A Perfect Place in Baltimore...



                          

                The Palm House
                                                 The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens

I have enjoyed visiting The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens most of my life. Early on, it was the beacon that marked the halfway point during numerous childhood trips between my family’s northwest Baltimore home and my grandparents’ house on the Eastside. It was the palatial structure that stood adjacent to the clay tennis courts where my friends and I saturated our white, canvass tennis shoes with bright orange dust as teens. And, it was home to the very first nursery from which I purchased plants during my early college years.

Welcome!

Since its renovation, the conservatory’s role and structure have expanded. The Mediterranean House, Tropical House and Desert House, additions to the original 1888 Victorian Palm House and Orchid Room, allow visitors to roam through each area’s climate and learn a little something about that setting. The hot dry summers of the Mediterranean, lush green foliage and exotic plants of the tropics, and harsh dry temps of the dessert provide a soothing backdrop for anyone who needs an occasional infusion of flowers, greenery, sunshine or almost any summer-like climate condition for rejuvenation throughout the year.

A Mediterranean Paradise



A Dessert Retreat




A Tropical Oasis

My personal favorite, the Tropical House, comforts visitors with tiny waterfalls that trickle into a Koi-stocked pond. Surrounded by brilliantly colored flora and other indigenous plant life, the pond area is the perfect place to sit and enjoy a leisurely lunch. If you look very closely and wait patiently, the grand daddy of them all (At least, that’s what I call him.), a giant speckled ornamental fish that normally lurks near the bottom, will surface and let you catch a glimpse.

   



Lurking...



   

The Grand Daddy of Koi...

Druid Hill Park’s Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory is one of the best things about Baltimore. It has become a major venue for arts events, weddings, fundraisers and meetings. Also, it plays host to a Spring Flower Show, Fall Chrysanthemum Show, Holiday Poinsettia displays and seasonal open houses. And while it is a wonderful indoor location, the almost two-acre garden’s 35 flowerbeds are just as enticing. Then, of course, there's the added attraction of a colorful tile mosaic at the building's entrance circle, which was designed by renowned international artist and Baltimore local Joyce J. Scott.




Mosaic tile mural by Joyce J. Scott





The Baltimore Conservatory Association, Inc., a 501(c)(3), working in partnership with the City of Baltimore Department of Recreation and Parks Horticultural Division, provides support to the conservatory through its membership's financial support and volunteerism. Membership information is available on the organization’s Web site (http://www.baltimoreconservatory.org/main.html).

Located at the Gwynn Falls Parkway entrance to the park, the conservatory is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, but a $2 donation is suggested.

Check out additional photographs of The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens at https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=jannjwit&target=ALBUM&id=5605466822143394993&authkey=Gv1sRgCLfgy-SPqY3kEw&feat=email



The dreaded three-post blog...



Baltimore visual artist, Chevelle Makeba Moore-Jones
and me at Corradetti Glass Studio-Gallery

 I had hoped this wouldn't happen, but things just got out of hand. There has been so much going on that I haven't been able to keep up with the events or the blog. I have been way too Baltimore Busy.

There have been birthdays, holidays, passings, exhibitions, openings, art classes, parties, concerts and much more. But now, I'm back on track -- or at least on my way.

I've been revitalized by a trip to The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens. It was just what the doctor ordered. Now, it's catch-up time. So, I'll start you off with my visit to the conservatory as my next blog entry. Then, I'll catch you up with all of the other things that have been happening and keeping me very Baltimore Busy.

Many Moons Festival 2010 with Abisola...

Last Sunday, my niece Abisola and I hit the road for a day at Towson University's Asian Arts and Culture Center and its fifth Many Moons Festival. The festival was an all day affair (11 a.m.-6p.m.), with programs, performances and hands-on activities scheduled throughout the center.



Auntie and Abisola



What an adventure!!! There were a bazillion things to do. After we viewed the featured exhibition, Interconnected: New Works by Yuriko Yamaguchi, and enjoyed a sampling of Asian cuisine in the Crossroads Marketplace, Abi tried to do all of them. 

First, she tried her hand at fruit carving. With a few instructions and a little help from Noknoi Zerfas, she carved a rounded cantelope half into a flower.

          

 

Next, she decided to give silk cord knotting a try. With the help of a festival-goer who knew a little something about the art, she managed to pull off (pun intended) two double coin knots, quite nicely.

