It was all hands on deck at Maryland Public Television studios on a sunny Saturday afternoon in October, with staff and volunteers ready to handle the flow of hundreds of guests bringing their treasured artifacts for appraisal for the taping of the 12th season of MPT’s “Chesapeake Collectibles.”

After all, it’s not every day one sees armor from the 17^th century, or telegrams signed and sent by President Theodore Roosevelt.

“Chesapeake Collectibles” is an MPT program similar to “Antiques Roadshow” but for Marylanders. The guests and appraisers are Maryland-based, and many of the items are either Maryland-themed or of Maryland origin. The tapings take place over a two-day period, so over the course of the weekend the “Chesapeake Collectibles” team expected to see around 450 guests come through with around 1,500 items for appraisal. Each ticket holder was permitted to bring one guest, and each person could bring three items for appraisal.

While each item likely holds incalculable sentimental value for its owner, very few people learn their possessions hold life-changing monetary value. Patrick Keegan, executive producer for MPT and “Chesapeake Collectibles,” determines which people and pieces get filmed and ultimately which make it into an episode of the show. Keegan told Baltimore Fishbowl that over the course of the weekend, appraisers saw two items that were each worth in the vicinity of $250,000.

“They are both remarkable items of historical interest,” wrote Tom Williams, MPT’s senior managing director of communications. Naturally, they would not reveal what the items were — we will have to watch the series to find out.

When a guest arrives, they check in with an appraiser who takes a quick look at their item to determine into which category their items fall, like jewelry; pottery, porcelain, and glass; toys and amusements; generalist; drawings and paintings; furniture and decorative arts; rugs; books and manuscripts; memorabilia and ephemera; and more. The guest receives a ticket for that category, then sits in a waiting area until it’s time for the next group to enter the appraisal area.

The appraisal area is where the magic happens. Tables line the perimeter of the room with appraisers sitting in front of large banners announcing their categories of expertise. Guests find their tables, and (usually) must wait in line to learn about the item(s) they’ve brought in.

Marilyn brought her grandmother’s engagement ring to get assessed, but this was not her first time attending a “Chesapeake Collectibles” event. She’d come at least once before pre-COVID, before MPT had renovated their Owings Mills studios to be large enough to accommodate the show’s tapings. They’d held the tapings at Turf Valley before renovations.

John brought the aforementioned telegrams from President Theodore Roosevelt. His great-grandfather was head of the telegram office in St. Thomas, and Roosevelt sent the telegrams in 1906. There were some of personal nature and others that were on matters of official government business.

Other items of note included the upper portion of a suit of armor Keegan surmised was from the 17^th century, likely from the English Civil Wars. The Royalists loyal to King Charles I were known as the Cavaliers, and the Parliamentarians loyal to the Westminster Parliament were known as the Roundheads. They fought in the first major battle on English soil in October 1642. This piece of armor appears to have belonged to a member of the Roundheads.

Another gentleman brought in Tom Clancy memorabilia, but the items were not the only things of interest to Keegan.

“The people who own the items we see are often just as interesting as the items themselves,” Keegan wrote in an email to Fishbowl. “One such example was a collection of correspondence, first editions, and movie memorabilia related to Baltimore native, Tom Clancy.”

Keegan continued, “Clancy’s novels are acclaimed for their technical accuracy, and among Clancy’s technical advisors was Craig, a physician from Calvert County in southern Maryland. Craig discussed his collection of Clancy memorabilia with Chesapeake Collectibles’ books and manuscripts appraiser, Allan Stypeck, who coincidentally handled Tom Clancy’s estate following his death in 2013.”

Around 5% of the items get filmed for segments, though not all segments filmed make the final cut of episodes for the season. And as on “Antiques Roadshow,” when a person and their item is chosen for filming, they aren’t told what the value of their possession is until the filming itself. Their reactions that television audiences see in the episodes are completely real and genuine. They are watching the people on the show truly learn about the value for the first time.

After a guest has received their appraisal, whether they were filmed or not, they are invited to answer questions on camera about their experience. This takes place in the Testimonial Studio in Studio B, which is in the original part of MPT studios. Guests are asked about their experience from start to finish about the show, and they have the chance to talk about what they enjoyed or didn’t enjoy about the process.

“Studio B mostly is used as our on-air fundraising or pledge set,” said Ethan Staple, assistant producer at MPT. “So, four times a year, we have our on-air fundraising drives, where we raise money for the station. On the right is our phones and our computers, where our volunteers sit, and then we have the actual pledge set, where our talent stands.”

