Meet the creatives who put the “charm” in Charm City! The Locally Grown Festival will bring together local performers, artists, and makers for a weekend of fresh voices, local connection, and theater in all its forms. Join us for this inaugural celebration of Baltimore’s brilliant, eccentric, and thriving arts ecology.
Funding for Locally Grown is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts
FESTIVAL PASSES
Single Day Pass: $25
Weekend Pass: $40 – Buy both Days and Save $10!
Advanced Tickets to the Hype Ball are SOLD OUT!
full schedule
ARTIST LINEUP
Saturday Oct 21, 2023
Inky Cap Co-op Maker Fair
- Ashanti Fortson
- Breathing Earth Botanicals
- Koobta
- Petit Loup Ceramics
- Stellarium Jewelry
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- Binglin Hu
- Chaos Crafts
- Lucid Knits
- Priyanka K
- Stinging Nettle Stitchery
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- BLSR
- Crooked Trail Collective
- Oremi
- Rebecca Marimutu
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Locally Grown Art Gallery
- Eric Abele
- Ashley Johnson
- Qrcky
- Amelia Wang
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- Shadè Bowman
- Sha’Ran Lowe
- Tolu Sho
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- Tiffany Harris
- Lauren R. Lyde
- Tracey Stevens
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Staged Reading of Comfort/Woman by Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi
- Directed by Goldie E. Patrick
- Stage Manager – Tenley Pitonzo*
- Dane Figueroa Edidi*
as YOUNG MARY/OLD MARY WATERS
- Ryan Dalusung* as
JOSEPH TOMNEY
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- Kim James Bey* as
MADAME HENRIETTA/DORINDA MAY BROWN
- Regina Aquino* as
MAE WINCHESTER/CATHERINE
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- Isaiah Mason Harvey as
JIM CARTER/FREDRICK CARTER II
- Frank Britton* as
TOM BROWN/FREDRICK CARTER
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*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
Baltimore Hip-Hop Now!
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- Najee – The Burden of Expectations
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- Eric Dixon – Baltimore’s Son/Tension
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Cake Walk: An Improvised Sitcom
Storytelling Hour
- Meghan Taylor, Betse Lyons, and Vicky Graham – I Will Eat You Alive by Katie Hileman
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- Brianna Anderson – Seafood and Survival
- Ally Ibach – Midnight Cowboy Radio
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- Courtney Simmons – to Clarence Thomas
- Aladrian Wetzel – Invisible Remembrance
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Immersive Theater Toolkit Workshop with Submersive Productions
Voices of Carmen All Star Ensemble
Fools and Madmen’s Julius Caesar
Tango Etudes with Duo Sila
Puppet Slam with String Theory Puppet Theatre
Immediate Art Workshop with Sharan Nixon
Locally Grown After Dark Cabaret
- Hosted by Comedian Big Fred
- Kanika – Songs in the Key of Revolution
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- Orion Ridgley – Better Dirty Than Docile
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- Fox E. Martin – The Party Has Arrived
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Icon Marquis Revlon presents The Hype Ball
Sunday Oct 22, 2023
BLK ASS FLEA MKT
Locally Grown Art Gallery
- Eric Abele
- Ashley Johnson
- Qrcky
- Amelia Wang
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- Shadè Bowman
- Sha’Ran Lowe
- Tolu Sho
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- Tiffany Harris
- Lauren R. Lyde
- Tracey Stevens
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Radical Cartography Workshop with The Arts Collective
Contemporary Dance Showcase
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- Jamal Abrams – SAB & the Gatekeeper
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- Xing Dance Theater – Citizen
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Locally Grown All Generations Cabaret
- Hosted by comedian Big Fred
- Maurice Kendall – Getting Myself Together
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- Lil Reggie – Signs & Letters & Hip-Hop
- Elder Ensemble – Celebrate Your Light
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- Reggie Webb – Rhyming Again
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The Palovations
Panorama with Nino McQuown
Empathy Works! How Empathy Can Change Every Aspect of Your Arts Practice Workshop
Maya Camille Presents
Atomic Artist Workshop with Bakari Jones
Baltimore Slam Team
Reading of Bootprints by Dr. Latonia-Valincia Moss
- Directed by Nate Couser
- Sanahara Ama Chandra as Myeshia
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- Mecca Verdell as Gingel
- BigMama Ama Brown as Gmama
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Darius Christian Album Release
ABOUT: ANCHOR EVENTS
Saturday October 21
Inky Cap Artist Co-Op is a collective of creatives that uses their platform to help connect queer and trans artists, aiming to build community, share market leads, secure opportunities for artists, and curate events around Baltimore.
