American novelist and poet Erica Jong once said, “Everyone has talent. What’s rare is the courage to follow it to the dark places where it leads.” Baltimore-based poet Stephen Zerance embodies this courageous talent in its raw form. Zerance’s recent book Safe Danger (available on Amazon), is the author’s first collection of poetry released by Indolent Books. His skillfully-crafted poetry flawlessly evokes readers’ emotions. Baltimore OUTloud recently chatted with Zerance about his recent publication, his attachment to Baltimore, and the inspiration behind many of his current works. “I was inspired to write a lot of this book by the way […]
A Royal Repartee… with Baltimore’s 2018 King of Pride
Baltimore’s 2018 King of Pride, Chris Jay, has ascended from humble beginnings to promote LGBTQ awareness and inclusivity. They (Jay’s preferred pronoun) recently chatted with Baltimore OUTloud to discuss how photography became a passion, their current reign as King of Pride 2018, and their new project The Queerbook: The Queer Performers Yearbook. “I would describe my current reign as King of Pride 2018 as eye-opening,” Jay began. “It’s been exactly a year since I was named King of Pride 2018. The way that I’ve been able to connect to Baltimore is unlike any way that a person can connect to […]
Meet Eric Randolph and Alan Cortie – The New Owners of Mixers
Gay nightlife, like the gay community, has always existed in one form or another. Over the last 50 years, gay bars have taken form to help shelter gay culture and have been one of the building blocks of the LGBTQ community. Fostering a climate where LGBTQ individuals feel safe and protected is necessary for the well-being of the gay community. For Eric Randolph and Alan Cortie, the new owners of Mixers Bar, this has become a mission. “Mixers is a bar which is a comfort zone for everyone in the LGBTQ community.” Began Cortie. “Many people may not want to travel to a bar that’s further into the city, or one […]
Highlandtown Goes Artsy
Growing up in Baltimore’s Highlandtown, Felicia Zanninio-Baker’s love for her neighborhood began very young. Today her creative talents are helping positive change in her community. As the owner and proprietress of the Highlandtown Gallery, as well as Magnolia Designs, the interior designer has long been a supporter of local artists within the community. “I was brought to Highlandtown when I was just three months old,” Zannino-Baker began. “From a very young age, I was very involved with the Italian culture. We sang, danced, and performed in Italian costume from the age of seven.” Zannino-Baker, whose father founded Zannino Funeral Homes […]
Three Galleries in One
The Highlandtown Gallery opened in September 2013 and is a crown jewel in the Highlandtown Arts District. “What makes this gallery unique,” says owner Felicia Zannino-Baker, “is the combination of three galleries in one building. It’s a tremendous dose of eye candy. You can find many forms of art in one place – we have paintings, encaustics, photography, jewelry, originals on paper or canvas, mosaics, sculpture, glass.” A recent group exhibition was “The Mosaic Show,” and currently there’s a group nude show, “Nudes / Erotica / Exotic Women,” running through August. Housed within the Highlandtown Gallery location is also Zwiebach […]
She’s Got the Spirits Victoria Schassler
– proprietress of Spirits of Mount Vernon, where the neighborhood gathers to toast By Frankie Kujawa British wine critic Michael Broadbent once said, “Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life’s most civilized pleasures.” Victoria Schassler, the delightful proprietress of Spirits of Mount Vernon recently chatted with Baltimore OUTloud to discuss her love of wine, how she came to Baltimore, and her adoration of the Mount Vernon community in which she is an icon. “I grew up in Rockland County, New York,” Schassler began. “It’s about half an hour north of Manhattan on the Hudson […]
Baltimore’s Owen O’Donnell Launches Charm City-Based Cosmetics Empire
of The Transgender Manifesto, once wrote, “Makeup can be used to express yourself, as well. Those experiences should not be limited to women. Everyone should be free to be as colorful as they want to be.” The spirit of this quote is evident in the work of Baltimore makeup artist Owen O’Donnell. Baltimore OUTloud chatted exclusively with O’Donnell to discuss his upcoming cosmetics line, his affinity for Baltimore and how he channeled his passion into a full-blown career. Growing up in the heart of Baltimore, O’Donnell’s creativity had already begun to blossom at an early age. “I was already very […]
Todrick Hall Brings ‘Forbidden’ Tour to Charm City Politics of race and sex in song
Singer, songwriter, dancer, choreographer, and Youtube personality Todrick Hall brings his new visual album Forbidden tour to Baltimore on April 27th at the Baltimore Soundstage. Hall’s performance comes weeks after the March 27th release of his album Forbidden, which tackles the politics of race and sexuality. Hall chatted with Baltimore OUTloud about his upcoming tour, his inspiration, and how close friend Taylor Swift influenced his new album. Frankie Kujawa: Can you tell our readers about your upcoming performance of the “Forbidden” tour? Todrick Hall: They can expect the visual album live plus some fun numbers from my Youtube channel. I […]
Hometown Performer Brings Motown to Charm City
Baltimore’s Brett Michael Lockley returns to Baltimore this month as Motown: The Musical rocks the Hippodrome Theatre from April 13th to 15th. The show transports audiences back in time to the true American dream story of Motown founder Berry Gordy – the music mogul who launched the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson, and many more. Lockley, who’s an ensemble member in the performance, recently chatted with Baltimore OUTloud about his upcoming performance and his return to his hometown. “Audiences can expect to hear some of the very exciting and infectious music that they may have grown up […]
‘Everyone Can Make Music’
Caite Debevec became the new director of the Baltimore Men’s Chorus (BMC) in August 2017 and has quickly become part of the BMC family. I spoke with her about her background, the plans for BMC this season as well as her vision and goals for the 2018-19 season. Bill Redmond-Palmer: What was your path to become director of the BMC? Caite Debevec: I grew up in southeast Alaska, and moved to the east coast in 2015, where I split my time between Vermont and Baltimore until 2017, when I moved to Baltimore full time. I’ve always participated in music in […]