Arts & Entertainment
Baltimore arts briefs: July 6
Kinsey Sicks to perform, War of 1812 exhibit closing and more
Last chance to see War of 1812 exhibit
Saturday is the last chance to see the exhibition, “Honoring 1812,” at the Crystal Moll Gallery (1030 South Charles St., Baltimore).
The exhibition showcases paintings, prints and photographs that commemorate the War of 1812. This includes aerial views of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, ships of that era and scenes from Fort McHenry. The exhibit has been shown both at the Crystal Moll Gallery and the World Trade Center during the celebrations.
While the Crystal Moll Gallery mainly houses the artwork of Crystal Moll, who generally paints scenes from Baltimore as her subject, she also houses several different exhibitions.
The exhibition is free and is open Wednesday to Saturday from noon-6 p.m. For more information, visit crystalmollgallery.com.
Kinsey Sicks for president!
Kinsey Sicks are in Baltimore next weekend. (Blade file photo)
The Kinsey Sicks perform their show “Electile Dysfunction: Kinsey Sicks for President,” at Clementine at Creative Alliance (3134 Eastern Ave., Baltimore) on July 14 at 7 and 9 p.m.
The show is the Kinsey Sicks’ campaign to become the first Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet to be elected President of the United States. According to their website, the gals are taking “(a)back America by out-pandering, out-conspiracy theorizing, and out-outlandishing even the most cynical of the current crop of Presidential candidates.”
Tickets are $20-25 and can be purchased at creativealliance.org. For more information, visit kinseysicks.com.
Deaf leather group to hold contests
The International Deaf Leather contest is July 12-15 at the Tremont Plaza Hotel (222 St. Paul Place) in Baltimore.
The event’s aim is to connect the deaf and hearing leather communities, while increase networking between the deaf, SM and fetish communities. The contest will include interviews, costume judging and personality contests as people compete for Ms. Deaf Leather, Mr. Deaf Leather and Deaf Leatherboy titles. Though it is a celebration of the deaf leather community, everyone is welcome. The group is LGBT inclusive.
Tickets for the contests are $35, but packages are available that include admission to workshops and cocktail parties. For more information, visit internationaldeafleather.org.
Showing support for LGBT teens
Rainbow Youth Alliance of Baltimore County meets Tuesday at the Towson Unitarian Universalist Church (1710 Dulaney Valley Rd.).
The Rainbow Youth Alliance is a support group for teens that are LGBT or questioning. Meetings are structured with a curriculum, which includes discussion groups, movies and games in a supervised environment. During the summer meetings are every second and fourth Tuesdays of each month and include a relaxing evening of movies, games, crafts and poetry.
This event is free. For more information, visit pflagbaltimore.org.
Celebrity News
Madonna announces release date for new album
‘Confessions II’ marks return to the dance floor
Pop icon Madonna on Wednesday announced that her 15th studio album will be released on July 3.
Titled “Confessions II,” the new album is a sequel to 2005’s “Confessions on a Dance Floor,” an Abba and disco-infused hit.
The new album reunites Madonna with producer Stuart Price, who also helmed the original “Confessions” album. It’s her first album of new material since 2019’s “Madame X.”
“We must dance, celebrate, and pray with our bodies,” Madonna said in a press release. “These are things that we’ve been doing for thousands of years — they really are spiritual practices. After all, the dance floor is a ritualistic space. It’s a place where you connect — with your wounds, with your fragility. To rave is an art. It’s about pushing your limits and connecting to a community of like-minded people,” continued the statement. “Sound, light, and vibration reshape our perceptions. Pulling us into a trance-like state. The repetition of the bass, we don’t just hear it but we feel it. Altering our consciousness and dissolving ego and time.”
Denali (@denalifoxx) of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” performed at Pitchers DC on April 9 for the Thirst Trap Thursday drag show. Other performers included Cake Pop!, Brooke N Hymen, Stacy Monique-Max and Silver Ware Sidora.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
In an act of artistic defiance, Baltimore Center Stage stays focused on DEI
‘Maybe it’s a triple-down’
By LESLIE GRAY STREETER | I’m always tickled when people complain about artists “going political.” The inherent nature of art, of creation and free expression, is political. This becomes obvious when entire governments try to threaten it out of existence, like in 2025, when the brand-new presidential administration demanded organizations halt so-called diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programming or risk federal funding.
Baltimore Center Stage’s response? A resounding and hearty “Nah.” A year later, they’re still doubling down on diversity.
“Maybe it’s a triple-down,” said Ken-Matt Martin, the theater’s producing director, chuckling.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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Comings & Goings
Minimal version of ‘Streetcar Named Desire’ heading to Dupont Underground
