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Funk revivalists Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Latin rockers Ozomatli, the jazz-funk sextet Galactic and R&B singer Anthony Hamilton headline the roster of musicians scheduled to perform at this year's Artscape, event organizers announced Tuesday.
This year's free arts festival, scheduled for July 18-20 and billed as the largest such event in the country, will also feature an increased emphasis on dance and all things motion-related. Included under Artscape's exhortation to "Join the Movement!" will be a "Silent Disco" in Pearlstone Park; "Dance!" featuring performances by Ballet Memphis and the Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theater, at the Patricia & Arthur Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric; a street full of kinetic sculptures and other contraptions along Mount Royal Avenue; ballroom dancing on Charles Street; and an "Aerial Arts Arena" on Charles Street.
"Every July, Artscape continues Baltimore's tradition of celebrating and supporting art and culture," Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said in announcing the details of Artscape 2014. "With this year's 'Join the Movement' theme, I invite residents and visitors to take advantage of the festival's free offerings by not only watching the performances and exhibitions, but by joining in the many interactive projects designed by artists."
Other new features planned for this year's Artscape festival include "Field Day," an array along Charles Street of artist-designed games, activities, performances and competitions that invite audience participation; an interactive LED screen, atop Metro Gallery at Charles and Lanvale streets, displaying live tweets and visuals from the festival; and an expansion of the illuminated "Artscape After Hours" feature, which extends the festival into the evening, to include both Friday and Saturday nights.
The new "Aerial Arts Arena" will spotlight aerial artists, dancers and circus acts in the air above Charles Street. Participating groups include DNA Theatre, Vaudoux Aerial Dance Theatre, Radiant Hoops, Ascension Arts and Brian Kehoe.
Musicians performing on the newly christened MEA Energy Stage, at 1400 Cathedral St. and sponsored by the Maryland Energy Administration, will include Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Ozomatli at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Galactic at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and, to close out Artscape 2014, Anthony Hamilton at 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
Musicians, including many regional acts, will also be performing on a second stage, on Mount Royal Avenue near Mosher Street, throughout the weekend.
Additional information on the city's free arts festival may be found by downloading the free Artscape Mobile App on Apple and Android devices, or by going online to artscape.org.