By Ericka Alston Buck, Special to the AFRO As the summer sun gradually yields to the crisp embrace of fall, Baltimore’s arts and culture scene bids adieu to the old and hello to a new season in an extravagant fashion. This year’s swan song included a trifecta of remarkable events: the UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball, […]
Category: Arts & Culture
Posted inNational News
CultureCon, a Black creative’s paradise
By Ariyana Griffin, Special to the AFRO The Creative Collective NYC’s highly anticipated conference, CultureCon, is making its way to New York Oct. 7-8. The two-day event is the last to close out the year; in previous months it was hosted in Los Angeles and Atlanta. Billed as the “Biggest Creative Homecoming,” the annual event […]
Posted in!Front Page Baltimore News
Artscape returns to Baltimore after three-year hiatus
By Aria Brent, AFRO Staff Writer, abrent@afro.com For the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Artscape, one of the largest free outdoor arts festivals, returned to Baltimore. Artscape took place Sept. 22 through Sept. 24 at the 1300 to 1800 blocks of Charles Street and Mount Royal Avenue. Despite Tropical Storm Ophelia […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
H Street Festivals showcases fashion, food and fun
The H Street Festival in Northeast D.C. offered various attractions on Sept. 16, including popular brands and bands spanning across 11 blocks. Guests had the opportunity to purchase clothing items, candles and other trinkets from vendors while local performers like Strangers that Clique and Joy of Motion graced the stage.
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Jonathon Heyward debuts as first Black, youngest music director for Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
By Shaela FosterSpecial to the AFROCredit: Photos by Stephen Hopkins The creative direction of Jonathon Heyward, the first Black and youngest music director in the history of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO), was on full display Sept. 23. On day two of the three day celebration, held from Sept. 22 to Sept. 24., participants were […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Black author Deesha Philyaw has a 7-figure deal for her next two books
By Hillel Italie AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Prize-winning fiction writer Deesha Philyaw, who struggled to find a publisher for what became her acclaimed debut “The Secret Lives of Church Ladies,” has a 7-figure deal for her next two books. Mariner Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announced recently that it had signed […]
Posted inHBCU
Listen to the Yard: How marching bands shape HBCU culture
By Aria BrentAFRO Staff Writerabrent@afro.com A prime component of Black culture is music. It defines eras, tells stories and creates soundtracks for our lives. It is only right, then, that historically Black colleges and universities have a playlist of their own, driven by the sounds of the campus marching band. Maryland Public Television highlighted the […]
Posted inBaltimore News
AFRO PRESS ROOM: Artscape 2023 to resume festivities on Sept. 24
(September 23, 2023) – The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA), after consulting with the Mayor’s Office, the Baltimore City Office of Emergency Management and the Baltimore City Fire Department, has made the decision to resume Artscape on Sunday, September 24th, 2023. While rain is expected to continue throughout the day Sunday, winds […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Jonathon Heyward set to debut as first Black music director of Baltimore Symphony Orchestra on Sept. 23
By Aria Brent, AFRO Staff Writer, abrent@afro.com Jonathon Heyward will make history as the first Black and youngest person to ever lead the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra next month. Heyward will step into the role of BSO music director on Sep. 23 at the 2023 Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Gala. To celebrate Heyward’s five-year tenure and the […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Day two of Artscape cancelled due to Tropical Storm Ophelia
By Special Press Release The Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts has cancelled activities on Sept. 23 after a state of emergency was declared due to Tropical Storm Ophelia. PRESS RELEASE: After careful consideration and based on direction from the Baltimore City Office of Emergency Management and the Baltimore City Fire Department, we have […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Historic AFRO doors acquired by Afro Charities at auction
By Helen Bezuneh, Special to the AFRO In the Jeffrey S. Evans and Associates auction house in Crawford, Va., the entire room sat on the edge of their seats as Dr. Frances Toni Draper, AFRO CEO and publisher, and Andre Draper, AFRO director of operations, placed their bids on behalf of Afro Charities during a […]
Posted inNational News
Tuskegee Airmen Museum and Center for Aviation Technology Training prepares Black youth for careers in aviation
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com In 1941, the Tuskegee Airmen became the first all-Black flying crew in the U.S. military during World War II. Also known as the Red Tails, the 992 fighter pilots executed more than 1,500 missions, and 15,500 forays, defeating 261 enemy aircrafts and winning more than 850 medals. Despite […]