Studio B is also where they film “MPT and Your Community” and “MPT Arts Minute.” They also bring in people for interviews. They had a project called “The Maryland Oral History Project” where famous Marylanders were interviewed, sometimes by other famous Marylanders. Staple is especially proud of getting former Senator Barbara Mikulski to be interviewed for the project in 2023.

Incidentally, these are all areas visitors can see on tours offered by MPT for individuals and groups. Studio B, the sets, control rooms, and more are available free of charge with proper advanced notice and arrangement, though donations are appreciated. On MPT’s website, click on “Community” and find the “Station Tours” section for more information.

As for Chesapeake Collectibles, Patrick Keegan and his team have their work cut out for them. They must now cull approximately 80 segments they filmed down to around 40, and from that, piece the remaining together into 13 fluid episodes that make it onto our TVs and streaming devices for audiences to enjoy.

While taping for Season 12 of Chesapeake Collectibles is over, there is always next year! Keep current on news of when Season 12 will premiere, and when taping will take place for Season 13 on MPT’s Chesapeake Collectibles page by clicking this link.

VOICES – Mind the Gap: Conversations Across Difference

October 23 at 7pm: Matthew Taylor

Matthew D. Taylor is senior scholar at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies in Baltimore, where he specializes in American Christianity, American Islam, Christian extremism, and religious politics.

His new book, The Violent Take It by Force: The Christian Movement that is Threatening Our Democracy (Broadleaf, 2024), tracks how a network of Christian leaders called the New Apostolic Reformation was a major instigating force for the January 6th Insurrection and is currently reshaping the culture of the religious right in the U.S.He is also the author of Scripture People: Salafi Muslims in Evangelical Christians’ America (Cambridge, 2023). Taylor holds a PhD in religious studies and Muslim-Christian relations from Georgetown University and an MA in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. He also serves as an associate fellow at the Center for Peace Diplomacy in New Orleans, where he works on preventing religion-related violence surrounding U.S. elections.

VOICES, the Redeemer Speaker Series invites contemporary voices to challenge and inform us: artists and authors, visionaries and thought leaders, advocates of change courageous enough to hold the loveliness and sorrow of the world at once and find the wonder in both.

MCB Real Estate, Midtown Baltimore, and Bloom Arts Strategy have partnered to launch the Fitzgerald Activation, which will transform the unoccupied retail space at The Fitzgerald into a creative hub and economic engine for Baltimore this fall.

From October to December 2024, local artists and cultural organizers will offer a diverse lineup of arts-based events and activities at The Fitzgerald, located at 1201 W. Mt. Royal Ave. The Fall 2024 Artistic Partners include Wordsmith and Rise with a Purpose, Ernest Shaw, Kelly L. Walker, M.A.G.I.C. Center of the Arts, Birch & Pen, Oh to Dream, The Stylette, and Good Quemistry.

The Fitzgerald Activation provides artists and makers with access to the space and resources for free. They may use the space to rehearse, perform, create, and connect with the community. Some groups are offering recurring events, and some are offering one-time-only experiences. Genres include music, dance, theater, spoken word, fashion, film, visual art, and more.

“As a community-focused developer and investment firm, we know how arts, entertainment, and culture enhance the health and vibrancy of a city. In Baltimore specifically, we’re excited to elevate The Fitzgerald with these offerings and take pride in shaping places that serve as strong foundations for thriving communities,” said Louis J. Kousouris III, Managing Director of MCB Real Estate.

The Fitzgerald Apartments, in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood, are steps from Penn Station and the Light Rail, offering easy access for artists and public spectators in the Station North Arts District. The idea to offer artists free access to unused retail space was conceived in August 2023, with plans taking shape in early 2024. Nearly 50 local creatives submitted proposals to the open RFP issued in spring 2024. Of the applicants, 42% were small businesses and 63% of those businesses were led by BIPOC women.

“In addition to providing opportunities for artists to engage the community with their work, the Fitzgerald Activation offers Baltimore’s creative entrepreneurs a unique, low-risk opportunity to test ideas as a proof of concept, build their audience base, and fine tune their business models,” reads the press release.

“We know that artists lack access to affordable, clean, safe space to pursue their creative endeavors, and when you remove barriers to that access, not only will the artists benefit, but the communities in which they work will benefit, as well,” said Stacy Handler, CEO & founder of Bloom Arts Strategy. “This space will now be filled with music, dance, theater, creative commerce, and more. I am grateful to MCB and Midtown for being such supportive partners in this endeavor and collaborating with us to bring this idea to life to serve Baltimore’s artistic community.”