 

Then, it was on to the making of dough figurines with Hui Jen Hsu.

Satisfied with her girlie bear, Abisola moved on to papermaking with Gretchen Schermerhorn of Pyramid Atlantic Arts Center.



If a few of the Shizumi Kodomo Dance Troupe (SKDT) members had not come into the crafts area, Abisola would have given straw weaving, Japanese doll making, origami, bead craft, and kite and shuttlecock making a try.

But - since she is a 10-year student of dance, the craftmaking came to an abrupt end when it was time for the troupe's performance.

 

 

Abisola especially liked the fact that SKDT is a multicultural children's dance troupe that performs authentic Japanese cultural dance, which was formed by artistic director Shizumi higeto Manale for the White House Millennium Celebration.

When the troupe's last dance was done, so was I. Although I was exhausted, I must admit, "A good time was had by all!"

Cheers,

Jannette

A few of the faces at "The Art of Mosaic" opening...

The opening for "The Art of Mosaic" attracted some folks who I had not seen for years. Janet Johnson, a friend since the early 1990s when I was most active in the BMA's Joshua Johnson Council, was one of the first people that I encountered amongst the throng gathered to support and enjoy the art, camaraderie and refreshments. The good news is that when you run into old friends after long periods of time, it's as if you just saw each other a day or two before.

That's the way things work in Baltimore. At least, that's the way they always seem to work for me.

When I saw Sharon Bunch there, I was reminded that we should not put things off. For years, she and I planned to get our two big, black dogs, Presley and Oji, together. Alas, it was not to be. Presley, Sharon's beloved Bouvier des Flandres, passed away last year before meeting my Newfoundland, Oji.

It was equally great to see Carla Wills back in Baltimore co-producing the Michael Eric Dyson Show for Public Radio WEAA-FM. As I recall, Carla introduced me to Sharon, years ago.

Martina Callum M.D., a proud East Baltimore native who returned to her hometown a few years ago and is an avid art collector, was happy to share the opening reception at her alma mater (MSU) with neighbor and Penn Lucy Neighborhood Association President Angel Entner. A woman who knows what she likes, the good doctor added two new pieces to her collection before leaving the gathering.

Carrie Powell, another appreciator of the arts, was there to support her friends, Charles and Elizabeth Hawkins, the artists.

When the reception ended, everyone agreed that it had been a tremendous success, and a good time was had by all.


Ask the Bassman...

Cheers,

Jannette

Let's start with "The Art of Mosaic"...

Smooth Jazz

For many years, WEAA - 88.9 FM has been my favorite station for jazz and talk. Now, the Morgan State University-based, public radio station has added visual arts to its mix, and I recently attended an opening reception held in WEAA'S Artist Gallery.

"The Art of Mosaic," an exhibition of skillfully crafted tile and mixed-media mosaics by Baltimore artists Charles and Elizabeth Hawkins opened in late August and will grace the studio’s walls throughout the month of September. Well worth a trip to Northeast Baltimore and WEAA's third floor gallery in Morgan’s new Communications Center, the collection's artful array of colors and textures evoke a spirit of movement and sound.

Charles and Elizabeth Hawkins

Happily married for 37 years, neither Charles nor Elizabeth Hawkins has a background in art. The talented couple just works well together. She is a 37-year veteran teacher in the Baltimore City Public School system, and he is a recent UMMS Anesthesia Department retiree, with 40 years' service, and a member of a popular Baltimore musical group, the Spindles (formerly Frankie and the Spindles).

The couple’s foray into mosaic tile artistry began with a “WOW-factor” project for a newly enclosed porch at their home, another of Charles’ projects. Delighted with the finished product, and with the encouragement of family, friends and admirers, the two have been working away, cracking tiles in their basement studio every since. They describe their work as "Art That Will Crack You Up and Give You a SMILE."

Scent of Flowers

WEAA's Artist Gallery is open and available to visitors interested in viewing their work through September 30, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Additional images of the couple’s ceramic artistry can be found at http:/ooohlalamosaictile.com/.

Also, if you follow this link, http://picasaweb.google.com/jjwit1/SlideShow?authkey=Gv1sRgCLmX_PutoPuvlAE#, you can check out a little slideshow that I put together on a Web Album.

Enjoy,
Jannette

I Bow to Thee Mother




3 Times A Lady

 



Vintage Madame

  






African Queen

  


King Tut



Dizzy






The Weight of the World