Subscape, Current Space, 421 N. Howard Street, and Le Mondo, 406 N. Howard Street, August 28-30, times vary.
Baltimore has a glorious history of scapes. There’s the official Artscape, which we all love (or at least love to hate). And then there’s the 20-year tradition of riffing on the second half of the word, including Whartscape, Ratscape, and Scape Scape. Now in its third year, Subscape is carrying on that tradition — while also bringing on the most important part of the city-sponsored original: it’s free.
Organized by Michael Habif of Showplace, Andy Phillips of Wax Atlas record store, and Kim Te, the Natural Velvet guitar player and former Crown booker, the festival boasts more than 60 acts over three days in the Bromo Arts District. The two venues are just catercorner from each other on Howard Street, and so you can plan your weekend to run back and forth and catch bands such as Soul Glo, Combat, F City (featuring the legendary Landis Expandis), Father Sokka + T.A.T, Cryptid Summer, Beach People, Pearl, Mind on Fire, and so many more.
It’s an all-volunteer festival, but a music festival of this scope — or scape — still costs money, especially since the organizers are determined to pay all of the bands. This is, in many ways, Baltimore at its best, which means that all of us music fans who can afford to need to kick it out and donate to the festival (with some cool T-shirts, posters, and CDs as rewards) on the festival’s Indie GoGo. (Baynard Woods)
Credit: Theresa Castracane
“Bocking,” Baltimore Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert Street, August 14 to September 13, times vary
Preston Crowder’s work as a playwright is centered on Black and queer characters who have to navigate high-stakes situations, often leaning on absurdity to create a blend of humor and relatability. He collaborated with Baltimore Center Stage Artistic Director Stevie Walker-Webb to present “Bocking,” a “laugh-out-loud funny, deeply real” satirical stageplay that explores the guilt and shame often associated with sex.
At the beginning of “Bocking,” two children unknowingly repeat something scandalous they overheard at home, only for their actions to land their parents in the principal’s office. As the parents try to mitigate the damage, a spotlight shines on the chaos they’ve tried to keep hidden, and the aftermath becomes a wild ride. This hilarious production is bolstered by an all-star cast that includes Kalen Allen, Sis Thee Doll, and Marchánt Davis.
“Bocking” is the first production in the Center Stage 2026–2027 production season, and made its world premiere at the theatre on August 14. The season was co-curated by Walker-Webb and Producing Director Ken-Matt Martin and includes two other world premieres. In addition to the performance, the show’s run features a number of talkbacks including Crowder, Allen, “Top Chef” alum Carla Hall, and others. Center Stage is also offering alumni nights for Baltimore School for the Arts and HBCU and Divine Nine alums. (nat raum)
“Making America Again: So Strong, So Brave, So True,” MICA Lazarus Center, Sheila and Richard Riggs Gallery, 131 W. North Avenue, August 28 to September 29, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
When I was a senior photography student at MICA, I had the pleasure of meeting Dawoud Bey. Bey was visiting the department from Chicago, where he served as a faculty member at Columbia College Chicago, and provided feedback on the work of some of us students. I’d always admired his photographs from afar — their striking contrast levels, for one, and the ways in which his portraits embody their subjects. Now as an adjunct professor at the college, I was thrilled to return to campus and find his work in one of the campus galleries.
Bey is far from the only internationally-recognized artist whose work is included in “Making America Again: So Strong, So Brave, So True,” an exhibition of artwork by selected Ford/Philip Morris Foundation Fellows for Artists of Color that takes its name from a Langston Hughes poem. Guest curators Leslie King Hammond and Lowery Stokes Sims have put together a dynamic assortment of works by artists working in a variety of disciplines, including Bill Gaskins, Sonya Clark, Nick Cave, and others. In addition to this cohort of Ford/Philip Morris Fellows, the exhibition also features work by Joyce J. Scott, Lola Flash, and Amy Sherald, along with other artists of color who have been affiliated with MICA and/or the Ford/Phillip Morris program.
Beyond their collective national and international influences in their respective disciplines, many of the exhibiting artists also have ties to Baltimore. Scott was born here, and Gaskins is both an alumnus of MICA and the founding director of the Photography + Media & Society MFA program at the college. In addition to bringing together the work of these various luminaries, this exhibition serves as a true testament to the depth in Baltimore’s arts scene, as well as our city’s impact on the contemporary art world as a whole. (nat raum)
Kym Whitley, Magooby’s Joke House, 9603 Deereco Road, Timonium, September 3, 4, and 5, times vary
Kym Whitley, who has been funny and beautiful for longer than I’ve been alive, has used her talent to push beyond the usual boring stereotypes offered to funny Black women. She’s one of those actresses you’ve seen everywhere. She has a long list of television and film credits for productions that include BET’s “ComicView,” HBO’s “Def Comedy Jam,” “The Boondocks,” “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
She’ll be at Magooby’s Joke House in Timoneum from September 3 to 5.
For those of us looking to wrap ourselves in a bit more nostalgia, Whitley will also star in the upcoming Paramount+ series “The Varnell Hill Show,” which premiers September 1. The show reunites Gen-Xers and elder millennials with Tommy Davidson in the role he first brought to Martin Lawrence’s eponymous sitcom back in 1993. (Lisa Snowden)