Some of the events and classes are closed to the public, like most rehearsals for certain performances, and the MICA Mural Class with Ernest Shaw. Some groups, however, offer the occasional “open” rehearsal wherein the public is invited to watch. There will be rehearsals and performances by M.A.G.I.C. Center of the Arts, a Sip, Swap, & Shoot event hosted by The Stylette, and an art exhibition featuring works by Kelly L. Walker.

Wordsmith, the BSO Artist in Residence, will be holding workshops and rehearsals for the youth artists in his organization, Rise with a Purpose, as well as performances and events for his own band and work. Most rehearsals will be closed, but several are open to the public. The Fitzgerald Activation will also offer a holiday market curated and hosted by Birch & Pen, and a bi-monthly immersive storytelling event series called Zora’s Room celebrating Black culture, womanhood, and queer identity hosted by Good Quemistry.

For a full listing of The Fitzgerald Activation’s Fall 2024 groups, activities, and events, along with public viewing, attendance, and ticketing information, click this link.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Stacy Handler’s name.

Have you ever been surprised by unexpected kindness? 

How do you stay open to the future without discounting what’s come before? 

Has gratitude ever helped you pivot your perception from a loss into a gain? 

In Morning Fuel, Becky Galli explores questions like these – one for each day of the year – along with musings, meditations, and advice for how we can meet life’s challenges with openness and grace. Indeed, Galli has faced many hardships: the death of her brother when he was seventeen, parenting two children with special needs, and coming to terms with her own paralysis. Despite these difficulties, Galli has thrived, finding optimism in her friends, family, and within herself.

A Baltimore resident since 1983, Galli began her writing career in 2000 with articles in The Baltimore Sun. She hasn’t stopped writing since. In addition to columns that ran in The North County News and The Towson Times, Galli published a memoir, Rethinking Possible, in 2017. She also shares columns and musings with subscribers in her “Thoughtful Thursdays” series. 

Galli took time to speak with The Fishbowl about the process of writing Morning Fuel and to share some advice about finding positive ways to engage with the world.

Baltimore Fishbowl: The book is structured according to a calendar year, with one entry for each day. Does this structure reflect the process you used to write it? 

Rebecca Faye Smith Galli: I’ve always been a fan of daily morning readings. They have helped me get through some tough times. After the publication of my memoir Rethinking Possible, I was often asked, “How do you do it? What helps you cope?” Morning Fuel is one answer as it offers quotes, mantras, and stories I’ve written or retold over the last 24 years that continue to strengthen and guide me. 

As I began gathering my favorite stories and collecting material for new ones, I found it helpful to consider the seasons since nature has a prominent role in most of my work. I first grouped entries and put in Word files labeled by month. Then I created one Word file to house all edited documents to give me quick access to the body of work if I needed to check for duplication of thoughts, phrases, or attribution.

After about 100 entries, Excel became my new best friend. I realized I needed help in tracking, so I created a spreadsheet that numbered each entry, its title, month, and word count. Later as I reviewed the entries from the reader’s perspective, I added columns to include quote attributions as well as friend and family names so I could sort and sequence those references in a thoughtful way.   

BFB: You include quotations and ideas from several philosophers and wellness experts throughout the book. What are books that you return to over and over? Which authors do you consistently recommend to others? 

RFSG: I love authors who offer thoughtful takes on life, who meet life head on and aren’t afraid of asking the hard questions or giving a vulnerable response. Some of my favorites include: Anne Lamott, Gretchen Rubin, Mark Nepo, Sarah Young, Richard Rohr, C.S. Lewis, Melanie Beattie, James Clear, Kelly Corrigan, Shane Parrish, John C. Maxwell. I read and reread their work, rotating periodically. 

BFB: Family is central to the book, and nearly every entry involves at least one of your family members. How did your living relatives feel about being featured? Was everyone on board? Did you allow them to provide feedback during your writing process?

RFSG: Fortunately—or unfortunately—my family is accustomed to being featured in my writing. After my paralysis, my marketing career pivoted to writing when in 2000, The Baltimore Sun published my first column about playing soccer with my son—from the wheelchair. The next published piece was about his first wrestling match and launched my From Where I Sit column where I regularly wrote about family life. My first book, Rethinking Possible: A Memoir of Resilience told the full story of my life and included theirs.

I never considered it unusual to include my family in my writing. As a PK (Preacher’s Kid), I grew up with my antics often becoming a sermon illustration. My goal, however, is to use my father’s approach and recount each one with accuracy, relevancy, and great heart. The last thing I would ever want to do would be to make a family member uncomfortable. 

