As spring break rolls around and weekends slowly become sunnier and warmer, the inner explorer in us all slowly emerges from its winter hibernation, looking for new and exciting weekend options. Look no further than Baltimore.
Whether you are staying in D.C. over spring break and looking for a small getaway or perhaps just a spring weekend day trip, Baltimore is only a short (and cheap) train ride away. Though often overshadowed by other East Coast cities and likely referenced more in the context of “The Wire” or “Hairspray” rather than as a travel destination, Baltimore is certainly buzzing with enough culture, music and diversity that there is without a doubt something for everyone.
Matt Gohn, a sophomore in the School of Communication as well as a native Baltimorean, said that Baltimore is a viable option for college students looking to do something different one weekend outside of the District.
“I definitely think Baltimore is underrated,” Gohn said. “People don’t realize how many awesome restaurants, neighborhoods and museums the city has. Plus, it’s really easy to get to. My girlfriend and I go back and forth a lot.”
In addition to Baltimore staples such as the National Aquarium, the Inner Harbor, Harborplace Mall and the Lexington Market, there is currently an array of noteworthy art exhibits worth checking out.
A trip to Baltimore is not complete without stopping at the Baltimore Museum of Art.
“The BMA has the largest collection of works by Henri Matisse in the world and one of the largest collections of late works by Andy Warhol,” said Anne Elliott Mannix, director of communications for the museum. “Our gorgeous Sculpture Garden has 34 modern and contemporary works of art set in a 2.7-acre oasis in the city.”
On display now through March 23 is “Cezanne and American Modernism,” showcasing not only 16 of Cezanne’s watercolors and paintings, but also over 80 works from other artists he impacted.
“The exhibition also demonstrates Cezanne’s influence on early 20th century American photography with examples by [Alfred] Stieglitz, Edward Steichen and Paul Strand as well as a generation of younger artists such as Arshile Gorky and William H. Johnson who discovered Cezanne during the 1920s,” according to the BMA’s Web site. For more information about this exhibit and the BMA in general, visit artbma.org.
Don’t let your quest for great art in Baltimore stop there, though. When visiting, any avid art fan must stop at the Walters Art Museum.
“With free admission, the Walters offers a wide variety of experiences and activities for visitors of all ages,” said Nancy Zinn, associate director for collections and exhibitions for the museum. “Offerings include a lively schedule of changing exhibitions, fantastic permanent collection galleries, gallery tours, lectures, hands-on art activities and programs for children and families in the Family Art Center.”
The Walters Museum has many great options for visitors at the moment. On display through April 11 and without a doubt a must-see is “Beauty and the Brain: A Neural Approach to Aesthetics.”
“’Beauty and the Brain’ is both an exhibition and an experiment,” the Walters Web site says. “Visitors will be invited to explore aesthetic spaces created by digitally morphing original works of art. The results will form the basis for experiments measuring aesthetic responses in the human brain with functional magnetic resonance imaging.”
If you are not much of an experimental art fan, don’t despair. Showing through June 13 is “Japanese Cloisonne Enamels from the Stephen W. Fisher Collection,” which features impressive and beautiful cloisonné enamels from Japan. For information about this exhibit, visit thewalters.org.
You can reach this staff writer at ostitilis@theeagleonline.com.
