Welcome (or welcome back) to Hopkins! If you’re a seasoned visual artist looking to continue your exploration of the arts, or if you’re just someone curious about what Hopkins and Baltimore have to offer in that regard, here’s what I’ve discovered during the past year.
The Center for Visual Arts
First and foremost: The Center for Visual Arts (CVA) at Hopkins offers many arts courses for students during the academic year, as well as some during intersession and the summer. If you’re looking to minor in art, you’ll likely spend a good amount of time here during your time at Hopkins. The CVA offers beginner level and advanced courses in studio art, fiber art, photography and visual communication. These classes are often fairly small (and as such, in high demand) but very rewarding. Each fall, the CVA hosts a faculty exhibition, and each spring, it hosts a student exhibition. The CVA is roughly 15 minutes away from Hopkins but very accessible by the JHMI or the Film Centre/CVA shuttle.
The Creative Media Center
Previously known as the Digital Media Center, the Creative Media Center (CMC) is back and better, with a new name and a new home in the Bloomberg Student Center. The CMC holds equipment that is free for students to borrow and use for “audio, video, photography, graphics, animation, 3-D modeling and design, web-based and multimedia projects.” Additionally, the CMC occasionally hosts workshops on skills such as using Photoshop, 3D modeling software and more.
The Maryland Institute College of Art
Besides the courses offered at the CVA, as a Hopkins student, you also have the opportunity to take courses at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), which is roughly 10 minutes from Homewood Campus and has many other diverse courses across the arts that may interest you. For example, while the CVA does not offer courses in ceramics, you might choose to learn the art of pottery at MICA through the Baltimore Student Exchange Program.
Other opportunities
Aside from taking arts classes at Hopkins or surrounding institutions, there are many student organizations on campus that host art or creative events. The Hopkins Student Organization for Programming often has various arts events planned throughout the year. Its programming is geared toward the undergraduate student body as a whole, and as such, it often includes easy-to-learn activities that can be enjoyed with company. Some previous events have included charcoal drawing, bouquet making, bracelet making and scrapbooking. Be sure to also check out clubs such as bARTimore (a mural group), Sketchbook (a general art club), Photography Club (the name’s on the tin) and Believe in Art (a group focused on sharing art through partnerships with nearby hospitals).
Museums
The Baltimore Museum of Art, often referred to as the BMA, is right on the edge of Homewood Campus. The BMA is open 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays and is free for general admission. Chances are, you might go there for a class or two. Many Introduction to Fiction and Poetry II students find themselves wandering the BMA’s hallways for a more interactive class trip and poetic inspiration. Meanwhile, the Walters Art Museum, located near the Peabody School of Music, is also very accessible for Hopkins students. Like the BMA, the Walters Art Museum also has free admission for the public. Both museums have a great variety of artwork, history and contemporary works to share.
Other places to check out
The city of Baltimore is bustling with arts hubs and events. The Bromo Arts District is an 11-block stretch along Howard Street with galleries, music venues and theaters. Whether it’s attending the Bromo Art walk at the beginning of the year or any of the other numerous events hosted by the various arts organizations and hubs on its streets, there’s guaranteed to be something that catches your eye. Graffiti Alley is an alley (shocker) that’s roughly a 12-minute walk from Penn Station and in Baltimore’s North Arts and Entertainment District. It’s covered in vibrant splashes of colors and graffiti tags, boasting the creativity Baltimore has to offer. Scrap B’more is a creative reuse nonprofit organization that sells donated arts supplies, from fiber arts materials and visual arts supplies to wood working material and random trinkets.
A few upcoming events
Some upcoming events that might be of interest: MICA’s Art Market (part of MICA Weekend, which also has a whole variety of other amazing events) at MICA on Oct. 4, World Oddities Expo from Oct. 4–5, the 26th Baltimore Comic Convention from Oct. 17–19 in the Baltimore Convention Center and the Star City Games Con from Oct. 24–26 in the Baltimore Convention Center.
Closing remarks
Overall, if anything else, hopefully you’ve gathered that both Hopkins and Baltimore have a wide array of visual arts spaces, groups and events to offer. If you’re interested in getting involved in or attending arts-related events, the best advice is to simply keep an eye out for them. Mark down events in your calendar, search through HopkinsGroups and keep track of posters and advertisements you see put up on campus, around Baltimore and online. Have fun and stay creative!
