Quick Sketches May 5-13

HISTORIC PRESERVATION MONTH

The theme for the

May 2009 Historic Preservation Month is "This Place Matters!," which its web site says is meant to "raise awareness about the power historic preservation has to protect and enhance our homes, neighborhoods and communities." Check out the current list of list of endangered local buildings in the

--which includes the Clifton Park Valve House, the

, and the Scottish Rite Temple, among others--maintained by the nonprofit preservation watchdog the

That organization awards the annual

that will be awarded June 18 at the Garret-Jacobs Mansion, and also sponsors

through various historical Baltimore neighborhoods, such as the upcoming May 9 walk through Guilford and May 16 tour of Locust Point. Later this month, Annual Preservation and Revitalization Conference (

for a pdf file of registration information) takes over the Tremont Grand May 28 and 29; it is put on by

with funding support from the

.

Such activities aren't the only architecture and design thinking going on this month, though. Morgan State University Master of Architecture Students Thesis Projects opens May 7 at the

with a reception from 5-7

. And the

also sponsors a May 12 seminar titled "How to Start Your Own Design Firm," and a number of the chapter member firms are taking place in the May 16

competition at Harborplace and the Gallery, for which local architecture, engineering, and supplier firms collaborate to erect a sculpture out of canned goods, which are then donated to the

. Good fun for a good cause.

And the monthly Baltimore Design Conversation returns May 13 at the

. Design Conversation No. 8 is titled "Food," and aims to be an "open forum for presentations & discussion on food shopping in Baltimore." (Thank you,

, for the reminder.)

OPENINGS AND RECEPTIONS

May 7

French photographer Guillaume Pallat's

Baltimore Blue Lights

opens in the Amalie Rothschild Gallery of the

. Charles Cooper's

Bodaciously Bold

opens at the

.

May 8

The Maryland SPCA: 140 Years of Caring

opens at the

with its ticketed "Wine and Wag" reception from 6-9

May 9

The reception for

23rd Annual Critics' Residency Program starts at 3:30

, after the 2

public forum.

Masked

--a 12-artist group show that explores secrecy and revelation--opens at

with a reception from 6-9

Rectified

--featuring the works of Gary Kachadourian, Julianna Dail, Ron Longsdorf, and Jackie Milad--opens with a reception from 5-10

Rebound

--the two-person show of Rudy Shepherd and Valeska Populoh--opens at

with a reception from 7-9

Steel Images

--an exhibition of paintings and sculpture by

and Renee Tantillo with Marina Windsor--opens at the

with a reception from 7-10

And

Skullflora

--an exhibition of Melody Nadia's drawings, paintings, and comics--opens May 11 at the

with a reception from 5:30-8

CLOSINGS

Sandbox

--a collaborative projects between Denise Tassin and other Baltimore students--closes at the Gallery at Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville May 7 with a reception from 6-8

(an

project). And Soledad Salame's

Where Do You Live?

closes May 10 at the

.