Arts + Culture
kunst + cultuur
We help organize cultural events including music, fine arts, architecture, history, film, theater, sports, and cuisine.
Current Projects
Committee member Symmes Gardner has organized an exchange and residency for visual artists. More information.
Kathie diStepfano from Rotterdam’s children’s theater group Stichting Lawine visited Baltimore recently and is exploring collaborations with Baltimore and our committee.
De Coolsingers, Dutch men’s choir, toured Baltimore and New York City in October 2008. The Baltimore Mayor’s office of International and Immigrant Affairs organized concerts and visits to schools and other institutions for the choir. Now, the choir is planning a follow-up tour to Baltimore in 2011. More information.
Past Projects
The committee helped launch a new art exchange program between Baltimore and Rotterdam called Reflection. The pilot project was launched in 2006 with eight schools in Baltimore and Rotterdam, and several workshops have happened since then. More information.
Rotterdam’s Jet Manrho (who helped launch our Reflection project) worked on a kids’ art project with Port Discovery, Baltimore’s children’s museum.
Some other examples of cultural events we have supported include the Maryland Boychoir’s tour of Europe and Rotterdam Boys Choir’s U.S. tour. We helped set up a collaboration between the Mamyo Players (a youth theater group at Rotterdam’s Lantaren/Venster) and Baltimore’s Arena Players and Sankofa Dance Theater.
We have held special events in conjunction with art exhibits at The Walters Art Museum, and helped organize concerts by musicians like The Aurelia Saxophone Quartet from Holland and Baltimore jazz singer Ethel Ennis.
Children learn how to paint Delft-style tiles at a workshop in Baltimore’s World Trade Center, organized by committee member Marion Brecht. A similar workshop was held at Baltimore’s 2008 International Festival.
Photo: © Dan Meyers
Artist Exchange
We have launched a new Artist Exchange program. Baltimore’s Steve Bradley had a residency in Rotterdam and is now exploring follow-up projects in Baltimore and Rotterdam.
Rotterdam photo by Steve Bradley
Rotterdam Performance Artist Visit to Baltimore
Kathie diStepfano is an American living in Rotterdam. She co-founded an independent theater company that specializes in improvisational, children’s theater, with topics about recycling themes and responsible consumer education. She visited Baltimore recently and presented her ideas and lesson plans to Baltimore’s Roland Park school.
Art Education -
Exchange of Ideas
In 2008, Willem de Kooning Academie and LMC (a consortium of Rotterdam schools) visited Baltimore to learn about magnet school programs for the visual arts, in elementary through high schools. They are using the ideas they’ve learned from Baltimore to set up a visual arts school in Rotterdam.
REFLECTION
Student Art Exchange
In 2007, postcards created by Baltimore and Rotterdam students were on display at Baltimore’s World Trade Center. Several follow-up activities have happened since the inaugural exhibit.