BFB: One major theme in the book involves the importance of being able to change your perspective to deal with the challenges life throws at you. What have you found to be the most effective technique (or techniques) to facilitate a shift in perspective?

RFSG: Acceptance is the key to shifting perspective, in my experience. When a new challenge comes my way, I first decide what I need to accept, even if it’s, ‘I don’t know’ or “I need help.”  Then comes the tricky part—deciding what can be done this day about that issue. If possible, I act or make a plan. However, if there’s nothing more I can do, I place it gently on a shelf in my mind out of the center of my thinking so I’m not looking through it. I allow other parts of my life to come into focus, prompting a perspective shift. 

One of my favorite exercises that helps elevate my perspective is:

Even though________ (the unwanted circumstance) I can still________(name a present action or focus that’s available despite the circumstance)

If I’m still having trouble shifting my perspective, I try to find something to be grateful for—a magenta sunrise, progress on a lengthy project, or even remembering to break down the boxes for this week’s recycling.

BFB: So much of the book involves memories from your own childhood. What was it like uncovering those memories? Were there stories you had forgotten that re-emerged through the process of writing Morning Fuel? What was that experience like?

RFSG: It was an adventure, for sure! Many of the Morning Fuel readings are family classics: April 28: “No, I love you,” is a story my father told when I was seven and my sister Rachel was three. It was raining and Rachel had asked him with those mischievous eyes of hers if she could go outside to play. Dad looked outside and playfully answered, “Yes. Sure, honey.” Shocked, she asked again, and then again, but our father continued to give the same response. Finally, she said with a quiver in her voice, “Daddy, you don’t love me!” 

What a message that story has been to me through the years—parenting my four kids and now watching my kids parent their own– about the importance of setting boundaries and how those limits can show our love.

Writing about that scene brought it back to life –Rachel’s impish eyes, Dad’s playful smile, the huge hug they both shared after Dad told her that he was teasing and that of course she couldn’t go outside. It made me cherish my family home a little more and miss my father, now deceased, and my sister, now 800 miles away, even more.

BFB: Do you keep a daily journal? What role does writing play in your life when you are not actively working on a manuscript?

RFSG: I do keep a journal, but don’t hold myself to “daily.” After a bout of sepsis and a seventeen-day hospital stay in 2018, I grew impatient with my recovery progress. I had little energy and kept experiencing post-hospital complications. I felt like I was on a loop, never progressing forward, living the same day over and over. So, I got a beautiful spiral notebook and started journaling in seven areas: 

Body, Life, Mood, Goals, Accomplishments, Gratitude, Insights

With a journal, I could review the previous entries and track my progress. I had EVIDENCE of progress—I didn’t have to rely on my feelings (or memory!)  alone. Granted, sometimes my goals were small: Sleep seven hours. Drink eight glasses of water. Exercise ten minutes. But it gave me a wonderful feeling of success to check those boxes.

I usually journal after my morning readings. The process keeps my mind in gear, ready to capture insights or inspirations from my morning readings that later become fodder for Thoughtful Thursdays or other writing.

BFB: If you could share one piece of advice with your younger self, what would it be?

RFSG: Stay possibility-driven and hold plans lightly. Trust more in the process and worry less about the progress.         

Events for Morning Fuel

The Ivy Bookshop
October 26, 2024 10am-12pm, details here

Barnes & Noble Pikesville
November 2, 2024 2 PM to 6 PM

Baltimore County Public Library Cockeysville
Nov 7, 2024 6:30-7:30

VOICES – Mind the Gap: Conversations Across Difference

October 16 at 7pm: Jane Tippett
Once a King: The Lost Memoir of Edward VIII

History is nuanced in society and in families, including the royal family of Windsor, and the official story we have received may not be the whole story. Tippett will explore with us the tension between the stories of history we tell, and those we don’t.

Once a King is a fresh, gripping insight into the Duke of Windsor – King Edward VIII – who gave up the throne to marry the woman he loved, twice divorced American Wallis Simpson. Tippett weaves together Edward’s writing alongside newly uncovered interviews with the Duke and Duchess, diary entries from ghostwriter Charles Murphy and other sources. Together this forms an extraordinary new portrait of one of the most famous characters in modern royal history and his recollections and innermost feelings, particularly around the abdication of 1936.

Jane Marguerite Tippett grew up outside Philadelphia and studied at the Universities of Delaware and Oxford. She has worked as a consultant archivist and fine art curator to families and institutions in New York, London and Paris. She lives between London and New York.