String Theory Theater is a Baltimore based puppet troupe composed of artist Dirk Joseph and daughters Rose, and Koi. Since 2016, String Theory Theater has been using various puppetry formats to create shows for children, families, and adults.
First honing their skills at the seasonal puppet slams at Baltimore’s Black Cherry Puppet Theater, STT has performed on numerous stages and venues across Baltimore and beyond. STT is also involved in large-scale outdoor puppet performance, sometimes partnering with community organizations to engage local communities in creative demonstrations, performances and exhibits.
Tickets to the Hype Ball are FREE but must be reserved separately.
Doors open at 6:30 pm
Ball begins at 8:00 pm
Ball ends at 1:00 am
MORE INFO! RESERVE NOW
Sunday October 22
BLK ASS FLEA MKT is a curated event studio & marketplace empowering BLK creatives in Baltimore & beyond. BAFM has an ecosystem of 3,000+ vendors, has hosted 200+ events [including 10 signature MKTplaces] & sustains a platform that has generated over $700,000 in collective revenue for growing BLK businesses. BAFM has a highly engaged & growing digital presence with over 14k followers on Instagram [@BLKASSFLEAMKT].
Would a strategy to accomplish your remaining 2023 business goals be helpful? Join us Empower Program Manager Bakari Jones for Atomic Goal Setting!
Atomic (or micro) goals are small, achievable steps that can help us reach our larger goals. They are a great way to break down a big project into smaller, more manageable tasks. In this workshop, we will explore the concept of micro goals and how they can help us reach our objectives.
During the workshop, we will begin by discussing the benefits of setting micro goals and review some of the tips and tricks outlined in
James Clear’s book Atomic Habits. We will then learn how to identify our bigger goals and break them down into smaller, achievable steps. We will also discuss the importance of tracking progress and celebrating successes along the way.
Through interactive exercises and group discussions, participants will have the opportunity to practice setting micro goals for their business or personal projects. We will also explore different strategies for staying motivated and overcoming obstacles that may arise.
By the end of the workshop, you will:
- Gain a better understanding of how to set and achieve micro goals
- Leave with practical tools and techniques to apply to your own lives
- Find a newfound sense of confidence in your ability to make progress towards your goals
Baltimore raised and LA-based, Darius Christian is a genre- bending force of nature with fresh brassy and agile trombone stylizations, rich vocals. spoken word, and insatiable jubilant energy. You’ve heard him with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Miley Cyrus, Gwen Stefani, Jonas Brothers, Solange, Andrea Bocelli, Rihanna, DNCE, Bastille, Ricky Martin, Macy Gray, and Andy Grammar. You’ve watched him on America’s Got Talent, The Tonight Show with Jay Rock, Good Morning America and Saturday Night Live, and CMT Music Awards. You’ve heard his music scores on Vice and you may have even seen him in campaigns for Nike, Adidas, Tommy Hilfiger, MasterCard & Cadillac.
You could place him on the list of “Renaissance Men” due to his diverse experiences in modeling, film, composition, and media, but the real renaissance can be found in his music.
Music to get lost. Music to fall in love. Music to laugh. Music to forget hate. Music.
The Baltimore Slam Team is without debate one of the most accomplished slam teams in the history of slam poetry. After winning the international poetry slam for the second time in 2021 they have now decided to take slam poetry around the country. This dynamic group of poets has mastered the art of making difficult conversations memorable and exciting.
