JMM Insights: End Of The Year Reflections

This week’s installment of JMM Insights is from Sol Davis, executive director of the Jewish Musuem of Maryland.

Dear JMM community:

I am writing as we close 2021 and the end of my first year as executive director at the JMM to reflect on the year, a year that has felt both like many years and a flash, and to envision the year ahead.

I spent my first 100 days on the job dedicating much of my time to a listening tour, virtual meet and greets with as many people as I could to learn about their relationships with the JMM and their hopes for its future. What came through clearly was the deep communal commitment to caring for the many treasures the JMM is charged with stewarding.

More than anything else, I heard people express a desire to see us expand and diversify the audiences who engage with the JMM. I repeatedly heard requests that the JMM continue to explore the connections between Jewish and African American histories and relations in Baltimore. I was also reminded by several of the people I met with that the JMM is charged with representing the Jewish experiences of all Marylanders, not just those in and around Baltimore. My ears are still open. If I didn’t meet you in 2021, I hope to do so in 2022. 

Here are some JMM highlights from 2021:  

• We presented “Jews In Space” under extremely challenging circumstances and developed and delivered high-quality virtual tours.
• We staged “in absence of a proper mourning” as part of the international Dwelling In Times Of Plagues project. The project broadcast audio testimonials of Marylanders who had lost a loved one during the pandemic under the archways on the west facing façade of the Museum. The exhibit intended to move the mourning process from places of isolation into places of communal care.
• To mark Juneteenth, we co-presented a community reading of 400 Souls: A Community History Of African America,1619-2019 with The Lewis Museum, AVAM, The Pratt Library, Center Stage and others.
• We hosted powerful Winter and Summer Teacher Institutes supporting teachers across the state to more effectively teach about the history of the Holocaust. You can read a reflection about the Summer Teachers Institute here.
• We continuously elevated our presentation of virtual public programs with a wide range of programs covering local, regional, national, and global Jewish communities, cultures, and traditions. You can view our public programs here. 
• We conducted a virtual road trip of Maryland, where JMM staff and board members met and connected with Jewish communities across the state sharing with them about the work of the JMM while learning from them about their communities.
• We closed the year by opening “A Fence Around The Torah Safety: And Unsafety In Jewish Life” with two private openings that were attended by a diverse group that included longtime JMM members, many JMM first-timers, and many of the participating artists. I invite you to take a look at this 20 second video glimpse of the exhibit openings.

As we head into 2022, I am excited to build on the momentum we generated with the “A Fence Around the Torah” exhibit openings, particularly around the goal of expanding and diversifying our audiences. 

The last thing I will list here (this is not a comprehensive list), is growing enthusiasm for our staging of the exhibit “Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare” that we will borrow from Jewish Museum of Milwaukee and host from March – October 2022. The topics of free speech, political polarization and fear, and the role of popular media within those dynamics provide a meaningful point of departure for explorations of contemporary manifestations of these realities that remain very much with us today.

I hope you draw energy and excitement from this year-in-review and preview of the year ahead. The highlights from the year that is ending shows that we have much to be proud about as we continue to navigate these challenging times. 

Wishing you all much health and happiness in 2022.     

The JMM team is looking to hear from teachers and education professionals about how we can enrich your students’ learning, school community, and your continued professional development. Please complete this short survey to share with us how we can support you in the coming year!

Wild and Untamed: Dunton’s Discovery of the Baltimore Album Quilts

Follow Dr. William Rush Dunton Jr. on his journey to understand the Baltimore album quilt tradition and learn how quilts served as the building blocks for his groundbreaking work in occupational therapy. Explore the Maryland Center for History and Culture’s internationally famous quilt collection, including never-before-seen pieces, and Dr. Dunton’s personal works to unravel a narrative that connects Dunton’s views on quilts, gender, and mental health in the 1940s.

All Due Respect

The Baltimore Museum of Art is showing new works by Lauren Frances Adams, Mequitta Ahuja, Cindy Cheng, and LaToya Hobbs—all past recipients of Joan Mitchell Foundation recognition with connections to Baltimore—which emphasize the importance of continued support for artists at all stages in their careers.

Women Of Steel

The Baltimore Museum of Industry has opened its next exhibition outside of the museum to allow for social distancing and open-air exploration during COVID-19. The exhibition, titled Women of Steel, hangs on the museum’s fence along Key Highway in South Baltimore and is free of charge to view. This is the first time the BMI has hosted an outdoor exhibition. Hear the voices of Women of Steel in the audio companion to the outdoor exhibition. Featuring oral history excerpts from the Mill Stories documentary as well as a recording of the exhibition script, this audio guide is accessible from your mobile device on-site or from the comfort of your own home.