VOICES, the Redeemer Speaker Series invites contemporary voices to challenge and inform us: artists and authors, visionaries and thought leaders, advocates of change courageous enough to hold the loveliness and sorrow of the world at once and find the wonder in both.

Mind the Gap: Conversations Across Difference

VOICES, the Redeemer Speaker Series invites contemporary voices to challenge and inform us: artists and authors, visionaries and thought leaders, advocates of change courageous enough to hold the loveliness and sorrow of the world at once and find the wonder in both.

All events will be held in the church starting at 7:00 p.m.

October 16: Jane Tippett
Once a King: The Lost Memoir of Edward VIII

History is nuanced in society and in families, including the royal family of Windsor, and the official story we have received may not be the whole story. Tippett will explore with us the tension between the stories of history we tell, and those we don’t.

Once a King is a fresh, gripping insight into the Duke of Windsor – King Edward VIII – who gave up the throne to marry the woman he loved, twice divorced American Wallis Simpson. Tippett weaves together Edward’s writing alongside newly uncovered interviews with the Duke and Duchess, diary entries from ghostwriter Charles Murphy and other sources. Together this forms an extraordinary new portrait of one of the most famous characters in modern royal history and his recollections and innermost feelings, particularly around the abdication of 1936.

Jane Marguerite Tippett grew up outside Philadelphia and studied at the Universities of Delaware and Oxford. She has worked as a consultant archivist and fine art curator to families and institutions in New York, London and Paris. She lives between London and New York.

Click here for details.

October 23: Matthew Taylor

Matthew D. Taylor is senior scholar at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies in Baltimore, where he specializes in American Christianity, American Islam, Christian extremism, and religious politics.

His new book, The Violent Take It by Force: The Christian Movement that is Threatening Our Democracy (Broadleaf, 2024), tracks how a network of Christian leaders called the New Apostolic Reformation was a major instigating force for the January 6th Insurrection and is currently reshaping the culture of the religious right in the U.S.He is also the author of Scripture People: Salafi Muslims in Evangelical Christians’ America (Cambridge, 2023). Taylor holds a PhD in religious studies and Muslim-Christian relations from Georgetown University and an MA in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. He also serves as an associate fellow at the Center for Peace Diplomacy in New Orleans, where he works on preventing religion-related violence surrounding U.S. elections.

Click here for details.

5603 N. Charles Street | Baltimore, MD 21210  www.redeemerbaltimore.org | 410-435-7333

Looking for some grown-up spooky fun? Do you want less pumpkin and more spice? There are so many ghoulish activities to put you on the edge of your feet! Check out the list below for just a few of the many things to help you get into the spirit of (after)life!

FELLS POINT HAUNTED PUBWALK
Fridays and Saturdays, 6 p.m., through end of November
$26 per person (21+)

In Fells Point, combine your love of all things haunted with all things sudsy on the Fells Point Haunted Pubwalk. You’ll visit some of Fells Point’s most haunted pubs. Sidle up to the bar and see if you feel the presence of lost maritime souls from years past. This tour is for people 21 and older, and leaves from Fells Point Square, near Max’s Taphouse at 733 S. Broadway, Baltimore, MD. These tours sell out early, so get tickets now, if not sooner!

MOUNT VERNON GHOST WALK

October 12, 25, 26 (8 p.m. all days)

Tickets cost $18

A tour guide will show you around Mount Vernon as they share stories about the ghosts of the Belvedere, a séance gone wrong, and more. Peer into the past and learn who continues to haunt the present in this fascinating ghost walk.

WESTMINSTER HALL AND BURYING GROUND
Open Daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
No cost (except on Halloween night)

What’s more fitting during spooky season than a cemetery? Make that the cemetery of Edgar Allan Poe, the Baltimore-buried author of terrifying tales, and you have quite the potential for spine-tingling shenanigans. His death is still a mystery. In October 1849 he was found delirious in Fells Point and wearing someone else’s clothing. He died days later and was buried at Westminster Hall and Burying Ground. Visitors leave flasks of Cognac, coins, and flowers.

On Halloween, you can hear music on a pipe organ and watch a dramatic performance of “The Tell-Tale Heart.” There is even the rare opportunity to tour Poe’s grave and the Westminster Hall catacombs, along with other activities. This activity takes place on Thursday, Oct. 31 from 6 p.m.- 9 p.m. at the Westminster Hall and Burying Ground, 519 W. Fayette St., Baltimore, MD. Tickets are $5 for adults, and children under 4 are free. Parental discretion is advised.