Intentionality Committee
Locally Grown Festival will have an Intentionality Committee comprised of Baltimore leaders who will act as thought partners, advisors, and connectors in our community. This committee will help ensure equity & accountability to the city of Baltimore in our festival planning process by attending festival planning meetings, providing input on our open call practices, and inviting their networks to the festival.
We are excited to work collaboratively with these pillars of our community to create a more equitable Locally Grown Festival!
Jess Solomon
Jess Solomon is a Baltimore-based facilitator and weaver driven by the power of art and culture as a tool to process, adapt and reimagine. She is a strategic advisor and thought partner to systems change and social justice leaders and influencers in the philanthropic, creative, and nonprofit sectors.
As principal at Art in Praxis, an organization development firm supporting progressive organizations, she focuses on transformation and impact concerning equity and care in practice. She brings over a decade of expertise in system and process improvement, team development, change management, culture change, strategy, planning, and capacity-building.
Jessica’s wide-ranging career has taken her from higher education, community theater, nonprofit management, philanthropy, and social entrepreneurship. She’s mobilized resources for community cultural development as past Board President of Alternate ROOTS, Chief Weaver of Social Fabric at the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, and Vice President of the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation. She completed fellowships at National Arts Strategies, Salzburg Global Forum for Young Cultural Innovators, and Grantmakers for Effective Organizations Change Leaders in Philanthropy. Additionally, she’s a proud contributor to Animating Democracy’s “Aesthetic Perspectives,” a dynamic evaluation framework for socially engaged art used by public funders, curators, artists, and educators.
Jess is an IFC-certified Coach with extensive training in participatory facilitation. She earned a M.S. in Organization Development from American University and B.A.’s in Communication and African American Studies from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Bakari Jones, MBA
Bakari is in year 2 of managing GoDaddy and Impact Hub Baltimore’s partnership Empower Baltimore program.
In their role, Bakari coordinates program logistics and facilitates cohort content delivery that helps local microbusiness owners build or update their website.
In addition to managing the Empower Baltimore program, Bakari is also a consultant whose work centers traditionally marginalized communities including Black, women, LGBTQ and gender non-conforming communities. Black Feminist Thought, Black Liberation Theology, and ‘Black joy’ as a mantra of resistance influence Bakari’s approach to storytelling, facilitating, coaching, and consulting.
Bakari earned a BA in African American studies from Temple University’s College of Liberal Arts. After serving as an AmeriCorps V.I.S.T.A. (Volunteer In Service To America) in post-Katrina New Orleans, Bakari returned to Baltimore and began creating events for Black, queer, and gender non-conforming folx in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Bakari then earned an MBA from Loyola University Maryland, and Certificates in Front-end Web Development and finally, Somatic Embodiment & Regulation Strategies.
At home, Bakari is likely developing an art project, book club or working on a 1,000+ piece puzzle. www.BakariJones.com
Ashley Minner Jones
Ashley Minner Jones is a community-based visual artist, curator, and folklorist from Baltimore, Maryland, where she has lived on the same block her entire life. Her interdisciplinary practice is deeply rooted in place—usually within the context of the U.S. South—and is focused on honoring and celebrating everyday people by lifting up their stories. Ashley is an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. She earned an MFA in Community Arts from Maryland Institute College of Art and a PhD in American Studies from University of Maryland College Park. As an artist, she has exhibited widely and her work is represented in several prominent collections. Her research is being archived as “the Ashley Minner Collection” in the Albin O. Kuhn Library of the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Her most recent project is a reconstruction of East Baltimore’s historic American Indian “reservation.” A monograph on the same is forthcoming. She is also currently featured in the BCS Indigenous Art Gallery.
Tinku Bhattacharyya
Over the course of her quarter century plus career in the music industry. Tinku Bhattacharya has engaged in a multitude of unique, groundbreaking roles driven by her enduring passion and creative approaches to artist development and fierce advocacy for artist rights administration and protection.
Since launching her career as a club promoter and DJ with Thelonious Junk (Big Beat) and Café Graffiti in Edinburgh in 1995, the UK bred, Baltimore based visionary has defined what it means to be an innovative Renaissance Woman in the fast moving, ever-evolving music industry. Currently an artist manager and consultant with Intrinsic Artists, the full-service NYC based company she launched in 2015, Tinku has been an international artist development mentor, rights activist, event producer, production and tour manager, label owner, director of talent booking and label product manager.
