Finding art in Antarctica’s ice

By Zita Petrahai
Posted on November 21, 2017

Not everyone’s idea of a summer vacation includes hiking through Antarctica’s frigid expanses for seven weeks, but Helen Glazer was dogged in pursuing the opportunity. She applied five times over a 10-year period for the National Science Foundation’s Antarctic Artists and Writers Program, until she finally got her chance in 2015. Glazer, who is 62 and lives in Owings Mills, is the... READ MORE

Cookbooks to expand your holiday menu

By Dinah Rokach
Posted on November 16, 2017

You may remember the Pillsbury jingle, “Nothing says lovin’ like somethin’ from the oven.” When you open your front door, the aroma of home cooking envelopes your guests in a warm, welcoming embrace. In time for Thanksgiving, these cookbooks make great resources for preparing your holiday meals. Whether you’re feeding family and friends, or bringing a homemade offering to your... READ MORE

Poet publishes two collections at age 79

By Alexis Bentz
Posted on November 15, 2017

Editor’s note: This article is the first in a series about local artists and poets, as we launch the Beacon’s year-long Celebration of the Arts, which encourages older adults to take up a new visual art or poetry, or rediscover a past interest. In the spring, readers will be invited to enter their works in a contest, and the winners will be exhibited at several venues. Last spring,... READ MORE

Columbia Orchestra going strong at 40

By Jamie Lee Pricer
Posted on November 07, 2017

The Columbia Orchestra was born in 1977 with a handful of string musicians playing a smattering of performances. Today, it’s a full orchestra with 100 members with a robust schedule of sold-out performances. How has the orchestra grown and thrived in an age crowded with digital opportunities and pop music? Credit a breadth of programming, strong community outreach, and devotion by the... READ MORE

Recalling the heyday of Baltimore theaters

By Carol Sorgen
Posted on October 31, 2017

When photographer Amy Davis began researching Baltimore’s forgotten movie theaters nine years ago, she had no idea how many of these structures were still standing.Her new book, Flickering Treasures: Rediscovering Baltimore’s Forgotten Movie Theaters, celebrates 72 of the more than 240 theaters that have existed in Baltimore since 1896. Only 11 of the movie houses... READ MORE

Community group welcomes new artists

By Mel Tansill and Danielle Rexrode
Posted on October 27, 2017

When Jody Primoff moved to the Charlestown retirement community five years ago, she hoped to connect with others who shared her love of art and passion for painting.It turns out she didn’t have to look far. Before she even settled into her new home, Primoff was welcomed into the Fireside Artists — a group of Charlestown neighbors who gather every Friday to paint, draw and... READ MORE

Local authors master diverse genres

By Dinah Rokach
Posted on October 16, 2017

The National Capital region is in the news as the focus of politics, diplomacy and world events. It is also the home of talented writers. Be it a guidebook to the streets of Georgetown, a thriller about murder and mayhem in and around the Potomac, or a love story set in a suburban retirement home, you’re sure to enjoy reading about the familiar locales that serve as the backdrop of... READ MORE

Dreamgirls sparkles and shines at Toby’s

By Robert Friedman
Posted on October 06, 2017

Dreamgirls, the musical melodrama, is glittering again at Toby’s Dinner Theater in a production that is scintillating, exhilarating and, finally, exhausting — though not in a bad way.This is Toby’s third production of the multiple Tony Award-winning play. And the cast, both newly minted and repeat performers, puts heart, soul, guts and more soul into the almost-always... READ MORE

Strong performances in fragile Menagerie

By Dan Collins
Posted on September 27, 2017

On the surface, it would seem that Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie is out of step with our modern, take-charge, do-it-yourself times.A young woman, suffering from a permanent limp, lives like a hot house plant in a self-made purgatory. Meanwhile, her mother sees men as walking financial plans. Isn’t that sexist?Tom, the soon-to-be-prodigal son, seems like a stereotype... READ MORE

‘Camp’ pumps up music lovers

By Stuart Rosenthal
Posted on September 21, 2017

Marie Celano, of Clarksville, was a newcomer to the Piano at Peabody program this summer. The intensive one-week “piano camp” for adults brings together experienced and beginning pianists for a full slate of daily music lectures, master classes, classical and jazz recitals and performances. But most of all, it forges a community spirit among the participants, some of whom have... READ MORE