American Visionary Art Museum

I t was a star-spangled night at the American Visionary Art Museum, as several hundred folks gathered for the museum's annual gala. Many guests followed the suggested dress code of "broad stripes and bright stars," in honor of the museum's current exhibition, "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." "I need a photo with Captain America," said Diana Kim, a Washington-based makeup artist, as she spotted AVAM's communications and marketing manager, Pete Hilsee, in his costume, complete with foam rubber muscles.

When it comes to pinball, Washington's loss is Baltimore's gain. The National Pinball Museum, unexpectedly and unceremoniously kicked out of its Georgetown location last summer, opens Jan. 14 next to Power Plant Live. Soon, in addition to checking out Port Discovery , eating a good meal and listening to some live rock 'n' roll, downtown visitors will be able to exercise their wrists and develop the fine art of keeping a metal ball in play without tilting the machine. In a city where John Waters is king and the delightfully quirky American Visionary Art Museum is one of the most vibrant tourist attractions, a museum devoted to pinball should be right at home.

Mr. Rain's Fun House, the top-floor restaurant at the American Visionary Art Museum is the answer to the question, What is Baltimore's most shamefully overlooked restaurant. The review goes into a few of the reasons why this is so -- the name isn't doing anyone any favors, I think. And the location all but makes walk-in business non-existent. It's worth getting to know. Here's the review of Mr. Rain's Fun House .

Mr. Rain's Fun House, the top-floor restaurant at the American Visionary Art Museum is the answer to the question, What is Baltimore's most shamefully overlooked restaurant. The review goes into a few of the reasons why this is so -- the name isn't doing anyone any favors, I think. And the location all but makes walk-in business non-existent. It's worth getting to know. Here's the review of Mr. Rain's Fun House .

Five years ago, Shawn Theron was waiting tables and managing the bar of the Joy America Cafe inside the American Visionary Art Museum . Today, his work is hanging on the gallery walls. He says it's all because his beloved grandmother — who raised the boy and whom he nicknamed "Red" — urged him from her deathbed to "turn on the light. " "She said it many times," says the 38-year-old artist: "'Turn on the light. Turn on the light.' And it had nothing to do with switches.

Summer's almost over, your money's almost gone, and yet it feels like there's still so much left undone. What's a person to do? We can't help you with the money part. And much as we'd like to, there's no way to expand the calendar. But we can point out what you may not realize: There's plenty to do in and around Charm City in the waning days of summer, even with nary a penny in your pocket. Herewith, an itinerary for the thrifty, offering 50 no-cost activities to keep body and soul engaged over the next month or so. There's a lot to do, so get busy.

The Johns Hopkins School of Education Neuro-Education Initiative will host its second annual summit and roundtable discussion on the practical applications of brain research on Wednesday at the American Visionary Art Museum. This year's topic, "Attention and Engagement in Learning," will explore current research on attention and student engagement. For more information or to register, go to http://www.education.jhu.edu/nei. liz.bowie@baltsun.com

When it comes to pinball, Washington's loss is Baltimore's gain. The National Pinball Museum, unexpectedly and unceremoniously kicked out of its Georgetown location last summer, opens Jan. 14 next to Power Plant Live. Soon, in addition to checking out Port Discovery , eating a good meal and listening to some live rock 'n' roll, downtown visitors will be able to exercise their wrists and develop the fine art of keeping a metal ball in play without tilting the machine. In a city where John Waters is king and the delightfully quirky American Visionary Art Museum is one of the most vibrant tourist attractions, a museum devoted to pinball should be right at home.

No decorators needed for this party. At Art in the Round, the Arc of Baltimore's annual shindig, there were more than 60 artists on hand. As guests entered the ballroom at the American Visionary Art Museum, they were surrounded by works of art. All the art included in the juried exhibit was created by people with developmental disabilities, and all of it was for sale. Arc's executive director, Stephen Morgan, said this was the biggest Art in the Round yet, with more than 300 people expected.

Though the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday is Jan. 15, the nation celebrates the civil rights activist on the third Monday of the month. The city's annual parade will pay homage to King with a rousing march down Baltimore's aptly named boulevard, children will enjoy hands-on activities and jazz enthusiasts will reflect with live music. "I HAVE A DREAM" WEEKEND: : Port Discovery honors King with interactive exhibits, including peace quilt-making with the African American Quilters of Baltimore and drum circles.

