Starting Sunday through June 8, more than 20 area arts and cultural organizations will present activities and events exploring the rich history of maps and map-making. Among the highlights:
Mapping Science at the Maryland Science Center explores how maps are used in astronomy, biology, paleontology and earth science, and features planetarium shows and displays about the role of satellite mapping technology in expanding understanding of our place in the universe.
Literary Mount Vernon, a self-guided tour sponsored by the Maryland Humanities Council, touches on notable writers and artists associated with the neighborhood, including such figures as Edgar Allan Poe, H.L. Mencken and Tupac Shakur.
The Inca Trail, a musical program performed by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Peruvian-born conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya, takes listeners on a tour of Andean musical traditions from Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela and Colombia. Selections by Alberto Ginastera, Osvaldo Golijov and Gabriela Lena Frank are included.
Borders & Boundaries: The Mason-Dixon Line at the Maryland Historical Society puts on display one of America's cartographic treasures, an original copy of the map delineating the "boundary between the provinces of Maryland and Pennsylvania" surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon and published in 1768. The show also includes maps and documents related to the long-standing border dispute between Maryland and Pennsylvania and instruments used in the survey.
For a complete listing of events, visit the festival Web site at baltimorefestivalofmaps.com.