BOPA Announces Baltimore-Based Artists And Authors Featured At Combined Baltimore Book Festival & Light City Celebration

Today, the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA) announced the Baltimore-based authors and artists who will join the lineup for the Baltimore Book Festival & Light City celebration, which is brought together in 2019 under the theme of Brilliant Baltimore. Over 10 days, cultural creators from the city will join authors and artists from across the globe with artwork, conversation and performances that illuminate 20 Baltimore neighborhoods and the Inner Harbor.

"Baltimore is brimming with artistic talent in every creative arena, from visual arts to culinary creations, world-class literature to showstopping theater," said Kathy Hornig, Chief Operating Officer and Festivals Director of the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts. "By elevating our Baltimore-based talent at the Baltimore Book Festival and Light City this November, the city has a golden opportunity to showcase to the world the cultural powerhouse that is Baltimore."

Local artists and authors involved with this year's festival include:

• Kevin Blackistone, whose Light City installation 'Radiant Flux' explores the many facets of light
• Sondheim Artscape Prize winner Erick Benitez and finalist Sutton Demlong and their sculpture 'Where Pathways Meet,' an interactive multimedia garden maze that brings flora and fauna from around the world to the city
• Acclaimed author Barbara Bourland, whose breakthrough novel 'I'll Eat When I'm Dead' was named one of the best books of 2017 by Refinery29
• Artist Michael Bowman and his interactive piece 'Baltimore Fancy,' a celebration of the city's historic African-American Arabber street vendors
• New York Times bestselling author and former award-winning sports columnist for The Baltimore Sun, Kevin Cowherd, who brings compelling insights into the aftermath of the death of Freddie Gray in 'When the Crowd Didn't Roar: How Baseball's Strangest Game Ever Gave a Broken City Hope'
• James Dolgin and his sculpture 'Facades,' which brings visitors into Baltimore's historic row homes through an interactive display
• World-renowned jazz musician Sean Jones, who brings his quartet to the Inner Harbor's Literary Salon for an evening of classical music
• Artist Jeffrey Kent, whose work, 'An Abstract Baltimore Story,' illuminates the dark history of medical experimentation on African Americans through the story of Henrietta Lacks, highlighting her story on a large LED screen in the city where she first sought treatment
• Emmy-winning investigative journalist Brian Kuebler, who presents his debut novel 'The Long Blink,' a revealing and emotional investigation of the rapidly growing danger of American roads
• Ellis Marsalis, whose captivating photography project 'Masters of the Edifice' contextualizes Baltimore's historic murals through light box reproductions
• Chef and activist Nichole Mooney, who serves up her culinary skills in tandem with a discussion of her non-profit organization Black Girls Cook, which teaches girls of color life-skills through cooking and gardening
• Freelance writer Linda Morris, who brings her childhood experiences in Baltimore to bear in the engaging 'Cherry Hill: Raising Successful Black Children in Jim Crow Baltimore'

Baltimore's creative workforce is an integral part of the city's economy. According to a report from Americans for the Arts, more than 15,000 people are employed by nonprofits arts and cultural organizations in Baltimore, and their creative output generated more than $606 million in economic activity in 2017. Under the theme of Brilliant Baltimore, this year's festival will illuminate the breadth of the city's artistic community for both locals and visitors.

Produced by the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts, Brilliant Baltimore is made possible by Presenting Sponsor: Whiting-Turner Contracting Company; Founding and Sustaining Sponsors: BGE, City of Baltimore, T. Rowe Price, Visit Maryland, What Works Studio, and WJZ-TV ; Leadership Sponsors: Brown Advisory , France-Merrick Foundation, HASA, Maryland State Arts Council, McGuireWoods LLP and Pier 5 Hotel - Curio a collection by Hilton; Major Sponsors: Constellation, Green Mountain Energy, Downtown Partnership, M&T Bank, PNC, TooFar Media, Guinness Open Gate Brewery, Johns Hopkins, UMBC and Waterfront Partnership; Contributing Sponsors: Atapco ,Transamerica and Visit Baltimore; and Community Sponsors: AARP, Brick Bodies, Bowie State University, Cruise Maryland, The Herbert Bearman Foundation, Metro By T-Mobile, Nora Roberts Foundation, Spirit Cruises, Towson University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and Venable.

Visit the Brilliant Baltimore website and follow us Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay abreast of all of the events, VIP happenings and awe-inspiring performances taking place this fall. If you'd like to share this news on social media, please tag @LightCityBmore @BmoreBookFest and hashtag #BrilliantBaltimore.

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