Third annual Johns Hopkins Day at Reginald F. Lewis Museum offers education, entertainment

The third annual Johns Hopkins Day at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum will be held from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23. All Johns Hopkins faculty, staff, students, and their families will be offered free admission to the museum in celebration of Black History Month.

Over the past two years, more than 1,100 Hopkins affiliates and their families have visited the museum on Johns Hopkins Day, which is made possible through a grant from Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medicine. The museum, established in 2005 and named in honor of Baltimore-born lawyer Reginald F. Lewis, examines the history and heritage of African-Americans in Maryland and around the country.

"We are excited to once again sponsor this event for Johns Hopkins affiliates to enjoy a day at the museum with their families and co-workers," said Michael Preston, director of Johns Hopkins Community Affairs.

Added Chrystal Green, assistant director of Community Affairs: "The Reginald F. Lewis Museum is a jewel in our state. It is wonderful to have the opportunity to bring my entire family to this treasure."

Image caption: Baltimore's Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African-American History & Culture

Those who plan to attend Johns Hopkins Day are asked to register online.

This year's Johns Hopkins Day program includes film screenings, children's activities, a dance showcase, and access to two temporary and three permanent exhibitions at the museum.

Currently on display are two temporary exhibitions: + Romare Bearden: Visionary Artist features more than 70 works in a variety of media from throughout Bearden's career. Best known for his collages, Bearden, who died in 1988, experimented with form and media to create commentaries on social realism and abstraction.

• Arabbers: Life in the City Streets showcases the work of Roland Freeman, a renowned documentarian of folk culture. The exhibition includes more than 100 historic photographs that highlight the tradition of traveling, horse-drawn street vendors in Baltimore.

The museum's three permanent exhibitions explore the stories of families and communities torn apart by the slave trade, examine the exploitation and slave labor used to build America, and celebrate the lasting contributions of African-Americans to art, culture, and education.

Johns Hopkins Day also includes a screening of the art film Black Is the Color, which highlights African-American artists in history, including Edmonia Lewis, Whitfield Lovell, Ellen Gallagher, Romare Bearden, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Children who attend Johns Hopkins Day can also drop in on a collage art activity based on Bearden's work, or view a 20-minute animated short film about the artist.

The dance showcase, featuring the company Dance Baltimore, takes place at 1 p.m. and again at 2 p.m. and features a dance interpretation of Bearden's work.

Johns Hopkins Day is part of a deepening partnership between the university and museum. During its annual gala in November 2018, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum honored Johns Hopkins for its commitment to Baltimore.

"We're very excited about the growing tradition of partnership we have established with the Reginald F. Lewis Museum," says Nondie Hemphill, assistant director of Government and Community Affairs. "We're excited to be partnering with them again this year."

The museum is located at 830 E. Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21202. Validated parking is located at the garage located at 815 E. Pratt St. and will cost $9.