The ‘State’ of Baltimore: Arts as a Cultural Force
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Lord Baltimore Hotel
Hanover Suite B – Mezzanine
PARKING
Download a map here.
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This year’s ‘State’ of Baltimore invites cultural warriors to share, explore, and discuss navigating the arts scene and the innovative role artists, arts organizations, and creatives play in enhancing the dynamic cultural arts in the City. This will be a close look at the work of artists, artist spaces, studios, and cultural workers who will share the many ways they serve artists and their triumphs and challenges in a year of budget cuts and an open war on DEI. In the past, the ‘State’ has been a rigorous, truth-telling session. This will be no different. Participants offer insight and meaningful conversations about their work and expertise and where they stand in these critical times. Patricia Ofori is a thought leader in the placemaking arena, using different strategies to test the limits of how communities can be developed and collectively owned. Victoria Adams-Kennedy writes fiction about the complexities of midlife relationships. She is the founder of Zora’s Den, a group dedicated to sisterhood and amplifying the stories and poems of Black women writers, for which she co-edited their anthologies, The Fire Inside, Volumes I, II & III. In the anthology’s Vol. III, guest editor and author Bernice L. McFadden writes, “Within these pages you will find a kaleidoscope of poems, stories, and essays that speak to joy and sorrow, love, both tender and blistering, familial bonds, loss and grief, triumphs, and tribulations, buoyed by a myriad of memories and moments celebrating the indomitable spirit of Black women”. John-John Williams IV covers DEI and immigration for The Baltimore Banner. Gail Cooper is Executive Director of Charm City Cultural Cultivation, a nonprofit founded by Derrick Adams to empower the lives of underrepresented Black creatives and forge the future by investing in community collaboration, fostering creativity, and preserving the history and legacy carved out by previous generations. Affectionately referred to as Baltimore’s Godmother by her community, Alanah Nichole Davis returns as the moderator of this popular festival session. She is an artist, philanthropist, and award-winning journalist.
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Patricia Ofori is a social-innovation designer. Currently working in community development using small-batch manufacturing, collective ownership techniques, and agriculture as anchors to create healthy, thriving, and modellable smart communities. A “smart community” defined by Patricia is one in which it makes sense to live there, as you’re provided all your needs and a lot of your wants. She believes “smart communities” are the future, as they promote living and working in community; which in return lend unquantifiable support and nourishment on a personal, spiritual and metaphysical level to the individuals that inhabit the environment. She believes in purposely designing holistic environments that evoke a sense of ownership and belonging. This is placemaking. Currently, Patricia is designing a model artist community in the Mount Clare neighborhood, located in Southwest Baltimore. When the project is complete in 2030, it will contain 15 residential units, 4 live-work studios, and a collectively run manufacturing innovation center. She is a native of Springfield, MA.
www.oforiandco.com
Instagram: @oforiandco
Victoria Adams-Kennedy is a fiction writer who writes about the complexities of relationships with a focus on midlife. She is the author of Sometimes Love, published in 2017 by Brown Girls Books. Her second novel, Don’t Walk Away, was published in 2019. Her short fiction has appeared in midnight & indigo and TORCH Literary Arts, for which it was nominated for Best of the Net. She is the founder of Zora’s Den, a group for Black women writers for which she co-edited their anthologies, The Fire Inside, Volumes I, II & III. Victoria has an MFA in Creative Writing & Publishing Arts. She writes and resides in Baltimore, Maryland.
zorasden.com
Instagram: @victoriaadamskennedy @zorasden
John-John Williams IV is a diversity, equity, and inclusion reporter at The Baltimore Banner. A native of Syracuse, N.Y. and a graduate of Howard University, he has lived in Baltimore for the past 17 years. Before coming to The Baltimore Banner, John-John Williams IV worked for The Baltimore Sun covering education, fashion, home, food, travel, popular culture, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
www.thebaltimorebanner.com/author/john-john-williams
X: @popcouturejjw4
Instagram: @johnjohnw4
Gail Cooper is Executive Director of Charm City Cultural Cultivation, a nonprofit founded by Derrick Adams to empower the lives of underrepresented Black creatives and forge the future by investing in community collaboration, fostering creativity, and preserving the history and legacy carved out by previous generations. A Baltimore native, she is a nonprofit strategist with 20 years of experience developing projects at the intersections of art, culture, race, gender, sexuality, and social equity within the U.S. and abroad. Before joining Charm City Cultural Cultivation, she led development, communications, and program teams at a wide variety of organizations, including the Ford Foundation, co-LAB, International Rescue Committee, and Human Rights Watch.
charmccc.org
Alanah Nichole Davis (She/Her) is a Baltimore-raised, award-winning journalist. She’s currently the Chief Storyteller in Baltimore’s Mayor’s Office, working with the innovation team where she uses storytelling to showcase the positive impact of the Baltimore City Government on its communities. With experience as a Lead Reporter covering technology, design, and civic news, she has a knack for simplifying complex topics for a wide audience. Beyond journalism, Davis is deeply involved in Baltimore’s arts, land stewardship, and youth engagement efforts. Holding an MA in Social Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art, she brings a broad perspective and imagination to her work. Alanah often hosts events, moderates panels, mentors, and speaks publicly, drawing from her identity as a Black woman, human-centered designer, and mother. In her free time, she enjoys sharing crabs with friends, swimming, and savoring a good mocktail. Davis’s work can be seen in Next City, Maryland Matters, Baltimore Magazine, Baltimore Banner, Salon, BmoreArt, and so many more. Although born in The Bronx, NY, she has called Baltimore home for many years, dedicating herself to nurturing youth, preserving land, and sharing powerful stories.
www.alanahasenteredthechat.com
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CityLit Project in partnership with Lord Baltimore Hotel and Red Emma’s present CityLit Festival: Our Stories Give Light To Our Future. This celebration of the arts showcases a bevy of leading poets and writers on April 5, 2025. We’re talking fiction, nonfiction, poetry galore, and ways to up the ante on your craft.
Download the CityLit Festival: Our Stories Give Light To Our Future flyer.