NEVERMORE HAUNT 2024
13 Nights in October (see calendar)
Ticket prices range from $30-$67

Staying with the Poe theme, The Nevermore Haunt is among the highest-rated haunted houses in Maryland. The website touts over-the-top and bizarre performances nightly, an on-site bar and concessions, and a terrifying haunted house that will strike deep into the depths of your darkest fears. But with a Baltimore theme, hon! “Expertly crafted, The Nevermore Haunt is an ever-changing and developing Halloween attraction that transports you directly into sordid, macabre visions of Baltimore’s past,” reads the website, where you can find the calendar for dates, and tickets. Anyone under 16 must be accompanied by a parent.

HAUNTED ELLLICOTT CITY MAIN STREET GHOST TOUR
Saturday nights through October
Tickets cost $20, discounts for military, students, seniors

Ellicott City is 250 years old, and the buildings on Main Street have secrets. Did you know that at one point there were four funeral homes on that tiny stretch of town? Just on Main Street! Founded by early Quakers, Civil War Troops, railroad workers, soldiers from both World Wars have traveled through the town thanks especially to the B&O Railroad at the bottom of the hill. Shop owners and customers swear they co-exist and encounter spirits from the past, and the period-costumed tour guides will give you all the spine-chilling details. Tours begin at the Howard County Welcome Center at 8267 Main Street, Ellicott City, MD. They run from 8:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. (tour end time is approximate). This tour is recommended for ages 12 and above, and tickets must be purchased in advance.

LAUREL’S HOUSE OF HORROR
October through Nov. 2
Tickets range from $34.95 to $39.95

Walking around an old movie theater can be spooky enough, but Laurel’s House of Horror takes it to epic levels. This terrifying attraction is in a historic theater, verified by Chesapeake Ghost Hunters to have signs of “other-worldly activity.” Its 28,000 square feet promise sensory overload, chilling anticipation, and plenty of jump scares. The House of Horror has been around for 10 creepy years, guaranteeing quality fright nights. It also has escape rooms based on iconic horror movies like “Insidious,” “Scream,” “Blaire Witch,” “Beetlejuice,” and more. Some even include a live actor to “enhance” your experience! Escape rooms experiences run approximately 45-50 minutes in length, and since it’s a timed activity, Laurel’s House of Horror asks guests to arrive 15 minutes prior to their appointed time.

COLT’S TRAIL OF TERROR
October 12, 19, 25
Free admission

This over three-hour-long tour takes you on a twisted trail through haunted woods, promising frights around every corner! That’s a long time to be terrified, but not only is the price right, guests have the chance to help a great cause. Donations are accepted, and all donations will go to Tunnels to Towers and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Colt’s Trail of Terror is located at 9207 Stone Spring Lane, Pasadena, MD. Reserve your ticket here.

DEAD OF NIGHT PARANORMAL TOUR
October 26, 7 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Tickets cost $28.52

It may be The Harford County 4-H Camp and Deer Creek Overlook by day, but get ready to explore the supernatural in the dead of night! Paranormal Tours promises a thrilling journey through haunted spots, hair-raising graveyards, and mysterious landmarks. Don’t be surprised if you encounter a spirit from beyond the grave during this dark, eerie walk through the haunted woods! It looks so harmless during the day, doesn’t it? Located at 6 Cherry Hill Road, Street, MD. Tickets available by clicking this link.

Check out some additional bone-chilling attractions by clicking this link.

Long held along the Inner Harbor waterfront, the Baltimore Book Festival moved to the Waverly neighborhood this year, where many bookstores have set up shop.

Readers, writers, and literature-lovers of all sorts came out to celebrate the festival’s return, after the event was last held in 2019.

From author talks to bookworms scouring the shelves for their next literary favorite, check out scenes from the festivities in this photo gallery:

BmoreArt’s Picks: October 1-7

This Week: Free Fall Baltimore, Deerhoof / Pearl / Mowder Oyal at Ottobar, Doors Open Kick-Off, Ta-Nehisi Coates at Pratt Library, New/Next Film Fest, In the Stacks Concert Series at Peabody Library, Our Art Room Artist Collective exhibition opening reception at The Peale, Islam & Print HEIRLOOM opening reception at Gallery CA, Baltimore Open Studio Tour Weekend, BJC Focus Symposium, and an opening reception for Claire Campbell Park and gallery artists at Goya Contemporary — PLUS 2024 DC Risoprint Fair call for entry and more featured opportunities!

