It’s time to grab your paint brushes, dust off your guitar and grab that hairbrush you sometimes pretend is a microphone because World Art Day is right around the corner. Though World Art Day officially falls on Monday, April 15th, you can celebrate all weekend long with a wide array of classes, shows, and exhibitions in Annapolis and along the Eastern Shore.” Here are a few activities guaranteed to make all your “artsy” friends envy you, and that’s a promise.
For the museum enthusiast
Well, you’re in luck because there are several art galleries, most in walking distance of one another, throughout downtown Annapolis. If you’re interested in exploring a new exhibition, check out Creative Odyssey at The Galleries at Quiet Waters Park or Eric Smith: Pen to Paint at the Mitchell Gallery at St. John’s College. Entry is $6 at Quiet Waters Park and free at the Michell Gallery.
On the Eastern Shore, check out the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s new exhibitions, Beach Finds of the Chesapeake, which opened last weekend, and Deconstructing Decoys, which is opening this weekend. Admission is free for CBMM members, and $6–15 for non-members. Another option is The Art of Stewardship at Chestertown RiverArts, which celebrates the community’s long tradition of environmental conservation. Admission is free.
For the music lover
Spend an evening enjoying the art of music! Check out a concert at a local music venue such as Rams Head on Stage, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, The Mainstay, and Avalon Theatre.
Or enjoy music and a meal, and visit one of the many area restaurants featuring live music this weekend, including Old Stein Inn, The Blackwall Barn and Lodge, Rams Head Tavern, Hunters’ Tavern at Tidewater Inn, and The Galley.
If you prefer to do the performing, consider taking stage yourself. This weekend, The Hideaway, Live! Casino and Hotel, and Rams Head Roadhouse are hosting karaoke nights, and Rams Head Shorehouse is hosting an open mic.
For the theater buff
If you’re feeling dramatic, there are plenty of stage performances to see this weekend. Enjoy the classics? Check out Annapolis Shakespeare Company’s adaptation of Pride & Prejudice, directed by Sally Boyett. Want something a little out of the ordinary? Catch the Colonial Players of Annapolis’ opening of A New Brain, an autobiographical musical about William Finn and his struggles with a brain malfunction.
Across the Bay Bridge, Church Hill Theatre will be performing the classic French drama, A Flea in Her. A fan of romance? Check out the Community Players of Salisbury’s performance of The Last Five Years, chronicling a five year marriage from the perspective of two New York lovers, Cathy and Jamie.
For the kids
If your looking for a hands-on activity the kids can enjoy, take you kids to an event at your local library. This weekend, the Anne Arundel County Public Library will be hosting Crafterday on at the Eastport-Annapolis Neck branch, Shakespeare in the (Severna) Park at the Severna Park Branch, and a Build A Fairy House workshop at the Riviera Beach branch.
On the Eastern Shore, visit KidSPOT at Chestertown RiverArts, a free arts program offered every Saturday for children ages two through twelve. Or, visit the Makerspace at the Kent Island Branch of Queen Anne’s County Library and the Denton Branch of the Caroline County Public Library, where kids can explore and create.
