It's the holiday season and time to gather, celebrate, and connect. You're invited to join GBCA for a festive holiday happy hour and network with the cultural community. Whether you're a GBCA member, independent artist, arts administrator, or supporter, this is the place to be! Drink specials and good eats will be available for purchase from the Showroom Bar. We’ll be at Motor House from 5 - 7:30pm. You can RSVP here:

GBCA staff has been taking advantage of the many holiday events and offerings around town! I was fortunate to attend the Afro Charities event last week to raise funds for the renovation of the Upton Mansion. Afro Charities builds bridges across generations and socioeconomic divides through artistic and educational projects inspired by the AFRO American Newspapers’ archives. I was also fortunate to make the Baltimore Jewelry Center’s holiday sale–something for me and something for my gift list! Staff also have caught the shows at The Voxel and Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, Center Stage, and the holiday makers market at the Inner Harbor. Still looking for things to do? Visit our calendar, Culturefly.org and check out region-wide events for more ideas such as the Makers Market at Chesapeake Arts Center and Harford Choral Arts Sing-along Messiah. Also, don’t miss the epic Washington Monument Lighting in Mt. Vernon on Thursday where nearby cultural organizations like the Maryland Center for History and Culture and The Walters Art Museum will be having open houses.

Congratulations to GBCA Board of Directors member and BMore Art Founder, Cara Ober. Their beautiful new book, City of Artists is taking Baltimore by storm. In fact it’s now in its second printing. You can read about the publication here and pre-order from the second printing here.

Happy holidays!

Jeannie