BmoreArt’s Picks presents the best weekly art openings, events, and performances happening in Baltimore and surrounding areas. For a more comprehensive perspective, check the BmoreArt Calendar page, which includes ongoing exhibits and performances, and is updated on a daily basis.

To submit your calendar event, email us at events@bmoreart.com!

Free Fall Baltimore
Tuesday, October 1 | Ongoing through October 31

Baltimore is a city of intense cultural history. It’s also home to a thriving scene of diverse creators, performers, venues, and advocates. We celebrate National Arts and Humanities Month by illuminating Charm City’s many contributions to the humanities.
Every October, Free Fall Baltimore immerses the city in arts and culture with an entire month of free events, ranging from studio tours and concerts to dance performances and workshops.

Deerhoof, Pearl, Mowder Oyal
Tuesday, October 1 :: 7pm
@ Ottobar

PLEASE NOTE AT THE REQUEST OF DEERHOOF, WE ASK THAT YOU MASK UP!

Deerhoof
Pearl
Mowder Oyal

Doors Open Kick-Off Event | Love Letters to Baltimore: LIVE!
Wednesday, October 2 :: 6-7pm
@ Hotel Ulysses Swann House

Baltimore Architecture Foundation and partner Baltimore Heritage are shaking up the Doors Open kick-off event. Join us for a casual evening of storytelling showcasing a variety of voices, perspectives, and special places in Baltimore as we take our letter writing campaign to the stage in the inaugural Love Letters Live!

Hosted by the Hotel Ulysses in their new event space, Swann House, the event will include light fare and wine.

RSVPs appreciated but not required!

Read more of this week’s picks at BmoreArt.

The Enoch Pratt Free Library on Monday named a new president and CEO.

Chad Helton, a former library consultant and director of the Hennepin County Library in Minnesota, will take the helm of Baltimore’s library system.

Helton, who brings more than 15 years of experience in public and academic libraries, was selected after a nationwide search to replace the Pratt’s former head, Heidi Daniels.

Daniels stepped down from that role in February to lead the King County Public Library in Washington state. Darcell Graham, the Pratt’s vice president of public services, served as the interim CEO during the search for a permanent CEO.

Christine Espenshade, chair of the Pratt Library’s Board of Directors, called Helton “the right leader for the Enoch Pratt Free Library’s next chapter.”

“His deep industry experience and creative approach to addressing infrastructure needs will be invaluable as we work toward a bold future for the Pratt Library,” Espenshade said in a statement. “We are confident that his leadership, coupled with a commitment to community, will ensure that the Pratt Library continues to thrive as a cornerstone of Baltimore. Chad’s expertise will help us build on the momentum we’ve already gained, including record-high library cardholders and circulation, as well as securing funding for ongoing infrastructure improvements.”

Espenshade also thanked Graham for her “exceptional leadership” as interim CEO.

In a video message, Helton described dropping out of his undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill after struggling with “the pressures of me being one of the rare Black kids from my community to go to college.”

During the subsequent 10 years, he experienced homelessness and chronic underemployment. But a conversation with his grandmother changed that trajectory.

“She grew up in Jim Crow, and my parents grew up in segregation,” he said. “Think about the people who came before you, that did not have the opportunities. Every day is a new day to change someone’s life — including your own.”

A friend helped Helton get a job delivering books on a golf cart for the local library.

“I started to see the importance of the library, and what the library means, and what the library has to offer,” he said. “The library is whatever you want it to be and whatever you need it to be.”

Helton has worked for more than 15 years in the library field, including most recently as a library consultant.

He previously served as the director of Hennepin County Library in Minnesota, where he oversaw 41 branches, an annual $65 million budget, and the library system’s navigation of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Helton has also worked as the Director of Branch Library Services at the Los Angeles Public Library, where he managed more than 70 branches and the department’s more than $114 million budget; Deputy County Librarian in the Contra Costa County Library; and Library Services Manager in the City of Palo Alto Library.

He also brings academic library experience, after holding positions at Stanford University, University of California-Davis, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“I do not take this responsibility lightly,” Helton said in a statement. “I understand the significance of leading one of the nation’s first free public library systems, and I am deeply honored to take on this role.”

Helton added that he plans to continue the Pratt’s work of empowering communities and effecting change.

“Libraries are not just places for books—they are vital community resources that promote the greater good,” he said. “I look forward to expanding the Pratt Library’s services, modernizing our infrastructure, and ensuring that everyone in Baltimore has access to the information and opportunities they need to succeed.”

