Towson University is hosting its 25th Annual Maryland Arts Festival with a collection of entertainment showcasing women in the arts.
“We give local artists the opportunity to perform in a way that ties in great women of today and the past,” said David Bielenberg, executive director of the festival.
The program is an annual event at Towson self-supported within the College of Fine Arts. It runs through July 23 in a series of theater productions, art exhibits, film screenings, concerts and workshops.
Phillip Collister, artistic director of the festival, said it?s the first year they stumbled upon a theme.
“Every presentation we wanted had a through line of sorts and just merged into celebration of women,” he said. “It?s a good way to focus on the contribution of women to the arts.”
The festival?s key events are two musicals setting the stage for honoring female legends. Larry Gallagher?s “Beehive: The ?60s Musical” and the racier production, “Gypsy,” the story of burlesque entertainer Gypsy Rose Lee. “Gypsy” is a renowned show, but hasn?t been performed in Baltimore in more than 10 years, Collister said.
“Some people say the musicals are as good as shows they?ve seen on Broadway,” Collister said. “The tickets are really good value for quality.”
Several exhibits showcasing Maryland artists will be on display for free. Exhibits range from the contemporary photographs of Baltimore local Connie Imboden to highlights of Towson?s permanent Asian Art Gallery and creations by Towson?s graduate fine arts students.
The festival also offers three Opera on Film series for a change of scene from the theater productions. The series features Turandot, Elektra and Don Giovanni, which are preceded by lectures from Michael Harris and James Harp from the Baltimore Opera Company to give visitors insight into the works.
The concert, “Piano2: Music for Four Hand Piano” shows off the fancy finger work of pianists Arno Drucker and R. Timothy McReynolds in a classical music collaboration.
For something out of the ordinary, the one woman show, “Air Heart,” features Mara Neimanis dazzling audiences in a 12-foot-tall steel airplane exploring the mystery of aviatrix Amelia Earhart in honor of the 109th anniversary of her birth.
The dynamics of the festival keep visitors interested with different forms of entertainment all month.
This summer, it?s almost impossible to be bored with the stimulation of song, dance and creativity at your fingertips.
As Collister said, “It?s a smorgasbord of events with something for everybody.”
For more information on the Maryland Arts Festival and a complete schedule, visit wwwnew.towson.edu/maf.
