Feb. 24 is the deadline to submit entries for the visual-arts exhibitions and performance-art programs at the next Artscape celebration, scheduled July 21-23 along Mount Royal Avenue's "cultural corridor."
This year's exhibitions are "Jump," an indoor series of installations that use and explore the five senses; "Demons, Addictions and Other Vices," an indoor show of two-and three-dimensional artwork that examines habitual inclinations and character faults; "Future Relics," an outdoor sculpture display that explores the notion of monuments or icons of future generations; and "The Second Annual Car Show," an outdoor show of eight private vehicles that have been modified to reflect the artists' views.
In addition, the festival will sponsor a film and video series and a fine-arts marketplace. Deadline for submissions is March 24.
The deadline is April 7 to submit work examples to the festival's fine-arts marketplace, which offers exhibit space to artists working in painting, drawing, sculpture, mixed media, photography and printmaking.
Exhibitions are open to artists living in Maryland and the 'N Washington metropolitan area. For information and/or applications, call (410) 396-4575, which is TDD accessible.
Traveling poets
A poetry performance and mock competition staged by Nuyorican Poets Cafe Live! will initiate the contemporary performance series "Off the Walls" at 8 p.m. Thursday at the Baltimore Museum of Art.
The touring ensemble from the famous Nuyorican Poets Cafe in New York -- including Tracie Morris, Ed Morales, Samantha Coerbell and Willie Perdomo -- will present readings and re-create a poetry "slam," a mock poetry tournament. Local poets may sign up for the slam on a first-come, first served basis at 7 p.m. before the performance.
Tickets are $10 for general admission and $8 for BMA members.
Other performers in the museum's "Off the Walls" series are "The Klezmatics," a New York-based musical group which performs a variation on Eastern European folk music, at 8 p.m. March 11, and "Daniel Ezralow & . . . ," a contemporary dance group 'D headed by dancer-choreographer Daniel Ezralow, at 8 p.m. April 1. Call (410) 235-0100.
Overcoming obstacles
A free performance of "Heroes Just Like You," which illustrates the obstacles African-Americans have overcome in the workplace in the past 100 years, will run at 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Baltimore City Life Museums' museum-row campus, 800 E. Lombard St.
In addition, visitors can enjoy African-American storytelling in the museum complex's 1840 House and Carroll Mansion. The program runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For details, call (410) 396-3523.
Free performances
Several Baltimore-area colleges will present free performances this month of "Free At Last: Images of Emancipation," a multimedia theater piece using letters and documents from the Civil War era.
Actors Bill Grimmette, Denise Diggs and Tony Tsendeas recount the hopes, fears and bravery of African-American men and women as they fought for emancipation.
A list of performances follows:
* 6 p.m. Feb. 19 in the Medical School Teaching Auditorium at the University of Maryland at Baltimore, (410) 706-7117.
* Noon Feb. 20 in the Pascal Center for the Performing Arts at Anne Arundel Community College, (410) 541-2218.
* 4:30 p.m. Feb. 24 in the East Wing Auditorium at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, (410) 955-3034.
* 6:30 p.m. Feb. 28 in the Chesapeake Room at Towson State University, (410) 830-2332.
* 8 p.m. March 1 in Alumni Hall Theatre at Western Maryland College, (410) 857-2599.
Produced by the Columbia Festival of the Arts, "Free at Last" was first presented at the 1994 Columbia Festival of the Arts. This tour is funded partly by the Maryland Humanities Council.
Auditions
The Other Little Theatre of Annapolis has scheduled auditions for "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 19 and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Feb. 21-22 at the Annapolis Naval Station Theater, 330 Kinkaid Road. The production calls for 10 men and three women. For details, call (410) 757-5235.