Five years ago, Shawn Theron was waiting tables and managing the bar of the Joy America Cafe inside the American Visionary Art Museum . Today, his work is hanging on the gallery walls. He says it's all because his beloved grandmother — who raised the boy and whom he nicknamed "Red" — urged him from her deathbed to "turn on the light. " "She said it many times," says the 38-year-old artist: "'Turn on the light. Turn on the light.' And it had nothing to do with switches.

When Scott Weaver's alcoholic father walked away from his family to live on the streets, the then-9-year-old boy found solace in working on an assignment for his fourth-grade class to a create a sculpture from toothpicks. Forty-two years later, Weaver is still tinkering with the project assigned in 1969 by his teacher, Sue Rathbun. And the result - a 9-foot-tall, 8-foot-wide homage to Weaver's native city of San Francisco incorporating 104,588 of the short pointy sticks, is attracting gawkers at "All Things Round," the new long-term show opening this weekend at the American Visionary Art Museum . (As Weaver puts it: "I wanted to make a bigger sculpture than anyone else in class.

Here in Howard County, located in Central Maryland, we’re mere minutes — or, at most, a few hours — away from big-city culture, rural beauty, historic sites and recreational opportunities. WASHINGTON, D.C. With our nation’s capital featured nightly on television, many monuments and buildings are already familiar: the White House, Capitol, Supreme Court, Library of Congress, FBI headquarters, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Holocaust Museum, Washington Monument, the Lincoln, Jefferson and Vietnam Veterans memorials and the World War II Memorial.

Saturday is the day Fifi looks forward to every year. Fifi is the American Visionary Art Museum 's giant pink poodle-with-wheels, who once a year ventures outside to take part in what is clearly Baltimore's funkiest annual event, the Kinetic Sculpture Race . This year, some 36 land- and seaworthy vehicles, all strictly people-powered, will be taking part in the 15-mile race over land, sea, mud and sand. Like Fifi, some are designed to resemble animals; one of last year's crowd favorites was a hookah-smoking caterpillar.

Numbers and art typically don't mix, but both were on exhibit at the American Visionary Art Museum Monday. The Baltimore museum hosted a one-day seminar with PNC Bank on what artists need to know to survive and thrive on the business side of their craft. About 35 painters, musicians, writers and other artists attended the free crash course on budgeting and cash flow. Aspiring writer Carita Ellis-Espola was among them, driving an hour and a half from Harrisburg, Pa., to pick up financial tips.

"The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening had been signing autographs in Baltimore for nearly an hour when a fan asked him to draw on his body. Sam Gallant, a radio personality who works for WTMD and WYPR, wanted Groening to create an image of Herschel Krustofski — also known as Krusty the Clown — on his right biceps. Gallant said he planned to go to a tattoo artist and have Groening's handiwork tattooed on his arm. "Are you sure?" asked Groening, who came to town this fall to celebrate the opening of "What Makes Us Smile?"

Though the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday is Jan. 15, the nation celebrates the civil rights activist on the third Monday of the month. The city's annual parade will pay homage to King with a rousing march down Baltimore's aptly named boulevard, children will enjoy hands-on activities and jazz enthusiasts will reflect with live music. "I HAVE A DREAM" WEEKEND: Port Discovery honors King with interactive exhibits, including peace quilt-making with the African American Quilters of Baltimore and drum circles.

Summer's almost over, your money's almost gone, and yet it feels like there's still so much left undone. What's a person to do? We can't help you with the money part. And much as we'd like to, there's no way to expand the calendar. But we can point out what you may not realize: There's plenty to do in and around Charm City in the waning days of summer, even with nary a penny in your pocket. Herewith, an itinerary for the thrifty, offering 50 no-cost activities to keep body and soul engaged over the next month or so. There's a lot to do, so get busy.

Outdoor movies If Baltimoreans love one thing during the summer, it's watching movies outdoors, for free. And there are plenty of chances for them to enjoy the opportunity. One, MovieFest at Cross Keys, ends with Saturday's screening of 2000's "Chocolat" at sunset. Another, the summer film series on Johns Hopkins University's Homewood campus, continues Friday with a sunset screening of Pixar's 2009 "Up." And more are starting in the coming weeks, at the American Visionary Art Museum (July 1)