Baltimore has a happy date for anyone who loves objects made by hand. On Wednesday, October 28, from 5 to 8 p.m., the Maryland Center for History and Culture opens two new exhibitions celebrating Maryland’s folk art and craft, with gallery exploration, light refreshments, and remarks from the curators and special guests.
The first, Glazed & Flowered: Stoneware Potters of Early Baltimore, guest curated by Luke Zipp, brings together about 50 of the finest examples of early Baltimore stoneware from museum and private collections. Jars, crocks, and other everyday forms by the city’s premier nineteenth-century makers show the distinctive Baltimore style — useful vessels that potters turned into works of art.
The second, Decoys of the Chesapeake, guest curated by Henry Stansbury and C. John Sullivan, draws on their extraordinary collections and features more than 175 works by master carvers, painters, and watermen. Historic decoys, paintings, and sporting artifacts tell how these makers shaped the cultural landscape of the Chesapeake Bay.
Together, the two shows celebrate the skill, creativity, and enduring legacy of people who transformed everyday objects into art. Find them at the Maryland Center for History and Culture, 610 Park Avenue in Baltimore — a joyful first look at Maryland craft at its best.
Photo: National Park Service via Wikimedia Commons