Having brought a global perspective on markets and career development to scores of artists from the world of jazz, soul, hip-hop and beyond since 2003, she has helped guide and develop the global careers of an expansive roster of crossover artists. Over the years, her roster has included Amp Fiddler, Peven Everett, Tortured Soul, Incognito, Sixto Rodriguez, Shuggie Otis, Stephanie McKay, KING, Marc Cary and Melanie Charles.
Working with iconic artists such as Roy Ayers and Gary Bartz, she has reconnected them with “black box revenue,” which are unclaimed royalties for which a publisher or writer is named but cannot be traced by a collection society. She has also provided comprehensive advice and assistance to younger artists who have likewise struggled to connect with the information they need to effectively administer their rights.
“Most artists I work with have been through the normal cookie cutter management process,” Tinku says. “This is not what artists, especially jazz artists, need. I create an environment that helps them operate a fully functional business, starting with registering music properly and negotiating contracts to teaching them how to protect themselves and use new technology to market themselves in a way that makes sense in the modern industry. My goal is to help very independent minded artists build a highly competitive business structure.”
Tinku has expanded Intrinsic Artists in recent years to provide education and services to help her artists effectively and efficiently navigate the modern rights environment. To this end, drawing on her extensive experience booking and running live performance series and festivals – including a foundational two year stint as Director of Programming and Talent Booking for Movement: Detroit’s Electronic Music Festival – she has been the Event Producer since 2015 of The Harlem Sessions, a performance jam session concept led by Tinku’s client, Harlem based artist and composer Marc Cary.
The Harlem Sessions have evolved into a thriving community movement of creatives, cultural leaders/ambassadors, music and arts lovers and a celebration of great artists, composers and songwriters beyond the standards and American Songbook. Recognized by such media outlets as The New Yorker, this series manifests Tinku’s vision to use the bandstand as the ultimate teaching environment, so as to keep the next generation of artists connected to the cultural roots of jazz beyond the standards they are familiar with. “For Marc and I,” she says, “the success of the Sessions morphed into us asking ourselves, ‘How do we help our community more?’ and finding ways to do that.”
As an event producer, Tinku has also worked with artists as diverse as Rakim, Marlena Shaw, Johnny Clarke, Horace Andy, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Blackstar, De La Soul, Wu Tang Clan, Big Daddy Kane, and others, building on her history of event production in her native Scotland with Jazz Promoters Assembly Direct, as well as her time as production manager and booking assistant at the globally renowned Jazz Café in London – which Tinku calls “the funkier version of Ronnie Scott’s. “Working there was my idea of Nirvana,” she says.
Other artists Tinku has worked with in various capacities include Big Daddy Kane, Wu Tang, KRS One, Martha Reeves, Horace Andy, Johnny Clarke, Sly and Robbie, Ben E. King, George Clinton, Maceo Parker,
Another foundational influence in her development as one of the industry’s most progressive minded artist managers was her three-year stint in London as product manager and project coordinator for Strut Records. Strut is home to jazz, funk, underground disco, original breaks, afrobeat and old school hip hop, in addition to long forgotten music library classics and gems of dance music past. Tinku was primarily working with music that was not yet reaching the digital domain. Among the artists she worked with at Strut are Grandmaster Flash and Nigerian drummer Tony Allen.
Tinku’s formal education includes a BSc Hons. Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D), Microbiology/Medicine, 1 Class Hons. She earned he Ph.D in 1998.
“People in the music industry often find my educational background interesting and wonder how I ventured from microbiology and medicine into these other creative worlds,” Tinku says. “While I was pursuing my medical Ph.D., I was an avid vinyl collector and took side gigs DJing and running events to pay my way through University. My first real lessons in jazz came from these components. I eventually took a proper job with a Scottish jazz promoter, eventually ending up in London working at the Jazz Café. The energy and creativity of working with artists took hold and is still the driving passion of my life.”