In his video, Helton highlighted some of the Pratt’s current programs and partnerships, such as Peer Navigators, who help community members on the journey of recovery from substance abuse disorder; Maryland Legal Aid, whose attorneys meet with library patrons to provide legal consultations; and the new Pratt Free Market, a resource for food insecure residents.

Helton earned a Master of Science degree in Library and Information Studies from Florida State University, a Master of Public Administration from the University of San Francisco, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in African-American Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education from Vanderbilt University.

He has been an active member of the American Library Association; the Public Library Association; the Urban Libraries Council; and Pi Alpha Alpha, the Global Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration.

“All rise.”

Those words bookend the fantastic production of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird at the Hippodrome. Spoken by the bailiff during the trial of Tom Robinson, they signify respect for the judge and respect for the American legal system.

They also call to mind one of the most famous scenes in the 1960 book and the 1962 movie of To Kill a Mockingbird, a scene that Aaron Sorkin wisely removed when he updated the classic text for Broadway in 2018.

It’s the moment of greatest despair, after an all-White jury has delivered its death-sentence guilty verdict to Robinson, an innocent Black man. The Black people watching from the balcony, the only place they are allowed to gather, don’t protest or sob. Instead, they all rise in an ostentatious show of respect for Atticus Finch, the lawyer who took on the case and failed.

“Miss Jean Louise, stand up,” one spectator says to Atticus’s daughter, Scout. “Your father’s passin’.”

Ugh.

To Kill a Mockingbird has always been darker than Atticus Finch fanfic would have us believe.

In the tiny Alabama town of Maycomb in 1934, good and evil face off, and evil wins. Innocence – a belief that the law works, that people are basically decent, that father always knows best – is shattered. The mockingbird, which “don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy,” as Atticus says, is, in fact, killed.

The newer version does a masterful job of capturing some of that complexity, keeping audiences riveted through a running time of nearly three hours.

I don’t want to make it sound like it’s no fun, though. This play delivers plenty of well-earned laughs, and the real pleasures of watching smart, decent people trying to do smart, decent things, and getting smarter and more decent along the way. 

Is Atticus flawed for believing that people are basically good, that you can only truly understand a person if you “consider things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it?” Yes. Yes, he is.

Is he a basically good person? Of course.

As Sorkin famously noted, it was no easy task to update a beloved classic in a way that stays true to the 1930s of the plot, the 1960s of the book and movie, and the Trump years of the current iteration.

Of course, the guy who gave us West Wing and The Social Network is up to the task, though too often the characters have that trite but satisfying Sorkin trait of always having the perfect snappy comeback, delivered with impeccable timing, as exactly the right moment.  

Calpurnia, the Finch family domestic worker played by Jacqueline Williams, finally gets to speak up more than 60 years after Harper Lee invented her, delivering several of the show’s best lines. At one point, as Atticus waxes on about the importance of being respectful, she retorts: “No matter who you’re disrespecting by doing it.”

For the Broadway show, which debuted in December 2018 starring Jeff Daniels as Atticus, Sorkin rearranged the timeline of the plot, used adult actors for the children, and shifted the focus from Scout’s point of view to that of her father, Atticus.

The show, which runs at the Hippodrome through March 19, is part of its Broadway Across America series, meaning the same cast travels from city to city.

Richard Thomas, most famous as John Boy on The Waltons television show in the 1970s, plays Atticus with an endearing mix of self-deprecating charm and wry amusement at his children, Scout and Jem, and their new friend Dill.

Of particular note are Melanie Moore, who brings a childish blunt honesty to Scout; and Yaegel T. Welch, a member of Everyman Theatre’s resident company, who embodies all the fear, hope and heartbreak of Tom Robinson. 

Bob Ewell is a tough role to play, but Joey Collins finds the dark humanity in a man who spouts the most vile racist tropes, abuses his daughter, and falsely blames a Black man, and all Black people, for his own weaknesses.

Arianna Gayle Stucki exudes the terror experienced by Mayella Ewell in scenes that make clear the terrible things that people will do to protect themselves.

And here’s a fun fact: Filling the small role of Mrs. Henry Dubose is Mary Badham, the actor who played Scout in the 1962 Gregory Peck movie. Her Playbill bio notes that she has devoted much of her life to promoting a message of social justice.

I wonder what she thinks now of Atticus’s sentiment that, “simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win.”

If you go: To Kill a Mockingbird runs through March 19 at the Hippodrome Theatre, 12 N. Eutaw St., Baltimore, as part of the Broadway Across America series. Tickets can be purchased here.