John Waters’ personal art collection on show at BMA this fall

Catherine Opie, ‘John,’ 2013, printed 2022. Collection of John Waters © Catherine Opie. Courtesy Regen Projects, Los Angeles and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Hong Kong, Seoul, and London
Catherine Opie, ‘John,’ 2013, printed 2022. Collection of John Waters © Catherine Opie. Courtesy Regen Projects, Los Angeles and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Hong Kong, Seoul, and London
Catherine Opie, ‘John,’ 2013, printed 2022. Collection of John Waters © Catherine Opie. Courtesy Regen Projects, Los Angeles and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Hong Kong, Seoul and London

BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) is showcasing approximately 90 works from the collection of John Waters that provide an insider’s look at the Baltimore icon’s tastes in fine art. The artworks are drawn from the 372 objects that Waters is giving to the museum as part of his bequest, marking the first presentation of works from the gift since its announcement in fall 2020. The exhibition, titled Coming Attractions: The John Waters Collection, is guest-curated by photographer Catherine Opie and artist Jack Pierson, both of whom have been friends with Waters for many years and are represented in his collection. Through their collaboration, Waters’ collected works are examined through a particularly intimate lens, offering audiences a distinct sense of his singular sensibilities. On view from November 20 through April 16, 2023, Coming Attractions will be presented in the BMA’s Nancy Dorman and Stanley Mazaroff Center for the Study of Prints, Drawings and Photographs.

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Baltimore Museum of Art presents must-see Joan Mitchell retrospective

Joan Mitchell. ‘No Rain,’ 1976. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of the estate of Joan Mitchell, 1994 © Estate of Joan Mitchell
Joan Mitchell. ‘No Rain,’ 1976. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of the estate of Joan Mitchell, 1994 © Estate of Joan Mitchell
Joan Mitchell. ‘No Rain,’ 1976. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of the estate of Joan Mitchell, 1994 © Estate of Joan Mitchell

BALTIMORE, Md. — The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) presents Joan Mitchell, the long-awaited retrospective of the internationally renowned artist who attained critical acclaim and success in the male-dominated art circles of 1950s New York, then spent nearly four decades in France creating breathtaking abstract paintings that evoke landscapes, memories, poetry and music. This comprehensive exhibition features 70 works spanning the artist’s career, including early paintings and drawings, vibrant gestural paintings that established her reputation in New York, and enormous multi-panel masterpieces from her later years that immerse viewers with their symphonic color. Numerous loans from public and private collections in the U.S. and Europe include works that have not been shown publicly in decades and never in a single exhibition. The BMA’s presentation also includes many archival photographs, letters, poems and other materials from the Joan Mitchell Foundation, providing additional context about the development of the artist’s work and influences. The show is currently on view and will run through August 14.

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BMA will unveil official Elijah Cummings portrait Dec. 21

Jerrell Gibbs, ‘I Only Have A Minute, 60 Seconds In It… Portrait of the Honorable Elijah Cummings,’ 2021. Courtesy of Jerrell Gibbs and Mariane Ibrahim
Jerrell Gibbs, ‘I Only Have A Minute, 60 Seconds In It… Portrait of the Honorable Elijah Cummings,’ 2021. Courtesy of Jerrell Gibbs and Mariane Ibrahim
Jerrell Gibbs, ‘I Only Have A Minute, 60 Seconds In It… Portrait of the Honorable Elijah Cummings,’ 2021. Courtesy of Jerrell Gibbs and Mariane Ibrahim

BALTIMORE, Md. — Maya Rockeymoore Cummings and the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) announced the forthcoming unveiling of the official portrait of Elijah E. Cummings will take place at the museum on December 21 during an intimate event that celebrates the beloved Congressman’s life and enduring advocacy for social justice.

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BMA exhibition explores Baltimore collector’s relationship with Matisse

Henri Matisse, ‘Large Reclining Nude,’ 1935. The Baltimore Museum of Art: The Cone Collection, formed by Dr. Claribel Cone and Miss Etta Cone of Baltimore, Maryland. BMA 1950.258 © Succession H. Matisse, Paris/Artists Rights Society (ARS) New York
Henri Matisse, ‘Large Reclining Nude,’ 1935. The Baltimore Museum of Art: The Cone Collection, formed by Dr. Claribel Cone and Miss Etta Cone of Baltimore, Maryland. BMA 1950.258 © Succession H. Matisse, Paris/Artists Rights Society (ARS) New York
Henri Matisse, ‘Large Reclining Nude,’ 1935. The Baltimore Museum of Art: The Cone Collection, formed by Dr. Claribel Cone and Miss Etta Cone of Baltimore, Maryland. BMA 1950.258 © Succession H. Matisse, Paris/Artists Rights Society (ARS) New York

BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) is now presenting the first comprehensive exhibition to explore the singular 43-year friendship between Baltimore collector Etta Cone and French modern master Henri Matisse.

A Modern Influence: Henri Matisse, Etta Cone, and Baltimore opened in October and continues through January 2, 2022. The exhibition precedes the December opening of the Ruth R. Marder Center for Matisse Studies at the BMA, which will allow for greater public and scholarly engagement with the museum’s Matisse collection.

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Baltimore museum to host first major US Juan Gris exhibit in decades

Juan Gris, ‘Mandolin and Fruit Dish,’ 1925. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Gift of Joseph Pulitzer, Jr. Photo © 2021 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Image courtesy of the Baltimore Art Museum (BAM)
Juan Gris, ‘Mandolin and Fruit Dish,’ 1925. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Gift of Joseph Pulitzer, Jr. Photo © 2021 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Juan Gris, ‘Mandolin and Fruit Dish,’ 1925. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Gift of Joseph Pulitzer, Jr. Photo © 2021 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Image courtesy of the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA)

BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) presents the first U.S. exhibition in more than 35 years dedicated to the Spanish artist Juan Gris. Co-organized with the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) and on view in Baltimore from September 12 through January 9, 2022, Color and Illusion: The Still Lifes of Juan Gris highlights the artist’s pioneering contributions to the Cubist movement through more than 40 paintings and collages, spanning from 1911 to 1927 — the year of Gris’s tragically early death at age 40.

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BMA appoints John Waters, four others to board of trustees

Filmmaker John Waters is one of five newly appointed trustees on the board of the Baltimore Museum of Art. Image courtesy of the BMA.
Filmmaker John Waters is one of five newly appointed trustees on the board of the Baltimore Museum of Art. Image courtesy of the BMA.
Filmmaker John Waters is one of five newly appointed trustees on the board of the Baltimore Museum of Art. Image courtesy of the BMA.

BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) announced today the addition of five new trustees to its board: Michael Ealy, Nupur Parekh Flynn, Lori N. Johnson, Anne L. Stone, and John Waters. These new trustees join Clair Zamoiski Segal, the BMA’s Board Chair, Christopher Bedford, the Dorothy Wagner Wallis Director, and 36 other active trustees in leading the BMA and ensuring its long-term success. The board is responsible for the governance and oversight of the museum and fostering ongoing support for the BMA’s ambitious mission and vision.

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