Visitor Guide Fall/Winter 2019 Visitor Guide | Page 30

ARTS
Work of Art
In 2018, the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA)
decided to auction seven works from its
collection, with plans to use the proceeds to
acquire new pieces created by women and artists
of color in an effort to close gaps in the museum’s
collection. In December, the BMA announced the
results of the initiative: It has acquired a total of
11 major works by female or diverse artists using
the funds, in addition to other new works. “This
is just one aspect of the museum’s strategy to
broaden the historical narrative of art and build
a more diverse and inclusive art experience
for Baltimore,” said Christopher
Bedford, the BMA’s Dorothy
Wagner Wallis Director,
in a press release at
the time. The newest
pieces include an
abstract sculpture
by Senga Nengudi
and photography by
Carrie Mae Weems.
New donations and
CARRIE MAE WEEMS. MAY FLOWERS. 2002.
THE BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF ART: PURCHASE WITH
EXCHANGE FUNDS FROM THE PEARLSTONE FAMILY FUND AND PARTIAL GIFT OF
THE ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION FOR THE VISUAL ARTS, INC. © CARRIE MAE WEEMS
Pioneering Woman:
MARIN ALSOP
I
n 2007, Marin Alsop became the first
woman to ever lead a major American
orchestra when she joined the Baltimore
Symphony Orchestra as its 12th music director.
Since that time, Alsop has brought innovative
initiatives to the city, such as OrchKids, a
program for the city’s underserved youth, and
the BSO Academy and Rusty Musicians for
adult amateur musicians.
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Throughout the 2019-20 season, the BSO is
celebrating women artists, composers and
conductors with performances such as Lotta
Wennakoski’s Hava with conductor Ruth
Reinhardt, Xian Zhang leading Chen Yi’s
Antiphony and the world premiere of a new
BSO commission by Russian-born composer
Lera Auerbach, led by Alsop.
Q
Why was it important to you to focus on
women composers in the upcoming season?
Considering it is 2019 and the country will be remembering
and reflecting upon this significant moment in our history, I
felt it was important to put together a season that represents
the world as we all believe it should be. Rather than tokenism,
I wanted to present the “new normal,” so all of the women we
are presenting this season were selected for their talent and
abilities first. They deserve to be on stage as much as their
male colleagues. This is hopefully only the start to a new and
more inclusive approach to programming.
Q
How do you think being in Baltimore
influences you as an artist?
I love Baltimore. It’s an incredibly rich and fertile city as an
artist. There are many reasons for that—the community here,
the listeners, the audience, the population is very open. They
like thinking outside the box. We’ve been able to do some wild
programming—some new music—and people are interested
and open to it. Having these great cultural institutions right
here—the BMA, the Walters, the Peabody, the Maryland
Historical Society—has allowed us some great opportunities
for collaboration.
B A LT I M O R E . O R G