who made them. For me this is my house, serving dinner on dishes made by people I love, this is my work, serving artists so that they can keep creating, this is my life, surrounded by incredible people doing incredible things. Summer 2016.

Featuring: 

Patty Bilbro

Brett Freund

Roberto Lugo

Shalya Marsh

Lynnette Rodgers

OPENING MAY 15 6-8pm

Press Preview May 15 4:30 - 5:30pm

What do artists do with broken pieces? Ceramic artists experience breakage every day. Mosaic artists use broken pieces to create. Putting the Pieces Together, curated by Sarah McCann, is an exhibition responding to the question asked of artists of all mediums: How do we put things back together when they break?  Sometimes breakage is purposeful, like cracking an egg for breakfast. Sometimes it is unintentional like breaking someone's heart. Some things were broken through a violent history and after many generations still need to be healed. The cement and grout that is used to adhere broken pieces of tile, mirror and mixed media make beautiful objects that hold meaning not just as a whole, but in each piece used to create the image or sculpture they become. The artists that work in this art form weave together personal stories and larger narratives of the histories that we share. Work in this show will speak of things that are broken and illustrate how we as individuals and a community work to put the pieces back together.     

ARTISTS:  GARY BEAUMONT (IL), PEGGY BREIDENBACH (IN), WILLIAM CAESAR (MD), YOUTH DREAMERS AND DANIELLE CHI (MD), STUDENTS FROM CONNEXIONS COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP ACADEMY AND CHRISTINE STIVER (MD), GRAHAM COREIL-ALLEN (MD), PATRICK S. CRABB (CA), E. BLAISE DEPAOLO (MD), OASA DUVERNEY (NY), SHANA R. GOETSCH (MD), MATHIS (NY), MIA HALTON (MD), CINDER HYPKI (MD), JARED JAFFE (PA), SALLAH JENKINS (MD), CHRIS LEONARD (TX), HERB MASSIE (MD), GINO PARISI (MD), TAMARA PAYNE (MD), REFUGEE YOUTH PROJECT AND CLARE SHREVE (MD), DOMINIC TERLIZZI (MD), CHARLES TIMM-BALLARD (WA), ALICE M. YUTZY (MD)

Experience Transformation: The Impact of Clay

Experience Transformation showcases a cross-section of the clay community's different aesthetic sensibilities. From sculptural to functional work, this exhibition spans a wide variety of ceramic arts and generations of artists. Clay as a medium embodies joy, transformation, the possibility of rebuilding, creating, and being human. The Many ways that artists connect both to the medium and to each other are visible in the work included in this exhibition.

Baltimore Clayworks prides itself on providing a place for artists of all backgrounds to create in clay. This exhibition exemplifies the many ways artists create unique objects from one of the world's most basic mediums. Clay is accessible -- all one needs is the will to work. Touching clay can have the same impact on an experienced ceramic artist or someone who has picked up a piece of clay for the first time. Our hands leave an impression in the clay and on us, making the force of our existence visible. Join us for this fun collaboration between Baltimore Clayworks and the Creative Alliance to experience the wonderful world of clay and all of its diverse transformations.

Presented by Baltimore Clayworks 

Hosted by The Creative Alliance

May 23 - June 7, 2014

Opening: May 23rd 5:30-7:30pm 

Baltimore From Many Perspectives

An exhibition featuring nine interconnected artists in collaboration with two dancers and young artists and dancers from ConneXions School for the Arts. In this exhibition each artist chosen to participate was a part of selecting the other artists. The task, invite an artist that you are connected to, but also different from. The exhibition grew organically from there to include artists of many backgrounds and various mediums including painting, digital media, sound, ceramic, printmaking, mixed media, performance and more. Special thanks to D center Baltimore for hosting and to all the organizations and individuals that helped to make it happen.  

Hosted by D Center

June 15 - July 21, 2013

Opening: June 15th 6-8pm

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ARTISTS AND EXHIBITION.

CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS FROM THE OPENING.

CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS OF THE EXHIBITION.

Women: an Exhibition

What makes women awesome? Who are the amazing women you know? How have they impacted your life and work? What effect have they had on the world? Women: An Exhibition invites participating artists and designers of all genders to create work that celebrates the incredible women they have known, loved, and been influenced by. It is a chance to recognize and pay homage to all that the women in our lives have contributed to us.

By showcasing the work of female artists and designers, exhibiting work about women’s roles in industry, and including projects about women known personally (colleagues, family, friends, mentors, role models, etc.), this show celebrates all the facets and roles of women in our lives.

Curated by Sarah McCann, Women includes work by 39 artists from across the nation, 27 of whom work in Maryland (as well as one local Baltimore community organization) and 11 who hail from Colorado, Kentucky, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, and Utah.

D center @ MAP is hosting the exhibition from March 3 through April 14, 2012.

The Process of Peace

Peace is a process, not an end goal. It is something we must work toward, strive for, and can only be approached though disciplined practice, awareness, and work. We each undertake very personal approaches to moving toward peace in our lives. This exhibition asks participating artists to create artwork that visualize their personal process of peace, what they do to maintain an active movement toward peace, and how this relates to their creative endeavors.

Curated by Sarah McCann this exhibition includes work by 27 artists from across the nation, 19 working in Maryland and 8 others from Arizona, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey and Texas.

Towson ARTS Collective in partnership with Baltimore Green Works hosted the exhibition from March 5 – May 20, 2011.

What's Your War?

An exhibition about what really needs to be fought against

We live in a country where we are in a constant state of war against something. There is the “War on Drugs”, the “War on Terror”, the war in Iraq, and the war in Afghanistan. Each president seems to have their own personal war, which is presented in the press as something universal that we as citizens of the United States are all opposed to.  What if one doesn’t believe in the war on drugs, the war on terror or the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?  These wars as presented are not universal at all, but rather very personal. If we each, as individuals, had the power to declare war, what would these wars be against?

This question was posed to participating artists in the exhibition, What’s Your War?   Curated by Oasa DuVerney and Sarah McCann the exhibition includes works by over 20 artists from New York, Baltimore, Tennessee, and Arizona.

The exhibition was held at Load of Fun Gallery in Baltimore July 23rd - August, 2010.

Special thanks to Load of Fun for sponsoring this exhibition!

I Can

Wide Angle Youth Media Festival Installation

Facilitated by Sarah McCann with the Youth Dreamers in collaboration with students from MICA's graphic design program.

This project addresses what governs the way we act in society. Laws dictate certain actions, but we all have a personal set of standards that direct how we relate to the world around us. Sarah McCann worked with middle and high school students to create and hang signs that read, "It is not ok to..." in a row of vacant storefronts in downtown Baltimore. The signs were deemed inappropriate for the business district and were taken down, but not before they received media attention. Other exhibition opportunities were found, like the Who Are You? Youth Media Festival.

"It is not ok" was all about standards and putting limits on one's actions, so to add balance to the project students created "I can" posters. In collaboration with students from Maryland Institute College of Art, Youth Dreamers finalized new posters that state their potential and possibilities.