There's so much to do at Artscape every year — and more than ever this year — but sometimes it can be hard to know where to start.
The festival, in its 29th year, is awash in entertainment options, including comedic performances in the new LOL@Artscape, experimental music at the Exotic Hypnotic stage and the new BetaScape, a three-day series of demonstrations on technology, particularly robots and video games.
In addition, artisans will showcast their wares — check out the custom pet portraits provided by Fuzzy Mug — and runways will display local and regional fashions. And some Artscape favorites, such as Art Cars, are back this year with new features: Take a seat on the recycled car parts of the Art Car Lounge for a quick break from the festivities.
Check out our site-by-site guide to help you navigate the fun.
Near the Art Park
If you enter the festivities at Target Family Art Park (Preston and Howard streets), you're also in the vicinity of live music at Wachovia Stage, Exotic Hypnotic Experimental Music and crafts at DIY at Artscape.
Target Family Art Park: Kids can visit the Building Tent to construct any object they want with blocks, or if they have an artistic flair, they can spend the day in the Make It at Artscape tents, creating masterpieces with stickers, crayons, markers, paints and stamps. Pre-registration at 11 a.m. each day is required for the workshops, which last 45 minutes.
Wachovia Stage: This stage features soul, funk, reggae and rock, among other styles. Performers include Maysa, Damn Right!, Gov't Mule and Rebelution, presenting soul, electro funk, blues rock and reggae, respectively.
Exotic Hypnotic: The High Zero Foundation showcases experimental music on this stage. Described as "modern monstrosities meet ancient music," the performances include Embarrassment Poems, the Baltimore Experimental Dance Group and Avocado Happy Hour.
Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall: Pay tribute to Billie Holiday Saturday night at a concert featuring past winners of the Billie Holiday Competition. The hall is also home to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, which will perform with opera singer Rachele Gilmore Saturday afternoon. If you've ever wanted to tour the hall and meet the musicians, there will be afternoon tours on Saturday, along with an instrument petting zoo.
Near Urbanite Stage
At North Charles Street and Lafayette Avenue, the Urbanite Stage location is close to the wacky creations of Art Cars and the "competitive art fight" at Metro Gallery.
Urbanite Stage: The Urbanite Stage is devoted to jazz and blues on all three days of Artscape. Bands include Jump Street, the Warren Wolf Quartet and Christopher James Band.
Art Cars: This year features the 17th annual Art Car & Other Wheeled Vehicle show. The Art Cars will be showcased in a parade through the festival on Saturday. Feeling tired after walking through the displays of Art Cars? Relax comfortably — maybe — on recycled car parts in the Art Car Lounge.
Metro Gallery: This gallery presents live competitive art — yes, such a thing exists — Saturday night during the Super Art Fight. Artists are faced with a blank canvas and a limited amount of time to create a masterpiece in front of a live audience. The gallery will also feature live music by Electric Junkyard Gamelan on Sunday.
Charles Theatre: As the official theater of Artscape, the Charles Theatre will host a series of shorts, presented by the Maryland Film Festival. The directors will be on hand to talk about their creations, which encompass comedy, drama and animation.
Near the Festival Stage
If you enter by the Festival Stage (on Mount Royal Avenue between Mosher Street and Lafayette Avenue), you can also check out BetaScape 2010, a new Artscape feature, as well as performances at the Corpus Christi Church and visual-arts displays at the Bunting Center of the Maryland Institute College of Art.
BetaScape 2010: Does a weekend of robot demonstrations appeal to you? How about "testing" locally developed video games, or brushing up on classics like Pac-Man? BetaScape 2010 includes that, and more. Visitors can watch three days of demonstrations on new technology, or spend their time in the Arcade and Video Game Showcase.
Corpus Christi Church: If classic instrumental music and opera suit your ears more than blues or experimental, head to this venue. The performances start Friday with a flute duo at 4 p.m., and throughout the weekend the church showcases organ concerts and a saxophone quartet. For kids, there is an opera petting zoo on Sunday, where children can learn more about musical theater and watch a short performance, "The Wolf and the Lamb."
Bunting Center: Wham City has devoted its first collective exhibition to the phenomenon of avatars. "Crossovers" explores society's version of relationships and identities through online avatars, as well as the relationship an artist experiences with another artist's work.
Near Charm City Stage
